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Show Science Fair Project Proves Aid to Major Company's Research By Pam Williams Sevier School District Last summer, when most ninth grade boys were enjoying the freedom and the weather, Bart Cowley was thinking about February and the Richfield Junior High School science fair. As a seventh grader, Bart had won a blue ribbon and went on to take a second prize in the regional science fair at Cedar City with a study of the effects of caffeine on gerbils. His eighth grade project, however, hadn't even left Richfield. It won a third place yellow ribbon, a dismal and disappointing showing for a previous big winner. Working with his father, Ivan Cowley, at Cowley Feedlot in Venice last summer, Bart was intrigued by the way cattle were prepared for their sojourn in the fattening pens vitamins, vaccinations, treatments, and the implantation of a growth stimulant to help them gain weight faster. Noticing that the dosage of the growth stimulantant was three 12-gram pellets, Bart began to wonder. Why three? Why not one? Why not four? The instruction sheet packed with the product gave no explanation. Commercial Solvents, makers of the growth stimulant, Zeranol, could not tell Bart about the dosage because in their testing, they had experimented with only two control groups, those who had no stimulant, and those who received the three pellet, 36 gram recommended dosage. Thus a science fair project was born. It was the -2----K V? ' lliHBSMiflRHfl9--B-BE--- "Here it is,", Bart Cowley says, as he shows his completed display. Photographs of the various stages of his "something different, something really scientific" Bart was looking for to redeem himself from the poor showing of his eighth grade project. Sixty feeder cattle were herded into a pen on Oct. 10, 1980, divided into five groups, ear tagged, and injected, or not, with different doses of Zeranol. The cattle would stay in the same pen during the study period, and receive the same feed, a fattening ration of 70 percent rolled barley and yellow corn, and 30 percent silage and alfalfa. One group of cattle received no implantation of the growth stimulant, and the other groups receive doses of one, two, three and four pellets. Yearling steers go into feedlots weighing 400 to 700 lbs., according to Mr Cowley, and project, along with explanations and proof of his work, were included to assure clarity and attractiveness. Patience and effort paid off as Itart Cowley holds (roph signifying his win. while Instruclor-adWsor Slew ml leave approximately 82 days later weighing 1000 to 1100 lbs. "There's too much bone in cattle any smaller than that," he explained, "and if we let them get any bigger, the steaks arc too large." Rations are changed along the way, to an 8020 ratio, with smaller proportions of alfalfa, which tends to bloat cattle in warm weather. As much as possible, Cowley's buys feed .locally. Zeranoll, one of two drugs permitted by the Food and Drug Administration to be administered as a growth stimulant, is packaged in cylinders, three pellets in each chamber, and implanted in the back of the steer's ear with a special gun, almost like a vaccination. The stimulant is assimilated into the animal's system very slowly, something like a timed-release cold capsule, Mr. Cowley said. Because it has some deterimental effects on the reproductive systems of cattle, Zeranol is not administered to breeding cattle, and not at all to heifers unless they are on a feedlot. There is no side-effect in the animals, and no taste difference in the meat. However, a federal law states that Zeranol cannot be administered within 65 days of slaughter. Because the project involved live animals, Dr. David Urie, a local veterinarian, was available for advice and supervision. Bart weighed the cattle in their control groups and averaged the weight for his statistical report, rather than weighing individual animals. Weighing was done on the day the stimulant was implanted, and again after 82 days, the normal time steers spend in feedlots. Early on, three rambunctious steers had to be excused from the study when they lost their ear tags. Their departure, however, did not upset Bart's statistics because he was averaging the weight of the control groups. Cost efficiency is an important part of the study. If it cost a certain amount to implant the stimulant, and then feed the cattle to the point of market readiness, Bart wondered, would they grow just as well with larger or smaller doses and cost less to raise? Shaer proudlv looks on. The effort was as much research and monitoring as an aspect. His study showed that the cost efficiency in animals implanted with one pellet was markedly increased over those not injected at all, and those with two, three and four were even greater. The cost per pound for those not injected was .6159 cents, but only .5086 cents for those who had four pellets, showing a 17 percent increase in cost efficiency. The cattle who received no implants are still unsold, and "costing us money," according to Mr. Cowley. The cattle who had three and four implants were sold in 82 days, but the last of the groups who had two and one were not sold until the week of the science fair, 136 days after implantation. "From Bart's project, we've learned what even the company who made the drug couldn't tell us," Mr. Cowley said. At the fair, ribbons of blue, red, yellow and white are awarded on a point basis in the areas of behavioral, physical, earth and life sciences, and techology. Judges award ribbons according to the project's creative ability, scientific procedure, thoroughness, skills, clarity, and dramatic value. Trophies go to the best of the fair in each science category. With the field work done, and the statistics compiled, Bart took his findings to his science teacher, Stewart Shaver who went over the material. "It's going to need eye appeal," Mr. Shaver advised. If it's put together right, it'll be a whale of a project." Bart painted three sections of quarter - inch plywood, hinged them together, mounted photographs showing the step-by-step process of his study, and typed up his problem, procedure, and conclusions. He made graphs to show the differences in control groups' performances. At 7 a.m. on the day the project was due, Bart showed the display to his father and told him how it would be set up. Mr. Cowley was concerned that the graphs weren't done quite right, and suggested how Bart (Continued On Page Kiht) ,JJ.1... ... .1 .. MUJ..J.I ..I.. ,'.J Science Fair Project Proves Aid to Research (Continued From Page One could do them differently. He set to work on it right away. His new graphs in tow, Bart got everything to school. As the display began to take shape, Mr. Shaver suggested that Bart retype his explanatory paragraphs on a machine that types larger, easier to read letters. Somebody else was using the typewriter just then, but Bart would be next. In the meantime, Bart discovered that one of the words in his title had to be changed, which meant removing all the three-inch stick-on letters, and shifting them fractions of an inch to the right or left to fit all the new letters in. Then there was the problem of how to mount the picture of cattle over the display, which Bart solved by taping it thoroughly onto some small sticks wedged into the hinged joints of the plywood. Was it ready at last for the judges? A small display of the equipment used to implant the Zeranol pellets, plus a bottle of single pellets, and the special gun used for implanting them, was arranged on the floor. A little note for fair viewers "Do Not Touch" went on as an afterthought. Wednesday, Judgment Day, came. It was early afternoon before Bart was called to explain and defend his project as judge Colin Rose, South Sevier science teacher, made notes on the score sheet. Bart answered Mr. Rose's questions with a calm and poise that belied the jelly in his knees. Judgment Day ended. The school buses pulled out before all the prizes had been awarded, and Bart went home not knowing anything for sure. Clouds gathered on Thursday morning, but the few drops of rain that dampened the sidewalks outside had no effect at all on the spirits of students waiting in the Christmas morning atmosphere. "I had plenty of hints," Bart admitted, when he first saw the life science trophy standing by his project. Students peeking in at the gym door the day before turned out to be inept secret keepers. According to his mother, Bart has the temperament to withstand the pressures of science fair competition because he is patient and well-organized. "It's always a learning experience for the family, too," she said. Science fair competition is in its eighth year at Richfield Junior High, with roughly 400 projects entered each year. "Our goal is to increase student awareness of the scientific process," said counselor Duane Bresee. Mr. Duane Bresee, feels that the awards and recognition available in the science tair experience are vital to academically oriented students who will go on to higher education. "Some students won't participate unless they are required to," he pointed out, "and in other cases, some parents may lead their youngsters into subjects too sophisticated for the junior high school mind." What he calls "a solid thinking experience, even if it is simpler scientifically," is preferred over a topic the student is unable to grasp fully." Students cannot be spoon-fed into science fair projects, Mr. Bresee believes. "Their intellectual curiosity has to be stimulated, and the result should be originality, creativity, and the maturity that needs to develop in these early teen years." What does it take to produce a winning project? Science teacher Larry Anderson says it takes bright, motivated science students, supportive parents, and a patient science teacher. In Bart Cowley's case, his work has been followed as well by Commercial Solvents, because it is an extension of the studies they did on Zeranol and provides new data about their product. HHwl lflHHKL ' jbbbbbbbbbbb1 jjpBi bHhm sbbbbbbbbbbfq Cattle were implanted with growth stimulant at the beginning of the project, Their weight gain was monitored over the usual 82-day stay in the feedlot, and results were given as major part of Cowley's display. BrBHjHEBaBMBBBBBBBEHBBBBBBBMBBBBBA IbbbbbbbvIHHbbbbbhbkvbmSv. bbh1 HIIIBHrvBfflffliwKlHwBHv ' BBBBBBH9nHKRfiBBHMMflHMr'v :mV bAVbwJ 1 H wflBBbL','''0' ""L BBBBBBBHBBBlk. HBYBBBV M IHyflii. V4r .jAw BBBBBBBMBBBK BBBBP HI iBBBBBBBHl. jHCc A BHbBBBBBBBBBBBB - " mP" HI BBBBBBBB&'' .4BBtttaA BBBBBBBBBBBB b bbbbbbbbbbbbbSbbbbbSbY ' bbbbbbbL v .-.Li.-o - . TyfcgjMMgtj PHHRH0VflBflflflflflJkHHBVw jwbbHBHBBv Mb''uiHbHH Setting up the display, the finale to do the work of research and monitoring, took a lot of patience and care, and with the help and advice of friends and advisors, gave a readable, enlightening climax to efforts. |