EXTENSION'S RESPONSIBILITY IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS EDUCATION

Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Going underground: Benefits of phototropism in Arabidopsis depend on the soil environment [abstract]

Abstract only availableFaculty Mentor: Dr. Candace Galen, Biological SciencesPhototropins are blue-light photoreceptors that control shoot and root phototropism in Arabidopsis thaliana. We investigated whether the soil environment influences the benefit of phototropism. We hypothesized that root phototropism should improve survival and growth under dry soil conditions, but not under wet conditions. We used a greenhouse experiment to test whether phototropism under dim light benefits plants in drought conditions. Seed of two non-phototropic (phot 1, nph3) mutants and wildtype A. thaliana (Columbia ecotype) were planted into a range of soil moisture regimes created by altering the sand content in the soil and varying the watering schedule. The soil water content varied from 26%-65% (w/w) mainly due to the sand content. Seedling size (rosette diameter) was measured three weeks after germination. We found several significant results. First, seedling emerged earlier in wet soil (11.5+/- 4.3 days after planting) then dry soil (15.3 +/- 5.6 d). Second, wild type plants were significantly larger than the mutant genotypes, but the magnitude of the size advantage depended on the soil environment. In sandy soil the wild type plants were 20% larger then the non-phototropic mutant plants (P<0.0001), and in the clay soil, the wild type plants were only 12% larger then the non-phototropic mutant plants(P<0.01). These results agree with previous findings that the growth advantage associated with phototropism increases in dry conditions. These results led us to wonder what was happening below the soil surface. We asked do nonphototropic plants differ from wild type in their rooting profiles, due to impaired root phototropism of mutant genotypes. We tested this idea in another greenhouse experiment in which the same genotypes were grown under dry and wet soils resembling the moisture extremes of the first experiment. Seeds were planted along the sides of clear plastic window boxes to enable us to track the roots. All sides except the top of the boxes were wrapped in foil to prevent light from entering. One month later, the boxes were unwrapped and the roots traced to determine the length and distance that each had traveled through the soil. Measurements are currently in progress.MU Monsanto Undergraduate Research Fellowshi

Tourism Sector Perceptions of Vulnerability to Environmental Change in Glacier National Park, U.S.A.

Glacier National Park, a highly visible example of climate change impacts, is also extremely important for local inhabitants that depend on park resources to generate tourism. Consequently, if those resources are altered, tourism could be adversely affected. To explore this range of climate change impacts on the human community, as well as how vulnerability is perceived and experienced, twenty-three operators in the Glacier region were interviewed. These interviews were then analyzed using content analysis, which allowed themes related to vulnerability to be detailed. Operators identified several ways in which they experience vulnerability to climate change, particularly through wildfire, extreme weather, and heavy snowpack. In particular, access to Going to the Sun Road and media sensationalism were key factors identified. A few operators thought the longer summer season might benefit them. Operators are adapting to these impacts by undertaking “green” business practices, diversifying their businesses, and shifting marketing away from Going to the Sun Road. Results indicate that vulnerability is experienced differently among the operators depending on how they leverage resources. Additionally, social factors and multi-scalar processes are significant determinants of adaptation in this study area

3D Printing and Healthcare: Will Laws, Lawyers, and Companies Stand in the Way of Patient Care?

Today, our society is on a precipice of significant advancement in healthcare because 3D printing will usher in the next generation of medicine. The next generation will be driven by customization, which will allow doctors to replace limbs and individualize drugs. However, the next generation will be without large pharmaceutical companies and their justifications for strong intellectual property rights. However, the current patent system (which is underpinned by a social tradeoff made from property incentives) is not flexible enough to cope with 3D printing’s rapid development. Very soon, the social tradeoff will no longer benefit society, so it must be re-evaluated to facilitate the coming of the next generation in medicine

EXPLORING DIFFERENT MEDIUMS FOR TEACHING PROGRAMMING AND CYBERSECURITY IN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Cybersecurity and programming are becoming more and more prominent in today’s world. It is beneficial to begin teaching these topics to students at a younger age. Additionally, we see students in primary and secondary schools struggling to maintain focus in class as attention spans shrink. This paper looks at different drone models to see if any of them could be sufficient solutions to be implemented into primary and secondary schools to teach cybersecurity and programming topics to students. Besides teaching capabilities, drones must also be affordable for institutions and simple enough to construct, configure, and operate so that a teacher with little knowledge could implement the drone if needed. The drone models looked at are a custom-built Raspberry Pi Pixhawk Quadcopter from Drone Dojo, Dexter Industries’ GoPiGo, and DJI’s Mavic Air 2. Additionally, we look at different teaching methods and activities that can be implemented into a curriculum outside of drone use. Curriculum was created for different programming and cybersecurity courses and tested during the 2022 GenCyber summer camp hosted by Michigan Technological University. This curriculum gives us an insight into teaching middle and high school students cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and Python coding. The thesis of this paper is that the GoPiGo is an effective medium for teaching programming in primary and secondary schools, and that hands-on activities are successful in reinforcing taught topics while keeping students engaged

A localized morphometric study of Panicum virgatum and sister taxa (Poaceae: Panicoideae: Paniceae)

Morphological distinctions were evaluated between taxa of Panicum section Virgata Nees as recognized by Hitchcock and Chase (1951) and Freckmann and Lelong (2002b): P. virgatum var. virgatum, P. virgatum var. cubense, P. amarum subsp. amarum, and P. amarum subsp. amarulum, using morphometrics and greenhouse experiments on material from the southeastern United States, a region with the most extreme overlap in distribution. 31 characters for 104 specimens were subject to univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses. Spikelet bivariate graphs showed two groups with large (C) and small (A+B) spikelets. When habitat, distribution, and phenology was superposed on these graphs, non-exclusive trends polarized the small spikelet group into two groups (A) and (B). Morphogroups A, B, and C did not overlap on PCA graphs, but were not separated by gaps. Results show two morphogroups present: A+B (P. virgatum var. virgatum, var. cubense, P. amarum subsp. amarulum) and C (P. amarum subsp. amarum)

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder in a Community Mental Health Clinic: Prevalence, Comorbidity and Correlates

Objective: The revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed. (DSM-5) added a new diagnosis of disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) to depressive disorders. This study examines the prevalence, comorbidity, and correlates of the new disorder, with a particular focus on its overlap with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), with which DMDD shares core symptoms

The utilization of aides in public welfare; analysis, evaluation, and proposal

The purpose of this project was to trace the developments which led to the utilization of para-profess iona1 persons as service aides in public welfare departments and to examine, in particular, the developments in Oregon at the state and county levels. The establishment of such programs was mandated in the Social Security Amendments of 1967. A review of the 1967 legislation showed the legislative intent to be inconsistent with the stated purposes of the program. This inconsistency, it was found, has been reflected in Oregon’s aide program. The theoretical origins underlying the aide concept were also examined in order to provide a fuller understanding of the means which were finally selected in Oregon to meet the legislative requirements. The aide program which evolved in Oregon has been marked by confusion in two major areas, the establishment of goals and the definition of roles. Specific problems which emerged within these two areas were analyzed in detail with special attention being given to the progress which has been made. To conclude, a theoretical model for the utilization of aides was proposed. While limited by its generality, the model does delineate the objectives which are considered essential to the establishment of an aide program based upon the research which was done in conjunction with this study

Impact of Irritability and Impulsive Aggressive Behavior on Impairment and Social Functioning in Youth with Cyclothymic Disorder

Objective: Research on adults with cyclothymic disorder (CycD) suggests that irritability and impulsive aggression (IA) are highly prevalent among this population. Less is known about whether these behaviors might also distinguish youth with CycD from youth without CycD. Additionally, little is known about how irritability and IA relate to one another, and whether they are associated with different outcomes. This study aimed to compare irritability and IA across diagnostic subtypes to determine whether CycD is uniquely associated with these behaviors, and to assess how irritability and IA relate to youth social and general functioning