African wild ungulates compete with or facilitate cattle depending on season

Savanna ecosystems are vital for both economic and biodiversity values. In savannas worldwide, management decisions are based on the concept that wildlife and livestock compete for grassland resources[1-4], yet there are virtually no experimental data to support this assumption[1]. Specifically, the critical assessment of whether or not wild ungulates alter livestock performance (e.g., weight gain, reproduction or survival) has rarely been carried out, although diminished performance is an essential prerequisite for inferring competition[1]. Here we use a large-scale experiment in a semi-arid savanna in Kenya to show that wild ungulates do depress cattle performance (weight gain) during the dry season, indicating a competitive effect, but enhance cattle performance during the wet season, signifying facilitation. This is the first experimental demonstration of either competitive or facilitative effects of an assemblage of native ungulates on domestic livestock in a savanna ecosystem, and a unique demonstration of a rainfall-dependent shift in competition-facilitation balance within any herbivore guild. These results are critical for better understanding and management of wildlife-livestock coexistence in savanna ecosystems globally, and especially in the African savanna biome which crucially hosts the last remnants of an intact large herbivore fauna

Resilience, Outcomes, and Burnout in Social Service Workers

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Savannah Muse on August 9, 2022

Republican Nat’l Comm. v. Dist. Ct., 138 Nev. Adv. Op. 88 (Dec. 29, 2022)

In a per curiam opinion, The Nevada Supreme Court denied the Republican National Committee’s (RNC) emergency writ requesting mandatory statutory compliance by the Clark County Registrar. The Court found that the RNC incorrectly interpreted Nevada election statutes and failed to demonstrate a clear legal right to the requested relief

Increasing CPR Awareness in School Staff

There are a limited number of staff members in Stokes County Schools that are CPR certified. A CPR workshop was conducted to provide an opportunity to allow more staff members to become certified, to gain knowledge and gain confidence in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, and to reduce delays in administering aid. Participants were asked to complete the Perceived Competence Scale (PCS) before and after participation in the CPR Workshop. The PCS is a 4-item questionnaire, based on a 7-point Likert scale. Answer choices range from Not True to Very True. Each question provides a lead-in statement, allowing for the concept being studied to be added to the question. A paired-sample t-test was calculated to compare the mean pretest score to the posttest score. The mean on the pretest was 8 (sd = 21.3), and the mean on the posttest was 28 (sd = 0). A significant increase from pretest to posttest was found t(3) = -8.66, p \u3c .05. The results revealed that all four staff members that took part in the workshop felt more confident in their CPR knowledge and ability to deliver CPR. Overall, the results showed that the workshop helped to increase awareness, confidence, and knowledge of CPR

Knowledge of Mental Health Disorders and Resources by Military Personnel

With more soldiers returning home to the United States than any war era before, there is a need for research to understand military personnel’s mental health and how they use resources, like the Veteran’s Affairs and non-profit organizations. This study serves to further our understanding about service members’ knowledge on this subject. This study adds to the literature by conducting semi-structured interviews with 15 service members who had deployed on either United States military bases or ships, or peace-keeping missions, overseas after 9/11. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and thoroughly analyzed using a narrative approach. Five important themes emerged from the interviews: prevalence of mental health disorders, knowledge of disorders and resources, barriers to seeking help, types of resources available, and motivations to seek help. Although this study aimed to explicitly understand knowledge, the inductive research process produced four other themes that became pivotal in understanding why active soldiers and veterans were skeptical to seek help

Students’ and Teacher Perceptions on the “Really Great Reading” Phonics Program and Its Effectiveness

Choosing a phonics instructional approach to use in the classroom can be a difficult task for teachers, which is why many schools have started implementing specific phonics programs. The purpose of this study was to determine the student and teacher perceptions of the “Really Great Reading” phonics program and its effectiveness for helping students learn to read and spell. The study took place in a second-grade classroom with twenty in-person students and the classroom teacher. The researcher gathered data from surveys, interviews, and pre- and post-assessments. Qualitative data was analyzed using the constant comparative method and quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Four major themes emerged including the program being systematic, the need for differentiation, student progress, and foundational phonics skills lessons. The study may be helpful for teachers and educators that want to gain more insight about the program

Congenital Heart Defects and the Expression of Ccdc141

Congenital heart defects (CHDs) are one of the most prevalent types of birth defects in the United States. Both environmental and genetic components are known to contribute to the development of CHDs. One of the ways toxins present in the environment cause CHDs is by disrupting the expression of genes known to be vital in normal cardiac morphogenesis. Thus, the identification of both toxins that cause birth defects in cardiac development and genes expressed during heart development is crucial in order to fully understand the relationship between environment and genetics as they relate to CHD. Due to their external development, high fecundity, and knowledge of their genome sequence, zebrafish are an excellent model organism in which to study both gene expression and the role of toxins in cardiac development. Further, many zebrafish genes are orthologous to those found in humans, and thus allow genetic findings in zebrafish to be extrapolated to research on human disease and physiology. In order to identify genes expressed in the heart during development a single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) study was performed by the Bloomekatz laboratory, which preliminarily identified a novel gene ccdc141 (coiled-coil domain containing 141) as having a role in cardiac development and possibly CHDs. Here, we have sought to validate these preliminary studies by determining the spatial and temporal gene expression of ccdc141 throughout the early stages of zebrafish development. In situ hybridization (ISH) procedures utilized for this purpose are ideal for visualizing gene expression as the entire organism can be viewed at once. Our hypothesis is that ccdc141 will be expressed in the heart of developing zebrafish. Results obtained through ISH show that ccdc141 is expressed in the heart and in cardiac precursors, as well as in somites and the head. These data will aid in further studies to determine the function of ccdc141 in development. In addition to our work on identifying the gene expression of ccdc141, we created an extensive table of environmental toxins that disrupt cardiac development in zebrafish and may contribute to the pathogenesis of CHD in humans

P.M. Dosing Outcomes of ACE Inhibitors or Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers in Hypertension Versus P.M. Dosing in Hypertension with Comorbidities

• Introduction: The purpose of this research is to compare P.M. dosing outcomes of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) in those with hypertension and hypertension plus chronic kidney disease or diabetes. • Research Methods: Three databases were searched including PubMed, ClinicalKey, and DynaMed with a time frame of 15 years. Studies chosen for review were peer reviewed, and included randomized control trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and a preclinical animal trial. • Discussion: The research shows evidence of reduced blood pressures throughout the night and into the next day, decreased proteinuria, and decreased cardiovascular events when dosing ACE inhibitors or ARBs at night, or dosing at least one antihypertensive medication at night. This research shows beneficial evidence and no documented adverse patient reactions when dosing ACE inhibitors or ARBs at night. However, further research needs to be conducted with larger patient populations to make official recommendations in those with hypertension and hypertension plus diabetes or chronic kidney disease.https://commons.und.edu/pas-grad-posters/1213/thumbnail.jp

Latino Communities and the Health System

This research project is to give an insight into the relationship between Latinos in both careers and lifestyle. There are thousands of graduates each year into the medical field; yet the percentage of those of Latino descent is below average. This research paper will show the involvement of Latino communities within the medical field. The reasons why the percentage of those in the field is lower than that of any other ethnicity. Surveys of Latino culture would suggest that many feel that the Healthcare system doesn’t satisfy their needs and institution rates of Latino medical graduates is significantly lower. This is of big significance due to Latinos being 17% of the United States population and will continue to rise. Throughout the project the struggle Latino medical students will be noticed and the healthcare system that these communities are involved with will become apparent