Iron is an essential micronutrient that plays a role in essential processes in all living organisms. Because iron deficiency anemia is the number one human nutritional deficiency worldwide, research has been focused on studying biofortification, a method of plant breeding focused on increasing the nutrient content of the grain. In order to effectively implement this strategy, research to understand the molecular mechanisms surrounding iron uptake and maintenance within plants is necessary. A major goal of this work lies in exploring iron signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana and further characterization of the yellowstripe1-like1yellowstripe1-like3 (ysl1ysl3) double mutant plant. As shown here, iron signaling in arabidopsis appears to be regulated by a long distance signal derived in the shoots. The ysl1ysl3 double mutant is a plant shown to have severe mis-regulation of iron regulated genes. Here, I show ysl1ysl3 mutant plants are unable to respond to iron deficiency properly and lose signaling ability. It has been proposed that these defects are due to iron accumulation in the shoots but that appears untrue suggesting alternative functions for YSL1 and YSL3 in iron signaling. Another goal of the work included here seeks to elucidate alternative roles for ZmYS1 in maize outside of primary acquisition of iron from the soil. Here, ZmYS1 expression is shown via promoter::GUS analysis expressing throughout the shoot in many cell-types consistent with a role in the movement of iron between leaf tissues. Interestingly, expression in germinating seeds suggests ZmYS1 may also play a role in remobilization of stored iron in developing embryos.

abstract: Although young males are still the primary perpetrators of juvenile crime, girls are increasingly coming into contact with the criminal justice system. While girls may have different pathways to crime and risks for recidivism than boys, their risk to reoffend is typically assessed using a gender-neutral tool that is based on social learning theory: a theory originally developed and tested on males. With the appropriateness of using gender-neutral tools to assess female criminality coming into question, a number of researchers have searched for a resolution. To date, mixed findings on the predictive validity of risk assessment tools have not provided any definitive answers. To help assess the predictive validity of the Youth Level of Service Inventory, separate meta-analyses were conducted for male and female juvenile offenders using previous studies. The mean effect sizes were compared in order to determine whether the predictive validity is similar for both males and females. With the exception of violent recidivism, results indicate that the YLS/CMI works equally well for male and female offenders. The implications of these findings for theory, research, and correctional policy are discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Criminology and Criminal Justice 2016