What Resources Do School Librarians Use When Developing New Programming: A Qualitative Inquiry

For this qualitative analysis, I analyzed observational and interview data from two middle school librarians setting up new active learning programs. I focused my research by analyzing the preliminary data gathered in field notes from observations at the different library sites to determine what programming resources the librarians were using. A secondary consideration was drawn from preliminary evidence, which indicated the librarians turned to many on and offline information resources, including the social curating site Pinterest. After gathering initial data from observations, I gathered additional data from two interviews: the first interview focused on where the librarians find information and the second interview focused on Pinterest. The data suggests networking within the school community is an essential feature of middle school libraries and should be considered when developing programs as a way to strengthen the librarian’s relationship with the school community, enabling the librarian to leverage other teachers’ knowledge. Also, the curating resources available through Pinterest provide a platform for finding ideas suitable for adapting to a specific library

Assessment of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition: Possible Effects on Alpine Ecosystems Above 9000 Feet In Grand Teton National Park

Atmospheric N deposition is becoming a stressor on ecosystems in the western U.S. There are few National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) monitoring sites and little is known about N deposition impacts on terrestrial ecosystems in the Intermountain West. Alpine ecosystems may be particularly sensitive to changes in N inputs because of the shallow soils, short growing seasons, and sparse plant cover. This study focused on N deposition effects on an alpine ecosystem in Grand Teton National Park located along a modeled N deposition gradient (Moose Basin high, Paint Brush Medium, Rendezvous Mtn. low) and across contrasting edaphic conditions using a two-factorial design. At each location, we estimated N deposition and measured soil moisture and temperature across edaphic conditions, soil parameters (total and extractable N, available N, net mineralization, and nitrification potential), and plant community characteristics (species richness, species composition, percent cover, plant and root biomass, N content, and above and belowground plant components). These response variables were used to test whether there is a north to south N deposition gradient, if N deposition and N status are affected by soil moisture content, and whether soil and/or plant properties were affected by N deposition and edaphic conditions and if the response variables can serve as indicators as early warning signs of N saturation. The Tetons receive 1.42 kg N ha-1 yr-1 with more in winter (0.85-1.17 kg N ha-1 yr-1) than during the summer (0.25 kg N ha-1 yr-1). Soil moisture content was related to snowpack accumulations and melt but did not affect N status. Moose Basin (i.e., high N deposition) showed characteristics of an N-rich site shown by higher soil N content and extractable soil NH4+, higher nitrification potential, low C:N ratios, more aboveground biomass, and higher foliar N content compared to the RDV location. Rendezvous Mountain (i.e., low N deposition) showed characteristics of an N-poor site having lower soil extractable N, high C:N ratios in soil and roots, and low N mineralization potential. Paint Brush was highly variable in soil and plant characteristics and most clearly showed differences between wet and dry sites. In terms of N status, it was intermediate and shared similarities with both N-poor and N-rich sites. This study shows that it is important to consider both soil and plant indicators (i.e., total and extractable N in soils, soil nitrification potential, above and belowground biomass, and N content) together to assess N status. The C:N ratio of plants and soils was less informative than anticipated. Species richness and composition was a less sensitive indicator of N-induced change and should be considered for long-term assessments only

Color Compliments

A discussion of the range of use of complimentary color

Role of the F-BAR Protein Hof1 in the Regulation of Chitin Synthesis and Cytokinesis in Yeast

Remodeling of the plasma membrane and extracellular matrix (ECM) at discrete cellular locations plays important roles in various cellular processes including angiogenesis and cytokinesis. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae , membrane trafficking delivers enzymes essential for the synthesis of the cell-wall (yeast ECM) component chitin to the bud neck at different phases of the cell cycle. During early stages of budding, a Chs3-synthesized chitin ring is deposited at the base of the new bud that is required for bud-neck integrity and normal cell shape. During cytokinesis, actomyosin ring contraction is linked to the formation of a Chs2-synthesized chitinous disk to divide the mother and daughter cells called the primary septum. Chs3-synthesized chitin also plays an auxiliary rote to Chs2 during cytokinesis. Here, I show that the F-BAR protein Hof1 is involved in the endocytic removal of Chs3 from the bud neck alter chitin ring deposition and possibly later after cytokinesis. I also discuss work to show that Hof1 is involved in the localization and function of Inn1, a C2-domain containing protein essential for synthesis of the primary septum during cytokinesis

Water Leasing: Opportunities and Challenges for Colorado's South Platte Basin

Agricultural water is a preferred source for meeting growing demands, but permanent transfers often require formerly irrigated land to be fallowed, removing a key industry from the regional economy. One alternative allows farmers to lease water to cities by fallowing their land on a rotational basis or limiting irrigation to reduce the consumptive use of their cropping operations. A survey of irrigators in Colorado’s South Platte Basin examines the remuneration needed for a farmer to enter into a lease agreement; the amount of water the farmer will release; the provisions desired in a lease agreement; and the characteristics shared by farmers who are willing to lease.water leases, alternatives to permanent water transfers, economic health of rural communities, Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Ecological Thought at the International Congress of Arts and Science, 1904

Ecological thought shows remarkable continuity since 1800. Personal connections provide the groundwork for this cohesion. The emergence of ecological thought involved individuals exchanging ideas through letters, publishing studies, and by participating in academic events. These links appear in sufficient numbers that it is clear ecology functioned as a vibrant network long before it was a viable scientific field. This dissertation examines ecological thought during the long nineteenth century, using the proceedings of the International Congress of Arts and Science, 1904 (ICAS) as an entry point. The ICAS was hosted during a universal fair that commemorated the Louisiana Purchase (1803). In light of the reflective atmosphere, participants were asked to comment on the development of their respective fields over the previous century and to explain to their audience how their fields related to contemporary science. This exercise provides historians with a unique primary source. The proceedings became, in effect, an accidental survey administered to leading scientists at the turn of the century concerning how academic science was practiced and who they considered to be the most important influences in their fields. Ecological thinking is evident in many of the life science presentations at the ICAS, and studying the proceedings constitutes an excellent opportunity to better understand and appreciate how ecological thinking became a force in modern Western society

Personal Research Sets the Stage for Change

Starting in 2011, implementation of Personal Research Sessions, or PRS, not only showed librarians at College of the Holy Cross the success of one-on-one research appointments, but also led the reference program on a path of service-centered changes. This path includes fewer hours on the physical desk, a system of on-call reference shifts, an increase in reference student worker training, a semester-to-semester increase in PRS, and new goals for assessment. We discuss the state of student research at Holy Cross and our approach to reference servic

What to expect when you’re electing: the relationship between far-right strength and citizenship policy in Europe

The analysis builds on previous research exploring the impact of far-right support on citizenship policy. Using Bayesian analyses, this research evaluates the impact of far-right success on citizenship policy restrictiveness and citizenship policy outcomes per year across 29 European countries between 2003–2014. Results reveal that far-right success is a statistically and substantively significant factor in determining citizenship policy restrictiveness as well as rates of naturalization. However, differential levels of impact suggest that far-right influence is not uniform throughout the policy process.</p

Experimental Wine Making

The substantial growth of the Iowa grape and wine industry over the past decade resulted in the establishment of the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute to investigate various cold climate grape cultivars and their potential for wine making. Unfortunately, due to the climate encountered in Iowa, we are not able to simply adopt wine making practices used in other parts of the world to achieve the best quality wines possible for our region. The project described herein focused on the production of small batches of experimental wine to evaluate cold climate cultivars and the impact of conditions on the composition of the final wines