Potential inbreeding in a small population of a mass flowering species, Xanthorrhoea johnsonii (Xanthorrhoaceae): is your mother my father?

Xanthorrhoea johnsonii is a long lived slow growing perennial understorey species, that produces a large quantity of passively dispersed seed every 3-5 years. Reproductive maturity is not reached until 20-30 years of age. The temporal asynchrony of the flowering event in this population was analogous to geographic isolation through fragmentation. A small population of plants flowering in isolation provided the opportunity to examine outcrossing rates, genetic diversity and the paternity of progeny at a small spatial scale (0.2 ha). The geographic location and physical characteristics of the adult plants were recorded, and both adults and their seed were sampled for genetic analysis. Four microsatellite loci were screened for genetic diversity and spatial structure analysis. A population outcrossing rate was estimated, as well as the number of paternal parents required to resolve the progeny multilocus genotypes. High genetic diversity was found in both adults and progeny with an estimated 97% outcrossing rate. All maternal lines required several paternal contributors, with no evidence of dominant paternal genotypes. Pollen transfer occurred between both geographically close and distant plants

Child Abuse and Its Long Term Effects

This research project examined different types and frequencies of child abuse and their relationship to depression in adulthood. The sample for our research was Valparaiso University students (ages 18-22). Our sample included various genders, education levels, and occupations. We advertised in the Valparaiso University Counseling Center, in the Social Work department, through sending emails to VU students, and through word of mouth. Participants filled out a questionnaire that included various depression and child abuse questions. Correlations were used to examine the relationships. Findings from our research have implications on the interconnections of early and later life experiences and the needs for treatment as well as what that treatment might look like. Presenters for this research project are Rachel Egan, Lauren King, and Becky Lohse, all senior Social Work majors. The Faculty Sponsor for this research project was Professor Matthew Ringenberg (PhD) from the Valparaiso University Department of Social Work

Whose Amber? Changing notions of Amber’s geographical origin

This essay explores the issue of cultural identity and cultural identification with respect to one material: amber. Prior to the discovery of the new world and for quite some time afterwards, the primary source of amber in fifteenth-, sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Europe was Prussia. Few Europeans, however, really understood much about its source. Indeed, few seem to have shown any interest in knowing more. This paper explores the ways in which people outside of Prussia acquired amber and whether these connections and routes led to the linking of the material with the region or not. The early modern understanding of amber’s geographical origin is contrasted with amber’s situation after 1900. The advent of notions of geographical indication at the end of the nineteenth century, coupled with the growth of national manufacturing pride emerging at the International Fairs in the decades after 1851, appear to bring about the first strong claims concerning amber’s nationality. The years after 1914-1918 war, which saw Prussia cleaved from Germany according to the Treaty of Versailles, give birth to the notion of amber as German, a status which was heavily emphasised under the National Socialist dictatorship. Since 1945, and especially in recent years, amber has become the Polish material par excellence. Highlighting recent nationalistic narratives, its aim is show that amber had plural cultural identities in the early modern period and that this ambivalence allowed amber to be draped with a variety of meanings which were cast off and replaced by others, or which existed simultaneously. It was only in the last century that strong claims were made to the actual ownership of the material and that people, with the rise of the notion of nation and national, have been able to link a nation with the material

A Space for Practice: International Learning Initiatives

The Space for Practice is a new Purdue applied anthropology lab. Its purpose is to facilitate applied anthropology pedagogy and to provide programming to foster student-practitioner interactions and networking. Numerous beneficial resources on international learning and study abroad were donated by a senior practitioner. This undergraduate-led research project will involve cataloging the collection of materials, literature review on best practices for exposing students to international learning opportunities, expert interviews, and other methods. The project will result in a report for the Space for Practice planning committee with recommendations about how we can foster international learning in this educational space

Personal Digital Archiving for Journalists: A “Private” Solution to a Public Problem

The purpose of this paper is to encourage librarians to teach digital archiving practices to journalists a) as a way of giving journalists the skills they need to save their work for future use and b) to facilitate the preservation of journalism for posterity. While personal digital archiving advocates have generally interpreted the word “personal” to be synonymous with “private,” this paper points to the need to expand the concept to include professional activities, particularly in light of the prevalence of telecommuting and freelance work arrangements, and the lack of support and training received by remote workers and independent contractor

Popular Sources, Advertising, and Information Literacy: What Librarians Need to Know

Sponsored content, also known as “native advertising,” is a relatively new form of advertising in which corporate sponsors fund articles in periodicals and often exert significant control over the editorial process. This model is a dramatic reversal from past practice; throughout the 20th century, allowing advertisers and sales departments to dictate editorial content was considered unethical by most observers both inside and outside of journalism. Because the information literate student is one who can navigate both library databases and the open web, this article urges academic reference and instruction librarians to gain a deeper understanding of how advertising impacts the popular sources their patrons use

No more lost files: Take control of your digital life (Library Workshop)

Learning objectives: Learn best practices for effectively storing and organizing documents in a variety of file formats. Description: If you\u27ve ever had a corrupted computer file, a damaged smartphone, or a stolen laptop, you know how easily it is to lose important digital data. Backing up all your files isn\u27t hard, but according to estimates, one third of us never do it, and many of the rest of us are only partially protected. To celebrate World Backup Day (March 31st), we invite members of the Rowan community to join a virtual workshop on becoming your own digital archivist. Through a combination of lecture and hands-on exercises, we\u27ll cover tips for naming files, choosing file formats, and storing data for long-term access. At the end of the workshop, participants will feel confident in their ability to preserve their personal and professional digital data. Never lose another article draft, slide presentation, or treasured photograph again! Skill levels for attendees: Little to no experience, Some experience Software requirements: Non

Access to Physical Media in Academic Libraries: From Policy Review to Action Plan

Streaming video is becoming the preferred means of viewing video for consumers, but physical formats do continue to offer libraries certain advantages: greater variety of choice for patrons at a lower cost. Many academic libraries have invested heavily in DVD collections, and these videos may be housed in closed stacks that satisfy some stakeholders but that discourage use and do not meet student needs or expectations. This article provides a framework for deciding whether or not to open up a closed collection, and uses the author’s library’s closed-stack collection as a case study

I am Not a Badass: Against the Librarian-as-Superhero Stereotype

This paper explores cultural tropes portraying librarians as heroes and superheroes. In this work, the writer has drawn on social reproduction feminist theory to explain the appearance of this emerging librarian stereotype, as well as to help readers better understand the role of academic librarians in today’s underfunded and pandemic-ravaged neoliberal university

House of Cards: The Academic Library Media Center in the Era of Streaming Video

In a time of increasing financial pressures on universities, the expense of library resources—and the potential for cost inflation—threaten the academic library collection. This article asks whether the academic library media center will be able to continue to offer a stable inventory of films, given the legal and commercial structures currently in place. It provides a history of the film industry’s interactions with its intermediaries, forecasts some of the obstacles to ongoing feature film affordability and access in libraries, offers strategies for librarians, and suggests some cause for hope