PINES (Bemidji State University)
Not a member yet
500 research outputs found
Sort by
Male Sexual Victimization: Victim Response, Reporting Barriers, and Treatment
No full textThis thesis provides an overview of the research on victim response, reporting barriers, and treatment in the area of male sexual victimization. Male sexual victimization is an area of study that is roughly 20 years behind the research conducted on sexually victimized females. This thesis advocates for increased research in the area of male sexual victimization to further understand barriers that prevent males from reporting sexual victimization. Existing research on sexually victimized males shows both response similarities and differences to female victims
Redd Habitat Selection for Brook Trout in the Necktie River Bemidji, MN
No full textThe presence of quality suitable habitat is important for the success of naturally reproducing Brook Trout populations. Therefore, measuring redd habitat Brook Trout select for was the focus of this study. Brook Trout redds were observed during the spawning season of 2016. We identified a total of 18 redds in the Necktie River in late October and early November. Specific environmental variables associated with redd selection were measured: velocity, in-stream cover, canopy cover, bank overhang, river width, substrate type and size, temperature, and max-depth. The same environmental variables were measured for 30 randomly selected sites. Redds were distributed in riffles 85% of the time, and runs 15% of the time; random sites were distributed evenly throughout the system (43% in riffles and 57% in pools). Significant environmental variables associated with redds were substrates (P \u3c 0.01), cover (P = 0.02), conductivity (P \u3c 0.01), and dissolved oxygen (P \u3c 0.01). All other variables showed no differences which indicated Brook Trout were not selecting for these variables. Although Brook Trout are more tolerant to ecosystem changes than other species of salmonids, they appear to be selecting for larger substrates. Therefore, future management should be focused on preserving or creating areas of suitable substrates to ensure maximum reproductive potential of the population
Burbot Growth Rates in a Northern Mesotrophic Lake
No full textBurbot Lota lota has a circumpolar distribution throughout cold-water areas and is the only freshwater member of the family Gadidae. There are currently very few management techniques applied to Burbot throughout their northern extent. Growth is an indicator of fish health, biomass, and habitat quality; therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the growth rate of Burbot in Lake Bemidji. Burbot (n = 45) were collected along three sites on Lake Bemidji for years 2015-2017. Age was determined from sagittal otoliths, the marginal zones of which were opaque from December to May and translucent from June to November. Mean total lengths for each age group were estimated and a von Bertalanffy growth model was fitted. Burbot grew 186 and 153 mm in their first and second years, respectively. Later, an annual growth increment of 17 mm was exhibited by age-8 fish. Male and female Burbot were both sexually mature by age five with first maturity at age three (male). Burbot in Lake Bemidji demonstrate a comparable growth rate to other fisheries, suggesting there should be no immediate concern about the population
Influence of Time Spent in Captivity on Aggressive Behaviors of Gray Wolves Canis lupus
No full textKnowledge of the characteristics that promote group success is key to understanding the adaptive advantages of sociality for many group-oriented species. In this study, nine Gray Wolves Canis lupis were each observed twelve times over a period of six months to determine if the amount of time spent in the wild/captivity had any effect on aggressive behaviors. The number of aggressive behaviors were recorded for each wolf during each observation. The nine wolves were separated into three groups depending on their upbringing; born and raised in captivity, born in the wild and raised in captivity, and born and raised in the wild. A oneway analysis of variance (ANOVA) and three independent sample t-tests (with Bonferroni correction) were conducted to test for significant differences. There was a significant difference in the amount of aggressive behaviors among upbringings (p = 0.02), providing evidence to suggest the amount of time spent in the wild/captivity does influence the amount of aggressive behaviors demonstrated by a wolf
Churchill’s Argument Against Democracy: The Average Voter. Information Levels and News Sources among Americans
No full textA democracy needs an informed public. However, I investigate low levels of political awareness among Americans. I focus on whether people understand issues incorrectly or are simply disengaged and inattentive. There is an important difference between them. Those who are uninformed simply do not know, which would make it easier to turn them into informed citizens. All that would be needed is for them to access the right information. For those who are misinformed, however, it is a tougher task. They believe that their answer is right, and even though they are in fact wrong, they are more willing to fight the truth in order to validate what they feel is the right answer. I analyze this phenomenon with Public Mind Polling data from Fairleigh Dickinson University. I anticipate my results to show that less use of news media will decrease a person’s level of knowledge and increase their degree of disengagement, while loyalty to a limited number of media sources is likely to increase a person’s level of misinformation
Determining the Role of the N- and C- Terminin in Localizing TCL.RhoJ to Cellular Membranes
No full textCapstone submitted as a graduation requirement for BSU Honors Progra
Analysis of “No Net Loss” Wetland Mitigation Policy
No full textWetlands in the United States have long been destroyed and degraded to make way for anthropogenic development. In recent history, efforts have been made to slow this degradation. The “no net loss” wetland mitigation policy has been in effect since 1991 and seeks to balance the needs of both industry and the environment. However, this policy is flawed. The regulatory process favors the interests of industry and the United States continues to lose wetlands and and their important functions. Therefore, the examination of the current policy is key to prevent future loss of wetland functions
Relationship between Zooplankton and Walleye Rearing Pond Success
No full textWalleye Sander vitreus are an important sport fish in Minnesota. This has led to the raising of Walleye in ponds to later be stocked into lakes. This study was done to determine the relationship between Walleye prey (zooplankton) and the success of Walleye in 11 stocked ponds in the Ortonville, MN area. There was no management of the ponds until harvest, which starts in late September and ends in November. There were significant positive relationships between rotifer density (P = 0.03) and nauplii density (P = 0.04) to kg of Walleye harvested. The setting where nauplii and rotifer density are high in rearing ponds plays a significant role in determining the overall harvest in Walleye rearing ponds and should be an important consideration in future pond selections
Analyzing the Role of Income Inequality in American Political Polarization
No full textIncome inequality and political polarization have been thought to be connected for centuries, as it was first proposed, formally, in the 10th Federalist Paper, by James Madison, in 1787. Madison proposed the notion that when citizens become politically polarized, one must look towards individual ownership of property, or income. Political scientists have heeded Madison’s claim, and have continued studying how income inequality and political polarization interact, yielding a wide spectrum of results. While some studies have lacked conclusive evidence to show correlation or causation, some have found statistical significance when examining the effect of income disparities on political polarization
Beyond Pluralism and Elitism: How Much Influence Do Special Interests Have on the Content of Congressional Legislation?
No full textDo powerful special interests have too much influence over what is written in congressional legislation? There has been ongoing debate about how influence should be distributed between interest groups in affecting legislation. A central question in this debate asks whether interest groups with more financial clout have more influence in policy-making than interests that have fewer resources? Furthermore, much research has been on interest groups influence on the lawmaker’s vote instead of the interest’s influence prior to the vote. My research seeks to determine the extent to which interest groups influence the content of legislation in the U.S. Congress. My analysis is on legislation that has strong competing support among interest groups. I look at how much access to lawmakers interest groups have on a given piece of legislation and which interests contribute more to the actual content of the final legislation. I conduct analysis of six case studies to answer this question. My results indicate that interest group with more resources have a stronger influence on the content of congressional legislation