The Effect of Artificial Sweeteners in Chewing Gum, Helpful or Harmful?

Objective/Aims: This review of literature was designed to analyze the effects of artificial sweeteners in chewing gum in the oral cavity. The intent was to recognize which formulations of artificial sweeteners in chewing gum lead to beneficial outcomes in the oral cavity and which formulations lead to harmful effects. Methods: The review of literature analyzed the conclusions of primary and secondary resources accumulated from PubMed. Multiple scholarly studies were filtered based upon meta-analysis, cross-sectional, and cohort studies. The following key terms were used: artificial sweetener, chewing gum, plaque, saliva, microbes, and oral health. A summative report was created based upon the relevant findings. Articles selected were published after 2014. Results: The studies collected were assessed using a measure of saliva and plaque pH, salivary function, caries occurrence, remineralization, and oral flora. Xylitol made the most beneficial impact on the oral cavity. Research indicates artificial sweeteners have shown an immense advantage over conventional sugar in chewing gum, and its resulting effects on hard tissue. Conclusion: The relationship between artificial sweeteners and oral health supports different advantageous outcomes in the oral cavity. In conclusion, although studies using artificial sweeteners can show benefits to the oral cavity, the dose of artificial sweetener required to yield these results are often not found in chewing gum.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/denh_student/1012/thumbnail.jp

Comparative Phylogenomics of Pathogenic and Nonpathogenic Species.

The Ascomycete Onygenales order embraces a diverse group of mammalian pathogens, including the yeast-forming dimorphic fungal pathogens Histoplasma capsulatum, Paracoccidioides spp. and Blastomyces dermatitidis, the dermatophytes Microsporum spp. and Trichopyton spp., the spherule-forming dimorphic fungal pathogens in the genus Coccidioides, and many nonpathogens. Although genomes for all of the aforementioned pathogenic species are available, only one nonpathogen had been sequenced. Here, we enhance comparative phylogenomics in Onygenales by adding genomes for Amauroascus mutatus, Amauroascus niger, Byssoonygena ceratinophila, and Chrysosporium queenslandicum--four nonpathogenic Onygenales species, all of which are more closely related to Coccidioides spp. than any other known Onygenales species. Phylogenomic detection of gene family expansion and contraction can provide clues to fungal function but is sensitive to taxon sampling. By adding additional nonpathogens, we show that LysM domain-containing proteins, previously thought to be expanding in some Onygenales, are contracting in the Coccidioides-Uncinocarpus clade, as are the self-nonself recognition Het loci. The denser genome sampling presented here highlights nearly 800 genes unique to Coccidiodes, which have significantly fewer known protein domains and show increased expression in the endosporulating spherule, the parasitic phase unique to Coccidioides spp. These genomes provide insight to gene family expansion/contraction and patterns of individual gene gain/loss in this diverse order--both major drivers of evolutionary change. Our results suggest that gene family expansion/contraction can lead to adaptive radiations that create taxonomic orders, while individual gene gain/loss likely plays a more significant role in branch-specific phenotypic changes that lead to adaptation for species or genera

Graduate Internship in Agricultural Education- Avila Valley Barn Field Trip Guide

The Avila Valley Barn Field Trip Guide connects engaging farm-based activities to content standards, including Next Generation Science Standards, California Agriculture and Natural Resources standards, and California Health Education Standards for K-12 students

A sociological and biological study of human-wildlife interactions

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of ScienceUrbanisation transforms habitat for wild animals and increases their interaction with humans as they compete for space and resources. Encounters between humans and wildlife in the City of Johannesburg Municipality (COJ) often end in conflict, more so with species that may be feared or disliked. To improve the nature of interactions between wildlife and people, it is important to understand where wildlife occurs, what kinds of conflicts it is involved in and where, and people’s common motivations for how they engage with wildlife. This study aimed to provide a biological and a sociological investigation into the nature and causes of human-wildlife conflict in the City of Johannesburg. I conducted analyses of wildlife sightings reports from a number of different sources, to develop a better understanding of the distribution of wildlife in the municipality, and to determine whether locations of reports were influenced by factors such as land-cover class, proximity to green spaces, or human population density. I conducted similar analyses on reports of human-wildlife conflict incidents to determine whether reported incidents were influenced by the aforementioned factors, as well as by the number of presence records for these locations. I also intended to determine what common types of conflict occurred and where. Spatial analysis of available presence and conflict data suggested that both wildlife presence and conflict incidents were more commonly reported in regions in which certain land-cover classes, such as residential areas with dense trees, are prevalent, and within 1 km of green spaces. To investigate potential underlying socio-demographic influences of human behaviour towards urban wildlife, I conducted surveys of 416 adolescents from three schools in different areas of Johannesburg, and 779 adult urban residents. The surveys were adapted from existing scales and designed to ascertain levels of basic knowledge about wildlife, general attitudes towards wildlife, the types of behaviour respondents are likely to show when encountering wildlife, and ultimately to reveal relationships between these measures. I found that respondents’ attitudes towards wildlife were significantly influenced by the extent of their knowledge, however knowledge was shown to have developed as a result of more than just formal education received. I also found that predicted behaviour towards wildlife was predominantly affected by both knowledge levels and attitudes. Demographic variables such as age and gender did influence all three measures but culture was the most significant demographic predictor of knowledge, attitude, and behaviour. These findings provide an indication that human-wildlife interactions can be effectively improved through developing people’s knowledge. However this must be addressed through both formal education and informal cultural teachings to have significant impact, particularly for interactions with animals that have deeply ingrained negative cultural associations, such as owls and bats.MT 201

The Analysis And Costume Design Of Jennifer Haley\u27s The Nether

In designing the costumes for a play there are many pieces that have to come together, both personal and collaborative. An analysis of the text and the characters help broaden the ideas that a designer must use. As the costume designer for a production of Jennifer Haley’s The Nether it was important to bring in the analysis as well as everything that the rest of the design team brings in. The final product came out in a fully realized production of the play in February 2017 at UND

Towards the improvement of sheep welfare: Exploring the use of qualitative behavioural assessment (QBA) for the monitoring and assessment of sheep

Challenges faced by sheep in Australia in terms of disease, injury and management may compromise not only health and productivity but also welfare. These challenges represent a growing concern for both producers and the public. Hence there is an obvious need for the development of measures to allow producers, who may have limited access to stock or are constrained by time and/or resource availability, to monitor their sheep. There is a clear benefit to producers being able to readily identify animals whose welfare might be compromised and thus are in need of further care. However, the assessment of animal welfare is challenging under commercial conditions and to date, few measures are available to help producers recognise animals in compromised welfare states. Qualitative behavioural assessment (QBA) is an approach that captures the expressive behaviour of an animal, through the integration and summary of details of behavioural events, posture, and movement. In this way, QBA represents a valuable tool that offers insight into the physical and physiological aspects of animal welfare, and when used in conjunction with other key measures helps to provide a more complete and comprehensive picture of an animal’s welfare state. Furthermore, QBA should be used together with other welfare measures, where it has been proposed to guide the interpretation of welfare data. As a welfare tool, QBA has been applied to assess the behavioural expression in numerous livestock species including pigs and cattle, however, this methodology is less well studied in sheep and more work is needed to validate QBA for practical application. The aim of the research described in this thesis was to investigate whether the QBA methodology could be applied to assess the welfare of sheep subject to various welfare issues relevant to the Australian sheep industry. To this end, over four experimental chapters, QBA was applied to video footage captured of sheep in various states of compromised welfare, including those suffering from common injury and diseases; lameness, inappetence, flystrike, and gastro-intestinal parasitism, and those experiencing pain caused by routine husbandry procedures (ear tagging, castration, mulesing, and tail docking). Moreover, in two experimental chapters (Chapters 4 & 6), video footage was captured of sheep in positive welfare states (reduced gastro-intestinal parasite burden, and habituation to human presence). This video footage was also analysed quantitatively and other welfare measures including those of health/disease status, physical condition and locomotive activity were collected for validation purposes in each study. Over four experimental chapters, it was demonstrated that observers, blind to experimental procedures and treatments, can reach a significant consensus in their interpretation and assessment of the behavioural expression of sheep, and that these assessments can relate meaningfully to the welfare state of the animal. In Chapter 3, observers were able to distinguish between flystruck and non-flystruck sheep using the QBA methodology, and the behavioural expression scores given to each sheep corresponded to the severity of strike and the condition of the wool. In Chapter 4, observers identified differences in the behavioural expression of sheep that related to the severity of gastro-intestinal parasitism (subclinical v. clinical). Moreover, it was discovered that the treatment of sheep to lessen gastro-intestinal parasite burden altered the behavioural expression of parasitised sheep. A significant consensus was also reached amongst observers in the assessment of lambs subject to routine husbandry procedures (ear tagging, castration, mulesing, and tail docking) in Chapter 5. Observers were able to distinguish lambs that were subject to these painful husbandry procedures and were administered either a placebo or analgesics (Tri-Solfen® and meloxicam), from the control lambs which were only restrained. Hence suggesting that the pain caused by these husbandry procedures alters the behavioural patterns and demeanour of lambs in a way that is identifiable to observers using the QBA methodology. Lastly, when observers viewed video footage of sheep traversing a walk-over-weigh (WoW) apparatus in Chapter 6, they were able to distinguish sheep that were either lame or habituated to the test apparatus and human presence, from the control animals. However, in this Chapter, observers were not able to distinguish between all treatment groups evaluated based on their behavioural expression, specifically differences in the demeanour of inappetent and control sheep was not evident, nor were observers able to distinguish between lame and habituated sheep. In summary, the research presented in this thesis indicates that assessments of behavioural expression can be used under most of those conditions investigated to distinguish sheep in poor welfare states due to injury or disease, from those that are healthy. Furthermore, it appears that observers can reliably identify differences in behavioural expression related to positive welfare states. This work has detailed the behavioural expression of sheep as perceived by observers and has led to a greater understanding of the behavioural expression of sheep in different welfare states. It appears that through the assessment of demeanour or body language, QBA offers both relevant and valid assessments which may help producers gain an insight into the welfare state of their sheep. It is suggested that when used in conjunction with other select behavioural measures, QBA may represent a valuable tool for producers to improve the welfare of sheep in their care

The Havana Club Saga: Threatening More than Just Cuba Coke

The saga of the Havana Club brand began when the family-owned distillery in Cuba that created Havana Club rum was confiscated by the Cuban government during the communist revolution. Years later, a dispute arose as to the rightful owner of the U.S. trademark of the name. In an attempt to settle the matter, a U.S. statutory provision was passed that prevents the registration or protection (in the United States) of trademarks linked to businesses that were confiscated by the Cuban government. The statutory provision, § 211 of the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 1998 ( § 211 ), may have been in keeping with the United States\u27 opposition to Cuba\u27s communist government and the confiscation of private property, but it was found to violate the United States\u27 obligations under international treaty law. The Dispute Settlement Body ( DSB ) of the World Trade Organization ( WTO ) determined, and the Appellate Body ( AB ) agreed, that § 211 violates the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property ( TRIPS Agreement ). The AB requested that the United States bring its measure . . . into conformity with its obligations under the treaty. This comment will examine the options facing the United States in light of the AB\u27s determination that § 211 violates the TRIPS Agreement

The Havana Club Saga: Threatening More than Just Cuba Coke

The saga of the Havana Club brand began when the family-owned distillery in Cuba that created Havana Club rum was confiscated by the Cuban government during the communist revolution. Years later, a dispute arose as to the rightful owner of the U.S. trademark of the name. In an attempt to settle the matter, a U.S. statutory provision was passed that prevents the registration or protection (in the United States) of trademarks linked to businesses that were confiscated by the Cuban government. The statutory provision, § 211 of the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 1998 ( § 211 ), may have been in keeping with the United States\u27 opposition to Cuba\u27s communist government and the confiscation of private property, but it was found to violate the United States\u27 obligations under international treaty law. The Dispute Settlement Body ( DSB ) of the World Trade Organization ( WTO ) determined, and the Appellate Body ( AB ) agreed, that § 211 violates the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property ( TRIPS Agreement ). The AB requested that the United States bring its measure . . . into conformity with its obligations under the treaty. This comment will examine the options facing the United States in light of the AB\u27s determination that § 211 violates the TRIPS Agreement