Spotted Wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) in Arkansas: Winter Morphs, Wild Hosts, and Fungal Control

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), or spotted wing drosophila (SWD), is an invasive fruit fly pest that was first found in the United States in 2008. Unlike native Drosophila, SWD females have a serrated ovipositor that allows them to attack ripening fruit. Since its introduction, it is unclear how and where they overwinter in Arkansas, what local hosts they utilize and what potential alternative tactics can be used to combat this pest. In states north of Arkansas, winter morphs (WM) of SWD are larger, darker pigmented, and can survive colder temperatures than SWD flies found in the summer. These WM were found in a wide range of alternative fruited hosts during the winter. Many researchers have begun to evaluate efficacy of entomopathogenic fungi against this pest. The objectives of this study were to determine if WM were present in Arkansas; how long into the winter months could SWD be captured and what alternative resources did they utilize in Arkansas; and if Beauveria bassiana was effective against this pest. Trap collections from May and October (2015-2017) contained WM female SWD adults that were darker and larger than flies caught in traps from June-August (2015-2017). SWD baited traps were set out from October 2017-May 2018 to see if and how late SWD appeared in Arkansas. Adults were caught until January 2018. Alternative fruit resources they used into the fall and winter months were Phytolacca americana L., Lonicera sempervirens L., Rhamnus caroliniana (Walter) A. Gray, Lonicera maackii (Rupr.) Herder and Callicarpa americana L. (purple). In the spring, the only alternative host that SWD utilized was Morus rubra L. Contact sprays of B. bassiana strain GHA at rates from 2.2 x 106 to 2.2 x 108 spores per ml killed \u3c 2% of SWD flies. This knowledge will help us better understand how SWD is surviving the winter months in Arkansas and the need to conduct future evaluations of other strains of B. bassiana on SWD

Student Teaching Cuenca: An Overseas Student Teaching Placement Program for Taylor University

The ethnic demographic of the United States is becoming more diverse, while the teacher population remains largely homogeneous. The interplay between the shifting student population and the stagnant teacher population can result in frustrated teachers who do not understand their students’ needs and students who are not well taught nor well served. One of the ways to equip our teachers is to create opportunities in higher education teacher preparation programs to study or teach abroad. Based on theory, studies, and assessment of the current state of pre-service teacher education through interviews and literature review, Student Teaching Cuenca is designed to be a comprehensive and unique international student teaching experience for student teachers at Taylor University that will greatly and positively impact their future personal and professional lives. Through practical, cultural, and reflective components, it will provide student teachers with opportunities to develop cultural confidence and intercultural competence in order to be effective educators for all students

Sex offenders\u27 perceptions of mandated group treatment

The objective of this study was to examine the perceptions of sex offenders about their mandated outpatient group treatment. The investigator developed an 81−item questionnaire that inquired about respondent characteristics and history; curriculum content; group therapy process; group facilitator characteristics; program policies and procedures; and offender perspectives on program strengths and weaknesses. The sample consisted of 31 male sex offenders who had all served prison sentences for a sexual offense and were involved in mandated outpatient treatment at 1 of 3 private, community−based clinics. The participants were diverse in regard to ethnicity, level of education, and marital status; they had a mean age of 44.90 years. Participants\u27 offenses included indecent exposure, possession and/or distribution of child pornography, rape, and molestation. The majority of participants were state offenders. Participants were generally satisfied with their group treatment and viewed most treatment components as reducing their risk of recidivism. In particular, they valued curriculum related to maintaining healthy relationships and creating satisfying, fulfilling lives. Additionally, offenders viewed several components of relapse prevention and victims\u27 issues as helpful to recovery. Group process components that were viewed as most important included hearing perspectives of other group members and receiving support from others, while confrontation by fellow group members was seen as less beneficial. Sex offenders were particularly satisfied with the fairness, genuineness, and nonjudgmental stance of group leaders; they were also receptive to confrontation by group leaders. Sex offenders were less satisfied with the extent to which the treatment was relevant to their personal needs, and with the amount of personal growth experienced as a result of treatment. They also objected to having to disclose their sexual fantasies/behaviors at weekly check-ins, they complained about the inconvenience of mandated treatment, and they had mixed reactions to homework assignments. Participants recommended more direct feedback and confrontation by group leaders, and suggested more time be spent discussing victims\u27 issues, relapse prevention, and good lives concepts. A positive outcome was that the questionnaire displayed excellent internal consistency reliability. Additional findings, limitations, and recommendations for future research are also discussed

Buddie Knipp Papers

MS033-197

Triggered release of small molecules from solid supports using heat or an applied magnetic field.

The reaction of an aminooxy moiety (RONH2) with an aldehyde or ketone carbonyl, an oximation reaction, results in the formation of robust oxime ether linkages. Oximation is a form of click chemistry and is chemoselective, occurs in a variety of solvents including water, and produces high yields with little to no purification. We were inspired to exploit the advantages of oximation reactions by attaching aminooxy-functionalized molecules to solid supports, thus allowing us to employ aminooxy chemistry in ways that cannot be achieved using solution phase. Chapter 1 provides a review of aminooxy chemistry, its advantages over similar reactions and its multitude of applications. Chapter 2 describes the use of aminium aminooxy salts fixed to a silicon microreactor to enable the capture of volatile aldehydes and ketones from exhaled breath for early detection of lung cancer. Since only carbonyl compounds were retained and thereby concentrated, the accurate measurements of scarce metabolite cancer markers were realized. Use of an acid-scavenging polymer transformed the aminium salt adducts into a volatile adducts, thus enabling analyses by both high resolution mass spectrometry and gas chromatography. Chapter 3 details our investigation into the use of thermally-induced intramolecular cyclization as a release mechanism. A kinetic study on the cyclization rates of a panel of thermally-labile linkers led to a demonstration involving such an aminooxyfunctionalized linker covalently bonded within a poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchannel. After capture of an aldehyde-functionalized fluorophore that had been passed through the microchannel, the intramolecular cyclization release mechanism was induced by gentle warming to liberate the fluorescent oxime ether adduct. In Chapter 4 we applied our t hermally-labile linkers to iron oxide nanoparticles in an effort to design an externally controlled drug delivery system. Fe3O4 nanoparticles generate heat when subjected to an alternating magnetic field (AMF), thus eliminating the need for an in vivo conventional heat source. During our investigation of AMF-induced release we discovered the unprecedented hydrolysis of robust chemical functionalities that occurs only at the nanoparticle-liquid interface. This discovery was exploited in the development of a delivery system capable of releasing oxime ether adducts. In conclusion, this thesis describes novel innovations that can be immediately applied in a multitude of disciplines, from analytics to diagnoses and to drug delivery

Proposed marketing plan with budgetary controls for the Koster Drive income property

The author developed a marketing plan with budgetary controls for two adjacent four-unit income properties located in Madison, Wisconsin. The author related the marketing plan and budgetary controls to observe transaction risk and the prevalent 1989 real estate residential-income market conditions in the Madison and Dane County area

The academic and social integration of first-year students into higher education: a systematic review

Success rates remain a critical challenge in higher education. National and international data continue to suggest that the majority of students entering higher education withdraw before graduation. There is a strong indication in the literature that a student’s integration into the academic and social systems of higher education plays a critical role in student retention, persistence and success. In addition, research data demonstrates that student success is strongly influenced by the experiences students encounter in their first year of study. Established interventions have not helped to stem the tide of dropout rates. The primary aim of the study was therefore to investigate the academic and social integration of first-year students into the higher education system. The specific objectives were to explore the factors that contribute to academic and social integration, as well as the outcomes of academic and social integration in the first year of study. The study is grounded in Tinto’s theory of student integration, which holds at its centre, the constructs of academic and social integration. Tinto’s model proposes that academic and social integration are instrumental to students’ persistence in higher education. The methodology employed for the study is a systematic review, in an attempt to sum up the best available research in response to the research question. It involved identifying, selecting, appraising and synthesising all quality research relevant to the academic and social integration of first-year higher education students. Several themes emerged from the systematic review. The main factors found to be contributing to academic integration were: interaction with academic staff, classroom and curriculum centrality, preparatory education, self-efficacy, interaction with peers, academic engagement, motivation and issues related to first-generation higher education students. Those for social integration were: interaction with peers, sense of belonging and identity, interaction with staff, involvement and accommodation issues. The main outcomes for both academic and social integration were found to be student retention, persistence and academic success. The findings are consistent with past research on academic and social integration. Based on the emergent themes, recommendations were made with the aim of improving success rates in higher education. The results of the study could be of particular value in the South African higher education context by offering insights into the global and local trends with regard to academic and social integration. The findings could hopefully offer possible responses to current critical student success challenges experienced in South African higher education, especially in the light of the call by the #FeesMustFall movement for free and decolonised education

A Case Study of Communities of Practice in Schools

Abstract This research is an examination of a community of practice, how it generates teacher social capital, and the implications for school leadership. Grounded in situated learning theory and social capital theory, this case study of teachers in a small school analyzes how communities of practice can generate teacher social capital, and how school leaders can help foster its growth. Situated learning theory is creating meaning from the real activities of daily living, and its implications for educational research and application are extensive. Developed by anthropologist Jean Lave and computer scientist Etienne Wenger in the 1990s, situated learning theory is grounded in John Dewey’s pragmatism and Lev Vygotsky’s social development theory. Situated learning theory is associated with social capital, legitimate peripheral participation, and communities of practice, and has fueled research and organizational and educational innovation for almost 30 years. Keywords: Situated learning, social capital, communities of learning, legitimate peripheral participation, social learning mode

The Knowledge Survey: A Tool for All Reasons

Knowledge surveys provide a means to assess changes in specific content learning and intellectual development. More important, they promote student learning by improving course organization and planning. For instructors, the tool establishes a high degree of instructional alignment, and, if properly used, can ensure employment of all seven best practices during the enactment of the course. Beyond increasing success of individual courses, knowledge surveys inform curriculum development to better achieve, improve, and document program success