Life Sciences Commons^™

Impact Of Marine Extracts Applications On Cv. Syrah Grape (Vitis Vinifera L.) Yield Components, Harvest Juice Quality Parameters, And Nutrient Uptake, Jonathan Martin

Master's Theses

Vineyard management practices have an impact on grape berry development in ways that influence the quality of wine made from those grapes. The goal of this study was to determine whether exogenous applications of marine extracts on Syrah grapes can influence yield components, harvest juice quality parameters, and nutrient uptake. From 2009 to 2011, Syrah grape vines at the Trestle Vineyard on the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo campus received individual doses of marine extract via fertigation at berry set and veraison proportional to the amount they would receive on an annual per-acre basis based on the extract …

The Relationship Between 11-Ketotestosterone, Cortisol, And Testosterone And Condition Index For Poecilia Reticulata, Shelly Gupta, Brandy G. Kalbach

Biological Sciences

The guppy, Poecilia reticulata, is a common study organism for behavioral and other ecological experiments (Houde, 1997).  As far as we know, no previous data have been compiled regarding hormones and condition index of guppies.  In this experiment we examined the relationship between circulating levels of three hormones (testosterone, 11-ketotestosterone and cortisol) and condition index in males and also made comparisons among the hormone levels, for three guppy sites from the northern range of Trinidad – Aripo River, Marianne River and Small Crayfish River.  Hormone samples were obtained using non-invasive water borne techniques and quantified by our collaborator.  The condition …

Trap Shyness And Avoidance Affects On Capture Proportions Of Dipodomys Heermanni Arenae, Natalie E. Folsom, Andrew R. Ruddock

Biological Sciences

This is a study on trap shyness and trap avoidance in the kangaroo rat species Dipodomys heermanni arenae. This species is being studied as a surrogate for the critically endangered Dipodomys heermanni morroensis. This is an ongoing study that has been continuing for the past three years, with four three-day sessions per year. The study is a specific look at the effects of the use of Sherman traps on kangaroo rat behavior between individual session days. Capture proportions for each of the three days of each session were calculated and compared through a t-test. The current results of …

Pcr Primers For The Detection Of Propane And Butane-Oxidizing Microorganisms, Brian Jeremy Chan

Master's Theses

In an increasingly energy-hungry world, our capacity to meet the heightened energy demands of the future has become a pressing matter. The most urgent of these concerns are tied to the accessibility of petroleum. Various experts have proselytized both the imminent arrival of peak oil production rates and the ensuing decline of those rates thereafter. And to that end, the development of novel and advanced oil exploration methodologies has become almost as important as finding the sources of oil themselves.

The soils above petroleum reservoirs play host to various communities of alkane- oxidizing bacteria that can utilize the natural gas …

Effects Of Season, Size And Parasitism By The Acanthocephalan, Profilicollis Altmani, On The Carotenoid Concentration And Composition Of The Pacific Mole Crab, Emerita Analoga, Lauren F. Constancio

Master's Theses

The Pacific Mole crab Emerita analoga is a filter-feeding crustacean inhabiting sandy beaches along the western coasts of North and South America. The tissues of E. analoga contain carotenoids, dietary pigments that are involved in crustacean cryptic coloration and egg development. Despite extensive study of its life history, little is known about how E. analoga is affected by parasitism, even though previous groups noted the presence of larval helminths in its body cavity. We examined parasite prevalence and intensity of the acanthocephalan Profilicollis altmani infecting E. analoga from Pismo Beach, California. We investiged the effects of parasite infection and body …

Exposure To Ultraviolet Radiation Causes Proteomic Changes In Embryos Of The Purple Sea Urchin, Strongylocentrotus Purpuratus, Joseph P. Campanale, Lars Tomanek, Nikki L. Adams

Biological Sciences

We performed experiments to determine how environmentally relevant ultraviolet radiation (UVR) affects protein expression during early development in the sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. To model the protein-mediated cell cycle response to UV-irradiation, six batches of embryos were exposed to UVR, monitored for both delays in the first mitotic division and changes in the proteome at two specific developmental time points. Embryos were exposed to or protected from artificial UVR (11.5 W/m²) for 25 or 60 min. These levels of UVR are within the range we have measured in coastal waters between 0.5 and 2 m. Embryos treated with …

The Case For Simplifying Ingredient Statements, Phillip S. Tong

Dairy Science

No abstract provided.

Acquired Traits Revisited, William D. Stansfield

Biological Sciences

Most biology texts villify Lamarck's concept of “inheritance of acquired characters” and leave the impression that all acquired characters are never transmitted to offspring. However, recent research indicates that this is not true! Some “acquired” traits are inherited. I profile some of these striking cases and their importance for evolution and for understanding a broader epigenetic context for heredity and ontogeny (the emerging field of “evo-devo”). Further, I discuss how such cases, even considered as exceptions, contribute to understanding the nature of science, both the role of general rules in biology and the occurrence of conceptual change, or paradigm shifts.

Meeting Learning Objectives Through Service-Learning: A Pomology Case Study, Lauren C. Garner

Horticulture and Crop Science

Undergraduate students enrolled in the introductory pomology course at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, from 2007 to 2010, participated in a service-learning project. Students helped the community organization, the California Rare Fruit Growers (CRFG), teach grafting skills to San Louis Obispo County high school students and community members. At the end of each quarter, pomology students completed evaluations of their experience. Results of these evaluations were used to improve teaching methodology and the experience in which the students participated. Self-reported and instructor evaluations of the service-learning project demonstrated that students increased their grafting knowledge and skills, their …

Utilization Of Geographic Information System For Research, Management, And Education In The Natural Resources Management Department At California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, David In Yun

Master's Theses

Geographic Information System (GIS) is “an organized collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced information” (ESRI, 1997a). The Natural Resources Management Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, hereafter NRM, was one of the early users of GIS technology. Although GIS was primarily used as an educational tool, it was also used for cataloging and displaying resource information for management planning and research projects. As the computing technology advanced, GIS became more powerful and easier to use. NRM faculty and …

Songbird Diversity In Oak Woodland And Riparian Habitats In The Los Padres National Forest, San Luis Obispo County, California, Trevor Pell

Biological Sciences

Diversity in songbirds (Passeriformes) between riparian and oak woodland habitats has not been studied before in the Los Padres National Forest around the Hi Mountain Lookout in San Luis Obispo County. Surveys of avian populations were conducted by point counts on fifty variable circular plots; surveys were performed between July and August of 2010. Diversity was calculated using the Shannon-Weiner method, and then squared for normality. No significant results were found when comparing the diversity values between riparian and oak woodland habitat (F = 0.52, p = 0.472). Although the results showed no significance, the data are still important, as …

Traversing Swanton Road, 3rd Ed., James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

Situated at the northwest end of Santa Cruz County and occupying circa 30 square miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+ years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area for +60 years. This is an early edition of an extensive document by James A. West. Please visit the …

Adiposity, Adult Weight Gain And Mammographic Breast Density In Us Chinese Women, Marilyn Tseng, Celia Byrne

Kinesiology and Public Health

The association of adiposity with dense tissue area in the breast is unclear, but suggests a mechanism by which adiposity might increase breast cancer risk. We examined associations of body mass index (BMI), usual BMI from age 20 to 29, waist circumference and adult weight gain with breast density in a sample of premenopausal United States Chinese immigrant women. Analyses included 415 participants in a longitudinal breast density study in Philadelphia. In addition to detailed questionnaire information, data collection included measures of anthropometry, and assessment of mammographic breast density using a computer-assisted method. We used multivariate linear regression to quantify …

Performance Screening Of Chemostat Adapted Recombinant Zymomonas Mobilis Strains, Deirdre M. Beard, Nancy Dowe

STAR Program Research Presentations

Corn stover biomass can be pretreaed and hydrolyzed into soluble sugars to be fermented by microorganisms to ethanol. NREL has developed a recombinant bacteria Zymomonas mobilis 8b that metabolizes both five and six carbon sugars. During pretreatment, toxic inhibitors such as furfural and acetate are produced. NREL has made an attempt to adapt two sub-strains of Z. mobilis 8b to acetate and furfural by using a chemostat method. During the chemostat process, cultures were frozen back in glycerol and saved. In this study, those frozen cultures were revived and analyzed for performance in environments with varying concentrations of furfural and …

Caffeine Metabolism And Cytochrome P450 Enzyme Mrna Expression Levels Of Genetically Diverse Inbred Mouse Strains, Neal Addicott, Michael Malfatti, Gabriela G. Loots

STAR Program Research Presentations

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes activate or eliminate medications and other xenobiotics, and Caffeine has been used as an indicator of activity for some CYPs. The natural genetic variation in the human population for caffeine metabolizing CYPs does not yet have an established animal model for comparison, but the natural variation in inbred mouse strains presents an attractive starting point. The project gave four different strains of mice a 40mg/kg dose of caffeine and sampled blood and liver tissue after 30 minutes. Samples were analyzed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), reverse transcription PCR (rtPCR), and quantitative PCR (qPCR). The DBA/2J …

Contrasting Effects Of Flow On Adult And Juvenile Ascidian Life History Stages, Including The Global Invasive Didemnum Vexillum, Tren C. Kauzer, C Sarah Cohen

STAR Program Research Presentations

Few studies have quantified a relationship between recruitment, growth, survival and flow with colonial filter feeders. In this study, the growth of D. vex and larval recruitment were evaluated under different local flow conditions in Half Moon Bay, California, USA. Tunicates were subjected to four different flow conditions, three of which included objects to differentially obstruct flow, and growth and recruitment were measured. A direct relationship was seen between increases in flow and adult growth, and an inverse relationship was seen between increases in flow and recruitment. These trends suggest that optimal flow conditions differ for juveniles and adults. The …

The Effects Of Sexed Semen On Embryonic Development To The Blastocyst Stage, William E. Plummer, D. Beckett, A. Schaffner, B. Layport, J. Norman, C. Grimbleby, P. Wessinger, E. Pace, L. Kirscher, K. Matthews, T. Dorshorst

Animal Science

Sexed semen (SS) exhibits approximately 80% of the fertilizing ability of conventional semen (CS), and studies have shown that this continues through the 8-cell stage of bovine embryo development. At the time of this study, no information could be found that, when used for IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) development, had been carried to the blastocyst stage. In addition, questions have arisen regarding which of the measured sperm parameters are responsible for the difference between the SS and CS and contribute to this decline in fertility. The goals of this project were to evaluate the effects of using sexed …

Developing A Biophysical Model To Determine The Minimum Water Requirement For Irrigating Known Crops, Robyn M. Williams, Lahaouri Bounoua

STAR Program Research Presentations

This research is to determine the minimum amount of irrigation needed to grow 75 crops in semi-arid regions. The number of days each crop spends in their developmental stages and the amount of water needed to grow these crops will be gathered and then used to create a mathematical model that will calculate how much water certain crops need at their various developmental stages. From this model, we will be able to quantify the minimum water requirement in order to limit the amount of water that is possibly being wasted due to over irrigating agricultural areas.

Evaluation And Utilization Of The Continuous Forest Inventory System At Swanton Pacific Ranch, Dominic Ali, Reid Cody

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Five Continuous Forest Inventories (CFI) and one Senior Project Inventory (Piper et al. 1989) at Swanton Pacific Ranch in Davenport, CA were compiled and standardized to be formatted for input into Forest and Stand Evaluation Environment (FORSEE) growth and yield modeling software. Data from field books and Excel spreadsheets located on the Cal Poly Natural Resources Management Department hard drive was transcribed into a Microsoft Excel database. Data sources and authenticity were verified by cross-referencing plot data from multiple sources, associated senior project reports, and location on the Swanton grid system. An additional summary spreadsheet was made to help users …

Ecological Strategies In California Chaparral: Interacting Effects Of Soils, Climate, And Fire On Specific Leaf Area, Brian Anacker, Nishanta Rajakaruna, David D. Ackerly, Susan Harrison, Jon Keeley, Michael Vasey

Biological Sciences

Background: High values of specific leaf area (SLA) are generally associated with high maximal growth rates in resource-rich conditions, such as mesic climates and fertile soils. However, fire may complicate this relationship since its frequency varies with both climate and soil fertility, and fire frequency selects for regeneration strategies (resprouting versus seeding) that are not independent of resource-acquisition strategies. Shared ancestry is also expected to affect the distribution of resource-use and regeneration traits.

Aims: We examined climate, soil, and fire as drivers of community-level variation in a key functional trait, SLA, in chaparral in California.

Methods: We quantified the phylogenetic, …

Microfluidic Paper-Based Analytical Devices: From Pocket To Paper-Based Elisa, Andres W. Martinez

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (microPADs) began as a simple idea with an ambitious goal. The idea was to make microfluidic devices out of paper instead of plastic or glass. The goal was to develop low-cost and portable paper-based diagnostic devices to improve healthcare in developing countries. Over the past 6 years, many developments have been made in the emerging field of paper-based microfluidic devices. Reviewing the development of these devices in the Whitesides group at Harvard University (Cambridge, MA, USA) can provide some insight into the future of the field and encourage scientists from a variety of backgrounds to contribute …

Snp-Based Mapping Of Crossover Recombination In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Grace C. Bazan, Kenneth J. Hillers

Biological Sciences

Caenorhabditis elegans is an important experimental organism for the study of recombination during meiosis. Here, we provide methods for the use of single-nucleotide polymorph isms (SNPs) for the study of crossing over in C. elegans.

The Control Of Marine Biofouling On Xerogel Surfaces With Nanometer-Scale Topography, Nikhil Gunari, Lenora H. Brewer, Stephanie M. Bennett, Anastasiya Sokolova, Nadine D. Kraut, John A. Finlay, Anne E. Meyer, Gilbert C. Walker, Dean E. Wendt, Maureen E. Callow, James A. Callow, Frank V. Bright, Michael R. Detty

Biological Sciences

Mixtures of n-octadecyltrimethoxysilane (C18, 1-5 mole-%), n-octyltriethoxysilane (C8) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) gave xerogel surfaces of varying topography. The 1:49:50 C18/C8/TEOS xerogel formed 100-400-nm-wide, 2-7-nm deep pores by AFM while coatings with ≥3% C18 were free of such features. Segregation of the coating into alkane-rich and alkane-deficient regions in the 1:49:50 C18/C8/TEOS xerogel was observed by IR microscopy. Immersion in ASW for 48 h gave no statistical difference in surface energy for the 1:49:50 C18/C8/TEOS xerogel and a significant increase for the 50:50 C8/TEOS xerogel. Settlement of barnacle cyprids and removal of juvenile barnacles, settlement of zoospores of the …

Observed And Modeled Bio-Optical, Bioluminescent, And Physical Properties During A Coastal Upwelling Event In Monterey Bay, California, Igor Shulman, Mark A. Moline, Bradley Penta, Stephanie Anderson, Matthew Oliver, Steven H.D. Haddock

Biological Sciences

During spring and summer time, coastal upwelling influences circulation and ecosystem dynamics of the Monterey Bay, California, which is recognized as a National Marine Sanctuary. Observations of physical, bio‐optical properties (including bioluminescence) together with results from dynamical biochemical and bioluminescence models are used to interpret the development of the upwelling event during August 2003 in Monterey Bay, California. Observations and the biochemical model show the development of a phytoplankton bloom in the southern portion of Monterey Bay. Model results show an increase of nutrients in the southern portion of the bay, where nutrient‐rich water masses are brought in by the …

Physical Habitat And Social Conditions Across A Coral Reef Shape Spatial Patterns Of Intraspecific Behavioral Variation In A Demersal Fish, Meagan N. Schrandt, Kristin M. Hardy, Kaitlin M. Johnson, Sean C. Lema

Biological Sciences

As coral reef ecosystems decline in health worldwide, reef-associated fishes are being impacted by changes to their coral reef habitats. While previous studies have shown coral reef structure to affect the demography of reef fishes, changes in reef conditions may also impact the behavior of reef fishes as they cope with altered habitats. In this study, we examined spatial patterns of intraspecific behavioral variation in the bicolor damselfish (Stegastes partitus) across the fringing reefs of Curaçao (Caribbean Sea), and explored how this behavioral variation associated with physical and social conditions on the reef. Principal components analysis (PCA) condensed …

The Deadly Effects Of ‘‘Nonlethal’’ Predators, Shannon J. Mccauley, Locke Rowe, Marie-Josee Fortin

Biological Sciences

Nonconsumptive predator effects are widespread and include plasticity as well as general stress responses. Caged predators are often used to estimate nonconsumptive effects, and numerous studies have focused on the larval stages of animals with complex life cycles. However, few of these studies test whether nonconsumptive predator effects, including stress responses, are exclusively sublethal. Nor have they assessed whether these effects extend beyond the larval stage, affecting success during stressful life-history transitions such as metamorphosis. We conducted experiments with larvae of a dragonfly (Leucorrhinia intacta) that exhibits predator-induced plasticity to assess whether the mere presence of predators affects …

Better Biomolecule Thermodynamics From Kinetics, Kiran Girdhar, Gregory Scott, Yann R. Chemla, Martin Gruebele

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Protein stability is measured by denaturation: When solvent conditions are changed (e.g., temperature, denaturant concentration, or pH) the protein population switches between thermodynamic states. The resulting denaturation curves have baselines. If the baselines are steep, nonlinear, or incomplete, it becomes difficult to characterize protein denaturation. Baselines arise because the chromophore probing denaturation is sensitive to solvent conditions, or because the thermodynamic states evolve structurally when solvent conditions are changed, or because the barriers are very low (downhill folding). Kinetics can largely eliminate such baselines: Relaxation of chromophores, or within thermodynamic states, is much faster than the transition over activation …

Lichens Of The Callahan Mine, A Copper- And Zinc-Enriched Superfund Site In Brooksville, Maine, U.S.A., Nishanta Rajakaruna, Tanner B. Harris, Stephen R. Clayden, Alison C. Dibble, Fred C. Olday

Biological Sciences

Metal-enriched habitats often harbor physiologically distinct biotas able to tolerate and accumulate toxic metals. Plants and lichens that accumulate metals have served as effective indicators of ecosystem pollution. Whereas the diversity of metal-tolerant lichens has been well documented globally, the literature of metal-tolerant lichen communities for eastern North America is limited. We examined the lichen flora of the Callahan Mine, a Cu-, Pb-, and Zn-enriched superfund site in Brooksville, Hancock County, Maine, U.S.A. Through collections along transects across metal-contaminated areas of the mine, we documented 76 species of lichens and related fungi. Fifty species were saxicolous, 26 were terricolous. Forty-three …

Environmental Proteomics: Changes In The Proteome Of Marine Organisms In Response To Environmental Stress, Pollutants, Infection, Symbiosis, And Development, Lars Tomanek

Biological Sciences

Environmental proteomics, the study of changes in the abundance of proteins and their post-translational modifications, has become a powerful tool for generating hypotheses regarding how the environment affects the biology of marine organisms. Proteomics discovers hitherto unknown cellulareffects of environmental stressors such as changes in thermal, osmotic, and anaerobic conditions. Proteomic analyses have advanced the characterization of the biological effects of pollutants and identified comprehensive and pollutant-specific sets of biomarkers, especially those highlighting post-translational modifications. Proteomic analyses of infected organisms have highlighted the broader changes occurring during immune responses and how the same pathways are attenuated during the maintenance of …

The Proteomic Response Of Sea Squirts (Genus Ciona Congeners) To Heat Stress: Evidence For Differential Thermal Sensitivities, Loredana Serafini

Master's Theses

The sea squirts Ciona intestinalis and C. savignyi have disparate distribution patterns, which may result from differences in their thermal tolerance limits. Because C. intestinalis, an almost cosmopolitan species, has a more widespread distribution, it is thought that it is better adapted to endure a wide range of temperatures. In order to compare the heat stress response between these two congeners, we studied global changes in protein expression, using a proteomics approach. To characterize the response to extreme heat stress, animals of both species were exposed to temperatures of 22°C, 25°C, and 28°C for 6 h, and then were …