1025 research outputs found
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The Impact of Lake Stratification on Biogeochemical Cycling and Downstream Water Quality: Case Study of Faylor and Walker Lakes in Snyder County, PA
Full text linkIn recent years, dams have received extensive scrutiny for their effects on stream and river systems throughout the United States. Dams vary greatly in size and scale, but investigations often focus on large-scale dams because of their visibility in the public eye and pronounced impact. This can result in smaller and less impactful impoundments being overlooked, despite the cumulative impacts these dams can have on higher order water systems. Two small water impoundments, Walker and Faylor Lakes located respectively on the north and west branches of Middle Creek in Snyder County, Pennsylvania have demonstrated an impact on Middle Creek. This study focused on using onsite physical properties and grab samples for chemical analysis in the laboratory to determine the effects of the two impoundments on their streams. To further correlate the physicochemical results, kick sampling for benthic macroinvertebrates were also used to build a comprehensive understanding of the impact of the two impoundments on their respective stream system. Both upstream and downstream sites from the dams were sampled. All sites were checked for To, pH, Ke, DO, TDS, ORP, COD, BOD5, F, Cl, NO2-, SO42-, NO3-, P, K, NH4+, K, Mg2+, and Ca2+. All parameters; were positively correlated. Data show that the physical and chemical changes to the streams, are caused by the dams and are affecting the biological communities in the downstream water course. Walker Lake was found to have a much greater negative impact on the north branch of Middle Creek and significantly degraded the water in relation to certain parameters due to seasonal thermal stratification and the geomorphology of the reservoir. BOD5 and NH4+ concentrations were found to be significantly higher downstream of Walker Lake with respect to upstream of both branches and downstream of Faylor lake. An increase in Hillsenhoff Index scores, and pollution-tolerant taxa as well as a decrease in Shannon Diversity Index numbers, were also observed downstream of Walker Lake when compared to upstream of both branches and downstream of Faylor Lake. Faylor Lake Dam did not have a significant impact on the west branch of Middle Creek
How does Community Building Impact my Teaching Practice?
Full text linkJones Elementary is a Title 1 School in the small town of Springberry where 83 percent of students are from low-income families (Greatschools.org). 68 percent of students are white, 19 percent are Hispanic, 8 percent are two or more races, 4 percent are black, the other 1 percent is made up of American Indian/Alaska Native, Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander, or Asian (Greatschools.org). I chose to look at the topic of community building because I feel that a major issue in schools today is mental health. The four methods I used to develop community was a morning greeting, an ‘I wish my teacher knew’ activity, stations, and grouped seating arrangements. I was limited in trying not to implement too many new things, a hectic schedule, and COVID-19. I found that my students developed a trust in me after a very short time. From this study, I want to take the time at least once a week to build community and I encourage other educators to do the same
Determining Ideal Growing Conditions for Antimicrobial-producing Actinomycetes from Centralia, PA
No full textIt is estimated that over 99% of bacteria have yet to be cultured, particularly in extreme environments such as the high-temperature soils overlying the coalmine fire in Centralia, PA. These undiscovered bacteria may provide an important source of new antimicrobials to help us face the crisis of antibiotic resistance that could devastate humans and their food sources. Our goal is to find combinations of media types and pretreatments that will create the best environment for growing novel antimicrobial-producing actinomycetes in the lab. Soil samples from fire-affected and unaffected sites in Centralia are being used to inoculate actinomycetes agar and humic acid-vitamin (HVA) agar plates, with or without a phenol pretreatment. The resulting isolates are being identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and novel isolates will be analyzed for antimicrobial potential
At the Mercy of Monsters: Expressionism and Bram Stoker’s Dracula on the Stage
Full text linkIt is from the Expressionistic style of theatre, first born out of pre-World War I tensions in Germany, that what we today associate with visual horror was first formed; film scholars suggesting that the horror movie as we know it was born out of Expressionistic nightmares like Robert Wiene’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919) and F.W. Murnau’s Nosferatu (1922). Therefore, in order to study the implementation of Expressionistic technique on theatrical performance, three adaptations of Bram Stoker\u27s novel, Dracula, are studied as a horror story put on the stage. Analyzed herein is Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston’s revolutionary version from 1927, Liz Lochhead’s revisionist take on the vampire from 1985, and Jim Helsinger’s one-man adaptation from 2010. Despite these plays’ showcasing characteristics, none prove to be as Expressionistic as the original novel upon which they are based, and prove that most visual media which represent Stoker’s novel are perhaps not as faithful to it as one may first suppose
What Do You Meme?: How Twitter Memes Can Alter Perceptions of Major Democratic Presidential Candidates
Full text linkChristianity’s Impact on the European Welfare State
No full textChristianity has long been practiced in Europe as the predominant religion. However, not all denominations of Christianity advocate for the same morals and values. Since the church and state were both powerful bodies, and often shared similar roles according to today’s perception of societal responsibilities, the church has influenced the current government. The main two denominations of Christianity are Catholic and Protestant; within the Protestant church there are many smaller denominations, including Lutheranism. How does the predominant denomination of Christianity of a given Western European country shape the type of welfare state? This study focuses on six Western European countries: the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Sweden and Finland. The United Kingdom and the Netherlands are predominately Western Protestant; Ireland and Italy have a majority Catholic body, and Finland and Sweden have a high Lutheran population, even though these two countries are both secularized. According to Esping-Andersen’s theory of Three World of Welfare Capitalism, there are three main categories of welfare regimes: conservative, liberal, and social-democratic. Researchers have shown there are differences between Catholic and Protestant work ethics and personal values. The theory for this relationship is based on the idea that Catholics tend to emphasize charity and cooperation with others, which might lead to higher dependency on the government to provide welfare benefits. On the other hand, Protestant ethics emphasize self-reliance and competition, indicating less dependence on the state for welfare support, yet assistance should be available for those who are in need. The hypothesis is that countries with a Protestant majority, will have a welfare system which reflects values associated with Protestantism. Countries with a Catholic majority will have a welfare state with more Catholic values. Finally, countries with a Lutheran population will have welfare system with Protestant values. Included in this research is a quantitative analysis of welfare spending and other religious factors (percentage of popular religion and church attendance) and qualitative case studies highlighting the individual countries’ welfare systems and their importance. The quantitative findings did not show a relationship between religion or church attendance and welfare spending, except with Lutheran church attendance and a negative correlation of welfare spending. The case studies do show a relationship associated with Protestant and Catholic traditional ethics and the development of the welfare state; however, the relationship is inconclusive
Scientific and Ethical Leadership in Chemistry: March Fellowship Presentation
No full textEthics is integral to all professions, and science is no exception. Chemists, as all scientists, must make numerous decisions every day, some large and many small. Ethics are involved in many of the choices that must be made. Decisions with fairly large impact, such as the best and most productive projects (industrial or research) to pursue, how best to spend a budget, whether or not sufficient data has been collected to submit a paper for publication, and many others all involve decisions that can affect the success, credibility and/or status of the decision-maker. Almost all chemists want to make significant contributions to science. Chemistry can be primarily pure or applied science. Pure science is performed for its own sake and the result is an increase in knowledge or ideas. Applied research is practical and the result is a useful product or procedure. Regardless of the type of chemistry, ethical decisions are made at every step. Students and professionals are faced with these and many other issues, and every decision will affect a final result in some way. Sometimes scientists may make decisions based upon whether the potential threat is sufficiently outweighed by the benefits of the results of the decision. Sometimes the decision is made simply based on the desire to avoid scientific misconduct and fraud. To help guide scientists, there are several codes of ethics in chemistry developed by well-established institutes such as the American Chemical Society, American Institute of Chemists, and others that apply to specific fields. These codes are established for, according to the American Chemical Society “the improvement of the qualifications and usefulness of chemist through high standards of professional ethics, education, and attainments...” While it is expected that professionals follow these codes when making decisions that can affect many others, the hope is that students begin to learn how to make good ethical decisions while in school, how to prepare for those additional decisions they will be required to make almost daily in their professional lives, and how to set good examples and provide leadership for others both younger and older in their fields. To help prepare students for these types of decisions, three workshops were planned. A book on professional ethics for both students and practicing chemists by Jeffrey Kovac at the University of Tennessee entitled The Ethical Chemist, Professionalism and Ethics in Science provided some of the topics for discussion. The first was a workshop designed for science students currently enrolled at SU and addressed some of the ethical issues that science students face currently. Open discussion of the topics was encouraged with guidance provided by Kelly and Dr. Tom, with emphasis not only on the specific ethical issues in classes and research but also on students helping others to make good decisions by example. Another workshop would have addressed science students’ interactions with non-scientists, and could have addressed issues such as how to build understanding and excitement of science by non-scientists. Another workshop would have addressed ethics and leadership issues after graduation, either in graduate school, a health professional school or in industry. Hopefully, students gained a new or enhanced understanding of the ethics they currently face and will face in their future. We hope to escalate personal integrity and leadership of the current SU students through discussion and understanding and hope they will carry this on to the careers they pursue after graduation
SUPeR Feature Article: The Impact of Global Threats on Funding for US Special Operations
Full text linkThis paper examines whether funding for special operations reflects the global threats that are faced by the United States. Organized special operations units first began to appear in the US military during WWII, but it was not until Vietnam that they were fully organized and integrated as part of the strategic plan, and the role of SOF expanded as the conflict continued. However, following Vietnam, the SOF programs that had developed were essentially gutted, due to the unpopular nature of SOF units among conventional military leaders. This research examines whether funding for SOF operations aligns with the threats faced by the United States, or if the political nature of the allocations process has more of an impact on the levels of funding for SOF programs. By examining shifts in threat since the development of the Special Operations command in 1987, and defining those shifting threats (as defined by strategy documents such as the National Security Strategy and Quadrennial Defense Review) as either a conventional or special operations threat, I studied 911th Edition whether funding for SOF programs aligned with the threat. After examining six shifts in threat between 1987 and 2020, it was found that funding for SOCOM tended to respond to shifting threats
Choral-orchestral repertoire : a conductor\u27s guide
No full textChoral-Orchestral Repertoire: A Conductor’s Guide, Omnibus Edition offers an expansive compilation of choral-orchestral works from 1600 to the present. Synthesizing Jonathan D. Green’s earlier six volumes on this repertoire, this edition updates and adds to the over 750 oratorios, cantatas, choral symphonies, masses, secular works for large and small ensembles, and numerous settings of liturgical and biblical texts for a wide variety of vocal and instrumental combinations. Each entry includes a brief biographical sketch of the composer, approximate duration, text sources, performing forces, available editions, and locations of manuscript materials, as well as descriptive commentary, a discography, and a bibliography. Unique to this edition are practitioner’s evaluations of the performance issues presented in each score. These include the range, tessitura, and nature of each solo role and a determination of the difficulty of the choral and orchestral portions of each composition. There is also a description of the specific challenges, staffing, and rehearsal expectations related to the performance of each work.https://scholarlycommons.susqu.edu/facultybooks/1082/thumbnail.jp
Does Prenatal WIC Participation Improve Child Outcomes?
No full textA large body of literature documents positive effects of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) on birth outcomes, and separately connects health at birth and future outcomes. But little research investigates the link between prenatal WIC participation and childhood outcomes. We explore this question using a unique data set from South Carolina that links administrative birth, Medicaid, and education records. We find that relative to their siblings, prenatal WIC participants have a lower incidence of ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) and other common childhood mental health conditions and a lower incidence of grade repetition. These findings demonstrate that a “WIC start” results in persistent improvements in child outcomes across a range of domains