You, Writing!: A Guide to College Composition

This text is meant to be used in any first year College Composition class or as a general guide to college writing. The book focuses on writing as a process, not a product. The goal is to help students discover their own writing process, tryin g out different methods and strategies to find what works best for them

Strategies for Successfully Completing Online Professional Development

Recently, increasing demand for teacher professional development and significant advances in information and communication technologies has led to a proliferation of online professional development. In spite of online professional development's popularity and advantages, research indicates that there is a concern of considerably high dropout rates of online learners. Therefore, to reduce the dropout rates of the learners, this paper is designed to help teachers identify professional development opportunities that are tailored to their needs as well as successfully complete these learning experiences. To achieve the purpose of the study, the paper explores the considerations for evaluating the characteristics of online learners and online professional development. Using these evaluations, this paper provides practical strategies for helping elementary and secondary education teachers successfully complete online professional development without dropping out an online course

Responses of grassland birds to patch-burn grazing in the Flint Hills of Kansas

Master of ScienceDepartment of BiologyBrett K. SandercockGrassland birds are declining throughout their native range. The Flint Hills of eastern Kansas and Oklahoma contain large tracts of tallgrass prairie, but intensification of agricultural practices may be contributing to ongoing population declines. Common rangeland management practices include annual burning coupled with heavy grazing by cattle. This system, known as intensive early stocking and burning, promotes homogeneous utilization of forage by cattle but may not provide habitat for some grassland bird species. Patch-burn grazing is an alternative management system that aims to restore heterogeneity on rangelands by recreating the fire-grazing interaction that would have historically occurred throughout the Great Plains. From 2011-2013, we examined responses of grassland birds to traditional rangeland management and patch-burn grazing by conducting vegetation surveys, line transect surveys, and nest monitoring on privately-owned pastures in Chase County and Greenwood County, Kansas. Vegetative heterogeneity was higher on patch-burned pastures, with unburned patches having higher visual obstruction and less bare ground. Densities of grassland birds differed by species and among habitat strata. Unburned patches on patch-burned pastures were associated with increased densities of Dickcissels (Spiza americana), Eastern Meadowlarks (Sturnella magna) and Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramus savannarum). Henslow’s Sparrows (A. henslowii) were only detected on patch-burned pastures. Nest survival of grassland songbirds was similar among management systems but varied by year. Probability of nest parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) varied among years and between treatments for Dickcissels and Grasshopper Sparrows, with overall lower rates on burned areas and during drought years. For Dickcissels and Grasshopper Sparrows, there was a significant reduction in host clutch size between parasitized versus unparasitized nests. Overall, nest survival of grassland songbirds in managed rangelands was low. Patch-burn grazing improved rangeland conditions and provided habitat for more species of birds, but did not increase nest survival. Drought conditions in 2012 and 2013 may have influenced the results of this study, as many landowners were unable to burn as planned. Further study is needed to determine underlying factors driving variation in nest success and parasitism rates for grassland birds, particularly on private lands which make up the vast majority of remnant tallgrass prairies

Dietary Impact on Antibiotic Resistance in Feedlot Manure

There is a growing public concern regarding antibiotic resistance and the use of antibiotics, including in livestock management. Understanding the ecology of antibiotic resistance among microbes, identifying resistance gene reservoirs, and implementing antibiotic resistance mitigation practices in livestock production are critical to protecting animal and human health while meeting increasing food demands. This research is one of several studies seeking to assess risk for livestock- to- human transfer of antibiotic resistance and to identify mechanisms for reducing that risk where possible. This study evaluated the impact of forage concentration and supplemental essential oil in beef cattle finishing diets on antibiotic resistance in freshly excreted and consolidated beef feedlot manure. Results indicate that antibiotic resistance in manure was not impacted by either of the two dietary treatments considered

A Mathematics Pipeline to Student Success in Data Analytics through Course-Based Undergraduate Research

This paper reports on Data Analytics Research (DAR), a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) in which undergraduate students conduct data analysis research on open real- world problems for industry, university, and community clients. We describe how DAR, offered by the Mathematical Sciences Department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), is an essential part of an early low-barrier pipeline into data analytics studies and careers for diverse students. Students first take a foundational course, typically Introduction to Data Mathematics, that teaches linear algebra, data analytics, and R programming simultaneously using a project-based learning (PBL) approach. Then in DAR, students work in teams on open applied data analytics research problems provided by the clients. We describe the DAR organization which is inspired in part by agile software development practices. Students meet for coaching sessions with instructors multiple times a week and present to clients frequently. In a fully remote format during the pandemic, the students continued to be highly successful and engaged in COVID-19 research producing significant results as indicated by deployed online applications, refereed papers, and conference presentations. Formal evaluation shows that the pipeline of the single on-ramp course followed by DAR addressing real-world problems with societal benefits is highly effective at developing students\u27 data analytics skills, advancing creative problem solvers who can work both independently and in teams, and attracting students to further studies and careers in data science

Impacts of alternative grassland management regimes on the population ecology of grassland birds

We investigated the impacts of rangeland management practices on the diversity, density, and nest survival of grassland songbirds and on the demography, habitat selection, and population viability of Greater Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus cupido). Our study site was located in eastcentral Kansas and included portions of Chase, Greenwood, Lyon, and Morris Counties. We had access to ~1,100 km2 of private and public lands. Over 95% of the land was privately owned (~1040 km2), and the remaining ~5% was the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Our final project report is based on data collected during a 3-year period from Feb. 2011 through Feb. 2014. Our study focused on grassland songbirds and Greater Prairie-Chickens as indicators of ecosystem response. Our analyses are based on direct comparisons between monitoring efforts in pastures managed with patch-burn grazing (PBG) and pastures managed with traditional intensive early stocking and annual burning (IESB).Citation: Sandercock, B.K., V.L. Winder, A.E. Erickson, and L.B. McNew. 2014. Impacts of alternative grassland management regimes on the population ecology of grassland birds. Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, Final Project Report for Award No. KDWP-W-67-R. (technical report)

Fostering engagement in natural resources through research : a case study of a high school summer employment program

WSU Extension launched the Summer Youth Forestry Institute (SYFI) in 2007 as a way to engage youth in meaningful outdoor summer employment, teach science and natural resource skills, raise awareness of the functions and values of working forest lands, encourage natural resource-related careers, and enhance the management of public forest lands through community-based science. The month-long program’s objectives are validated by research showing that nature-based, achievement-oriented learning experiences in adolescence are influential in resource professionals’ choice of careers (Wolf and EarthCorps 2007). Ten high school students receive training in forest sampling methodologies and then collect data in permanent study plots on a 1,800-acre county-owned forest. The students learn to use tools of the trade ranging from the simple (map and compass) to the complex (Landscape Management System forest growth projection and visualization software). They then provide the data they collect to County forest managers to be used in a long-term monitoring program for forest health and timber inventory. Area foresters and other professionals serve as mentors and speakers throughout the program, and students receive a stipend, enabling those who must earn money over the summer to participate. This presentation shares some of the successes, challenges, and lessons learned in implementing the SYFI in its first year. The program successfully attracted students from diverse backgrounds, imparted skills, and increased appreciation for forests and forestry. While all participants felt they gained exposure to new career possibilities, few mentioned that their interest in forestry careers rose as a result of their participation. Long-term follow-up would be needed to accurately gauge the program’s impact on students’ engagement in natural resources. As the program enters its second year, we are focusing on streamlining program delivery, strengthening our assessment methods, and developing the program into a model for replication in other regions of the state. A major challenge is finding funding sources to support a very high-quality program that only reaches a small number of students. Literature Cited: WOLF, K.L., and EARTHCORPS 2007. Trees and youth in the city: research on urban forest stewardship and positive youth development. Society of American Foresters 2007 National Convention, Portland, OR.Keywords: natural resources, experiential learning, forestry, service learning, yout

Effects of Lime Amendment on Antibiotic Resistance in Beef Cattle Manure of Open Feedlots

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of lime amendment on the reduction of antimicrobial resistant bacteria and antimicrobial resistance genes in beef cattle manure in open feedlots. Hydrated lime was uniformly applied to the surface of feedlot pen floor 1 day prior to cattle harvest at a rate of 0.36 lb/ft2 and samples were collected over time. Collected samples were analyzed for change in pH and levels of antimicrobial resistant bacteria and antimicrobial resistance genes. Lime amendment elevated the pH of pen floor surface materials to pH \u3e 12 for 4 hours and then pH \u3e 11 for another 24 hours. Lime amendment reduced the concentration of generic and resistant Escherichia coli by 1–2 log for up to 4 hours. The abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes, such as tet(X) and tet(O), decreased by 1–2 order of magnitude with lime amendment. Results indicate that lime addition reduced the concentrations of antimicrobial resistant bacteria and antimicrobial resistance genes in pen surface materials from open beef feedlot pens

Placental expression of angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2 and tie-2 during placental development in an ovine model of placental insufficiency-fetal growth restriction.

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is associated with increased perinatal morbidity and mortality, and often results from functional placental insufficiency. Placentation requires extensive vasculogenesis and subsequent angiogenesis, in both maternal and fetal tissues. Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) and Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) are angiogenic growth factors expressed in the placenta, and compete for binding to a common receptor, Tunica interna endothelial cell kinase-2 (Tie-2). Our objective was to examine Ang-1, Ang-2 and Tie-2 expression in ovine placental tissue obtained from normal and FGR pregnancies throughout gestation. Fetal cotyledon and maternal caruncle tissue concentrations of Ang-1, Ang-2 and Tie-2 mRNA were assessed by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and protein concentrations were assessed by Western immunoblot analysis, at 55, 90 and 135 d gestational age (dGA). Concentrations of Ang-1, Ang-2 and Tie-2 mRNA in FGR fetal cotyledons were increased at 55 dGA, and Tie-2 mRNA concentrations were decreased in FGR fetal cotyledons and maternal caruncles at 135 dGA. Immunoblot analysis demonstrated increased concentrations of Ang-2 in the fetal cotyledon at 55 dGA, and lower concentrations at 135 dGA. In contrast, concentrations of Tie-2 were increased at 90 dGA, but tended to decrease at 135 dGA in FGR maternal caruncles. The changes observed during early- to mid-gestation may result in increased branching angiogenesis, but may also set the stage for increased nonbranching angiogenesis during late gestation, altered placental architecture and placental insufficiency that result in FGR

Feeding Fiber from Wet Corn Gluten Feed and Corn Silage in Feedlot Diets Containing Wet Distillers Grains Plus Solubles

A feedlot experiment evaluated the effect of increasing fiber in distillers grains diets on ADG, F:G, and nutrient mass balance. The treatments consisted of 1) 30% modified distillers grains plus solubles, no roughage (MDGS), and 2) 30% modified distillers grains plus solubles, 30% wet corn gluten feed, and 15% corn silage (MDGS+fiber). The remainder of each diet consisted of a 1:1 ratio of high moisture corn and dry rolled corn and 5% supplement. Feeding MDGS+fiber increased (P \u3c 80.02) ADG, DMI, and HCW; however, it did not improve F:G compared to MDGS. By increasing the fiber content of the diet, more organic matter (OM) and N remained in the manure. Percentage N loss was not different between dietary treatments; however, amount of N lost increased with MDGS + fiber due to the greater N intake and excretion