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302 - The Social Implications of Defunding Libraries
Full text linkPublic libraries are the frontline of education, social issues, and opportunity. Library funding has been under attack by right-wing politicians for years. These individuals, along with other groups, have sought to limit access to library materials; some seek to ban materials altogether, or even to defund or dismantle the libraries that resist these challenges. There is an increasing number of state and local jurisdictions that have passed, or have attempted to pass, legislation that restricts or limits the public’s access to certain materials. These attacks on intellectual freedom directed towards public libraries, school libraries, academic libraries, and even museums are becoming more frequent and more harmful. The attack on libraries is an attack on young readers exploring picture books and adults who continue pursuing education through a library\u27s resources. The threat to libraries threatens intellectual freedom and the public’s access to information
282 - Juvenile Exposure to Tetrahydrocannabinol Affects Anxiety in Adult Long-Evans Rats
Full text linkSociety’s perception of cannabis has evolved significantly, and the laws that once prohibited it have changed as its popularity has grown. Many individuals have come to regard cannabis as a naturopathic treatment for anxiety although research has shown that acute administration of THC has biphasic effects on anxiety in both humans and rats. It is anxiolytic at low doses and anxiogenic at high doses. However, relatively little research has been done on the long-term effects following exposure throughout critical periods of brain development. The current study examined anxiety behaviors in adults that had been administered a daily oral dose of 0, 5, or 10mg/kg THC from postnatal day 22-40. To test this, we used the elevated plus maze (EPM), an X-maze apparatus that produces a conflict between the rat’s natural tendency to explore and forage while avoiding bright, open spaces. Anxious rats spend a greater portion of the test time in the closed, darkened maze arms and perform fewer arm entries. Videos were later scored to determine the duration (sec) in the open and closed arms, number of entries into the open and closed arms, and the ratio of closed arm to open arm entries. Video analysis is ongoing for this work in progress to determine if THC disrupts emotional processing in rats
021 - Inquiry-Based Dinosaur Trackway Lab for Eighth-Grade Students Focused on Identification, Diet, and Speed
Full text linkImprinted dinosaur trackways from the Cretaceous provide insight into dinosaurs\u27 movement, diet, and social behavior. This study develops a 40-minute lab for eighth-grade students to incorporate inquiry-based learning, promoting insight into the history of Earth. Using trackway data from Dinosaur Valley State Park, Texas, from Google Earth Pro, students examine footprints cut to scale to collect data on dinosaur diet, speed, and behavior. Based on the provided models and background information within the attached lesson plan, students will be asked to determine that theropods had narrow, three-toed prints, while sauropods had wider, rounded impressions. Students will count that bipedal dinosaurs left one set of tracks, whereas quadrupedal ones left two. Quadruped dinosaurs were larger to accommodate the long digestive tracts needed to process plant material. Herding behavior and parental care tendencies were inferred from trackway clustering. Students measure the size of rear footprints and calculate stride lengths by determining the distance between footprints. After conducting calculations involving both human and dinosaur dimensionless speed and relative stride lengths, students estimate the actual speed of both. By comparing this data to the movement of modern animals, students plotted a graph of relative stride length vs. dimensionless speed, revealing a linear relationship between the way that dinosaurs moved and modern species. The lab packet includes guided notes and scaffolding techniques to support student learning, encouraging inquiry-based exploration as they analyze trackway data and make evidence-based conclusions about dinosaur behavior and movement