Rapid Authentication of Andean Flours via Infrared Spectrometry and Gas Chromatography

In recent years consumers in the United States have become more health conscious and have placed much more importance on a food’s nutritional benefits. Andean grain flours exhibit many of the desired nutritional characteristics, such as high protein content, presence of essential amino acids, good source of dietary fiber, and being rich in the “heart healthy” Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. Due to the increased demand for these healthy grain alternatives there is risk of adulteration with less-expensive grains. The experimental goal was to develop a non- destructive analytical method that could swiftly categorize Andean flours based on flour type and separate pure grain flours from adulterated mixes. Pure Andean flours and ingredients were provided by Universidad Nacional Agraria la Molina (UNALM) (Lima, Peru). Whereas, commercial samples of the grain flours were attained from various local markets (Lima, Peru). Spectral data was collected from the Andean grain flours using a portable attenuated total reflectance (ATR) mid-infrared spectrometer equipped with a diamond crystal. Fat was extracted from the grain samples, analyzed with gas chromatography, and the data was used to create fatty acid profiles. The results show that samples could be separated by flour type based on spectral data and fatty acid profiles. The fatty acid profile showed differences in composition of major fatty acids (C16:0, C18:0, C18:1 and C18:2) present in flours, helping to identify potential adulterated samples. Additionally, the data shows that there was some prevalence of adulteration in market samples. Overall, a rapid analytical method was found that can be used “in-field” and provides the accurate recognition of adulterated food ingredients, making it a great alternative to conventional testing methods.No embargoAcademic Major: Food Science and Technolog

What Discrimination? Christian Microaggression Rhetoric Against Nontheists

Theories of microaggressions have been used in the last decade as a framework for studying subtle forms of discrimination against racial minorities and other marginalized groups. However, there is a dearth of research on the scope and types of microaggressions nontheists face. This qualitative study examines microaggressions against nontheists by interviewing 16 religious Christians on their experiences and opinions of the discrimination Christians and nontheists face. The narratives were analyzed for thematic patterns between the rhetoric used and the type of microaggressions employed. The study revealed nine categories of microaggressions. The findings also showed how experiences of discrimination, political viewpoint, and understanding power structures affected religious Christians’ perceptions of the discrimination nontheists may or may not experience. Knowing how anti-nontheist microaggressions are rhetorically framed contributes to the study of larger patterns of prejudice and discrimination against nontheists

Novel device for improved diagnosis and monitoring of rotator cuff injury

Rotator cuff disease impacts approximately over 50% of the population above the age of 60, causing pain and ultimately possible loss of shoulder function. The rotator cuff is composed of muscles and tendons that work in tandem to support the shoulder and aid in the movement of the arm. History of trauma and increased age can lead to a rotator cuff tear, which can range in severity from a partial-thickness tear to a full-thickness, total rupture. Currently, diagnostic techniques for rotator cuff disease are based on physical assessment, detailed patient history, and medical imaging, primarily X-ray, MRI and ultrasonography. However, limitations still exist regarding rotator cuff diagnosis and monitoring. Ultrasound has been shown to have good accuracy in the identification and measurement of full-thickness and partial-thickness rotator cuff tears. Quantitative data regarding rotator cuff tears is not as readily available as the qualitative data provided by the aforementioned techniques. The device designed through this study improves the method of transduction and the analysis of in situ measurement of rotator cuff biomechanics. Improvements include the ability of the clinician to apply a uniform force to the underlying musculotendentious tissues while simultaneously obtaining an ultrasound image and the addition of Bluetooth for ease of data transfer. Preliminary studies were performed with the device on both post-operative and healthy patients, in which the stress and strain experienced by the rotator cuff tissue was analyzed. This device will ultimately aid in developing a more thorough predictive diagnostic model for the treatment of rotator cuff disease and aid clinicians in choosing the best treatment option for patients

Strange Land

My dissertation, Strange Land, is about the transition from youth to adulthood as it follows a young woman that travels to India to seek change. There she finds challenges and comforts that she did not expect, as well as a new sense of normality that she didn\u27t know she craved. My work is concerned with how a young woman copes with being simultaneously pushed into adulthood and held back in childhood. The crossover fiction between young adult and adult literature influenced me heavily in the writing of this novel. In particular, Kristin Cashore\u27s novel, Graceling, explores the ideas of identity construction and loss that are relevant in most crossover fiction and that I used heavily in my own work. Her work engages with the instability of relationships as a source of internal conflict and the problem of finding oneself after getting purposefully lost

Psychosocial Support for Pediatric Patients at Proton Therapy Institutions

Purpose: Pediatric patients with cancer benefit significantly from psychosocial support during and after treatment, but to date, limited data exist regarding the patterns of psychosocial support provided to patients in radiation oncology departments. The purpose of this study was to assess the supportive care services provided at proton therapy institutions in the United States with a specific focus on education, parental involvement, and coping techniques. Materials and methods: Physicians, nurses, and child life specialists at 29 operational proton therapy facilities in the United States were sent an online questionnaire regarding pediatric treatment support. The survey consisted of 10 questions exploring strategies employed to educate and support pediatric patients before and during radiotherapy. Results: Staff members from 23 of 29 operational proton centers (79%) in the United States completed the survey. Three centers (10%) declined to participate, and three (10%) did not complete the questionnaire. Respondents permitted parental presence for body positioning on the first day of treatment and every day of treatment if needed at 95.6% (22 of 23) and 73.9% (17 of 23) of the centers, respectively. Primary education methods included a facility tour (91.3%; 21 of 23) and psychological preparation (78.3%; 17 of 23). Physicians (82.6%; 19 of 23), nurses (73.9%; 17 of 23), and child life specialists (69.6%; 16 of 23) most commonly provided education to pediatric patients and their families. Only 21.7% (5 of 23) of the facilities reported documentation of a psychosocial support policy. Common coping techniques included music (87.0%; 20 of 23), parental presence for positioning (73.9%; 17 of 23), listening to audio recordings (73.9%; 17 of 23), aromatherapy on or near the patient (73.9%; 17 of 23), and use of a stress ball (65.2%; 15 of 23). Conclusion: Proton therapy institutions frequently offered psychologic preparation before treatment and employed various coping strategies. Based on this survey, we propose several recommendations to raise awareness and improve the experience of pediatric patients at radiation oncology centers. Keywords: coping; patient education; patient experience; psychosocial support; stress

Correspondence Pertaining to the Establishment of an Archive for the Division on Women and Crime

Subject files pertaining to miscellaneous activities and issues: Archives project. Search for a permanent archives for DWC records. 1995-1998; 199

Molecular principles underlying dual RNA specificity in the Drosophila SNF protein

The first RNA recognition motif of the Drosophila SNF protein is an example of an RNA binding protein with multi-specificity. It binds different RNA hairpin loops in spliceosomal U1 or U2 small nuclear RNAs, and only in the latter case requires the auxiliary U2A′ protein. Here we investigate its functions by crystal structures of SNF alone and bound to U1 stem-loop II, U2A′ or U2 stem-loop IV and U2A′, SNF dynamics from NMR spectroscopy, and structure-guided mutagenesis in binding studies. We find that different loop-closing base pairs and a nucleotide exchange at the tips of the loops contribute to differential SNF affinity for the RNAs. U2A′ immobilizes SNF and RNA residues to restore U2 stem-loop IV binding affinity, while U1 stem-loop II binding does not require such adjustments. Our findings show how U2A′ can modulate RNA specificity of SNF without changing SNF conformation or relying on direct RNA contacts

Responding to Child and Adolescent to Parent Violence and Abuse from a Distance: Remote Delivery of Interventions during Covid-19

Working with families living with child and adolescent-to-parent violence raises a number of challenges which were compounded during the Covid-19 pandemic. In this article, UK umbrella organisation ‘Respect’ is used as a case study to explore how 10 practitioners navigated social, emotional, and safeguarding concerns that occurred when transitioning to remote working. Engagement with children and young people proved difficult, especially for those with special education needs and/or disabilities. However, parental engagement with services increased. Practitioners were quick to adapt to the changing landscape of remote working; continually adapting their practice to otherwise unforeseen safeguarding and/or practical challenges

Cooperative Federalism and SIJS

Recognizing the plight of young immigrants who have suffered abuse, neglect, or abandonment, and cannot be reunited with a parent, Congress has accorded those who qualify Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). SIJS has created an expedited path for them to permanent residency and, ultimately, citizenship. The statutory scheme Congress crafted is unusual in that it requires each applicant to obtain a state court order finding that they meet the requirements for SIJS before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service decides whether to confer that status on them. The implementation of this scheme has been fraught with difficulty, representing for some a challenge to federal control over immigration and representing for others an impermissible encroachment on state sovereignty. That it does both symbolizes that Congress reached a pragmatic compromise that acknowledges the interdependence of the federal government and the states, as well as the shared and overlapping interests each have in young and vulnerable immigrants. In this Article, we examine the structure of the SIJS statutory scheme and the roles of state and federal actors contemplated therein. We review relevant principles of federalism, plenary powers, and the exceptional treatment of immigration laws within the federalism framework. Using these principles, we then consider the responses of states that have sought to broaden or restrict access to SIJS. Finally, we consider the potential for a cooperative model of federalism to help resolve tensions and correct misunderstandings surrounding the SIJS statute. It is just such a pragmatic approach, which accepts the interactive and interdependent relationships between the federal government and the states, that allows us to best make sense of the SIJS statute. We suggest that this approach can accommodate the SIJS statute as a legal hybrid that addresses the issues of immigration where they lie: both at the external federal borders and within those borders in the several states

Implicit racial biases can undermine liberal and moderate Whites’ support for Black politicians.

In new research Daniel Byrd, Deborah Hall, Nicole Roberts and José Soto seek to understand whether liberal and moderate Whites are biased towards Black politicians over White politicians, and if this favorability is mitigated by any implicit racial bias. They find that liberal and moderate Whites do have a preference for Black politicians over White politicians on a variety of measures of political support. They also find that this favorability disappeared among those who were more likely to rate Black politicians as less intelligent because of their implicit pro-White/anti-Black biase