Non-Traditional Sources of Biomass Feedstocks

Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Effect of Verbal Directions on Grip Strength Evaluated Using the Handheld Dynamometer

Background: Grip strength measurement using the handheld dynamometer is a key aspect of the evaluation of an upper extremity injury. The handheld dynamometer manufacturer has established research-based guidelines outlining body positioning during grip strength measurement. However, verbal direction guidelines, while provided, have not yet been shown to be most effective through research. This study seeks to determine whether the use of one of two types of verbal directions, with and without encouragements, resulted in greater grip strength as measured by the handheld dynamometer. Method: The grip strength of healthy females (n = 60) was compared using two sets of prerecorded verbal directions administered in random order. All other procedures were constant and closely followed a standardized procedure. Results: A statistically significant difference in the right- and left-hand grip strength (mean difference: 5.55 and 5.74 lb, respectively) was found between the two sets of verbal directions with verbal encouragement eliciting higher strength (p \u3c 0.0001). Conclusions: Verbal directions significantly affect grip strength scores in healthy females when evaluated using the handheld dynamometer. Evaluators should use verbal directions with encouragements when seeking to elicit maximum grip strength

Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000: The Land Use Provisions are Both Unconstitutional and Unnecessary

The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 was Congress \u27response to the Supreme Court\u27s striking down of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in City of Boerne v. Flores. In promulgating the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, Congress, inter alia, sought to protect the free exercise of religion from excessive governmental meddling while remedying discrimination suffered by religious individuals and groups in the area of land use. In dealing solely with land use provisions of the RLUIPA, the author argues that the Religious Land Use and lnstitutionalized Person Act is unconstitutional because it violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, the Commerce Clause, and also violates the principles of separation ofpowers as construed by the Tenth Amendment. Further, this Note suggests that the RLUIPA is wholly unnecessary to achieve Congress\u27 stated goals because mechanisms exist to protect religious groups from discrimination in land use decisions including the Equal Protection Clause, Free Exercise of Religion Clause, and federal civil rights statutes

Measurement of Proteins in Milk and Dairy Products

The purpose of this study was to develop a short, easy procedure to measure five major proteins in milk and to detect concentrations of added protein to dairy products. Combinations of casein or whey protein with nonfat-dry milk were made with concentration ratios from 0:10 to 10:0. Similar mixtures of defatted goat milk with defatted cow milk were prepared. Samples were hydrolyzed in 6 N HCl at 145°C for 4 h and analyzed for amino acid composition. Multiple regression equations were derived to estimate the relative content of whey protein or casein added to nonfat-dry milk and goat milk added to cow milk employing amino acid profiles of whey protein, casein, nonfat-dry milk, goat milk and cow milk. Correlation coefficient values were all greater than .99. Measuring individual concentrations of milk proteins required separating casein and why proteins by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography on a C3 column. αs-, β-, and κ-casein were separated after dissociating casein micelles with mercaptoethanol and urea. A 40:60 to 0:100 gradient of .15 M sodium chloride/triethylamine (pH 2.5) and 40% acetonitrile was used. Whey proteins, α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin were separated with a 95:5 to 0:100 gradient of .15 M sodium chloride (pH 2.4) and acetonitrile. Eluted proteins were collected from the column, analyzed for purity by electrophoresis, and hydrolyzed in 6 N HCl at 145°C for 4 h. Purified proteins and mixtures of purified proteins were analyzed for amino acid composition. Estimates of individual protein concentrations in mixtures were made by solving simultaneous equations based on amino acid composition using a tektronix 4052 computer

Perceived fairness of and satisfaction with employee performance appraisal

Employee performance appraisal is one of the most commonly used management tools in the United States. Over 90 percent of large organizations including 75 percent of state employment systems require some type of annual performance appraisal (Seldon, Ingraham & Jacobson, 2001). Performance appraisal is one of the most widely researched areas in industrial/organizational psychology (Murphy & Cleveland, 1993). However, the traditional research agenda has done little to improve the usefulness of performance appraisal as a managerial tool. Recent research has moved away from studies of rater accuracy and psychometric measures to themes of employee reactions towards performance appraisal as indicators of system satisfaction and efficacy. Employee perception of fairness of performance appraisal has been studied as a significant factor in employee acceptance and satisfaction of performance appraisal. This study investigated employee reactions to fairness of and satisfaction with an existing performance appraisal system utilizing a hypothesized four-factor model (Greenberg, 1993) of organizational justice as the theoretical basis. The underlying hypothesis was that the conceptualized four-factor model, which differentiated between the constructs of interactional and procedural justice, would best represent the underlying factor structure of the data. Data were obtained via a survey questionnaire from 440 participants from two organizations that were part of a large public employment system. Ten multi-item scales representing four factors of organizational justice and performance appraisal fairness and three scales indicating satisfaction were included. The findings of the study indicated that respondents perceived the performance appraisal system was to be fair as indicated by their agreement with 9 of the 10 scales used to measure reactions to fairness. The respondents also indicated their relative satisfaction with their most recent performance appraisal rating and with their supervisor. Less satisfaction (although not dissatisfaction) was indicated with the performance appraisal system overall. The conceptualized four-factor model was not found to represent the underlying factor structure substantially better than alternative plausible three-factor models. The best fit three–factor model, however, provided some support for the differentiation between procedural and interactional organizational justice factors, which is a distinction that has been debated in the organizational justice literature

Zooplankton Population Dynamics in Relation to the Red Tide Dinoflagellate Karenia brevis on the West Florida Shelf of the Gulf of Mexico

Blooms of the toxin producing dinoflagellate Karenia brevis are common in the Gulf of Mexico, and while several studies have investigated nutrient sources and bloom processes, there has been less research in regards to zooplankton population dynamics within these blooms. Zooplankton community structure and copepod species composition were analyzed from samples collected on the West Florida Shelf during October 2007-2010. Copepods constituted the most important zooplankton group, averaging 60% of total abundance. In 2009 there was a significant difference between the abundance of zooplankton at stations within a K. brevis bloom. As the K. brevis bloom progressed, total zooplankton abundance decreased. Additionally, the role of zooplankton within Karenia brevis blooms was investigated as both grazers of primary productivity and potential sources of regenerated nutrients

Ann-Marie Walsh to Mr. Meredith (1 October 1962)

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/mercorr_pro/1420/thumbnail.jp

A Quantitative Exploration of Conflict Potential and Perceptions of Threats, Benefits and Barriers: Toward Conflict Prevention When Dogs Visit Nature Trails

The managers of natural settings, that welcome visitors with dogs, often post regulations requiring dog waste to be collected and dogs to be leashed, but noncompliant behavior persists. Using an outdoor-recreation conflict model (ORCM) dog-walking practices were positioned as potential sources of conflict. The overarching purpose of this study was to explore the utility of pairing the ORCM with an expectancy decision-making model (the health belief model, HBM) when developing a persuasive message to promote the collection of dog waste. As a cross-sectional, descriptive, online survey, responses from 284 trail visitors who walk with a dog were used to test for relationship between self-reported dog-walking practices and respectively perceptions of antecedent conflict factors, conflict potential and/or HBM factors. Some antecedent conflict factors were related to dog-walking behaviors. Conflict potential related to dog-waste collection and to attachment, visit frequency and tolerance. The usefulness of applying the HBM to promote dog-waste collection was questioned because only one HBM factor related to dog-waste collection. By using ORCM factors as stratifying variables, the significant relationship between HBM barrier and dog-waste collection was attributed to specific levels of visit frequency, tolerance for human-dog interactions, and conflict potential. Strength of relationships were typically weak. For land-managers, these findings suggest that visitors who walk with a dog may be more varied than one might assume of a same-activity group; and they justify further exploration of perceptions of conflict potential rooted in human-dog interactions for the purpose of fostering positive experiences and resource preservation in shared natural settings

Team Teaching project: Facilitating effective co-teaching among co-operating teachers and student teachers on school placement.

Abstract available in text