Digital Commons Network^™

Computational Investigation Of Mononuclear Iron Water Oxidation Catalyst Design, Kristal Stevens, Emily Jarvis

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Works

Hydrogen production from non-carbon sources is an essential component of clean and sustainable technology for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fuels. Water oxidation, which splits water molecules into hydrogen (protons) and molecular oxygen, is a thermodynamically challenging, multistep reaction achieved in photosynthetic organisms via photocatalysis by the Oxygen Evolving Complex (OEC) of Photosystem II. Mononuclear water oxidation catalysts that aim to mimic nature typically rely on heavy, rare metals such as ruthenium and iridium. Replacing these metals with iron is particularly appealing because it is abundant, benign, and inexpensive. We use density functional theory to characterize the catalytic ability of …

The Role Of Sinorhizobium Meliloti Type Ivb Pili Protein On Legume Nodule Morphology And Infection, Alexis Chun

Honors Thesis

The symbiotic relationship between legumes and rhizobial soil bacteria leads to the conversion of nitrogen gas to biologically available forms of nitrogen. A critical step in this interaction is bacterial attachment to the host root. A variety of factors are involved in attachment, such as the Type IV pili (Tfp). In pathogens, Tfpb mediates tight adherence to host cells, promoting colonization, however in symbiotic interactions, the role of Tfpb–encoded by pilA genes–is not well understood. To assess the role of Tfpb pili during symbiosis, Melilotus alba plants were inoculated with wild type Sinorhizobium meliloti or ΔpilA deletion mutants; roots were …

Quantum Chemistry–Machine Learning Approach For Predicting Properties Of Lewis Acid–Lewis Base Adducts, Hieu Huynh, Thomas J. Kelly, Linh Vu, Tung Hoang, Phuc An Nguyen, Tu C. Le, Emily Jarvis, Hung Phan

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Works

Synthetic design allowing predictive control of charge transfer and other optoelectronic properties of Lewis acid adducts remains elusive. This challenge must be addressed through complementary methods combining experimental with computational insights from first principles. Ab initio calculations for optoelectronic properties can be computationally expensive and less straightforward than those sufficient for simple ground-state properties, especially for adducts of large conjugated molecules and Lewis acids. In this contribution, we show that machine learning (ML) can accurately predict density functional theory (DFT)-calculated charge transfer and even properties associated with excited states of adducts from readily obtained molecular descriptors. Seven ML models, built …

Powerpoint - Post-Planting Biodiversity Inventory, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

No abstract provided.

Lesson Plan - Post-Planting Biodiversity Inventory, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

The purpose of this lesson is to conduct post-planting biodiversity inventories

Powerpoint - Attracting Pollinators, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

No abstract provided.

City Of Culver City Coyote Management Report, Melinda Weaver, Michele Romolini, Eric G. Strauss

Center for Urban Resilience Reports

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The scientific staff at the LMU Center for Urban Resilience, along with affiliated scientists, collaborators and students conducted a three-year management study in order to assist the City of Culver City and its residents in managing the dynamic challenge of coexisting with resident and transient coyotes. Despite the considerable social and logistical upheaval caused by the Covid-19 outbreak, CURes staff and collaborators collected and analyzed data continuously through the various phases of the pandemic. The goals of the project were to: 1) Gather appropriate ecological, technical and human social data with regard to coyote ecology and human-wildlife conflict, …

At-Home Yogurt Making To Investigate Microbiology Concepts: A Remote Biology Laboratory, Tatiana Kuzmenko, Jacqueline Raetz-Vigon, Demian A. Willette

Biology Faculty Works

The global COVID-19 pandemic has forced many educators to move their courses to the online environment with little time to adjust. It especially affected undergraduate biology laboratory courses that rely on on-campus facilities to provide students with meaningful laboratory-type experiences. Here we describe a multisession, at-home, and hands-on laboratory activity that utilizes yogurt culturing to explore microbiology concepts. We also summarize the findings of 219 undergraduate students who successfully performed this lab remotely. In small virtual groups, students learned how to make yogurt at home, formulate a testable hypothesis, run an experiment on conditions necessary for yogurt fermentation, analyze experimental …

Seagrasses Under Times Of Change - Editorial, Gidon Winters, Mirta Teichberg, Hauke Reuter, Inés G. Viana, Demian A. Willette

Biology Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Invited Perspective - Nutritional Needs And Implications For Children In Subsistence Marketplaces, Nagendra Rangavajla

Subsistence Marketplaces

Today, while the number of stunted children is decreasing in all geographies, the progress is not consistent. Moreover, there is an increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescent. Globally, about half of all children under five do not receive essential nutrients, often unnoticed until too late. On the other end of the spectrum, the incidence of overweight and obesity in 5-19 year old has increased from 4% in 1975 to 18% in 2016 ¹. These trends reflect a ‘triple burden of malnutrition’, a burden that impacts the survival, growth, and development of children, and in turn, …

Spatiotemporal Relationships Of Coyotes And Free-Ranging Domestic Cats As Indicators Of Conflict In Culver City, California, Rebecca N. Davenport, Melinda Weaver, Katherine C. B. Weiss, Eric G. Strauss

Center for Urban Resilience Scholarship

As habitat generalists, urban coyote (Canis latrans) populations often utilize an abundance of diverse food sources in cities. Within southern California, domestic cats (Felis catus) comprise a higher proportion of coyote diets than in other studied urban areas throughout the United States. However, it is unclear which ecological factors contribute to higher rates of cat depredation by coyotes in this region. While previous research suggests that coyote presence may have a negative effect on free-ranging domestic cat distributions, few studies have determined whether urban green spaces affect coyote or free-ranging domestic cat occurrence and activity within …

Sustainable Seafood Using Octopus As A Model, Ian G. Gleadall, Warwick H.H. Sauer, Hassan Moustahfid, Cheryl L. Ames, Demian A. Willette

Biology Faculty Works

The global catch of octopus and squid shows annual variability and demand is likely to increase for both locally-supplied and imported products. However, the vulnerability of seafood resources is now well known, the reliability of fisheries catch data is still unclear, management of cephalopod stocks is mostly rudimentary, and there is uncertainty and concern about their sustainability among fisheries managers, the fishing industry, retailers, researchers and consumers. Here, a new project is presented which aims to address and resolve ways to enhance the effectiveness of seafood sustainability in general, with the aid of a freely accessible identification and traceability tool …

Teacher Background Knowledge: Biodiversity, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 06: Urban Biodiversity

No abstract provided.

Sample Hummingbird Feeder Resource Depletion Investigation, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 13: Birds in the Urban Landscape

No abstract provided.

Saving The Blue Butterfly, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

No abstract provided.

Ngss Standards Alignment Chart, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

No abstract provided.

Binder Cover Garden Ecology, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

No abstract provided.

Lesson Adaptations And Extensions, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

No abstract provided.

Module 10 - Garden Ecology Outline, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

No abstract provided.

Successful Garden Implementation Project Diagram, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

No abstract provided.

Urban La Birds Starter Kit, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

No abstract provided.

Using Bacterial And Fungal Inoculation Strategies To Aid In The Wetland Restoration Of Native Plants In Southern California, Amy Alverson, Karina K. Johnston

Honors Thesis

Planting of native species is a key part of ecological restoration, although the encroachment of invasive species and obstacles to seed germination can limit the success of revegetation efforts. The use of indigenous Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) have been shown to increase the long-term height and diameter of native plants and increase soil fertility in certain studies. Inoculation of seeds with native PGPR have also been shown to increase seed germination. In this study, the effect of different inoculation treatments on different plants native to southern California was studied at two sites in the …

Los Angeles Christmas Bird Count Checklist, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

No abstract provided.

Alphabetical Bird Checklist, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

No abstract provided.

Hummingbird Fun Fact Cards, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

No abstract provided.

Hummingbirds Informational Pamphlet, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

No abstract provided.

Hummingbird Resource For Teachers, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

No abstract provided.

Allen's Hummingbird, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

No abstract provided.

Bird Resources For Educators, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

No abstract provided.

Common Butterflies In The Garden, Center For Urban Resilience

Module 10: Garden Ecology

No abstract provided.