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Undergraduate Publishing: The Miami Computing and Engineering Review
No full textA presentation on lessons learned from piloting an undergraduate research journal at Miami University
Physiological Ecology of Overwintering in the Hatchling Painted Turtle: Multiple-Scale Variation in response to Environmental Stress
Get PDFWe integrates field and laboratory studies in an investigation of water balance, energy use, and mechanisms of cold-hardiness in hatchling painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) indigenous to west-central Nebraska (Chrysemys picta bellii) and northern Indiana (Chrysemys picta marginata) during the winters of 1999-2000 and 2000-2001. We examined 184 nests, 80 of which provided the hatchlings (n=580) and or samples of soil used in laboratory analysis. Whereas winter 1999-2000 was relatively dry and mild, the following winter was wet and cold; serendipitously, the contrast illuminated a marked plasticity in physiological response to environmental stress. Physiological and cold‐hardiness responses of turtles also varied between study locales, largely owing to differences in precipitation and edaphics and the lower prevailing and minimum nest temperatures (to −13.2°C) encountered by Nebraska turtles. In Nebraska, winter mortality occurred within 12.5% (1999–2000) and 42.3% (2000–2001) of the sampled nests; no turtles died in the Indiana nests. Laboratory studies of the mechanisms of cold‐hardiness used by hatchling C. picta showed that resistance to inoculative freezing and capacity for freeze tolerance increased as winter approached. However, the level of inoculation resistance strongly depended on the physical characteristics of nest soil, as well as its moisture content, which varied seasonally. Risk of inoculative freezing (and mortality) was greatest in midwinter when nest temperatures were lowest and soil moisture and activity of constituent organic ice nuclei were highest. Water balance in overwintering hatchlings was closely linked to dynamics of precipitation and soil moisture, whereas energy use and the size of the energy reserve available to hatchlings in spring depended on the winter thermal regime. Acute chilling resulted in hyperglycemia and hyperlactemia, which persisted throughout winter; this response may be cryoprotective. Some physiological characteristics and cold‐hardiness attributes varied between years, between study sites, among nests at the same site, and among siblings sharing nests. Such variation may reflect adaptive phenotypic plasticity, maternal or paternal influence on an individual’s response to environmental challenge, or a combination of these factors. Some evidence suggests that life‐history traits, such as clutch size and body size, have been shaped by constraints imposed by the harsh winter environment
Identification and expression of a putative facilitative urea transporter in three species of true frogs (Ranidae): implications for terrestrial adaptation.
Get PDFUrea transporters (UTs) help mediate the transmembrane movement of urea and therefore are likely important in amphibian osmoregulation. Although UTs contribute to urea reabsorption in anuran excretory organs, little is known about the protein’s distribution and functions in other tissues, and their importance in the evolutionary adaptation of amphibians to their environment remains unclear. To address these questions, we obtained a partial sequence of a putative UT and examined relative abundance of this protein in tissues of the wood frog (Rana sylvatica), leopard frog (R. pipiens), and mink frog (R. septentrionalis), closely related species that are adapted to different habitats. Using immunoblotting techniques, we found the protein to be abundant in the osmoregulatory organs but also present in visceral organs, suggesting that UTs play both osmoregulatory and nonosmoregulatory roles in amphibians. UT abundance seems to relate to the species’ habitat preference, as levels of the protein were higher in the terrestrial R. sylvatica, intermediate in the semiaquatic R. pipiens, and quite low in the aquatic R. septentrionalis. These findings suggest that, in amphibians, UTs are involved in various physiological processes, including solute and water dynamics, and that they have played a role in adaptation to the osmotic challenges of terrestrial environments
Transfer Today: Updates on the Transfer Code of Practice
Get PDFTransfer Code of Practice updates and changes
The Prevalence of Irregular Conjugations as Regular in Spanish Second Language Learners
No full textA study of the interaction between Spanish experience (based on course level) and the conjugation of irregular verbs as regular
Assessing Scientific Research Skills
No full textAlso available here: http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470393343.htm
Promoting Partnership: Campus and Community Collaboration Through Cultural Events
Get PDFHosting community-inclusive cultural events do more than demonstrate a library’s commitment to diversity; they provide opportunities for forging lasting partnerships with campus and community organizations. This article describes an example of grant-sponsored cultural program that attracted over 600 participants to the library, and outlines the benefits of such programs for academic libraries. Organizational tips and examples of funding sources are also included
Sustaining and Enhancing Embedded Library Instruction in the Learning Management System
Get PDFThis panel will be a lively discussion of embedded librarianship in the online learning management system (LMS). Panelists will forego simply sharing the approaches of their own libraries and will instead pose a series of discussion questions about key issues of LMS embedded librarianship. Audience members will be active participants in the fast-paced, moderated conversation. Panelists will also share their perspectives about how best to enhance the role of librarians in online learning spaces
Information literacy assessment: a case study at Miami University
Get PDFThe purpose of this case study, created by a faculty learning community (FLC) on research fluency, is to investigate students’ information literacy practices at Miami University, including information search process, preparation, differences in students’ information literacy skill levels, and how well they transfer these skills outside coursework. Design/methodology/approach – Faculty and librarians designed a survey of about 60 questions, which were given to 300 students in faculty’s classes by librarian FLC members. Findings – FLC members discovered where perceptions among professors, librarians, and students were similar, and where they differed. Practical implications – Influenced by the findings, participating faculty made changes to the course plans and included additional assignments to make the process of research more explicit. Originality/value – While there are similar studies about information literacy, the Miami University study is distinct in that it reports on collaboration with faculty and makes use of their perceptions of students.Post-print of:
Resnis, E., Gibson, K., Hartsell-Gundy, A., & Misco, M. (2010). Information literacy assessment: a case study at Miami University. New Library World, 111(7-8), 287–301. http://doi.org/10.1108/0307480101105992
Something for Everyone: Differentiated Instruction in Information Studies
No full textThis essay describes strategies employed by a librarian in an information studies survey course to address college students' different learning styles and knowledge sets