Basking Habits of Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta)

Painted turtles, a reptile native to North America, have been known the bask in areas of relatively shallow water with direct sunlight. In our study we looked for notable traits of basking sites being used by painted turtles around Lake Sagatagan in Collegeville, MN. Data was taken at every location that painted turtles were observed basking and was then paired with a random location around the lake to see if there were differences between the specific locations with turtles and the overall lake ecosystem. Through this process we observed that turtles tended to bask in areas off cooler, shallower water, while remaining close to shore. This is suspected to be because turtles need to bask when water is cooler, but not when it is warm enough to maintain the suitable body temperature. Their presence in shallow water near shore was likely due to the existence of potential substrates in areas of shallow water, like trees fallen from shore or rocks big enough to be above the water’s surface. Hypothesis: There is a relationship between habitat features / factors and turtle presence. Prediction: We expect to find turtles in areas with shallow water and plenty of basking sites

Landfill Distribution Across the United States

Using GIS software I mapped the locations of landfills across the US. I then compared the locations of landfills to population statistics of different counties. Income levels and minority presence were compared to the density of landfills in the county to examine the presence of bias

Lava Heron Fishing Success: The Impact of Water Depth

The Galápagos Lava Heron (Butorides striata sundevalli) is a small bird that is endemic to the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. It is territorial and primarily preys on small fish. Currently, there is little research on these herons, so any information will be helpful in better understanding their ecological processes. During a biology course on the islands (July 2017), we observed the hunting patterns of herons specifically their strike patterns. We hypothesized that Lava Heron’s fishing practices would differ depending on water depth. We predicted the successful strike rates would be higher in shallower water, and herons would more likely to hunt standing in the water in shallow water versus standing on rocks when hunting in deeper water. To test our hypothesis, we observed Lava Herons as they hunted in a tidal stream for ten days in Puerto Baqueriza Moreno, Isla San Cristóbal. The water depth, whether they were successful, time between strikes, and location of where the heron was when it struck was recorded for each strike attempt. Our results showed a significant difference between the success in shallow versus deep water strikes (χ2= 63.74, df = 2, p \u3c 0.001). Specifically, the strike success rate was higher in shallow water and more strikes into shallow water originated from water than land. These results suggest that shallow water is an important aspect in the Lava Heron’s territory. Hunting territories that lacked the important component of shallow water could result in negative impacts on the heron’s heath. Continued observation of strike patterns across an extended period of time would contribute more information to our results

Sugar Concentration in Frozen Sap

Native Americans are the first people credited with processing syrup from the sap of maples trees, and the processes used to make maple syrup today are derived from their techniques (Henshaw, 1890). One of these procedures that the Native Americans used that is still utilized today is the freezing of sap. By allowing the sap to sit in below freezing temperatures, the water in the sap separates out and freezes on the top and is then able to be removed from the sap (Henshaw, 1890). This process helps to cut down on the amount of heat and time that is needed to evaporate the sap into syrup. A problem, however, is that it is possible that the ice that is removed form sap may hold a significant amount of sugar, making the removal of the ice counterproductive in maximizing syrup making efficiency. In our study, we measured the sugar concentration and volume of the ice that was frozen off of sap, as well as the sugar concentration and volume of the sap itself, in two different sized containers that would commonly be used in today’s sugar bush. We then analyzed our results and discussed whether or not th

Geochemistry of As-, F- and B-bearing waters in and around San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina, and implications for drinking and irrigation water quality

Spring, stream and tap waters from in and around San Antonio de los Cobres, Salta, Argentina, were sampled to characterize their geochemical signatures, and to determine whether they pose a threat to human health and crops. The spring waters are typical of geothermal areas world-wide, in that they are Na-Cl waters with high concentrations of Astot, As(III), Li, B, HCO3, F and SiO2 (up to 9.49, 8.92, 13.1, 56.6, 1250, 7.30 and 57.2 mg L-1, respectively), and result from mixing of deep Na-Cl brines and meteoric HCO3-rich waters. Springs close to the town of San Antonio have higher concentrations of all elements, and are generally cooler, than springs in the Baños de Agua Caliente. Spring water chemistry is a result of mixing of deep Na-Cl brines and meteoric HCO3 waters. Stream waters are also Na-Cl type, and receive large inputs of all elements from the springs near San Antonio, but concentrations decrease downstream through the town of San Antonio due to mineral precipitation. The spring that is used as a drinking water source, and other springs in the area, have As, F and B concentrations in excess of WHO and Argentinian drinking water guidelines. Evaluation of the waters for irrigation purposes suggests that their high salinities and B concentrations may adversely affect crops. The waters may be improved for drinking and irrigation by dilution with cleaner meteoric waters, mineral precipitation or by use of commercial filters. Such recommendations could also be followed by other settlements that draw drinking and irrigation waters from geothermal sources

The minimization of lost income in procurement and allocation markets for human transplant organs

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that the inability to procure more cadaveric solid organs for use in solid organ transplants results from regulation of the market under the National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA) and to show the behavior of the participants within the market reflect their efforts to minimize the lost potential gains within the market. The original act of regulation under NOTA discouraged procurement of organs. Subject to the cost of circumventing the rules of organ procurement and allocation, the participants within the market work to minimize the lost exchanges. In this study we demonstrate the procuring agents deviate from federal law to procure more cadavers. Similarly, the evidence is consistent with physicians over-reporting their patients\u27 sickness in an effort to receive the procured organs for their patients

Animal tissue collections and bone fluoride concentrations at Colstrip, Mt. 1973 /

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Broadening borders to build better schools

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how rural teachers provided a PLC by leveraging virtual technologies to connect educators of like subject disciplines from several schools, foreign and domestic. Design/methodology/approach A phenomenological case study-based approach was leveraged to investigate established vPLCs at schools (Creswell, 2013; Stake, 2010). Qualitative data were collected from multiple sources to obtain rural teacher perceptions on the impact vPLCs had on their practice (Creswell, 2013). Findings Teacher collaborative teams build relationships comparable to teams that met face to face as part of a similar PLC and PD experience. Participant reflections in this investigation showed that rural educators favored face-to-face meetings; however, vPLCs provided similar teacher experiences to that of the face-to-face PBL model. Results indicated that educators recognized virtual collaboration just as valuable a tool for enabling PLCs than face-to-face collaborations while still offering similarities to improved teacher practice. Research limitations/implications The research was limited to teachers in rural settings in the USA (Texas) and in the Dominican Republic. The research was limited to teacher perceptions of change, and observed changes as part of their participation in a research-based virtual PLC model. The research was limited to the school setting over an academic year. Practical implications The findings from this study have practical implications for rural teachers and school implementation of a professional learning community model. Originality/value The promise provided by this study is that vPLCs may provide opportunity for rural schools to provide a job-embedded professional development model (Croft et al., 2010) for otherwise isolated teachers (Barrett et al., 2015)