2013 REU Poster: Modulation of Indolic Plant Defense compound Synthesis by Tryptophan Analogs

Poster presentation at REU Summer's End Research Symposium, 2013, by REU participant Marie Prisca Sanon, Massasoit Community College - John "Chip" Celenza group, Sanda Zolj lab mentorLike bacteria and fungi, plants are able to synthesize aromatic amino acids Tyrosine (Tyr), Phenylalanine (Phe) and Tryptophan (Trp). Those amino acids are used in plants not only for protein synthesis, but also for a variety of compounds that control development and defense. Arabidopsis thaliana uses Trp to produce distinct secondary metabolites that function as deterrents to herbivory (indole glucosinolates), as defense against microbial pathogens (camalexin) and as growth regulators(indole-3-acetic acid). To better understand the relationship between Trp biosynthesis and indole glucosinolate (IGs) production, we have tested different analogs of Trp on Columbia, a wild-type Arabidopsis accession. We have found that alpha-methyl tryptophan cannot be incorporated into IGs and in fact inhibits IG synthesis.NSF-RE

The importance of some Sahelian browse species as feed for goats

Browse species contribute substantially to the availability of feed for livestock in the Sahelian zone of Burkina Faso. This study aimed to identify the most appreciated and utilized browse species, to evaluate their potential for fodder production and nutritive value, and to test the possibility of using them in intensive animal production. In the first experiment the behaviour of cattle, sheep and goats was studied and a survey was undertaken in the study area to estimate the indigenous knowledge of browse species and their utilisation by ruminants. In the second experiment, Acacia senegal, Guiera senegalensis and Pterocarpus lucens, species that were found to be well utilized, were studied by estimating the phenological variation over time and the edible biomass production, total and directly accessible to sheep (0.87 m), goats (1.65 m) or cattle (1.47 m). Biomass production was also estimated using dendrometric parameters. The chemical composition of biomass (leaves and green pods) was determined in the third experiment, followed by measurement of the voluntary intake and apparent digestibility of the leaves and pods (except for G. senegalensis) using goats. Their effect (except for A. senegal leaves) on growth, carcass characteristics and parasite resistance was evaluated in the fourth experiment, feeding the browses ad libitum with a fixed amount of bran and hay and compared with a control diet containing cottonseed cake. The farmers classified the browse species according to their availability, their nutritive value, and several other usages. The feeding activities of all animal species decreased from rainy to dry season, with the decline in fodder availability, while resting and ruminating activities were increasing at the same time. Cattle browsed (leaves and litter) during the whole the study period for around 5% of the time spent on pasture. Sheep and goats made a shift in their feeding activities from grazing to browsing (28% and 52% of the time spent on pasture, respectively, for sheep and goats) when the herbaceous biomass decreased. A. senegal, G. senegalensis and P. lucens started the foliation phase as soon as the rains started, while A. senegal lost leaves earlier. The proportion of accessible biomass was higher for G. senegalensis, but P. lucens had higher total edible biomass. Goats browsing at higher height had more edible biomass at their disposal than cattle and sheep, although the chemical composition was similar for biomass accessible by all three animal species. The crown diameter predicted well the total edible biomass production of the three browse species. The crude protein (CP) content was 114, 157 and 217 g/kg dry matter (DM) and the neutral detergent fibre content 604, 534 and 412 g/kg DM for G. senegalensis, P. lucens and A. senegal, respectively. The highest intake was of the P. lucens leaves diet (864 g) and the lowest of the G. senegalensis diet (397 g). Pods from A. senegal were more consumed than pods of P. lucens. The leaves of A. senegal and P. lucens had similar digestibilities of CP, while A. senegal pods had higher digestibility of all nutrients than P. lucens pods. Goats fed A. senegal pods showed higher growth rate (56 g/day) and the goats on P. lucens pods had the lowest (24 g/day). The carcass weight, dressing percentage and weight of the primal cuts were higher for goats fed A. senegal pods, P. lucens leaves and the control diet. In conclusion, A. senegal pods and P. lucens leaves can be recommended as supplemental feed to poor quality roughages

The Economic Impact of Non-Dairy Alternative Milk Beverages on the United States Dairy Industry

Inspired by the sudden recent incline in and awareness of veganism as well as my own personal involvement in such matters, I sought out to complete an empirical analysis to study the impact of consumer preferences. Originally intrigued by the consumption of meat and its impact on developing countries, I opted for a related topic with better accompanying data. Consumer preferences change regularly with an increasing plethora of reasons behind their decisions. As the guiding force of the demand side of the market, it was vital to study the impact of their choices. My decision to use plant-based milk was meant to be a proxy for consumers who could not consume dairy. To my surprise, the force behind the increase in plant-based milk consumption was not propelled by those with alternative lifestyles but regular consumers who wanted healthier and better-tasting options. Further analysis has led me to look past consumers themselves and their individual choices to identify the impacts of their choices. This required an intricate look into the United States dairy industry and its composition. What is recorded within the next 45 pages is a delicate web of outcomes spun by the needs of consumers. It branches out into the lives of small dairy farmers who cannot compete with larger farms. It spins out to form a massive web of increasing profit for the plant-based milk industry. It creates a loss in the whole milk sector of the dairy industry only to be filled by the organic and specialty sectors. While they can be guided into choices through various forms of advertisement, the world has changed since the introduction of modern economics, and consumers are learning to utilize the products that fit their lifestyles. Gone are the days of passive consumption and food pyramids. Information has never been as readily available as it is today, with the help of the internet and independent researchers, and consumers have chosen to use this to their advantage

An Analysis of Child Health Indicators across 57 Cities Using 2003-2013 Demographic and Health Survey Data

Introduction: As the proportion of the world’s population increasingly shifts to urban areas, the concern for urban health will progressively pose more of an imminent issue. Many cities lack the proper infrastructure to accommodate the rapid influx of people and are unequipped or unprepared to address the many public health concerns that have arisen. As the rate of urbanization continues to accelerate globally, it is imperative that its effects on child health are both analyzed and addressed. Aim: The aim of this study is to analyze urban child health conditions using seven priority health indicators for 57 cities around the world. Methods: A comparative study of child health indicators across 57 cities was conducted using Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data between the years 2003-2013. Using standard DHS indicator definitions, various combinations of the 7-priority health indicators were used to develop four Urban Health Index (UHI) scores. The differences in urban child health conditions for each city are compared to one another and a UHI score is generated. UHI scores were used for linear regression analyses for gross national income (GNI) and Gini. Results: There are clear geographic disparities; the highest UHI scores indicating poorest child health conditions were generally in Africa and Southeast Asia. Within each WHO region, large gaps in UHI scores were observed. Values for UHI scores and GNI predictably had an inverse relationship. However, there are cities that have remarkably proven to be an exception with low UHI scores (indicating good health) and low GNI values. Similarly, within each city there are inequalities in the distribution of wealth. However, there is no indication of an association between country-level Gini and UHI score. Discussion: The variances within regions can be explained by a multitude of factors such as maternal education, political instability, inadequate levels of sanitation, or a lack of medical resources. Additional analyses are needed to examine how much of an impact these factors have on urban child health. Lastly, future studies should explore what factors are positively affecting child health in countries with low GNI and low UHI scores

Hotel housekeeping work influences on hypertension management

Background Characteristics of hotel housekeeping work increase the risk for hypertension development. Little is known about the influences of such work on hypertension management. Methods For this qualitative study, 27 Haitian immigrant hotel housekeepers from Miami‐Dade County, FL were interviewed. Interview transcripts were analyzed with the assistance of the Atlas.ti software for code and theme identification. Results Influences of hotel housekeeping work on hypertension management arose both at the individual and system levels. Factors at the individual level included co‐worker dynamics and maintenance of transmigrant life. Factors at the system level included supervisory support, workload, work pace, and work hiring practices. No positive influences were reported for workload and hiring practices. Conclusions Workplace interventions may be beneficial for effective hypertension management among hotel housekeepers. These work influences must be considered when determining effective methods for hypertension management among hotel housekeepers. Am. J. Ind. Med. 56:1402–1413. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/101773/1/ajim22209.pd

La Traduction en situation de diglossie:Le cas du discours religieux chrétien au Burkina Faso

In twee- of meertalige samenlevingen, zo wordt vaak gesteld, zou vertalen tot opzekere hoogte overbodig zijn aangezien de verschillende talen veelal complementairworden gebruikt. Een voorbeeld van zo’n meertalige samenleving in West-Afrika isBurkina Faso, waar het Frans in termen van sociaal en politiek prestige de dominantetaal is en het Jula als een van de grotere inheemse minderheidstalen (zg. nationaletalen) in informele situaties gehanteerd wordt. Toch wordt in dat land steeds meervertaald van met name het Frans naar de nationale talen. Volgens de skopostheorie, diehet kader van dit onderzoek vormt, is iedere vertaling een sociale en communicatievehandeling die een bepaald doel (skopos) beoogt, dat mede bepaald wordt door deopdrachtgever van de vertaling. In mijn onderzoek ben ik nagegaan wat het doel vanvertalen binnen het christelijk discours is, en welke invloed dat doel op devertaalstrategie en de functie van de vertaling in de ontvangende cultuur heeft. Geziende overwegend orale cultuur in Burkina Faso is hiervoor een corpus geselecteerd datniet alleen een schriftelijke, maar ook een mondelinge component omvat.Het schriftelijke deel van het corpus wordt gevormd door de vertaling in het Jula vanhet Nieuwe Testament (Layidukura, 1996), die gedeeltelijk op Franse tussenversies isgebaseerd; de mondelinge component betreft recent gehouden preken van zowelkatholieke als protestantse geestelijken. Alle teksten zijn geanalyseerd volgens eenlicht aangepaste versie van het model van Christiane Nord (1991), waarin zowelintra-, para- als extratekstuele factoren bestudeerd worden. Omdat in het oralediscours niet alleen sprake is van vertalen, maar ook van code switching, heb ikbovendien getracht te achterhalen of er voor beide communicatiestrategieënverschillende motieven te vinden waren.De analyse toont aan dat de gekozen vertaal- en communicatiestrategieën in sterkemate beïnvloed zijn door sociolinguïstische en culturele factoren. In het geval van debijbelvertaling, die een oecumenisch karakter heeft, kan worden geconstateerd dat derol van de opdrachtgever inderdaad belangrijk is: aangezien de vertaling door deprotestantse Alliance Biblique is geïnstigeerd en voor een belangrijk deelgefinancierd, hebben de vertalers bewust of onbewust vooral rekening gehouden metprotestantse voorkeuren wat betreft o.a. terminologie. Dit vormt een plausibeleverklaring voor het feit dat de vertaling in de katholieke kerk weinig weerklank heeftgehad. Het geringe verkoopsucces van de vertaling als geheel heeft waarschijnlijk temaken met extralinguïstische factoren als de overwegend orale cultuur, de lage graadvan alfabetisering en de geringe koopkracht van de bevolking. Als primaire skoposvan de vertaling kan evangelisatie worden genoemd; de liturgische functie is eensecundair doel. Verder draagt de vertaling van deze prestigieuze religieuze tekst bijaan de emancipatie van het Jula en tevens tot een ontwikkeling van de schriftcultuur.Uit het onderzoek is verder gebleken dat er in de vertaling, maar niet systematisch,sprake is van aanpassing aan de lokale cultuur (in het omzeilen van taboes en dekeuze van metaforen bij de vertaling, bijvoorbeeld).Wat het mondelinge corpus betreft waren de motieven voor hetzij vertaling, hetzijcode switching in het tweetalige protestantse discours, waar een tolk de preek van dedominee vertaalde, niet overal duidelijk. Een interessante uitkomst van het onderzoekis dat de wijze waarop de vertaler omspringt met de taaluitingen van de geestelijketreffende overeenkomsten vertoont met de vertelwijze van de traditionele griot. Uitde analyse van het discours van de katholieke geestelijke, die zichzelf vertaalde,bleek een duidelijke accentverschuiving: de spreker c.q. tolk gebruikte het Frans omnaar de internationale politieke actualiteit te verwijzen, terwijl het Jula,overeenkomstig de Afrikaanse orale traditie, opvallend meer aan interneaangelegenheden refereerde en een sterker verzoenende toon had, haast alsof despreker zich in beide gevallen tot twee verschillende doelgroepen richtte. De grenstussen vertaling en code switching enerzijds en vertaling en aanpassing aan(verwachtingen van) het publiek anderzijds blijkt op basis van dit onderzoek dan ookniet altijd duidelijk te trekken.Het belang van dit onderzoek ligt mijns inziens dan ook, enerzijds, opvertaalwetenschappelijk vlak: het bewijst het nut van de skopostheorie voor hetvaststellen van de keuzes die bij het vertalen zijn gemaakt, en van de invloed vanallerlei extratekstuele maatschappelijke factoren op het resultaat en de wijze vanfunctioneren van vertalingen (wie zijn de opdrachtgevers? wie financiert de vertaling,hoe wordt deze verspreid? wie maakt er gebruik van, in welke context?). Anderzijdsligt het belang van dit onderzoek op een breder sociolinguistisch vlak : het toont aanhoe verschillende talen (en met name, in dit geval, de taal van de voormaligekolonisator en een inheemse taal) functioneren, met welke waarden ze zijnverbonden, en welke attitude ze veronderstellen bij de toegesprokenen; ook toont hetaan dat deze verhoudingen in beweging zijn, en dat het vertalen zelf een belangrijkefactor in de ontwikkeling van nationale talen kan vormen

Georgia Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) Resource and Protocol Guide

The commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is a heinous and illegal act against children that negatively impacts youth across the world. It robs them of their innocence and increases their risk for psychological, developmental, and physical issues later in life. CSEC is a significant issue in the State of Georgia. Georgia has been identified as having one of the highest CSEC rates and economies in the United States. Many risk factors put youth at risk for commercial sexual exploitation. Child and family support agencies, law enforcement, schools, and the general public must be aware of them to combat CSEC. This paper aimed to create a comprehensive document to help those who work closely with children and families understand CSEC\u27s complexities and address it in Georgia. This capstone paper provides an overview of what CSEC is, the prevalence of the issue, pathways to CSEC, recruiting tactics, information on Georgia’s new CSEC response team, responses from professionals within the field, and policy recommendations for next steps as the state moves forward in addressing this issue

Predicting field performance of five irrigated tree species using seedling quality assessment in Burkina Faso, West Africa

Five exotic tree species (Acacia angustissima (Mil.) Kuntze, Acacia mangium Wild, Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Alp., Leucaena hybrid (LxL), and Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit) were investigated to determine whether parameters of nursery seedling stock quality could be used to predict their field performance in a plantation irrigated with treated waste-water to produce fodder and wood. Plants were grown in the nursery in two contrasting rooting substrates (ordinary nursery soil and sand), predicted to have different effects on resource allocation. Three categories of morphological indicators were measured, i.e. plant dimensions (height, diameter, root length), plant weights (shoot, root and whole plant weights) and indices (sturdiness quotient ‘SQ’, shoot:root dry weight ratio ‘SRR’ and Dickson’s quality index ‘DQI’). In the nursery, all species performed better in the ordinary nursery soil for all growth parameters except root length. Thus ordinary nursery substrate appeared superior to sand in terms of plant quality. However, a follow up at plantation phase revealed that only some morphological attributes or ratios were suitable to predict field performance for the five tested species in irrigated plantation. In addition, the effect of the substrate observed at the nursery stage had disappeared 12 months after out planting due to the availability of water and nutrients provided by the treated waste water used for the irrigation. The results showed that root collar diameter and DQI appeared to be the most appropriate indicators to predict the outplanting performance of the five tested species in a short-rotation irrigated plantation in semi-arid Burkina Faso. The former measure is simpler and non-destructive