Higher Education Collaboratives for Community Engagement and Improvement

Our society is in a period of dramatic change with the transition from an industrial-based to a knowledge-based economy, as well as technological advances, fiscal challenges of higher education, and cultural shifts in society as a whole. Increasing collaborations between communities and universities in order to influence the public good becomes paramount during this time of dramatic change. As frustratingly slow as the movement to strengthen the relationship between higher education and society sometimes seems to be, few social institutions are better situated than colleges and universities to stimulate significant community improvement. Individually and collectively, institutions of higher education possess considerable resources—human, fiscal, organizational, and intellectual— which are critical to addressing significant social issues. Additionally, these institutions are physically rooted in their communities. Therefore, investing in the betterment of their immediate environments is good for both the community and the institution. However, it is recognized that higher education institutions often fall short of making a real impact in their home communities. Therefore, a conference was convened to examine the current and evolving role of higher education institutions, particularly those operating within the context of coalitions, consortia and state systems, to catalyze change on issues affecting communities and society as a whole. Specifically, the focus of the conference was to develop and strengthen an understanding of how higher education might work more effectively with communities and we believe that consortia or collaboratives of higher education institutions, along with community partners, can learn from one another. Cooperation between efforts is important. The papers offered in this monograph are the result of the Wingspread Conference on Higher Education Collaboratives for Community Engagement and Improvement, conducted on October 27-29, 2004, in Racine, Wisconsin. The conference, the second of a three-part series, was sponsored by the National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good at the University of Michigan School of Education, the Johnson Foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The first conference in the series held in October 2003 and titled Public Understanding, Public Support and Public Policy focused on higher education’s role in society and the concluding conference will be held in the fall of 2005

Funding agricultural business development with federal and state grants

"Grant programs allow agricultural businesses and farmers to seek funding that supports business development and may complement other business financing. Grant funding is intended to serve as a short-term infusion of funds to either plan a business or grow an existing business. Grants are different from other funding sources. Unlike loans, grants don’t require the recipient to repay the awarded funding. However, grant programs typically require recipients to make progress toward goals and submit reports to stay in good standing. Grant programs focused on agricultural business development fund different purposes. Two common types are business planning and working capital; however, some grant programs may fund other expenses such as those for business implementation, equipment, training or research and development."--First page.Written by Alice Roach (Senior Research Associate, Applied Social Sciences), Mallory Rahe (Associate Extension Professor, Agricultural Business and Policy), Ryan Milhollin (Assistant Extension Professor, Agricultural Business and Policy), Joe Parcell (Professor, Agricultural Economics; Director, Center for Risk Management Education and Research; Kansas State University

Vermonters’ Opinions on Low-Dose CT Lung Cancer Screening

Introduction: Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer death among men and women in Vermont and the United States. Smoking increases the risk of lung cancer—nearly 90% of lung cancer is due to smoking. Frequently, lung cancers do not present clinically until they are advanced stage and therefore prognosis is poor. However, if detected early lung cancers are more operable and patients have better outcomes. In December 2013 the US Preventive Services Task Force released new guidelines for lung cancer screening among current and former smokers ages 55 to 80. It is recommended that current and former (within 15 years of quitting) smokers of 30 pack years receive an annual low-dose CT scan. The objective of this project was to assess the level of knowledge and attitudes towards lung cancer screening with low-dose CT scanning among Vermonters in the Burlington area.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1205/thumbnail.jp

Growing Missouri’s aquaculture industry : business models

Designed for aquaculture entrepreneurs, this report provides business model examples to consider before building an aquaculture operation in Missouri. Today, Missouri has a diverse aquaculture industry composed of businesses serving many different customers and market channels. Varied topography and groundwater availability have guided existing operation locations. Mild winters in the southeast region of the state provided certain aquaculture pioneers with a more favorable production season than the season found in other Missouri areas.Joe Horner (State Specialist, Agricultural Business and Policy, MU Extension), Drew Kientzy (Research Program Analyst, University of Missouri), Ryan Milhollin (State Specialist, Agricultural Business and Policy, MU Extension), Robert Pierce (Associate Extension Professor, Fisheries and Wildlife, MU Extension), David Brune (Agricultural Engineering Professor, University of Missouri), Alice Roach (Senior Research Associate, University of Missouri), Mallory Rahe (State Specialist, Agricultural Business and Policy, MU Extension)New 7/2023Includes bibliographical reference

Modification of Cellular DNA by Synthetic Aziridinomitosenes

Two synthetic aziridinomitosenes (AZMs), Me-AZM and H-AZM, structurally related to mitomycin C (MC) were evaluated for their anticancer activity against six cancer cell lines (HeLa, Jurkat, T47D, HepG2, HL-60, and HuT-78) and tested for their DNA-modifying abilities in Jurkat cells. Cytotoxicity assays showed that Me-AZM is up to 72-fold and 520-fold more potent than MC and H-AZM, respectively. Me-AZM also demonstrated increased DNA modification over MC and H-AZM in alkaline COMET and Hoechst fluorescence assays that measured crosslinks in cellular DNA. Me-AZM and H-AZM treatment of Jurkat cells was found to sponsor significant DNA-protein crosslinks using a K-SDS assay. The results clearly indicate that the AZM C6/C7 substitution pattern plays an important role in drug activity and supports both DNA-DNA and DNA-protein adduct formation as mechanisms for inducing cytotoxic effects

Growing Missouri’s aquaculture industry : needs assessment

Missouri’s aquaculture industry contains many small but diverse businesses, based on responses from 20 active businesses that participated in a 2023 aquaculture needs assessment survey. Those businesses represented 17 counties, and the survey had an estimated 70% response rate. The average respondent was a small business with seven employees that had been in business for 39 years. Respondents said they primarily use ponds or flow-through raceways and produce nearly eight different aquaculture species on average. In total, respondents produced 46 different species in 2022. Bluegill and largemouth bass were the two most common. They each contributed between 21% and 25% of total business sales.Mallory Rahe (State Specialist, Agricultural Business and Policy, MU Extension), Laura Gordon (Program Coordinator II, Agricultural Business and Policy, MU Extension), Ryan Milhollin (State Specialist, Agricultural Business and Policy, MU Extension), Alice Roach (Senior Research Associate, Division of Applied Social Sciences), Joe Horner (State Specialist, Agricultural Business and Policy, MU Extension), Robert Pierce (Associate Extension Professor, Fisheries and Wildlife, MU Extension), David Brune (Agricultural Engineering Professor, University of Missouri), Drew Kientzy (Research Program Analyst, University of Missouri)New 6/202

Electronically Excited States of Anistropically Extended Singly-Deprotonated PAH Anions

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) play a significant role in the chemistry of the interstellar medium (ISM) as well as in hydrocarbon combustion. These molecules can have high levels of diversity with the inclusion of heteroatoms and the addition or removal of hydrogens to form charged or radical species. There is an abundance of data on the cationic forms of these molecules, but there have been many fewer studies on the anionic species. The present study focuses on the anionic forms of deprotonated PAHs. It has been shown in previous work that PAHs containing nitrogen heteroatoms (PANHs) have the ability to form valence excited states giving anions electronic absorption features. This work analyzes how the isoelectronic pure PAHs behave under similar structural constructions. Singly-deprotonated forms of benzene, naphthalene, anthracene, and teteracene classes are examined. None of the neutral-radicals possess dipole moments large enough to support dipole-bound excited states in their corresponding closed-shell anions. Even though the PANH anion derivatives support valence excited states for three-ringed structures, it is not until four-ringed structures of the pure PAH anion derivatives that valence excited states are exhibited. However, anisotropically-extended PAHs larger than tetracene will likely exhibit valence excited states. The relative energies for the anion isomers are very small for all of the systems in this study

Survey of Community Pharmacy Customers’ Medication Storage and Disposal Methods

Many people store medications in bathrooms, which provide a moist, humid environment that speeds up the breakdown process of medications. The proper way to store medicines is in a cool, dry place out of the reach of children. Every year medications are also disposed of improperly presenting a risk to both humans and the environment. About one-third of all sold medications are unused. The most common ways patients dispose of medications in the United States are flushing down the toilet or sink, and throwing them away. Because of this pharmaceuticals have been found in groundwater, and drinking water proving hazardous to both humans and ecosystems. In Congress today, both the Drug Free Water Act and the Safe Drug Disposal Act have been proposed to limit the disposal of pharmaceuticals in sewage systems, and provide the means of controlled substance disposal through take-back programs. In February 2007 the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) established guidelines for the disposal of prescription medications. ONDCP guidelines are: take unused, unneeded or expired medications out of the original container, mix with an undesirable substance (such as coffee grounds), securely seal in impermeable containers, such as sealable bags, and throw into the trash. ONDCP recommends only flushing if the label or patient information specifies to do so. Taking advantage of community pharmaceutical take-back programs is highly encouraged

Growing Missouri’s aquaculture industry : trends and outlook

This report summarizes aquaculture in Missouri, the U.S. and the world. It highlights aquaculture production and consumption, summarizes U.S. and global aquaculture industry trends and offers further detail about channel catfish and rainbow trout — the major fish species grown by Missouri aquaculture producers. Special attention focuses on aquaculture’s use of plant-based feeds.Ryan Milhollin (State Specialist, Agricultural Business and Policy, MU Extension), Matt Ernst (Independent Writer), Joe Horner (State Specialist, Agricultural Business and Policy, MU Extension), Paul Brown (Eastwood Inc.), Robert Pierce (Associate Extension Professor, Fisheries and Wildlife, MU Extension), David Brune (Agricultural Engineering Professor, University of Missouri), Alice Roach (Senior Research Associate, Division of Applied Social Sciences), Mallory Rahe (State Specialist, Agricultural Business and Policy, MU Extension), Drew Kientzy (Research Program Analyst, University of Missouri)New 6/2023Includes bibliographical reference