Effectiveness of computer/video assisted instruction for adults in a nonformal setting: a preliminary study

The purpose of this study was to determine if nonformal adult students learn at a different level when taught by computer/video assisted instruction when compared to a conventional approach such as lecture with questions and overhead projections;Interactive lessons on agricultural futures hedging and agricultural futures options were written by the investigator and computer/video assisted futures options lessons presented to the treatment groups at Wayne, Enid, and Cherokee, Oklahoma;Three groups of nonformal adult students (N = 60) were selected to participate in the experiment. Pre-tests were developed and administered to a randomized one-half of both the treatment and control groups. The Randomized Solomon Four-Group Design was used to overcome problems of external validity. The four groups included: (1) no pre-test/no treatment, (2) pre-test/no treatment, (3) no pre-test/treatment, and (4) pre-test/treatment;The pre-test mean score for all participants was 18.31 out of a possible 30. The post-test mean score for all participants was observed to be 20.58. Comparisons of pre-test and post-test group means revealed that the post-test mean score for both the control and experimental groups was higher than the pre-test group means. Group pre-test mean scores were observed to be significantly different; however, these differences did not carry over to the post-test mean scores or the differences between pre- and post-test mean scores for each group;Regression analysis of variables using post-test mean as the dependent variable revealed that pre-test score, educational level, sex, high school agricultural instruction, and location accounted for the majority of variance among group means. Analysis of covariance tests selecting the above variables as covariates did not provide significant differences between the treatment and control group mean scores;Significant differences were observed between experimental and control group pre- and post-test mean scores when grouped according to educational background of the participants

The role of the PSD95/Dlg/ZO-1 (PDZ) binding motif of human papillomavirus type 18 E6 oncoprotein in the virus life cycle

A PSD95/Dlg/ZO-1(PDZ)-binding motif (PBM) in the E6 protein of high-risk, cancer-causing human papillomaviruses (HPV) targets a subset of cellular PDZ domain-containing proteins involved in diverse regulatory processes including cell polarity and proliferation, for proteasome-mediated degradation. Interaction with this select group of PDZ domain-containing proteins is negatively regulated by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) mediated phosphorylation of the E6 PBM. This thesis has sought to address the hypothesis that the PBM of E6 plays an important role within the HPV life cycle. This study has shown that deletion of the E6 PBM from HPV18 genomes affects the morphology and growth of viral episome-containing human keratinocytes and furthermore links E6 PBM function to viral episome replication (maintenance replication and differentiation-dependent amplification). Loss of negative regulation of the E6 PBM by mutation of the PKA recognition motif was associated with increased cell growth and indeed the growth of wildtype HPV18 genome-containing cells responded to changes in PKA signalling. Constitutive E6 PBM function was also associated with invasion of cells suggesting that malignant progression of HPV-infected cells may be linked to changes in PKA signalling. Modulation of the E6 PBM function in the viral genome-containing cells was associated with a change in protein levels of the PDZ domain-containing protein discs large (hDlg) and changes in the non receptor protein phosphastase PTPN13 specific species

An assessment of animal repellents in the management of vehicle-macropod collisions in New South Wales

Collisions between animals and motor vehicles are frequent and often result in animal mortality. In Australia, macropods are regular victims of these collisions. This has serious implications for animal welfare and conservation as well as aesthetics and tourism. Collisions with large animals and secondary collisions caused by the presence of animals on road easements, can lead to serious personal injury and property damage. A range of mitigative measures to prevent animal-vehicle collisions exists, but no single measure can be fully effective and the efficacy of many mitigation measures remains untested. An integrated management approach, employing many mitigative techniques is required to reduce vehicle-animal collisions. Repellents have recently been identified as a potential mitigative measure for reducing vehicle-animal collisions. The aim of this study was to identify the potential role of repellents in reducing macropod-vehicle collisions in New South Wales. This required the identification and assessment of potential repellents since research investigating repellents in an Australian context is scant. Macropus rufogriseus banksianus was selected as a test species for this research as a high abundance of this species exists in southeastern Australia and it is a common victim of roadkill in New South Wales. Preliminary screening trials of four potential macropod repellents highlighted the utility of two of the substances: Plant Plus, a synthetic compound based on the chemistry of dog urine; and a formulation consisting of chicken eggs. Feeding by M. rufogriseus banksianus was significantly reduced when these substances were applied near feed trays. Modest results were also detected for ?3-isopentenyl methyl sulfide (a constituent of fox urine), while a commercial animal repellent (SCATREPLACE3 Bird and Animal Repellent) was ineffective in altering feeding by M. rufogriseus banksianus.;A barrier trial conducted with the two most successful repellents indicated that Plant Plus was a more effective macropod repellent then the egg formulation. Plant Plus displayed qualities of an area repellent and elicited a stronger response from M. rufogriseus banksianus when compared to the egg formulation. Further captive trials determined that the habituation of response to Plant Plus by M. rufogriseus banksianus was minimal after six weeks of constant exposure and Plant Plus retained repellent properties after exposure to ambient environmental conditions for at least ten weeks. Field trials to establish the effectiveness of Plant Plus with free ranging macropods (M. rufogriseus banksianus and M. giganteus) were unsuccessful due to methodological limitations stemming from high background variance in observed responses, equipment failure and site disturbance from outside influences. The potential role of Plant Plus as a repellent for managing macropod-vehicle collisions was highlighted by the captive trials. However, several factors requiring further research were identified. This included assessing the repellent abilities of Plant Plus in the field and further defining the properties of Plant Plus with captive trials. The effects of Plant Plus on non-target species and an assessment of potential environmental impacts also requires attention. Research assessing the potential role of repellents in other management contexts in Australia would be beneficial and the identification and assessment of repellents for other species should proceed. However, in the context of assessing repellents for use in the management of vehicle-macropod collisions, immediate focus should concentrate on extending the research to assess the effects of Plant Plus with other species of large macropod, and assessing if Plant Plus can reduce the numbers of macropods in road easements

JTRF Volume 56 No. 3, Fall 2017Preserving Railroad Infrastructure:The Case of Iowa Branch Rail Lines

In the 1970s, huge grain exports, deteriorating branch rail lines, poor railroad earnings and increased demand for new railroad locomotives and grain cars led railroads to apply for the abandonment of the deteriorating branch lines. The state of Iowa developed a program to subsidize the upgrading of 1,984 miles of branch lines. This paper analyzes the results of these programs and evaluates the potential economics of future branch rail line subsidy programs

Alleviating Stress In Police Agencies

Policestress has been examined in many studies, many of which have focused upon thedevelopment of prevention and treatment programs for the police officers(Maslach, 1982; Maslach & Jackson, 1979; Mitchell, 1983; Mitchell &Everly, 1993). The trend of combating stress began with the police agenciesusing employee assistance programs, funding conferences, conducting research,and establishing prevention programs, but the fact remains that the health ofpolice officers and their families becomes a large concern as most officerstend not use free counseling due to concerns regarding confidentiality and thecompetence of the counselors. An example of one program is the New JerseyCOP-2-COP confidential hotline for police officers and their families (Ussery& Waters, 2006). COP-2-COP was a volunteer program and its usefulness wasseen post-September 11, 2001, in its response to the needs of the survivors ofthe World Trade Center disaster and also after the New Orleans disaster in theCritical Incident Stress Debriefing process after Hurricane Katrina.  Police stress can have a bad influence onpolice performance and can cause many problems such as poor job performance,increased accidents, sleep disturbances, marital discord, domestic violence,posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, suicide, alcohol and other drugabuse, ulcers and other digestive disorders, respiratory ailments, andcardiovascular disease

The Impact Of Job-Related Stressors On Incidents Of Excessive Force By Police Officers

The present study addresses the relationship between job-related stressors and incidents of police misconduct, a concept that has largely been neglected in policing literature. Manzoni and Eisner’s conceptualization of stress-strain theory provided the foundation for the research. Specifically, this study examines individual differences in the perception of how job-related stressors such as departmental leadership, departmental policies and regulations, and departmental climate are related to incidents of police misconduct expressed through the exercise of excessive force. This quantitative survey design employed the Police Survey of Job Related Stress (PSJRS) among a convenience sample of 94 active police officers (49 African American and 45 European) from a southern U.S. state. T-tests and the Mann-Whitney test were used to document statistically significant differences between white and African American officers across the perceived connection linking the core PSJRS dimensions of job-related stressors to excessive force misconduct. The results promote positive social change by reinforcing social bonds between police and communities and creating safer places to live.

Parallel developmental genetic features underlie stickleback gill raker evolution.

BackgroundConvergent evolution, the repeated evolution of similar phenotypes in independent lineages, provides natural replicates to study mechanisms of evolution. Cases of convergent evolution might have the same underlying developmental and genetic bases, implying that some evolutionary trajectories might be predictable. In a classic example of convergent evolution, most freshwater populations of threespine stickleback fish have independently evolved a reduction of gill raker number to adapt to novel diets. Gill rakers are a segmentally reiterated set of dermal bones important for fish feeding. A previous large quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping study using a marine × freshwater F2 cross identified QTL on chromosomes 4 and 20 with large effects on evolved gill raker reduction.ResultsBy examining skeletal morphology in adult and developing sticklebacks, we find heritable marine/freshwater differences in gill raker number and spacing that are specified early in development. Using the expression of the Ectodysplasin receptor (Edar) gene as a marker of raker primordia, we find that the differences are present before the budding of gill rakers occurs, suggesting an early change to a lateral inhibition process controlling raker primordia spacing. Through linkage mapping in F2 fish from crosses with three independently derived freshwater populations, we find in all three crosses QTL overlapping both previously identified QTL on chromosomes 4 and 20 that control raker number. These two QTL affect the early spacing of gill raker buds.ConclusionsCollectively, these data demonstrate that parallel developmental genetic features underlie the convergent evolution of gill raker reduction in freshwater sticklebacks, suggesting that even highly polygenic adaptive traits can have a predictable developmental genetic basis