Life Sciences Commons^™

A Comparison Of Photosynthetic Rate, Stomatal Conductance, And 
Electron Transport Rate Between Malosma Laurina And Encelia Californica, Yujin Choi, Isabella Armstrong, Catherina Haas, Micah Kim

Featured Research

In the Santa Monica Mountains, there are two main vegetation types: chaparral, which makes up __% of plants in these mountains, and coastal sagebrush, which makes up __%. Despite California’s acute environmental stress, both of these plants manage to survive, and even thrive in some cases. We were interested in seeing if in spite of these vast anatomical and physiological differences, these plants were able to survive at similar health rates, measured in photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and electron transport rate (ETR). We have decided to choose 2 plants from 2 different leaf types of different vegetation types: Malosma laurina …

Quantifying The Impact Of Climate Change And Human Activities On Streamflow In A Semi-Arid Watershed With The Budyko Equation Incorporating Dynamic Vegetation Information, Lei Tian, Jiming Jin, Pute Wu, Guo-Yue Niu

Watershed Sciences Faculty Publications

Understanding hydrological responses to climate change and land use and land cover change (LULCC) is important for water resource planning and management, especially for water-limited areas. The annual streamflow of the Wuding River Watershed (WRW), the largest sediment source of the Yellow River in China, has decreased significantly over the past 50 years at a rate of 5.2 mm/decade. Using the Budyko equation, this study investigated this decrease with the contributions from climate change and LULCC caused by human activities, which have intensified since 1999 due to China’s Grain for Green Project (GFGP). The Budyko parameter that represents watershed characteristics …

How Soil Salinity Affects The Stomatal Conductance Of Baccharis Salicifolia (Mulefat/Seepwillow), Andrew Kim, Caroline Wilkerson, Mahala Bayless, Peter Du

Featured Research

This is a poster presentation demonstrating the project our group has been working on. We hypothesize that the stomatal conductance of mulefat will decrease as soil salinity increases in both pre-rain and post-rain conditions because the plant tries to absorb salt water. However, the salt water cannot pass through plant tissue and draws water out of the plant. Since plant requires water for photosynthesis, water being drawn out means less water is available for the plant to do photosynthesis. We have tested our hypothesis by collecting soil samples in Legacy park, and recorded stomatal conductance by using a leaf porometer

Comparison Of Photosynthesis, Stomatal Conductance, And Water Potential Between Native Rhus Integrifolia And Invasive Nicotiana Glauca, Tiffany J. Egbo, Emma J. Navarro, Malaun A. Phillips, Cameron I. Zohary

Featured Research

Invasive species, such as Nicotiana glauca, are a prominent part of the Santa Monica Mountains, and could be responsible for displacing native species such as Rhus integrifolia. It was observed in the field that Nicotiana glauca was doing better than Rhus integrifolia, so our group decided to indirectly test this. Because of the invasiveness of its species, it is essential to measure the health of a native species to see if the invasive species is posing as a massive threat. Water potential, stomatal conductance, fluorescence, photosynthetic rates and electron transport rates were compared among the two plants …

Optimization Of Light Irradiance During The Early Life Of Sexually-Produced Porites Astreoides And Agaricia Agaricites Recruits, Nicholas J. Mcmahon

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Current solutions of coral restoration rely mainly on fragmentation. Though a reliable technique, this asexual form of reproduction does not benefit the genetic diversity of the coral reef. With many global and local stressors threatening corals’ existence, the resiliency of corals to future ocean conditions depends highly on sexual reproduction to produce new genotypes. New technology allows coral spawning/larval release, larval settlement and rearing to be carried out in an aquarium system. Many of the techniques necessary to maintain coral recruits are well-established, however the effects of light intensity remain to be studied for these early life stages. Newly …

Contrasting Population Genetic Structure In Three Aggregating Groupers (Percoidei: Epinephelidae) In The Indo-West Pacific: The Importance Of Reproductive Mode, Ka Yan Ma, Lynne Van Herwerden, Stephen J. Newman, Michael L. Berumen, John Howard Choat, Ka Hou Chu, Yvonne Sadovy De Mitcheson

Fisheries Research Articles

Background

Understanding the factors shaping population genetic structure is important for evolutionary considerations as well as for management and conservation. While studies have revealed the importance of palaeogeographic changes in shaping phylogeographic patterns in multiple marine fauna, the role of reproductive behaviour is rarely considered in reef fishes. We investigated the population genetics of three commercially important aggregating grouper species in the Indo-West Pacific, namely the camouflage grouper Epinephelus polyphekadion, the squaretail coral grouper Plectropomus areolatus, and the common coral trout P. leopardus, with similar life histories but distinct spatio-temporal characteristics in their patterns of forming spawning aggregations. …

Reducing Protected Lands In A Hotspot Of Bee Biodiversity: Bees Of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Joseph S. Wilson, Matt Kelly, Olivia Messinger Carril

Biology Faculty Publications

Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is a federally protected area found in central southern Utah. Designated in 1996 by President William J. Clinton, it was recently reduced in size by President Donald J. Trump in a proclamation that turned the one large monument into three smaller ones. A long-term, standardized study of the bees had been conducted from 2000–2003, revealing 660 species. The bee communities of the area are characterized by being spatially heterogeneous; most of the bees occur in isolated areas, with only a few being both abundant and widespread. Here we examine what affect the recent resizing of the …

Polyvinylidene Difluoride Piezoelectric Electrospun Nanofibers: Review In Synthesis, Fabrication, Characterizations, And Applications, Zainab Abu Alhasssan, Yasmeen S. Burezq, Remya Nair, Nader Shehata

Biology Faculty Publications

This review article highlights the methods and principles used for PVDF nanofiber creation and the use of these nanofibers in different fields by utilizing its piezoelectric performance, etc. The studies include different techniques to improve the alignment and piezoelectric behavior of nanofibers. The pressure versus sensitivity behavior of PVDF substrate is thoroughly analyzed. The optimum conditions (of experimental parameters) of the electrospinning technique are carefully studied to improve the structure, alignment, and performance of the generated nanofiber mats. In addition to experimental methods, the preparation of nanocomposites with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) also can improve the structure, alignment, and piezoelectric performance. …

Societal Rebirth: The Importance Of Spirituality, Lauren Rothstein

English Department: Traveling American Modernism (ENG 366, Fall 2018)

This article offers an exploration of what the social consequences are when modernity strips away religious-human relationships to the land. The two texts Black Elk Speaks and Grapes of Wrath both include moments of anonymous forces imposing systematic modernization on society. Particularly, I try to understand the controversial subject of societal rebirths, traditionally defined through employment and steady food source availability. This paper proposes an approach to societal rebirths that emphasizes the importance of spiritual connection to the land through a critical analysis of Bakhtin's theory of Chronotope and Leopold's theory of Land Ethic. On the issue of spiritual connection …

Uncovering The Role Of Propagule Pressure In Determining Establishment Success Using A Synthetic Biology Approach, Michael D. Dressler

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

The spread of invasive species poses a major ecological and economical threat. Consequently there are ongoing efforts to develop a generalizable mechanism to predict establishment success of non-native species. One proposed mechanism to predict establishment success is propagule pressure, which is defined as the number of individuals introduced at a given time. Although some studies have demonstrated a positive correlation between propagule pressure and establishment success, others have not, and the effect of propagule pressure on establishment success remains unclear. To address this challenge, a strain of bacteria engineered with an Allee effect, a growth dynamic that is often associated …

Recoupling Fire And Grazing Reduces Wildland Fuel Loads On Rangelands, Heath D. Starns, Samuel D. Fuhlendore, R. Dwayne Elmore, Dirac L. Twidwell Jr, Eric T. Thacker, Torre J. Hovick, Barney Luttbeg

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Fire suppression and exclusion, the historically dominant paradigm of fire management, has resulted in major modifications of fire-dependent ecosystems worldwide. These changes are partially credited with a recent increase in wildfire number and extent, as well as more extreme fire behavior. Fire and herbivory historically interacted, and research has shown that the interaction creates a unique mosaic of vegetation heterogeneity that each disturbance alone does not create. Because fire and grazing have largely been decoupled in modern times, the degree to which the interaction affects fuels and fire regimes has not yet been quantified. We evaluated effects of fire-only and …

Frost450, A Novel Microtubule Targeting Agent: Resistance And Cross-Resistance In An Ovarian Cancer Cell Line, Jonathan Chancellor Fox

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Drug resistance remains problematic for chemotherapy treatments. As primary treatment strategies tend to lose potency against cancer, there is a need for treatment options that overcome drug resistance mechanisms. FROST450, a novel microtubule destabilizing agent, has proven anticancer effects that overcome taxane and multidrug resistance. However, to better understand the clinical potential of FROST450, in this study we examine the mechanisms and implications of acquired FROST450 resistance in an A2780 ovarian cancer cell line. Results indicate FROST450 resistance is associated with increased mitochondrial respiration and with changes in gene sequence or expression level of proteins associated with microtubules, and that …

Long-Term Experimental Hybridisation Results In The Evolution Of A New Sex Chromosome In Swordtail Fish, Paolo Franchini, Julia C. Jones, Peiwen Xiong, Susanne Kneitz, Zachariah Gompert, Wesley C. Warren, Ronald B. Walter, Axel Meyer, Manfred Schartl

Biology Faculty Publications

The remarkable diversity of sex determination mechanisms known in fish may be fuelled by exceptionally high rates of sex chromosome turnovers or transitions. However, the evolutionary causes and genomic mechanisms underlying this variation and instability are yet to be understood. Here we report on an over 30-year evolutionary experiment in which we tested the genomic consequences of hybridisation and selection between two Xiphophorus fish species with different sex chromosome systems. We find that introgression and imposing selection for pigmentation phenotypes results in the retention of an unexpectedly large maternally derived genomic region. During the hybridisation process, the sex-determining region of …

Polyol-Producing Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Sourdough And Their Application To Reduce Sugar In A Quinoa-Based Milk Substitute, Stephanie Jeske, Emanuele Zannini, Kieran M. Lynch, Aidan Coffey, Elke K. Arendt

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The interest for plant-based dairy substitutes is expanding rapidly and consumers are opting for nutritious and healthy dairy alternatives. The reduction of sugar using different exogenous enzymes in combination with lactic acid fermentation in a quinoa-based milk substitute was explored in this study. Different amylolytic enzymes were used to release sugar from the raw material, which were further metabolised to mannitol, due to fermentation with two heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria. Using these two biotechnological techniques enables the reduction of sugar, while also preserving some of the sweetness. Leuconostoc citreum TR116, and Lactobacillus brevis TR055 were isolated from sourdough. Both strains …

Nondestructive Assessment Of Wood Members In A Viewing Tower In Potawatomi State Park, Door County, Wisconsin, Us, Robert Ross, Xiping Wang, C. Adam Senalik

College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Publications

The State of Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources is responsible for operating one of the largest state park systems in the United States. Potawatomi State Park, located on the Door County peninsula, consists of about 1,200 acres of flat to gently rolling upland terrain bordered by steep slopes and rugged limestone cliffs along Lake Michigan’s shoreline. A 75-ft observation tower sits atop a 150-ft bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. The USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, was asked to conduct an assessment of the main support timbers of the tower. This report summarizes the results obtained from the inspection and assessment. …

Early Oral Feeding After Bowel Resection, Jennifer Strang

Theses & Dissertations

Research Focus: The primary purpose of this project was to determine if there was an association of factors with time to first solid meal in gastrointestinal (GI) surgery patients and the impact solid diet has on length of stay (LOS) in the hospital, GI symptoms, and incidence of post-operative ileus (POI). A secondary purpose was to observe and describe when an oral diet was started and the progression of diet after GI surgery.

Research Methods: This study was a cross-sectional, retrospective chart review of a convenience sample in a multi-centered hospital system conducted in 84 GI resection patients …

The Impact Of The Via Bus System On Food Deserts, Emily Maddox

Theses & Dissertations

A variety of different methods have been used to analyze food deserts. One method, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), is particularly useful when trying to better visualize the impact an issue has on a region. GIS is a method of mapping which can be used to map food deserts or other social or medical issues, which allows for a better visualization of which regions are most impacted by such issues. This study used GIS to map all grocery stores, convenience stores, farmers markets, food pantries, WIC clinics, and Mobile Mercados in San Antonio, Texas to determine whether they were within walking …

Biochemical, Physiological And Phenological Genetic Analysis In Common Bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.) Under Salt Stress, Yacine Torche, Matthew Blair, Chougui Saida

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Salinity is one of the most important abiotic stresses affecting agricultural productivity. The present study investigated combining abilities, heterosis and heritability estimates of common bean under salinity conditions for biochemical, physiological and phenological traits using a half-diallel cross. The salinity stress treatments were applied during all the vegetative cycle. Genetic analysis revealed highly significant genotypic variations between the four parents and their six hybrids, indicating a genetic variability and possibility of genetic improvement using such genetic material of common bean for salinity tolerance. Both general (GCA) and specific (SCA) combining abilities were highly significant for all the studied traits under …

Sensitivity Of Salmonella Serovars And Natural Microflora To High-Pressure Pasteurization: Open Access Data For Risk Assessment And Practitioners, Abimbola Allison, Aliyar Fouladkhah

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Industrial adoption of high-pressure processing is gaining importance and momentum as an alternative method to traditional utilization of antimicrobials and heat-based pasteurization. This indicates the need for extensive validation studies and available data for feasible and efficacious adoption of the technology by practitioners and the private industry. Current dataset is obtained utilizing elevated hydrostatic pressure of 35 to 380 MPa for time intervals of 0 (untreated controls) to 10 min, for decontamination of mesophilic background microflora and inoculated Salmonella in orange juice [1]. This open accessed data could be incorporated as part of risk assessment analyses for mitigating the risk …

Cross-Sectional And Longitudinal Association Between Glycemic Status And Body Composition In Men: A Population-Based Study, Khaleal Almusaylim, Maggie Minett, Teresa L. Binkley, Tianna M. Beare, Bonny Specker

Ethel Austin Martin Program Publications

This study sought to evaluate the associations between changes in glycemic status and changes in total body (TB), trunk, and appendicular fat (FM) and lean mass (LM) in men. A population-based study of men aged 20–66 years at baseline were included in cross-sectional (n = 430) and three-year longitudinal (n = 411) analyses. Prediabetes was defined as fasting glucose 100–125 mg/dL. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) was determined by: self-reported diabetes, current anti-diabetic drug use (insulin/oral hypoglycemic agents), fasting glucose (≥126 mg/dL), or non-fasting glucose (≥200 mg/dL). Body composition was evaluated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Longitudinal analyses showed that changes in …

Green Lacewings And Water Sprays For Azalea Lace Bug Control, Jana C. Lee, Barry Finley, S. Michael Flores, Katerina Velasco Graham, J. Megan Woltz, Jessica S. Wong, Robin S. Rosetta

Faculty Scholarship

The azalea lace bug, Stephanitis pyrioides, is a serious pest of azaleas and rhododendrons which is often controlled by systemic insecticides. However, the efficacy of softer approaches such as biological control and water sprays against this pest on rhododendrons is unknown. Therefore, we tested the commercially available green lacewing predator, Chrysoperla rufilabris, and water sprays on lace bug infestation in one laboratory and four field trials. First, 2nd instar predator larvae were confirmed to consume lace bug nymphs and sometimes adults. Second, tapping predator larvae from hexcel units over dry leaves of potted rhododendrons and shaking loose eggs …

Timber Talk, Vol. 56, No. 4, December 2018

Timber Talk: Nebraska Forest Industry Newsletter

In This Issue:

Lumber Market Reports

Hardwood Lumber Prices

NOTE FROM EDITOR: Transitioning to Electronic Delivery Only

NDA Expands EAB Quarantine

Forest Products Grants Available

Wildfires and Communities in Nebraska

Forest Industry Spotlight: “Good Neighbor Authority” in Nebraska

Trading Post

Timber Sales

Drosophila Suzukii Fight Performance Reduced By Starvation But Not Affected By Humidity, Jessica S. Wong, Adam C. Cave, Danielle M. Lightle, Walter F. Mahaffee, Steve E. Naranjo, Nick G. Wilman, J. Megan Woltz, Jana C. Lee

Faculty Scholarship

Drosophila suzukii is widely studied because of its status as a global pest of berries and soft fruits. Environmental conditions and access to food resources impact the physiology and ftness of D. suzukii; these factors could also affect dispersal. Flight mills are a convenient tool for measuring and comparing the fight performance of insects. In this study, two experiments examined the efects of diet and humidity on D. suzukii fight performance using custom-built fight mills, and a third experiment compared the energy reserves of D. suzukii flown or not flown on fight mills. Over all fight assays, the median fight …

Stress Response Mechanisms Of Listeria Monocytogenes, Oindrila Paul

Dissertations

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive, facultative intracellular food-borne pathogen that causes the disease listeriosis. In order to establish an infection, L. monocytogenes must survive multiple stressors encountered within the gastrointestinal tract, including alterations in pH, bile, salt, and oxygen availability. This dissertation focused on understanding the stress response of L. monocytogenes to bile. Bile acts as a bactericidal agent by disrupting the membrane integrity and causing instability to macromolecules like DNA. Thus, a bacterium must be able to maintain its membrane architecture, composition and integrity.

Often times, bacteria will modulate their fatty acid composition in the membrane to cope with …

Stability Of Delayed Virus Infection Model With A General Incidence Rate And Adaptive Immune Response, Zhimin Chen, Xiuxiang Liu, Zhongzhong Xie

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

We present the dynamical behaviors of a virus infection model with general infection rate, immune responses and two intracellular delays which describe the interactions of the HIV virus, target cells, CTL cells and antibodies within host. Three factors are incorporated in this model: (1) the intrinsic growth rate of uninfected cells, (2) a nonlinear incidence rate function considering both virus-tocell infection and cell-to-cell transmission, and (3) a nonlinear productivity and removal function. By the method of Lyapunov functionals and LaSalle’s invariance principle, we show that the global dynamics of the model is determined by the reproductive numbers for viral infection …

Consumer Perceptions Of Labeling Claims On Poultry Products, Sarah Townley

Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology Undergraduate Honors Theses

An increasing number of consumers wants more knowledge of how the food they eat is produced, and specifically, how animals used in the production of their food are raised. One method consumers use to become more aware of production practices behind the food they purchase and consume is simply reading food labels. Labeling claims can be defined as textual, pictorial, graphic, or symbolic representation that either explicitly states or implies that a food product has a specific set of properties supported by a certification process. The purpose of this study is to gather data regarding consumer knowledge and understanding of …

Management Of Cull Dairy Cows—Consensus Of An Expert Consultation In Canada, Jane Stojkov, G. Bowers, M. Draper, Todd Duffield, P. Duivenvoorden, M. Groleau, Deb Haupstein, R. Peters, Jane Pritchard, C. Radom, N. Sillett, W. Skippon, H. Trépanier, David Fraser

Farm Animal Welfare Collection

Many cull dairy cows enter the marketing system and travel to widely dispersed and specialized slaughter plants, and they may experience multiple handling events (e.g., loading, unloading, mixing), change of ownership among dealers, and feed and water deprivation during transport and at livestock markets. The objectives of this study were to describe the diverse management of cull dairy cows in Canada and establish consensus on ways to achieve improvements. A 2-day expert consultation meeting was convened, involving farmers, veterinarians, regulators, and experts in animal transport, livestock auction, and slaughter. The 15 participants, recruited from across Canada, discussed regional management practices …

Entrepreneur`S Guide To Starting A Rabbit Agricultural Enterprise, Mary Maldonado

Agricultural Education and Communication

At San Luis Obispo, the University Cal Ploy has an Animal Science Department that offers over twenty enterprises pertaining to livestock production which “provide the environment for students to get outside the classroom and work with the animals in teams of students” (Cal Poly 2017-19). As reported from the “Animal Science Department Enterprise Class List”, the classes involved help develop technical skills by having students learn and work in active production settings with livestock such as cows, steers, pigs, lambs, goats, and chickens (Animal Science Department 2017-19). However, when compared to the livestock accounted for at a traditional county fair …

Agricultural Sciences Outreach Program, Maghan Lea England, Sophie Lorraine Johnston

Agricultural Education and Communication

The College of Agriculture, Food, and Environmental Sciences (CAFES) mission statement and vision of the Agricultural Education and Communication Department is to develop future leaders, educators, and communicators to advance and advocate for the agricultural industry in a global economy (AGED, 2018). Student organizations, such as Agriculture Ambassadors and Agriculture Leadership Society, facilitate several outreach events to engage and excite prospective students in pursuing their higher education goals in agriculture at Cal Poly (CAFES Ag Council, 2018). In order to maintain growing student numbers, the Agricultural Education and Communication Department, specifically, the Agricultural Science major needs revamped recruiting efforts and …

Revised Guidelines To Enhance The Rigor And Reproducibility Of Research Published In American Physiological Society Journals, Gina L.C. Yosten, Josephine C. Adams, Christina N. Bennett, Nigel W. Bunnett, Rita Scheman, Curt D. Sigmund, Bill J. Yates, Irving H. Zucker, Willis K. Samson

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.