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Filar Micrometer for Amateur Astronomers
Get PDFA filar micrometer that measures double stars orbiting each other is being developed. Most filar micrometers are solely for professional use, making them expensive. Therefore, we are designing a filar micrometer that will be cost effective for amateur astronomers. A 3D printer and polylactic acid (PLA) material are the tools being used to implement the design
Process Control Experiment: Automated Titration System
Get PDFA titration experiment has been designed using a chemical reaction tank and implementing all the basic components found in automatic control systems. This system has been constructed using basic fluid flow hardware, control sensors and actuators, along with ladder logic programing for the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) to automate an acid-base chemical titration. This system will be used in Olivet Nazarene University’s engineering labs to provide hands-on learning of state-of-the-art process technology
Summer 2024 Research Proposal: Swanberg Sanctuary Prairie Plant Community Characterization and Management Testing
No full textPrairie management is an involved process that is focused on maintaining existing grassland plant and animal communities. Invasive species and the spread of woody shrubs and trees presents a real threat to the existing prairie. Woody stems can affect resources such as water access and nutrient availability, which may cause changes to the prairie’s unique plant communities. Management techniques like burning and mowing are commonly used to prevent woody stems from causing changes to the prairie ecosystem. The Sanctuary was restored to natural prairie habitat in 2008 and a list of planted species is available. However, no plant surveys have been conducted since the land’s restoration, leaving a gap in knowledge as to the Sanctuary’s current plant communities. The goal of this study will be to document existing prairie plant communities at the Sanctuary, compare the existing plant community to the original Sanctuary restoration plans from 2008, and research how mowing and burning may affect plant and animal communities in the future. This research will inform our management of the sanctuary moving forward.
To that end, we will measure plant and arthropod communities in grasslands at the Sanctuary. Pitfall traps will be used for arthropod sampling; transects will be used for plant surveys, and plots will be burned and mowed in order to observe differences between management techniques. We will establish 6 plots, one mowed and five burned, each containing three sets of paired subplots – three inside the area and three outside the area. Each subplot will contain a pitfall trap, and each subplot will also be observed for plant species richness. Additionally, ten twenty-minute transects will be taken across the prairie over the course of the growing season. Plant species, their relative abundance, and the emergence of flowers will be recorded. Plant biomass will be collected at the end of the growing season.
We expect to find that the grassland plant community will be significantly different from the species composition planted in 2008, with the loss of planted species and the addition of invasive and native local species. We also expect that plots of burned land will have more biomass and more species than mowed or unmanaged areas. Finally, we anticipate that burned plots will contain significantly fewer ground-dwelling arthropods than other management techniques due to a loss of leaf litter
The Effect of Education on Support for TNR as a Method of Feral Cat Management
No full textA feral cat is a cat that is untamed and not suitable for placement in a home. Through their naturally high rate of reproduction and lack of population management, feral cat populations have grown exponentially leading to overpopulation. Feral cats effect their communities through their impact on wildlife, financial burden, and health risk to both humans and other animals. Due to the impact feral cats place on their communities, multiple management methods have been suggested. Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) is a humane, effective method of management; however, controversy surrounds the use of this method. Existing studies have determined that things like age, gender, and past experiences with cats can be predictors for which management method an individual prefers. To assess whether targeted education impacts support for TNR, 65 undergraduate students were administered a series of surveys prior to, and following, watching a video on either TNR (treatment) or cat breeds (control). The survey included questions about participants’ past experiences with cats, views on cats and their management, and knowledge about cats. Participants were recruited by the researcher visiting multiple general education classes and passing around a sign-up sheet. Informed consent was given before participants continued to the rest of the survey. Data was analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA, followed by post-hoc comparisons for items with significance in the interaction terms. Significant interaction terms were observed for the survey items that directly asked about TNR. This suggests that the treatment video was effective in producing both cognitive and attitudinal changes in participants
How to Convey a Tube?
No full textPresentation of our developed tube stabilization device. It will retrofit to a standard roller conveyor. Penddinghaus
FIRST-GENERATION BLACK MALE STUDENTS’ EXPERIENCES, AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT SHAPED COLLEGE – TO - CAREER TRANSITION
Get PDFFirst-generation, Black, male students continue to lag behind their continuing-generation peers in degree attainment, leaving them deficient in obtaining the social and financial upward mobility higher education is expected to afford. Research finds that, despite Black males entering college with higher degree aspirations than their White peers, they were 6 times less likely to achieve them, and only 5% of Black males would eventually graduate with a degree or certificate within three years of enrollment, compared with 32% of White males (Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2014). To close this persistent gap, this research sought to understand the activities, experiences, and relationships engaged in by members of this population who were successful in completing college and transitioning into what they defined as successful careers. This case study was conducted with 10 Midwest college graduates through semi-structured interviews to capture their unique voices and experiences across their college-to-career transition. Themes emerged around leveraging social and cultural capital among faculty, staff, and career professionals of similar race, background. The continuity of experiences between these groups appeared to account for as much as 80% of participants’ access to career services. These findings indicate the need for higher education institutions to employ strategic steps to align support personnel with first generation students’ (FGS) cultural norms and experiences to establish a sense of belonging and develop a nucleus of trust