Life Sciences Commons^™

Using Bayesian Multispecies Models To Evaluate Fish And Invertebrate Detection Probability And Distribution In The Hypersaline Bahia Grande Tidal Basin, Roy M. Ulibarri, Catherine M. Eckert, David Hicks, David Montagne, Brandon Jones, David R. Stewart

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective

In 2000, the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge acquired the Bahia Grande (Texas) management unit, a space that had lain barren and arid for 70 years. A large cooperative partnership launched a restoration project to replenish the basin and recover its original tidal hydrology. In 2005, the construction of a pilot channel successfully restored water throughout the basin, and plans to eventually widen the channel were developed. Our study aims to evaluate an estuarine habitat restoration by assessing ecological drivers and the impacts on species diversity.

Methods

We evaluated species richness, detection/occupancy rates, and species–habitat relationships, and we estimated …

A Pilot Study On Particulate Matter Concentrations From Cooking And Its Effects On Indoor Air Pollution In A Mexican American Household In Mission, South Texas, Usa, Sai Deepak Pinakana, Carlos Garcia Patlan, Esmeralda Mendez, Amit U. Raysoni

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

This pilot study focuses on particulate matter (PM) while cooking in a South Texan household. Dishes such as Beef, Burger, Fish, Chicken, Egg Sandwich, and Hotdog were prepared. Indoor PM levels were compared with outdoor PM levels. A DustTrak DRX was used to monitor the PM released during the cooking process. PM2.5 levels were highest while cooking beef, 162.79 + 209.62 μg m−3. Hot Dog preparation resulted in the lowest PM2.5 concentration of 27.72 + 5.58 μg m−3. Indoor PM2.5 levels were observed to be greater in contrast to outdoor levels when compared to the outdoor levels (96 words).

Biotechnology For Sustainable Materials: Innovating Today For A Greener Tomorrow, Shashi Kant Bhatia, Saurabh Bhatia, Maria Eugenia Inda-Webb, Konstantina Kourmentza, Tae Seok Moon, Vijai Singh, Vishal Ahuja, Jingbo Li, Sanjeet Mehariya, Jikai Zhao

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Eviction-Driven Infanticide And Sexually Selected Adoption And Infanticide In A Neotropical Parrot, Steven R. Beissinger, Karl S. Berg

School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Significance

Infanticide and adoption are puzzling forms of sexual conflict and cooperation, respectively. However, both may be explained by sexual selection, where an individual later reproduces with the parent whose offspring it killed or adopted. While sexually selected infanticide is well known, evidence for sexually selected adoption is anecdotal. Our long-term study of a parrotlet in Venezuela found infanticide attacks were mostly enacted by nonbreeding pairs attempting to evict parents from their nests to usurp the cavity. Infanticide attacks occurred less often at nests where a parent died, and adoption by stepparents was as common as infanticide. Becoming an adoptive …

Year-Round Co2 Emissions From The Drawdown Area Of A Tropical Reservoir: Strong Seasonal And Spatial Variation, Ícaro Barbosa, José R. Paranaíba, Sebastian Sobek, Sarian Kosten, Rafael M. Almeida, Vitor Duque, Natália Mendonça, Nathan Barros, Raquel Mendonça

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Highlights

• Drawdown areas emitted 80% of reservoir CO2 with just 1/5 area.

• Emissions from reservoir shorelines near forests were greater than from areas near grassland.

• CO2 emissions increase with the distance from the water.

• Estimates of reservoir drawdown CO2 flux vary by ∼ 300 % across the seasons examined here.

• There was no discernible difference in CO2 emissions between day and night-time.

• A significant increase in CO2 fluxes was observed 30 min after a rewetting event.

Abstract

A growing body of literature points to drawdown areas as important sources of atmospheric CO2 within reservoirs. Yet seasonal and temporal patterns of …

Skimming Genomes For Systematics And Dna Barcodes Of Corals, Andrea M. Quattrini, Luke J. Mccartin, Erin E. Easton, Jeremy Horowitz, Herman H. Wirshing, Hailey Bowers, Kenneth Mitchell, María Del P. González-García, Makiri Sei, Catherine S. Mcfadden

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Numerous genomic methods developed over the past two decades have enabled the discovery and extraction of orthologous loci to help resolve phylogenetic relationships across various taxa and scales. Genome skimming (or low-coverage genome sequencing) is a promising method to not only extract high-copy loci but also 100s to 1000s of phylogenetically informative nuclear loci (e.g., ultraconserved elements [UCEs] and exons) from contemporary and museum samples. The subphylum Anthozoa, including important ecosystem engineers (e.g., stony corals, black corals, anemones, and octocorals) in the marine environment, is in critical need of phylogenetic resolution and thus might benefit from a genome-skimming approach. We …

Continuous Mowing Differentially Affects Floral Defenses In The Noxious And Invasive Weed Solanum Elaeagnifolium In Its Native Range, Alejandro Vasquez, Alexa Alaniz, Robert K. Dearth, Rupesh R. Kariyat

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

In weeds, disturbance has been found to affect life history traits and mediate trophic interactions. In urban landscapes, mowing is an important disturbance, and we previously showed that continuous mowing leads to enhanced fitness and defense traits in Solanum elaeagnifolium, Silverleaf Nightshade (SLN). However, most studies have been focused on foliar defenses, ignoring floral defenses. In this study we examined whether continuous mowing affected floral defenses in SLN using mowed and unmowed populations in South Texas, their native range. We found flowers of mowed SLN plants larger but lighter than unmowed plants. Additionally, flowers on plants that were mowed …

Toward A Coordinated Understanding Of Hydro-Biogeochemical Root Functions In Tropical Forests For Application In Vegetation Models, Daniela F. Cusack, Bradley O. Christoffersen, Chris M. Smith-Martin, Kelly M. Andersen, Amanda L. Cordeiro, Katrin Fleischer, S. Joseph Wright, Nathaly R. Guerrero-Ramírez, Laynara F. Lugli, Lindsay A. Mcculloch

School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Tropical forest root characteristics and resource acquisition strategies are underrepresented in vegetation and global models, hampering the prediction of forest–climate feedbacks for these carbon-rich ecosystems. Lowland tropical forests often have globally unique combinations of high taxonomic and functional biodiversity, rainfall seasonality, and strongly weathered infertile soils, giving rise to distinct patterns in root traits and functions compared with higher latitude ecosystems. We provide a roadmap for integrating recent advances in our understanding of tropical forest belowground function into vegetation models, focusing on water and nutrient acquisition. We offer comparisons of recent advances in empirical and model understanding of root characteristics …

Health-Promoting Benefits Of Lentils: Anti-Inflammatory And Anti-Microbial Effects, Rachel Alexander, Abdullah Khaja, Nicholas Debiec, Alex Fazioli, Mary Torrance, Mohammed S. Razzaque

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

This paper describes how lentils (Lens culinaris species) can positively affect health by reducing inflammation, providing antioxidants, and displaying antimicrobial properties. Lentils are rich in proteins, essential amino acids, minerals, and fibers, making them a valuable source of nutrition, particularly in low and middle-income countries. Lentils have many health benefits, including positive effects on diabetes management, support for cardiovascular health, and antioxidative properties. The antioxidative properties of lentils, attributed to their phenolic content, and their ability to inhibit inflammation-related enzymes are also discussed. We discuss the potential of lentils as a dietary tool in promoting immunity, reducing disease burdens, …

Detection And Monitoring Of Plant Pathogens And Pests, Walter F. Mahaffee, Lindsey D. Thiessen, Kevin M. King, Robin A. Choudhury

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

A Rationally Designed Antimicrobial Peptide From Structural And Functional Insights Of Clostridioides Difficile Translation Initiation Factor 1, Elvira Alanis, Faith Aguilar, Niaz Banaei, Frank B. Dean, Alexa Villarreal, Miguel Alanis, Karen Lozano, James M. Bullard, Yonghong Zhang

School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

ABSTRACT: A significant increase of hospital-acquired bacterial infections during the COVID-19 pandemic has become an urgent medical problem. Clostridioides difficile is an urgent antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogen and a leading causative agent of nosocomial infections. The increasing recurrence of C. difficile infection and antibi­otic resistance in C. difficile has led to an unmet need for the discovery of new com­pounds distinctly different from present antimicrobials, while antimicrobial peptides as promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics have attracted growing interest recently. Protein synthesis is an essential metabolic process in all bacteria and a validated antibiotic target. Initiation factor 1 from C. difficile (Cd-IF1) …

Comparative Analysis Of A Secondary Metabolite Profile From Roots And Leaves Of Iostephane Heterophylla By Uplc-Ms And Gc-Ms, Diana V. Navarrete-Carriola, Alma D. Paz-González, Lenci K. Vázquez-Jiménez, Erick De Luna-Santillana, María A. Cruz-Hernández, Debasish Bandyopadhyay, Gildardo Rivera

School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Iostephane heterophylla is a traditional Mexican medicinal plant and is an important source of secondary metabolites with antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity. The aim of this work was to conduct a comparative analysis of secondary metabolites of different roots and leaf extracts of I. heterophylla from two zones in Mexico using ultraperformance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and gas chromatography (GC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS). Twelve secondary metabolites from roots were identified in the leaves. Five new molecular weight secondary metabolites not previously reported were found. Six bioactive metabolites were quantified (quercetin ≤0.151 mg/mL in root and ≤0.041 mg/mL in leaf; hesperidin …

Salmonella In The Environment: A Review On Ecology, Antimicrobial Resistance, Seafood Contaminations, And Human Health Implications, Mohammad Maruf Billah, Md Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Salmonella is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria that is responsible for numerous food poisoning outbreaks worldwide. With 93.8 million food-borne illnesses and 155,000 fatalities annually, it has emerged as a significant global public health issue. There are currently more than 2,500 distinct Salmonella serotypes, and more than half of them are associated with Salmonella enterica. An increasing global public health concern for humans and animals is antimicrobial resistance by Salmonella species worldwide. Salmonella infections can be lethal; conditioned with an increased prevalence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains in the future. The emergence of MDR Salmonella serotypes is considerably …

Therapeutic Potential Of Snake Venom: Toxin Distribution And Opportunities In Deep Learning For Novel Drug Discovery, Anas Bedraoui, Montamas Suntravat, Salim El Mejjad, Salwa Enezari, Naoual Oukkache, Elda E. Sanchez, Jacob Galan, Rachid El Fatimy, Tariq Daouda

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Snake venom is a rich source of bioactive molecules that hold great promise for therapeutic applications. These molecules can be broadly classified into enzymes and non-enzymes, each showcasing unique medicinal properties. Noteworthy compounds such as Bradykinin Potentiating Peptides (BPP) and Three-Finger Toxins (3FTx) are showing therapeutic potential in areas like cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and pain-relief. Meanwhile, components like snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMP), L-amino acid oxidases (LAAO), and Phospholipase A2s (PLA2) are paving new ways in oncology treatments. The full medicinal scope of these toxins is still emerging. In this review, we discuss drugs derived from snake venoms that address …

Tarantula Toxin Transcripts And Toxin Structure Prediction By Alphafold, Christine Vega, Rebekkah Sepulveda, Ying Jia

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Tarantula venom predominantly comprises peptides and small proteins (venom toxins). To explore this further, we generated a combined gland cDNA library from five different tarantula species. Subsequently we randomly sequenced 752 clones, which led to the identification of sixteen distinct toxin groups, including one novel group. Each group consists of a minimum of three identical sequences. A comprehensive analysis of these toxin groups was carried out, and we simulated the 3D structures of certain predicted toxins. These transcripts can be used to the production of venom toxins through recombinant techniques, offering promising applications in various biomedical applications.

Disaster Plant Pathology: Smart Solutions For Threats To Global Plant Health From Natural And Human-Driven Disasters, Berea A. Etherton, Robin A. Choudhury, Ricardo I. Alcalá Briseño, Romaric A. Mouafo-Tchinda, Aaron I. Plex Sulá, Manoj Choudhury, Ashish Adhikari, Si Lin Lei, Nattapol Kraisitudomsook, Jacobo Robledo Buritica

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Disaster plant pathology addresses how natural and human-driven disasters impact plant diseases, and the requirements for smart management solutions. Local to global drivers of plant disease change in response to disasters, often creating environments more conducive to plant disease. Most disasters have indirect effects on plant health through factors such as disrupted supply chains and damaged infrastructure. There is also the potential for direct effects from disasters, such as pathogen or vector dispersal due to floods, hurricanes, and human migration driven by war. Pulse stressors such as hurricanes and war require rapid responses, while press stressors such as climate change …

Managing Inter-Organizational Trust And Risk Perceptions In Transboundary Fisheries Governance Networks, Evelyn Roozee, Dongkyu Kim, Antonia Sohns, Jasper R. De Vries, Owen Temby, Gordon M. Hickey

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Transboundary fishery management represents a significant governance challenge that requires ongoing inter-organizational communication, collaboration, and collective action to ensure sustainability. Previous research suggests that different dimensions of perceived risk, trust, and control interact in complex ways to affect inter-organizational collaborative performance, providing an administrative ‘architecture’ that enables partners to share resources, engage in teamwork, resolve conflict, and coordinate tasks and responsibilities while also allaying their concerns about the alliance. However, the extent to which different control mechanisms influence trust and mitigate the perceived risks of collaboration between the diverse organizations involved in transboundary fisheries management remains unclear. This paper presents …

Integrating Remote Sensing With Ground-Based Observations To Quantify The Effects Of An Extreme Freeze Event On Black Mangroves (Avicennia Germinans) At The Landscape Scale, Melinda Martinez, Michael J. Osland, James B. Grace, Nicholas M. Enwright, Camille L. Stagg, Camille L. Stagg, Simen Kaalstad, Gordon H. Anderson, Elena A. Flores, Alejandro Fierro-Cabo

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Climate change is altering the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Quantifying ecosystem responses to extreme events at the landscape scale is critical for understanding and responding to climate-driven change but is constrained by limited data availability. Here, we integrated remote sensing with ground-based observations to quantify landscape-scale vegetation damage from an extreme climatic event. We used ground- and satellite-based black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) leaf damage data from the northern Gulf of Mexico (USA and Mexico) to examine the effects of an extreme freeze in a region where black mangroves are expanding their range. The February 2021 …

Anti-Apostatic Feeding Behavior In Two Species Of Assassin Bug, The White-Spotted Assassin Bug Platymeris Biguttatus And Red-Spotted Assassin Bug Platymeris Rhadamanthus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), Julia H. Potocnjak, Christopher Vitek

School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Predator-prey relationships are a driving force when examining community ecology. One question in predator-prey interactions is how a predator may respond to novel prey phenotypes, a form of frequency dependent prey selection. A predator may selectively target or avoid the novel prey, a behavior referred to as anti-apostatic or apostatic selection respectively. We examined apostatic prey selection by observing feeding behavior in two species of assassin bugs (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), the white-spotted assassin bug (Platymeris biguttatus) and the red-spotted assassin bug (Platymeris rhadamanthus) which were fed unmodified and modified (novel) phenotypes of Turkistan cockroaches, Blatta lateralis (Blattodea: …

Effects Of Mars Global Simulant (Mgs-1) On Growth And Physiology Of Sweet Potato: A Space Model Plant, Karthik Chinnannan, Prapooja Somagattu, Hyndavi Yammanuru, Padma Nimmakayala, Manohar Chakrabarti, Umesh K. Reddy

School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Growing food autonomously on Mars is challenging due to the Martian soil's low nutrient content and high salinity. Understanding how plants adapt and evaluating their nutritional attributes are pivotal for sustained Mars missions. This research delves into the regeneration, stress tolerance, and dietary metrics of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) across different Mars Global Simulant (MGS-1) concentrations (0, 25, 50, and 75%). In our greenhouse experiment, 75% MGS-1 concentration significantly inhibited sweet potato growth, storage root biomass, and chlorophyll content. This concentration also elevated the plant tissues' H2O2, proline, and ascorbic acid levels. Higher MGS-1 exposures (50 and 75%) …

Metformin Alleviates Hepatic Iron Overload And Ferroptosis Through Ampk-Ferroportin Pathway In Hfd-Induced Nafld, Fangzhi Yue, Ying Shi, Shanyu Wu, Lin Xing, Dan He, Lin Wei, Anqi Qiu, Ryan D. Russell, Dongmei Zhang

Health & Human Performance Faculty Publications and Presentations

Highlights

• Metformin alleviates HIO and ferroptosis in HFD-induced NAFLD

• FPN is involved in the molecular mechanism of metformin on HIO in HFD-induced NAFLD

• Metformin upregulates FPN expression by reducing lysosomal ubiquitination degradation

Summary

Metformin prevents progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the potential mechanism is not entirely understood. Ferroptosis, a recently recognized nonapoptotic form of regulated cell death, has been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. Here, we investigated the effects of metformin on ferroptosis and its potential mechanism in NAFLD. We found that metformin prevented the progression of NAFLD, and alleviated hepatic iron …

Two New Phreatic Snails (Mollusca, Caenogastropoda, Cochliopidae) From The Edwards And Edwards-Trinity Aquifers, Texas, Kathryn E. Perez, Yamileth Guerrero, Roel Castañeda, Peter H. Diaz, Randy Gibson, Benjamin F. Schwartz, Benjamin T. Hutchins

School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Edwards and Edwards-Trinity Aquifers of Texas have diverse stygofauna, including fifteen species of snails found in phreatic and hyporheic habitats. These species have the hallmarks of adaptation to subterranean environments including extremely small body size and the loss of pigmentation and eyes. Here we use an integrative taxonomic approach, using shell, radula, and anatomical features as well as mitochondrial and nuclear DNA data, to circumscribe a new genus and two new cavesnail species from Central Texas. Vitropyrgus lillianae gen. et sp. nov. is described from Comal Springs (Comal County) and Fessenden Springs (Kerr County) and distinguished by a glassy, …

Two New Phreatic Snails (Mollusca, Caenogastropoda, Cochliopidae) From The Edwards And Edwards-Trinity Aquifers, Texas, Kathryn E. Perez, Yamileth Guerrero, Roel Castañeda, Peter H. Diaz, Randy Gibson, Benjamin F. Schwartz, Benjamin T. Hutchins

School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Edwards and Edwards-Trinity Aquifers of Texas have diverse stygofauna, including fifteen species of snails found in phreatic and hyporheic habitats. These species have the hallmarks of adaptation to subterranean environments including extremely small body size and the loss of pigmentation and eyes. Here we use an integrative taxonomic approach, using shell, radula, and anatomical features as well as mitochondrial and nuclear DNA data, to circumscribe a new genus and two new cavesnail species from Central Texas. Vitropyrgus lillianae gen. et sp. nov. is described from Comal Springs (Comal County) and Fessenden Springs (Kerr County) and distinguished by a glassy, …

Activity Patterns Of The Endangered Amargosa Vole (Microtus Californicus Scripensis), Austin N. Roy, Anna D. Rivera Roy, Deana L. Clifford, Janet E. Foley

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Examining the activity patterns of wildlife is an important aspect of understanding the ecology of a species and may be especially important for species of conservation concern. We used remotely triggered cameras to describe the daily and seasonal activity patterns and examine ecological factors that influence the activity of the Amargosa Vole (Microtus californicus scirpensis), a California endemic listed federally and by the state as Endangered, and is a marsh habitatspecialist in the Mojave Desert. We found that vole activity was greatest during crepuscular periods, followed by nocturnal and diurnal periods. We saw strong seasonal effects, with the highest activity …

Regulatory Mechanisms Of The Lbd40 Transcription Factor In Arabidopsis Thaliana Somatic Embryogenesis, Sanjay Joshi, Kristine Hill, Manohar Chakrabarti, Sharyn E. Perry

School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Somatic embryogenesis (SE) is a process by which an embryo is derived from somatic tissue. Transcription factors (TFs) have been identified that control this process. One such TF that promotes SE is AGAMOUS-like 15 (AGL15). Prior work has shown that AGL15 can both induce and repress gene expression. One way this type of dual function TF works is via protein interactions, so a yeast 2-hybrid (Y2H) screen was undertaken. One intriguing protein with which AGL15 interacted in Y2H was LBD40. LBD40 encodes a LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES (LOB)-domain TF that is unique to plants and is primarily expressed during seed development. …

Effects Of Elevated Temperature On 8-Ohdg Expression In The American Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica): Induction Of Oxidative Stress Biomarkers, Cellular Apoptosis, Dna Damage And Γh2ax Signaling Pathways, Md Faizur Rahman, Mohammad Maruf Billah, Richard J. Kline, Md Saydur Rahman

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Global temperature is increasing due to anthropogenic activities and the effects of elevated temperature on DNA lesions are not well documented in marine organisms. The American oyster (Crassostrea virginica, an edible and commercially important marine mollusk) is an ideal shellfish species to study oxidative DNA lesions during heat stress. In this study, we examined the effects of elevated temperatures (24, 28, and 32 °C for one-week exposure) on heat shock protein-70 (HSP70, a biomarker of heat stress), 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG, a biomarker of pro-mutagenic DNA lesion), double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), γ-histone family member X (γH2AX, a molecular biomarker of DNA damage), …

Globally-Distributed Microbial Eukaryotes Exhibit Endemism At Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents, Sarah K. Hu, Amy R. Smith, Rika E. Anderson, Sean P. Sylva, Michael Setzer, Maria Steadmon, Kiana L. Frank, Eric W. Chan, Darlene S. S. Lim, John A. Breier

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Single-celled microbial eukaryotes inhabit deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments and play critical ecological roles in the vent-associated microbial food web. 18S rRNA amplicon sequencing of diffuse venting fluids from four geographically- and geochemically-distinct hydrothermal vent fields was applied to investigate community diversity patterns among protistan assemblages. The four vent fields include Axial Seamount at the Juan de Fuca Ridge, Sea Cliff and Apollo at the Gorda Ridge, all in the NE Pacific Ocean, and Piccard and Von Damm at the Mid-Cayman Rise in the Caribbean Sea. We describe species diversity patterns with respect to hydrothermal vent field and sample type, identify …

Effect Of Different Pre-Growth Temperatures On The Survival Kinetics Of Salmonella Enterica And Listeria Monocytogenes In Fresh-Cut Salad During Refrigerated Storage, Avninder Kaur, Veerachandra K. Yemmireddy

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The effect of the pre-growth temperature of bacterial cultures on their subsequent survival kinetics in fresh-cut produce during refrigerated storage was investigated in this study. Three-strain cocktails of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica, cultured at different growth temperatures (4, 21, and 37 °C) were inoculated on fresh-cut mixed salad and on individual produce in the mixed salad. The inoculated samples were stored at 4 °C and 80 ± 2% relative humidity (RH) for up to 72 h and the growth, survival, or death kinetics were determined at regular intervals. The results indicate that depending upon the type of pathogen tested, …

Effect Of Different Pre-Growth Temperatures On The Survival Kinetics Of Salmonella Enterica And Listeria Monocytogenes In Fresh-Cut Salad During Refrigerated Storage, Avninder Kaur, Veerachandra K. Yemmireddy

School of Earth, Environmental, and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The effect of the pre-growth temperature of bacterial cultures on their subsequent survival kinetics in fresh-cut produce during refrigerated storage was investigated in this study. Three-strain cocktails of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica, cultured at different growth temperatures (4, 21, and 37 °C) were inoculated on fresh-cut mixed salad and on individual produce in the mixed salad. The inoculated samples were stored at 4 °C and 80 ± 2% relative humidity (RH) for up to 72 h and the growth, survival, or death kinetics were determined at regular intervals. The results indicate that depending upon the type of pathogen …

Coordination Of Rooting, Xylem, And Stomatal Strategies Explains The Response Of Conifer Forest Stands To Multi-Year Drought In The Southern Sierra Nevada Of California, Junyan Ding, Polly Buotte, Roger Bales, Bradley O. Christoffersen, Rosie A. Fisher, Michael Goulden, Ryan Knox, Lara Kueppers, Jacquelyn Shuman, Chonggang Xu, Charles D. Koven

School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Extreme droughts are a major determinant of ecosystem disturbance that impacts plant communities and feeds back into climate change through changes in plant functioning. However, the complex relationships between aboveground and belowground plant hydraulic traits and their role in governing plant responses to drought are not fully understood. In this study, we use a model, the Functionally Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator in a configuration that includes plant hydraulics (FATES-Hydro), to investigate ecosystem responses to the 2012–2015 California drought in comparison with observations at a site in the southern Sierra Nevada that experienced widespread tree mortality during this drought.

We conduct …