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Neotropical ecosystems are teeming with diversity but unfortunately, many areas are experiencing dramatic levels of degradation. In this study, I compared species richness of Phyllostomidae in secondary, riparian and old growth forest sites to test whether general patterns of diversity applied at the local scale. This study synthesizes data gathered as part of undergraduate field courses that took place between 2013 and 2018 in the Osa peninsula. Much of the study area is early
successional secondary forest recovering from agricultural use with remnants of old growth vegetation. Overall, 21 species of Phyllostomidae were identified over 38 nights of sampling. While there were no significant differences in species richness between old growth and secondary forest sites, there were significant difference between these two forest types and riparian habitats. These results highlight the importance of considering surrounding areas when making decisions about the conservation value of specific habitats at the local level.
Keywords: Phyllostomidae, Conservation, Bats, Species richness, Costa Rica
The energetics involved in chemical reactions and the bond energies of ions are of fundamental importance to the field of chemistry. Conventional methods of collision induced dissociation (CID) within an ion trap mass spectrometer provide invaluable structural information on the ions in question. However, the energy imparted on the ions following repeated collisions with a neutral gas often remains ambiguous and unexplored. These energies are often simply represented by a unit less quantity (such as normalized collisional energy, NCE %) instead of an absolute energy unit. In an effort to clarify this ambiguity, we herein present a LabVIEW simulation combined with mass spectrometry experiments which will allow both experimentalist and theoretical chemists alike to develop a more intuitive understanding of the collision energetics within an ion trap mass spectrometer. An experimental calibration of collision energy is conducted by performing CID on a series of ions with well-known bond energies. Next, a LabVIEW simulation is implemented and compared to the experimental observations to test its accuracy. The collisional energy distributions are quantified from the velocity distributions of the simulated ion trajectories. The collisional energy distribution calculated the most probable energy of collisions within the published bond energy metrics. Herein, an efficient method for understanding the collision energetics within an ion trap mass spectrometer during CID is presented.
❐ PDFKeywords: Collision-Induced Dissociation, Ion Trap Mass Spectrometer, Collisional-Energy Distribution, Ion Trajectory, Velocity Probability Distribution
A major limitation within studies of Wicca regards the generational separation between practitioners. The intent for this study was to analyze how age and generation can influence the shape and belief system of the practicing Wicca. Based on semi-structured interviews with individuals who self-identify as Wiccan, two distinct groups--separated mainly by age--were recognized. Variables such as age, stake in conformity, education, political affiliation, and familial satisfaction were measured to illustrate the differences between the two groups. These differences include attitude about social media, belief in the existence of individualized Wicca, and how the political and social climate is changing. Individual narratives were recorded and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Using the qualitative analytic software Dedoose, the qualitative measures of this study were coded for emergent themes.
❐ PDFKeywords: wicca, paganism, generational separation, age, new religious movements