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Evaluation and Development of Nisin-Containing Packaging for Ready-to-Eat Meats, Utilizing Methods Feasible for Future Commercialization

Antimicrobial food packaging may extend shelf life, reduce spoilage, maintain food quality and eliminate foodborne pathogens in ready-to-eat (RTE) deli meat. Nisin is a polypeptide with natural antimicrobial activity against gram-positive microorganisms. This food additive is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) in the United States. In order to combat Listeria monocytogenes, continued good manufacturing practices, continued proper handling by food workers, and additional secondary safety measures such as antimicrobial packaging are necessary. However, current research for antimicrobial packaging is in preliminary stages and is primarily based on theoretical lab scale testing. Antimicrobial coatings containing nisin were developed and studied. Diffusion was successfully measured by agar well diffusion method and high performance liquid chromotography. Microscopy was examined as a new method for tracking nisin diffusion in the food and films and found to be useful. A food challenge study on turkey bologna demonstrated that the coatings were able to inhibit a L. monocytogenes cocktail compared to the control coating. In addition, antimicrobial extruded films containing nisin and bovine albumin were developed and tested for antimicrobial activity. The results demonstrated that there was significant increased inhibition of M. luteus when the bovine albumin was used in combination with the nisin Z. Also, there was a significant difference between the type of polymer and the amount of inhibition of M. luteus. This research is directed toward the development of an antimicrobial vacuum skin package for RTE meat. It provides new and necessary information for future commercialization of antimicrobial packaging

Analysis of Texas Collegiate Mariachi Ensembles: Standard Repertoire and Genres

A standard prescribed music list exists for band, orchestra, and choral music ensembles in Texas K-12 music education. Presently, no prescribed music list exists for mariachi ensembles or degree plans in Texas at the collegiate level. This study used explanatory sequential mixed methods to examine the differences in seven Texas collegiate mariachi programs’ standard teaching and performance repertoire. The study explored the commonalities and differences in repertoire and balance of mariachi genres in instruction. The repertoire of diverse genres reflects influences associated with European, Caribbean, and Indigenous cultures and musical forms. Related issues of this study included music literacy, college readiness, vertical alignment, and transferability to four-year institutions. Research showed some regions in Texas have more robust K-12 mariachi programs than others, therefore demanding a more rigorous repertoire at their neighboring collegiate institutions. Good pedagogical practices were similar for all institutions, including a standard repertoire for each mariachi genre. Several complex genres were simplified for students not skilled in reading traditional musical notations. The findings implied high-quality musical, cultural, and language studies exist in the repertoire. The result of this research suggests that participation in collegiate mariachi programs encourages and empowers minorities in pursuing higher education. The study may inform collegiate mariachi directors who lack a background in mariachi music and non-native Spanish speakers, leading to continued research in collegiate mariachi curriculum

Police and procedural justice : Perceptions of young people with mental illness

Young people with mental illness are significantly more likely to encounter the police than their counterparts who do not identify as having a mental illness. Yet little is known regarding how this cohort perceives the police and whether they believe the police to be a fair, trustworthy, and legitimate service. Research suggests that young people and other vulnerable groups (such as adults with mental illness) value procedural justice policing as a technique for nurturing fair and trustworthy policing, which in turn, increases satisfaction with police interactions and willingness to cooperate with police. This study uses procedural justice as a lens for analysing the perceptions of young people with mental illnesses regarding the police. Drawing upon survey data from a sample of 3147 Australian participants aged between 14 and 25 years old – a third of which identified as having a mental health condition – results demonstrate that young people with a mental illness offered significantly lower perceptions of the police in relation to procedural justice. Young people identifying as not heterosexual or as trans* or gender diverse, and those who report that they are not seen as Australian, also offered significantly lower perceptions of police procedural justice. A theoretical explanation is offered for why these marginalised young groups perceive the police to be procedurally unjust. Tactics for how the police may nurture more trusting and supporting relationships with young people in general are also discussed

Readiness of Congregate Nutrition Sites to Deliver Nutrition Education to Older Adults

Title III of the Older Americans Act requires congregate nutrition sites (CNSs) to provide nutrition education. In 2015, we assessed 19 CNSs in Appalachian South Carolina for nutrition education readiness. Nutrition education readiness and general education readiness were both low. Overall, the CNSs were not ready to deliver education interventions due to lack of training/education, funds, drivers, and communication technologies. Addressing these problems could improve the likelihood that education would be effective. The readiness concepts described here can be used by Extension educators to determine whether delivery sites are ready to effectively provide education programs

Natural variation in chemosensation: Lessons from an island nematode

All organisms must interact with their environment, responding in behavioral, chemical, and other ways to various stimuli throughout their life cycles. Characterizing traits that directly represent an organism's ability to sense and react to their environment provides useful insight into the evolution of life-history strategies. One such trait for the nematode Pristionchus pacificus, chemosensation, is involved in navigation to beetle hosts. Essential for the survival of the nematode, chemosensory behavior may be subject to variation as nematodes discriminate among chemical cues to complete their life cycle. We examine this hypothesis using natural isolates of P. pacificus from La Réunion Island. We select strains from a variety of La Réunion beetle hosts and geographic locations and examine their chemoattraction response toward organic compounds, beetle washes, and live beetles. We find that nematodes show significant differences in their response to various chemicals and are able to chemotax to live beetles in a novel assay. Further, strains can discriminate among different cues, showing more similar responses toward beetle washes than to organic compounds in cluster analyses. However, we find that variance in chemoattraction response is not significantly associated with temperature, location, or beetle host. Rather, strains show a more concerted response toward compounds they most likely directly encounter in the wild. We suggest that divergence in odor-guided behavior in P. pacificus may therefore have an important ecological component

Constructing and maintaining disability: discourses of power, conflict and choice in special educational needs administration

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Wolverhampton for the degree of Doctor of PhilosophyFor parents of children with motor disorders, there is controversy over selecting the most appropriate or prefer-red school, with decision-making power residing with special educational needs officers working for local education authorities. Problems arise when some parents specifically request an alternative pedagogy, that of Conductive Education, for their child. The objective of this research was to provide a social constructionist critique of the discourses that pervade the world of administrators who manage access to special education resources. One particular focus was the ways in which administrators reach decisions on school placement by exploring, via a qualitative approach, the meanings individuals construct when discussing their involvement in the statementing process. A dual methodological approach was employed, that of constructionist grounded theory followed by Foucauldian discourse analysis. Data for the grounded theory phase consisted of in-depth semi-structured interviews performed with special educational needs personnel within local education authorities. Subsequently, these data were further strengthened by document analysis and participant observation notes obtained from observing the work of one local education authority, and these were used within the discourse analysis phase. Findings from the grounded theory methodology showed how administrators succeed in perpetuating children's educational and psychological disabilities through a variety of discursive methods. By using vocabulary couched in terms of equity and fairness, and by utilising governmental rhetoric of school choice and inclusion, administrators enlist parents and children in their own oppression. The subsequent discourse analysis showed how administrators adhere to the professionalism of contemporary practice in order to strengthen their arguments within decision-making, thereby ignoring the disciplinary and regulatory practices they enact. Enmeshed in a panoptic system of power, discipline and surveillance, they are so positioned as to discourage proper and absolute parental choice - and so it is why conductive education may be denied. However, the panopticon of special educational needs is challenged by the multitude of parental voices opposed to its disciplinary practices and it remains to be seen how resistant it will become in the face of such opposition

J. N. Srivastava and experimental design

J. N. Srivastava was a tremendously productive statistical researcher for five decades. He made significant contributions in many areas of statistics, including multivariate analysis and sampling theory. A constant throughout his career was the attention he gave to problems in discrete experimental design, where many of his best known publications are found. This paper focuses on his design work, tracing its progression, recounting his key contributions and ideas, and assessing its continuing impact. A synopsis of his design-related editorial and organizational roles is also included

Effective Department Meetings: The right approach varies

This workshop will provide positive and instrumental approaches to meeting planning and management that allow chairs to effectively address challenging situations with confidence. Scenarios where specific meeting dynamics may be implemented to address difficult situations or maximize productivity will be discussed in breakout groups and finally considered by all