Life Sciences Commons^™

Soil Moisture Adjacent The Roots Of Post-Fire Ceanothus Megacarpus And Malosma Laurina, Kristi Holly, Kelly Sayre, Anson Snow

Featured Research

Hydraulic lift is a passive process in which a plant will bring water from subsoil to topsoil levels through its roots. In this experiment, we compared the soil moisture levels in the area surrounding two different chaparral species C. megacarpus, a shallow rooted nonsprouter, and M. laurina, a deep-rooted obligate sprouter, in order to determine the hydraulic lift patterns of chaparral as they regrow after fire. Furthermore, the C. Megacarpus had died due to the Malibu fire, while the M. Laurina was resprouting. Therefore, using a Hydrosense Soil Water Measurement System, we measured soil moisture percentages, and the results showed …

Stomatal Conductance Of Malosma Laurina In Frequently Burned And Non-Frequently Burned Sites, Kamron A. King, Matthew T. Bender, Stephen D. Davis

Featured Research

In the months following the Malibu fires, the fire zones have experienced and abundance of new growth. Among this new growth, there are differences that can be observed when comparing the top of the Malibu hill (frequent fire zone) to the base of the hill (nonfrequent fire zone). As the chaparral resprouted we noticed the behavior of the Malosma laurina in both frequent and non-frequent fire zones and stomatal conductance, height, and water potential were tested for plants in the two varying zones, with plants in the non-frequent fire zone outperforming their counterparts.

The Effect Of Fire Frequency On The Presence Of Native And Nonnative Species In The Santa Monica Mountains, Bobby Boss, Simone Ross, Taryn Thompson

Featured Research

We surveyed two sites in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California that experienced both high and low fire frequency (Figure 1). Our objective was to find out if increased fire frequency allowed for the invasion of non-native species. We collected data on herbaceous coverage and point to plant distance of woody chaparral species. A series of random points were used, and each area was divided up into four equal quadrants using two meter sticks. The individual nearest to the center in each quadrant was then identified and measured. To measure herbaceous coverage, percentages were took of cover of each …

Effects Of Shading On Post-Fire Seedlings Of Laurel Sumac (Malosma Laurina) In The Santa Monica Mountains, Anastasia N. Fry, Jennifer A. Sledge, Drew A. Almodovar

Featured Research

The interactions between post-fire plants is crucial directly after fire. A recent fire on Pepperdine campus allowed for a study to be performed on these interactions. The dominant chapparal plant, Malosma lauraina, laural sumac, both re-sprouts and grows from seeds after fire. Marah Macrocarpus, wild cucumber, grows rapidly after rain following a fire. Some M. lauraina seedlings end up under the M. Macrocarpus yet survive. This study aimed to find differences between those seedlings interacting with M. Macrocarpus and those that are not. Three groups of specimen were used. One control group grew in the sun, one control group in …

Comparison Of Post-Fire Growth Rates Between Elymus Condensatus And Yucca Whipplei In Coastal Chaparral, Jae K. Chung, Andrew J. Ishibashi, Francisco B. Sapigao

Featured Research

The two monocot species, Yucca whippelei and Elymus condensata chosen for this study are two co-occurring species on the Pepperdine campus. We chose 6 samples of each species and looked at parameters that would allow us to compare their post fire growth rates. These parameters included leaf area index, internal CO2 levels, transpiration rate, and photosynthetic rate. We used the Students T-test on the means of each parameter and found significant differences in leaf area index, internal CO2 levels, and transpiration rate. All of these were greater in the Yucca except for the leaf area index. We concluded that, because …

Growth Sequence Of Post-Fire Chaparral Resprouts In California’S Santa Monica Mountains, Iolana N. Kaneakua, Kelly L. Reynolds, Luke S. Walsh

Featured Research

The post-fire resprout succession of California Chaparral was surveyed in Corral Canyon of the Santa Monica Mountains. The primary objective of this investigation was to determine the sequence of Chaparral post-fire resprouts and possible correlations to the life histories of those species. Over a three month period, four designated study sites were visited every two weeks, surveying the number of adults, the number of resprouts and the height of the resprouts. It was found that both the facultative and the obligate typed species were successful in post-fire resprout. Facultative species were the first to resprout and obligate species displayed the …

Physiological Performance In Full-Sun Vs. Shaded Post-Fire Malosma Laurina Seedlings, Lindsey A. Murphy, David C. Valencia, Catherine D. Drummond

Featured Research

Post-fire Malosma laurina regenerates both by resprouting and by disseminating seeds. The objective of this study is to assess seedling performance either in full-sunlight or in artificially shaded treatments. By identifying under which conditions Malosma laurina seedlings grow more effectively, one can predict where post-fire M. laurina seedling communities will thrive. The methodology employed throughout this experiment began by covering existing seedlings with shade cloth held by wooden stakes. These treatments were adjacent to full-sun environments; each of which contained at least two Malosma laurina seedlings. Six experimental sites were set up, and the seedlings in question were monitored for …

Characterization Of The Interaction Between The Fanconi Anemia (Fa) D2 Protein And Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (Pcna), Carolyn Schmiedel

Senior Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Reproductive Biology Of The Coyote (Canis Latrans): Integration Of Behavior And Physiology, Debra Anne Carlson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wild Canis species possess a unique suite of reproductive traits including social monogamy, copulatory lock/tie, and biparental care. Females are seasonally monestrous and experience an obligatory pseudopregnancy after spontaneous ovulation. While these characteristics have been ascribed to coyotes, an integrated profile of behavior and physiology has not yet been described. In this study, temporal correlations between steroid hormone levels and socio-sexual mating behaviors were documented, as were changes in vaginal epithelium. Pseudopregnancy was compared to pregnancy by contrasting hormone (progesterone, estradiol, prolactin and relaxin) profiles of unmated females to patterns obtained in alternate years when they bred. Meanwhile, social interactions …

Peer Review In An Undergraduate Biology Curriculum: Effects On Students’ Scientific Reasoning, Writing And Attitudes, Briana Eileen Timmerman

Faculty Publications

Scientific reasoning and writing skills are ubiquitous processes in science and therefore common goals of science curricula, particularly in higher education. Providing the individualized feedback necessary for the development of these skills is often costly in terms of faculty time, particularly in large science courses common at research universities. Past educational research literature suggests that the use of peer review may accelerate students’ scientific reasoning skills without a concurrent demand on faculty time per student. Peer review contains many elements of effective pedagogy such as peer-peer collaboration, repeated practice at evaluation and critical thinking, formative feedback, multiple contrasting examples, and …

The Biology, Nymphal Stages, And Life Habits Of The Endemic Sand Dune Cricket Schizodactylus Inexpectatus (Werner, 1901) (Orthoptera: Schizodactylidae), Gökhan Aydin, Andrey Khomutov

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The biology, nymphal stages, and life habits of the endemic dune cricket Schizodactylus inexpectatus (Werner, 1901) (Orthoptera: Schizodactylidae) were investigated in this study carried out between 2000 and 2007 in the Çukurova delta (Adana province) and in Alata (Mersin province), Turkey. The study showed that S. inexpectatus, which is a nocturnal insect, passes through 9 nymphal stages, each characterised by its own body size. The present study showed that certain properties of burrows, such as their depths, do not depend on either adult or immature stages of the insect. Food preferences of cannibalistic species of S. inexpectatus were also investigated …

Proper Cellular Reorganization During Drosophila Spermatid Individualization Depends On Actin Structures Composed Of Two Domains, Bundles And Meshwork, That Are Differentially Regulated And Have Different Functions, Tatsuhiko Noguchi, Marta Lenartowska, Aaron D. Rogat, Deborah J. Frank, Kathryn G. Miller

Biology Faculty Research

During spermatid individualization in Drosophila, actin structures (cones) mediate cellular remodeling that separates the syncytial spermatids into individual cells. These actin cones are composed of two structural domains, a front meshwork and a rear region of parallel bundles. We show here that the two domains form separately in time, are regulated by different sets of actin-associated proteins, can be formed independently, and have different roles. Newly forming cones were composed only of bundles, whereas the meshwork formed later, coincident with the onset of cone movement. Polarized distributions of myosin VI, Arp2/3 complex, and the actin-bundling proteins, singed (fascin) and quail …

Supplementary Figure 1, Melissa J. Coleman, Arani Roy, J. Martin Wild, Richard Mooney

WM Keck Science Faculty Papers

Supplemental data for "Thalamic Gating of Auditory Responses in Telencephalic Song Control Nuclei."

Extracellular Stimuli Specifically Regulate Localized Levels Of Individual Neuronal Mrnas, Dianna E. Willis, Erna A. Van Niekerk, Yukio Sasaki, Mariano Mesngon, Tanuja T. Merianda, Gervan G. Williams, Marvin Kendall, Deanna S. Smith, Gary J. Bassell, Jeffery L. Twiss

Faculty Publications

Subcellular regulation of protein synthesis requires the correct localization of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) within the cell. In this study, we investigate whether the axonal localization of neuronal mRNAs is regulated by extracellular stimuli. By profiling axonal levels of 50 mRNAs detected in regenerating adult sensory axons, we show that neurotrophins can increase and decrease levels of axonal mRNAs. Neurotrophins (nerve growth factor, brainderived neurotrophic factor, and neurotrophin-3) regulate axonal mRNA levels and use distinct downstream signals to localize individual mRNAs. However, myelin-associated glycoprotein and semaphorin 3A regulate axonal levels of different mRNAs and elicit the opposite effect on axonal mRNA …

A Hybrid First Year Science Course For Engineering Students – Integrating Biology With Chemistry, David Harding, Pauline Schwartz, Jean Nocito-Gobel, Agamemnon Koutsospyros

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Biology is playing an increasingly important role in many engineering fields. With the typical engineering program already having a high credit hour requirement, the question becomes, how to best integrate biology concepts into a packed engineering curriculum. A typical biology course is not likely to introduce the important concepts of biology to engineering students. The solution here is to develop a hybrid course that integrates chemistry and biology. In the course, Chemistry with Applications to Biosystems, the concept is to develop a course that integrally links important concepts of chemistry and biology. The course focuses on the areas of biology …

Colon Cancer-- A Silent Killer, Katelyn Carman

Whittier Scholars Program

Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths annually. The goal of this research is to (a) increase awareness of colon cancer by identifying anatomical and physiological changes that occur when cancerous polyps are present, (b) describe different genetic mutations that occur, (c) discuss preventative screening procedures and (d) explain different treatment options for colon cancer patients. There will be an additional section on the genetic link to colon cancer because it is thought to be the main cause of some cancerous polyps. Being aware of the potential risks associated with colon cancer can save lives.

A Comparison Of Pyronin Y-Methyl Green Stain And Methylene Blue Stain For Somatic Cell Count In Sheep Milk, Emily Mirek, Stacey O’Donnell

Senior Honors Projects

Somatic cell count is a key method used to evaluate the quality of milk in today’s growing dairy sheep industry. Somatic cells are body cells, primarily the white blood cells, found in a milk sample. If an infection such as mastitis is present, the number of somatic cells in the milk increases (Gonzalo, et al. 1992). Producers routinely perform somatic cell counts on cow and goat milk. For dairy cattle in the United States, the somatic cell count can not exceed 750,000 cells per milliliter, for commercial milk. For dairy goats the accepted limit is 1,000,000 cells per mL of …

Identification And Control Of Pest Slugs And Snails For Broadacre Crops In Western Australia, Svetlana Micic, Ken Henry, Paul Horne

Bulletins 4000 -

The numbers of slugs and snails have increased in broadacre cropping in Western Australia with the use of minimum tillage and stubble-retention practices. The organic content of paddocks increases under such systems, providing an increased food source especially to young slugs and snails. Soil moisture content is greater over summer leading to higher survival levels of slugs and snails.

Slug and snail pests in Australia have come from other countries, mainly the Mediterranean region. They damage plant seeds (mainly legumes), recently germinated seeds, seedlings and leaves and can be a contaminant of grain at harvest.

Search For A Knox Gene In Kalanchöe Pinnatum, Ryan Michael Gleason

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Knox genes have been found in nearly all eukaryotic organisms. These genes code for a protein that is able to bind DNA. By binding to DNA, it is capable of controlling the expression of other genes. The coded sequence of these genes has been determined in many different organisms, but has yet to be searched for in the air plant, Kalanchoe pinnatum. I did research over the past year in an attempt to find the coded sequence of Kalanchoe's Knox gene. I grew Kalanchoe in Butler's greenhouse to accumulate enough plant material to begin work. I then extracted the RNA …

Reflections From The Garden: Developing A Critical Literacy Of Food Practices, Deborah Adelman, Shamili Sandiford

English Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Chemical Defenses: From Compounds To Communities, Valerie J. Paul, Koty H. Sharp

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Marine natural products play critical roles in the chemical defense of many marine organisms and in some cases can influence the community structure of entire ecosystems. Although many marine natural products have been studied for biomedical activity, yielding important information about their biochemical effects and mechanisms of action, much less is known about ecological functions. The way in which marine consumers perceive chemical defenses can influence their health and survival and determine whether some natural products persist through a food chain. This article focuses on selected marine natural products, including okadaic acid, brevetoxins, lyngbyatoxin A, caulerpenyne, bryostatins, and isocyano terpenes, …

Increasing Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D As A Possible Deterrent To The Onset Of Multiple Sclerosis, Nicholas J. Perretti

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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The Role Of B2-Glycoprotein I In Homeostatis, Frederic Lin

Doctoral

B2-glycoprotein I (B2GPI) is a phospholipid-binding protein of 326 amino acids found in plasma at a concentration of approx. 180 ug/ml. It has a sequence of positively charged amino acids located at the carboxy terminus that mediates anionic phospholipid binding. B2GPI is suspected to have a role in inhibition of thrombosis. This suspicion is reinforced by the observation that B2GPI is the major target for autoantibodies in the antiphospholipid syndrome. However, little is known about circulating levels of the protein in common thrombotic diseases of inflammation. In the first part of this thesis, we developed a sensitive sandwich-direct ELISA for …

Grazing Impacts Of Diverse Zooplankton Taxa On Thin Layers, Alexander Bochdansky

OES Faculty Publications

The US Navy needs to know how distributions and abundances of light-scattering and sound-scattering organisms in the ocean vary in space and time, particularly in the vertical dimension. Recent field observations have shown that many biological properties may vary substantially over small e.g. centimeter scales, commonly referred to as thin layers e.g. Cowles et al. 1998, 1999, Hanson Donaghay 1998, Holliday et al. 1999, Dekshenieks et al. 2001, Alldredge et al. 2002, Rines et al. 2002. Our previous ONR-funded research has allowed us to begin to understand how zooplankton interact with thin layers and how they can take advantage of …

Linking Bacterioplankton Community Structures To Environmental State Variables And Phytoplankton Assemblages In Two South Carolina Salt Marsh Estuaries, Wes Johnson, Alan J. Lewitus, Madilyn Fletcher

Faculty Publications

Microorganisms are among the most important organisms to the ecology of salt marsh estuaries; however, fundamental questions regarding their distribution, environmental controls, and interactions with phytoplankton remain unanswered. We used denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of bacterial rRNA genes and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of phytoplankton photopigments to characterize planktonic communities from the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto (ACE) Basin and North Inlet (NI) estuaries on the South Carolina coast, USA. Multivariate comparisons of the planktonic community profiles revealed that the 2 estuaries supported distinct bacterial communities. Furthermore, bacterial communities in both systems were partitioned into separate particle-associated (PA) and …

Chironomid Hemoglobin Genetic Diversity As An Indicator Of The New Jersey Hackensack Meadowlands Wetland Health, Lene Marie De Coursin Jacobs

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Kearny Marsh located within the Hackensack Meadowlands is a freshwater wetland impacted by multiple environmental stressors from human activity. The marsh is located in the northeastern New Jersey metropolitan area. Chironomid larvae, aquatic larvae of midge fly, were analyzed from two Kearny Marsh sample sites, W9 and W22. A previous sediment analysis and toxicity study characterized heavy metal contaminants the marsh. The data results were applied in this thesis study to determine the correlation between environmental stressors and chironomid genetic diversity. Site W9 sediment was impacted by severe levels of total heavy metal contamination, whereas site W22 had just below …

Ecological Fitting As A Determinant Of The Community Structure Of Platyhelminth Parasites Of Anurans, Daniel R. Brooks, Virginia León-Règagnon, Deborah Mclennan, Derek Zelmer

Faculty Publications

Host–parasite associations are assumed to be ecologically specialized, tightly coevolved systems driven by mutual modification in which host switching is a rare phenomenon. Ecological fitting, however, increases the probability of host switching, creating incongruences between host and parasite phylogenies, when (1) specialization on a particular host resource is a shared characteristic of distantly related parasites, and (2) the resource being tracked by the parasite is widespread among many host species. We investigated the effect of ecological fitting on structuring the platyhelminth communities of anurans from a temperate forest and grassland in the United States and tropical dry and wet forests …

In Vitro Expression And Purification Of Class I Mhc Molecules, Loi Cheng

Honors Scholar Theses

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is a gene family responsible for many critical functions of the immune system in most vertebrates. The MHC consists of three classes differentiated by their structure and function, and MHC class I encodes antigen binding proteins as well as chaperone and accessory proteins such as tapasin. The purpose of this project is to reconstitute several human MHC class I molecules in their peptide-filled and peptide-deficient forms, and to purify these proteins for biochemical study. The expressed proteins include wild type and mutant variants of the fusion protein human leukocyte antigen HLA-B*0801-fos, and human beta-2-microglobulin (β2m). …

Closing The Loop: Controlling Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Megan Chynoweth

Whittier Scholars Program

Diabetes mellitus is an ever increasing pandemic. Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), although not the most prevalent form of diabetes mellitus, has had an “average annual increase of 3.09%, meaning the incidence of T1DM would increase 40% from 1998 to 2010”. T1DM leads to many complications: adverse side effects such as retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy. These comorbidities are costing the United States billions of healthcare dollars per year. Delaying complications result in cost savings and improved quality of life, which can be obtained by tightly controlling blood sugars. However, strict control is difficult to attain. Optimal glucose levels may be …

Biolojam – The Educational Comic, Stacey Barrie

Senior Honors Projects

BioloJam is a biology comic aimed towards 7th and 8th grade students. The goal of the project was to create an educational resource that students would find entertaining and enlightening. The project is available on the web and is free to use for educational purposes by teachers, students, and parents. There are two comics: the larger, more complicated “Cell Breakout” and the smaller, more conversational “Giraffic Park.” In Cell Breakout, the three heroes are trapped inside a video game in a plant cell, and learn all about cell functions as they try to escape. In Giraffic Park, the trio are …