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Lichens and how lectins inform the lichenization process
No full textiii, 12 p.Lichens are a partnership between a fungus and an alga and/or cyanobacterium and represent the quintessential biological symbiosis. Yet there is relatively little known about them and their functions, let alone their formation. One recent insight has been the discovery of the role lectins play in the initiation of lichenization, the process by which the fungus and alga/cyanobacterium merge. With an understanding of lectins and their role in lichens, possible benefits and uses of lichens can been found. Through a review and analysis of current research, these resent papers used here can illuminate both what is known and what is still to be found
Enhancing Demographic Understanding of the Survivorship and Threats to Circium pitcher Seedlings
No full textvi, 38 p.The federally threatened plant Cirsium pitcheri (Torr. Ex Eaton) is a keystone species in the dune ecosystems of the Great Lakes (USA), supporting both dune formation and pollinator networks. The seedling stage is the most vulnerable in its life cycle, however much of the existing research relies on demographic annual censuses and greenhouse experiments. This offers limited insights into the environmental factors influencing seedling survivorship and growth in natural settings. In this study we tagged and followed the fates of 826 C. pitcheri seedlings to determine how seedling conditions, such as dune slope and aspect, plant neighbor interactions, and proximity to Lake Michigan affected seedling survivorship. We observed large waves of death early in the season while survival rates in the late summer were much higher. Seedlings growing in flat dune sloped microsites (below 20 degrees) with high vegetative cover, high percent cobble, and a conspecific nearest neighbor were most predictive of survival. Finally, seedlings that were herbivorized were no more likely to die than their non-herbivorized counterparts. Understanding the factors that promote recruitment into threatened populations of C. pitcheri will be vital for informing conservation strategies and enhancing population resilience
Exploring the Health Benefits and Risks When Neutering Dogs at a Young Age
No full textiv, 12 p.Neutering of male and female dogs is a common practice in veterinary medicine to control pet populations and reduce different health risks and behaviors. However, increasing research shows that when performed at a young age, there are potential increases in health risks, changing how veterinarians look at and decide the best time to neuter a dog. This literature review looks at various studies that highlight the different health benefits, such as decreased cases of certain cancers and unwanted behaviors, as well as health risks, including increased risk of joint disorders and other cancers. There is a complex relationship between early neutering and longterm health, making it an important health decision for veterinarians and pet owners. This complex relationship suggests that different factors like breed, age, sex, and weight play a part in the positive and negative outcomes observed. With these differing findings, further research is needed to provide clarity on the impact of early neutering on various dogs to learn the best time to neuter a dog. Ultimately, understanding these risks and benefits is essential for veterinary care and responsible pet ownership to provide the best quality of life for pets
Companion Animals : Surgical Comparisons between Exotic Reptiles and Small Animals
No full textiii, 11 p.Many families throughout the world have a companion animal, whether they are domesticated small animals, like dogs, or exotic animals, like reptiles. When it comes to pet ownership, owners have the responsibility to care for them in the best way possible. This includes taking them to the veterinarian to ensure and maintain good health. In some cases, this care leads to surgery. For dogs, the idea of surgery is normal especially in routine care like spays and neuters. While surgery in reptiles it is considered less normal. There are higher risks in doing reptile surgeries, due to blood loss and the very high maintenance after being put under anesthesia. Many reptiles that require surgery are on the brink of passing away, leaving reptilian owners with tough decisions to make. Reptiles and mammals do have a difference in anatomy and way of life, but the surgeries performed on both are not completely different. The surgical preparations, surgical techniques, and the recovery process were all compared between reptiles and dogs. There were both similarities and differences found throughout the surgical process. Understanding these similarities and differences can help give ideas on how to improve the surgical process in veterinary medicine and can influence future and current veterinarians to get a more sound knowledge of both these animal groups
Wondrous Worlds : A Reflection and Recollection of Memories
No full text30 p.My Senior Individualized Project aims to explore how my personal memories are tied to places and how recounting these places triggers my memories that are attached to them. Through color and brushstrokes, I attempt to capture the nostalgic feeling I get when I am thinking of the places in my paintings. When I look back on these places, I remember less and less of their literal details and often only remember things such as flora and foliage. This leads to creating a dreamlike landscape that neither exists within fiction or reality. Nevertheless, they serve as a way for me to look back and reflect upon the memories they hold even if they are not quite the same. Through this paper, I will discuss the process leading up to my final exhibition “Wondrous Worlds” and some of the backstories that these paintings hold
Progress Towards the Synthesis of a Mn(II) Complex with Carbene Ligands
No full textiv, 30p.The charge separated excited states of many transition metal coordination complexes are utilized in various contexts and have a wide range of applications, such as photoredox catalysis, solar energy conversion, and water splitting. However, the complexes that display the most useful characteristics are those using iridium and ruthenium. While these complexes display excited states long enough to be utilized, the sustainability of producing these tools is not ideal as these metals are rare and expensive. To create lower cost, more viable options for these coordination complexes, the more earth-abundant transition metals have been of interest. Manganese in particular makes for a good candidate for developing a useful complex. Manganese is the third most abundant transition metal and virtually non-toxic, making it a metal that would be low cost and ideal for large scale applications. This research focuses on the coordination of manganese to an N-heterocyclic carbene ligand, 2,6-bis(1-methylimidazolium-1-yl)pyridine (bim). Water- and air-free synthetic techniques were utilized to prepare a coordination complex that can access a charge separated excited state. During this research, different reaction conditions were explored including solvents, counterions, and manganese sources. Through this experimentation promising conditions were found. The results of this research support the possibility of carbene ligands being relevant ligands in this field of research, as well as taking strides toward synthesizing a coordination complex that displays promising properties
The Wine Industry : A Case Study on Viticulture and Market
No full text27 p.The wine industry is a complex sector of the global economy that is characterized by a myriad of connected players and firms, a wide range of product differentiation and an intricate market structure. This industry has an extensive history, and has experienced an incredible amount of change in both its overall market structure, as well as the economic landscape for wine. The many players, regulations, historical implications and economic landscapes lend themselves to a multifaceted, highly-layered industry. Through the study of several peer-reviewed articles, journals and books, the overall market landscape and nuances in the wine industry both domestically and abroad were able to be gauged
The green mirror image: An analysis of the self-portrayals of the German Green Party
No full textiii, 38 p.The author presents a history of the Green Party in Germany and analyzes how the party presents itself through the imagery and text of eleven posters between the years 1980 and 2016, showing the party’s evolution on key issues. The Green Party’s imagery is also compared and contrasted with the international activist group, Fridays for Future
Exploring Accessibility for Technology
No full textvi, 31 p.Since 1990, a battle has unfolded on accessibility, spanning both physical and technological realms. With technology assuming a pivotal role in higher education, the significance of accessible web pages on college websites cannot be overstated. This paper underscores the urgency for educational institutions to uphold accessibility standards, encompassing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Prioritizing accessible web design emerges as a fundamental facet of any college’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, not only for legal compliance but also as a manifestation of social responsibility. From adaptive technologies to responsive design principles, these solutions empower institutions to implement and sustain accessible web design, ensuring that digital content is universally accessible, irrespective of users' physical or cognitive abilities. In alignment with these principles, my research aims to contribute to the evolution of a technologically enriched campus that prioritizes accessibility for all students. Additionally, it endeavors to heighten awareness among first-year students at Kalamazoo College regarding the pressing significance of this transformative initiative
Toward the Synthesis of Schiff-Base Ligands for Manganese (II) Coordination Complexes
No full textvii, 21p.Complexes with transition metals such as Ru, Re, Os, and Ir possess long-lived excited states that can be accessed with visible light. These metal complexes are useful in different light-dependent applications such as photoredox catalysis and dye-sensitized solar cells. However, these traditionally used metals are extremely costly due to their low abundance and sparse deposit locations and thus are not sustainable for larger-scale photochemical applications. Manganese was chosen for this research due to its relative abundance, low cost, low toxicity, and its many reported oxidation states. This project describes the work towards the synthesis of a Schiff-Base ligand, [(E)-{4-Phenyl-6-[(phenylimino)methyl]-2 pyridyl}methyleneamino]benzene (Ph-IAPP). The first synthetic route toward an intermediate from commercially available materials was not successful based on GC-MS data. The alternate synthetic route resulted in the successful synthesis of [4-chloro-6-(hydroxymethyl)-2-pyridyl]methanol which was characterized by H NMR and GC-MS data. Research into the oxidation of this intermediate to give a dialdehyde, followed by additional synthesis of more intermediates before synthesizing Ph-IAPP and coordinating it to Mn(II) is ongoing