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2015 Interdisciplinary Graduate &
Professional Student Symposium
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APRIL
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UC Davis Conference Center
Davis California
2015 UC DAVIS
Interdisciplinary Graduate &
Professional Student
Symposium
UC Davis Graduate Student Association
Office of Graduate Studies
2015 UC Davis IGPS
Copyright © 2015 by Regents of the University of California
UC Davis Graduate Student Association
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic
or mechanical means including photocopying, recording, or information storage and
retrieval without permission in writing from the Regents of the University of California
and the UC Davis Graduate Student Association.
Abstract Booklet Prepared by: Robyn Jiménez
2015 IGPS Website
http://gsa.ucdavis.edu/IGPS
Email: [email protected]
Give feedback on IGPS and Grad Slam at:
[email protected]
Printed in U.S.A.
IGPS Sponsors
Event Sponsors:
Office of the Chancellor and the Provost
Office of Graduate Studies
Graduate Student Association
Prize Sponsors:
The 2015 IGPS Planning Committee
would like to thank the many departments,
programs, and graduate groups that
generously support and encourage
innovative graduate and professional
student research.
Chancellor Linda P. B. Katehi - Office of the Chancellor
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Ralph J. Hexter
Vice Chancellor Harris Lewin – Office of Research
Vice Chancellor Adela de la Torre – Division of Student Affairs
Vice Provost and Dean Jeffery Gibeling - Graduate Studies
Dean Helene Dillard – College of Agriculture and Environmental
Sciences
Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean Heather Young - Betty
Irene Moore School of Nursing
Dean James E. K. Hildreth – College of Biological Sciences
Dean Enrique Lavernia – College of Engineering
Interim Dean Susan Kaiser – College of Letters and Sciences,
Division of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies
Interim Dean Alexandra Navrotsky – College of Letters and
Sciences, Division of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Dean George R. Mangun – College of Letters and Sciences,
Division of Social Sciences
Dean Harold Levine – School of Education
Vice Chancellor and Dean Julie A. Freischlag – School of
Medicine
Dean Michael D. Lairmore - School of Veterinary Medicine
Graduate Student Association
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Schedule
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Walter A. Buehler Alumni Center
3:00PM-5:00PM Performances.......................................................AGR Ballroom
UC Davis Conference Center
5:00PM-5:30PM Art Work Judging..............................................................Lobby
6:00PM-8:00PM Poster Session.......................................................Ballroom ABC
UC Davis Conference Center
Friday, April 3, 2015
Art Exhibit (all day)...........................................................Lobby
8:00AM-9:00AM GSA Coffee, Bagel, Donut Day............................Lobby & Patio
9:00AM-10:15AM Session 1A.................................................................Ballroom A
Session 1B.................................................................Ballroom B
Session 1C.................................................................Ballroom C
Grad Slam Brackets 1 & 2...........................Conference Room A
Panel Session...............................................Conference Room B
10:30AM-11:45AM Session 2A.................................................................Ballroom A
Session 2B.................................................................Ballroom B
Session 2C.................................................................Ballroom C
Grad Slam Brackets 3 & 4...........................Conference Room A
Informational Session..................................Conference Room B
11:45AM-12:30PM Lunch will be provided........................................Lobby & Patio
12:30PM-1:45PM Session 3A.................................................................Ballroom A
Session 3B.................................................................Ballroom B
Session 3C.................................................................Ballroom C
Session 3D...................................................Conference Room B
2:00PM-3:15PM Session 4A.................................................................Ballroom A
Session 4B.................................................................Ballroom B
Session 4C.................................................................Ballroom C
Grad Slam Final Round...............................Conference Room A
Session 4D...................................................Conference Room B
3:30PM-6:00PM Resource Reception with Libations and Appetizers.............Moss
Patio (Alumni Center)
6:00PM-8:00PM Awards Banquet with Keynote Speaker............... Ballroom ABC
Awards Photos to Follow
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Acknowledgements
2015 IGPS Planning Committee
Robyn Jiménez
GSA Campus Organizing Director,
2015 IGPS Committee Chair, Genetics
Angel Hinzo
Graduate Student Assistant to Dean and
Chancellor, 2015 IGPS Committee Vice
Chair, Native American Studies
Ralph McNeilage
GSA Treasurer, Biochemistry and
Molecular Biology
Erica Vonasek
GSA Chair, Biological Systems
Engineering
Jessica Falor-Ward
Development Analyst,
Office of Graduate Studies
James Farlin
GSA Vice Chair, Ecology
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Acknowledgements
Special thanks to our
keynote speaker:
Special thanks to:
Cleveland Justis, MBA, Executive Director of the
Child Family Institute for Innovation and
Entrepreneurship​
Marilyn Derby, Office of Graduate Studies
Julia Ann Easley, News and Media Relations
Teresa Dillinger, Office of Graduate Studies
Erin N. Oriolo, Graduate Student Association
Staff
Jenifer Selke, Office of Graduate Studies
The 2015 UC Davis Interdisciplinary Graduate
and Professional Student symposium gratefully
acknowledges the numerous individuals,
organizations, and business, who have
contributed to making this symposium a success.
The 2015 IGPS Planning Committee profoundly
thanks our event volunteers for the days of our
event. This includes faculty judges, postdocs,
staff, alumni, students, and community members.
IGPS 2015 Categories:
Talk Sessions | Chancellor’s Grand Prize, Dean’s
Prize, Office of Graduate Studies and Graduate
Student Association Prize
Panel Sessions | Chancellor’s Grand Prize,
Dean’s Prize, Office of Graduate Studies and
Graduate Student Association Prize
Art and Performances | Deans’ Prizes
Poster Sessions | Vice Chancellor’s Prize, Office
of Graduate Studies and Graduate Student
Association Prize
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Keynote Speaker
Friday, April 3, 2015, 6:00PM
UC Davis Conference Center
The 2015 UC Davis Interdisciplinary Graduate and Professional Student
Symposium is very proud to welcome Cleveland Justis as our keynote
speaker.
Cleveland Justis, MBA
“The Power of Interdisciplinary Research and Action in Driving Innovation”
Cleveland is the executive director for the UC Davis Child
Family Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship​. In this
role, Cleveland is responsible for helping students, faculty, and
staff move ideas from the lab and into the world. Many of these
research ideas have resulted in successful companies and lifesaving inventions getting commercialized. Cleveland has a passion
for interdisciplinary research – his current research projects
include looking at entrepreneurial networks at the intersection of
business, government, and nonprofit sectors.
Cleveland has taught and lectured about entrepreneurship and
social entrepreneurship at top universities including UC Berkeley
Haas School of Business, Georgetown University, and the UC
Davis Graduate School of Management. Cleveland studied
biology and environmental sciences at Swarthmore College and
the University of California, Berkeley. He received his MBA in
strategic management and finance at the UC Davis Graduate
School of Management, and is pursuing his PhD at UC Davis.
Formerly, Cleveland was the director and co-founder of the
Institute at the Golden Gate. Prior to this position, Cleveland
was the Executive Director of the award-winning Headlands
Institute in Sausalito, California. Cleveland is an active volunteer
in the community, currently serving as the board chair of the
Marin Community Foundation, a large community foundation
with over $1.6 billion in assets. He formerly served on the board of
directors of Net Impact, an organization with a global network of
over 15,000 leaders who are changing the world through business.
Cleveland is an avid windsurfer, skier, sailor, and outdoor
adventurer having led trips in remote areas of Alaska, Mexico,
Chile, and the United States.
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2015 Award for Excellence IN
SERVICE To Graduate StuDENTS
Recipients
The 2015 UC Davis Interdisciplinary Graduate and
Professional Student Symposium congratulates the
2015 Award for Excellence in Service to Graduate
Students (AESGS) Recipients.
Faculty Award Recipient
Dr. Rebecca Ambrose
Associate Professor, Interim Director
of Teacher Education
Staff Award Recipient
Jessica Drushell, B.A.
Program Coordinator, Immunology
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CaMPUS MAP & RegISTRATION
All 2015 IGPS and Grad Slam events will take place at the
Walter A. Buehler Alumni Center and the UC Davis
Conference Center.
Registration for Art and Performances (Thursday) and the
Resource Reception (Friday) is located in the Walter A.
Buehler Alumni Center.
Registration for all other events is located
in the UC Davis Conference Center.
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What is IGPS?
The Interdisciplinary Graduate and Professional Student Symposium (IGPS) is
an opportunity for graduate and professional students to showcase the breadth of
work conducted at UC Davis with each other, the UC Davis campus, and the wider
community.
The symposium grew from a Professors for the Future project into what it is today.
Students from every professional school and academic college can give short talks, present
posters, showcase artistic displays or performances, and participate in student-organized
panel sessions to highlight their work. Grad Slam is a BRAND NEW! way to participate in
IGPS this year.
Everyone is welcome to attend IGPS performances, view artwork, and view poster, talk,
and panel sessions. Please see the schedule for individual presenter times, dates, and
locations. Winners will be announced at the awards banquet on Friday, April 3, 2015.
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What is Grad Slam?
The 1st Annual UC Davis Grad Slam is a competition at the 2015 IGPS to find the best
three-minute research presentation given by UC Davis graduate students. Students will
present the significance and fundamental points of their thesis work at UC Davis in a
clear, direct, and interesting manner. Presentations are prepared for a diverse audience
comprised of students, faculty, and community members. There are multiple rounds
of presentations – preliminaries and finals. The Dean of Graduate Studies will award a
cash grand prize, in addition to an all-expense paid trip (travel & hotel) to the UC-wide
competition in the Bay Area! Judges will strongly consider clarity and effectiveness of the
presentation by a general university audience.
Everyone is welcome to attend the Grad Slam bracket rounds, as well as the final round.
The entire event will be held at the UC Davis Conference Center in Conference Room A
on April 3, 2015. Winners of each bracket will be announced immediately following the
round. The Grad Slam grand prize winner will be announced at the awards banquet.
Start Time
9:00AM
9:40AM
10:30AM
11:06AM
2:00PM
End Time
9:36AM
10:15AM
11:02AM
11:45AM
3:15PM
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Bracket
Bracket 1
Bracket 2
Bracket 3
Bracket 4
Final
Abstracts
ence between the frequencies of the two oscillators at each moment allows the
creation of a difference in tone in the audio frequency range, resulting in audio
signals that are amplified and sent to a loudspeaker.
For this installation, the antenna responsible for pitch of a theremin kit has
been replaced by a plant. One can wave their hand in front of the plant, touch
the plant or shake the plant and hear noise created by the other conductor,
him or herself. The leaves of the plant can be played, allowing one to play their
favorite tune. The aim of this installation is to invoke curiosity of plant biology, physics, art and music and to make science more accessible to the public.
This relates to my interdisciplinary work, as I am currently an art studio MFA,
and last year received my Ph.D. in the Department of Plant Sciences where I
studied plant physiology.
Art and Performance |
Its all about Cellulase- from waste to liquid gold- converting agricultural
waste into energy
Akshata Mudinoor | Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Maria Cardona, Nardrapee Karuna, Jennifer Nill, Scott Strobel
Mariachi Cielito Lindo
Barbara A. Gunn | Spanish and Portuguese
Miguel A. Zepeda Torres
The ever increasing demand for alternative and sustainable energy has driven
a large research effort toward the commercialization of bioenergy, or energy
derived from plants. As scientists we believe that bioenergy holds significant
potential for a sustainable future, and we hope to convey our enthusiasm
to a general audience by explaining where bioenergy comes from. Biomass,
primarily composed of cellulose, can be broken down into simpler sugars
that are then turned into ethanol for use as fuel to power our lives. Biomass is
essentially plant waste, and this seemingly simple process turns that waste
into useful energy. What are plants made of? How do we get sugars from
plants? How can sugars be converted to fuel? Why should you care? Through
visual storytelling and a musical performance, we will explain this conversion
process and some of the challenges each of us tries to tackle through research
to make this a viable process. This humorous artistic rendering of our research
will both educate and entertain a wide audience.
Chilean Patagonia: Ranching Between Ice and Sky
Andria Hautamaki | International Agricultural Development
The Chilean Patagonia is as cloaked in mystery and grandeur today as it
was thousands of years ago. Nonetheless, the region is currently at a social,
cultural, and environmental crossroads. Patagonian experiences are often
commoditized to satisfy touristic notions of an unconquered, limitless space
of wild frontiers. New job prospects in urban centers as well as in tourism
continue to draw people out of agriculture. While the AM/FM radio is still the
only trustworthy news source that reaches most ranches, youngsters in the region are fluent in the ways of smartphones and electronic tablets; the technorevolution has reached even the “end of the world.” Despite these changes, the
Chilean cowboy, or “baqueano,” still lives on the fringes of these global tangles.
The baqueanos, steeped in local knowledge, live out what others are beginning
to recall as tradition. Horses still “disappear.” People still fight with knives.
Cattle are stolen and rebranded. Lassos and horse bridles are handmade out
of rawhide from wild bulls. The baqueano remains an essential component of
the rich cultural and historical tapestry of Patagonia. As a graduate student in
the International Agricultural Development program my research explores the
historical shifts in ranching practices and uses of agricultural land in Southern
Chile over the past 50 years. Using the lens of historical political ecology I
am analyzing how these agricultural shifts correspond to changes in the local
economy, tourism infrastructure, and globalization. As a photographer, I
am using documentary photography to explore visually the current human,
animal, and environmental relationships in the region within this agricultural
context. “Ranching Between Ice and Sky” is a long-term project that is both
a visual narrative of baqueano lifestyle and a historical witness to a people
grappling with how to preserve traditional knowledge and skills in crucial
moments of change.
Plant Theremin
Anna Davidson | Art Studio
Mark Chang
Originally known as the etherphone, the theremin is an early electronic musical instrument invented by Russian physicist, inventor and extraordinaire Lev
Sergeevich Termen in 1920. The theremin was originally a product of Soviet
government sponsored research on proximity sensors but has remained a
unique instrument that has captivated many. This instrument is played with
out any physical contact. The thereminist stands in front of the instrument
moving their hands near the two antennas, one that is responsible for pitch
and the other volume. These antennas act as plates in a capacitor. The differ-
Mariachi Cielito Lindo is a culturally diverse group of students and faculty
from UC Davis that came together because of a shared passion for music,
culture, and the Spanish language. Through our music, we celebrate the
rich cultural traditions of Mexico and Latin America. While our focus is on
Mexican music, our music demonstrates how people from different cultural
backgrounds can unite and promote the great diversity our campus enjoys.
Defining culture is nearly impossible, and describing it in writing is insufficient. Instead, a better way to approach .culture .is through embodied experience. In this sense, we seek to create an affective cultural interaction that
brings the modern viewer/listener into an emotional experience of cultural
transmission. With our art, we strive to promote centuries of traditions that
are reflected in mariachi music. By performing this music using traditional
instruments and in the traditional vocal style, we bring our audience into a
lived archive of emotional and corporal experience. In addition, by using a multiplicity of voices, our performance creates a collective experience that exceeds
any individual one. Mariachi music takes the role of expressing the deepest
emotions, from sadness to joy and love, and even hate, creating an affective link
between performance and spectator. To better accomplish this task, variations are created using not only speed, but also variations in sounds, chords,
and progressions, creating sub.genres within mariachi. On this occasion, the
ensemble will perform songs from three traditional mariachi genres, thereby
leading the audience through an affective repertoire of cultural adventure.
Unwrapped in early days [high magnification]
Ingrid Youngworth | Integrative Genetics and Genomics
Mary Delany
I depict aspects of my work in the lab that made me marvel when I first started
out in research, and remind me of the beauty in science. It’s too easy to get
caught up in the day-to-day tasks that research is composed of, and looking at
scientific work from a more artistic perspective has a wonderfully refocusing
effect. I also try to show others what I see, since what I experience on a regular
basis might be unexpected and new to someone else.
I am most intrigued by the incredible balance of life- that so many things must
intersect perfectly (or near-perfectly) to create what we consider normal and
commonplace in our everyday experience. This particular work is acrylic paint
on canvas, and is based on a photograph of a relatively routine dissection of
a chick embryo for developmental study. The embryo, only a few days into
development, is in a glass dish of water under a microscope, and the frame
of view is illuminated by the halo of light produced by the microscope and
bounded by the perspective through the eyepiece.
Night Fliers
Katherine Ingram | Ecology
It is my firm belief that art and science are two sides of the same coin. I am a
painter and derive much of my wonder for the world from observation. Likewise, observation is the most basic building block of science. The piece “Night
Fliers” is watercolor on 140 pound rough press paper. It represents two of my
study species: the pallid bat (Antrozous pallidus) and the hoary bat (Lasiurus
cinereus). My dissertation work at UC Davis focuses on the relationship
between agriculture and wildlife; specifically, I am interested in the role that
bats play in reducing crop pests on cultivated land in California. Estimates
suggest that a single bat can consume 100% of its weight in insects per night
(4-8 grams)! Thus, the potential impact bats may be having on crop pests is
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considerable, and could be enhanced by encouraging bat residency at farms.
My art relates directly to my dissertation research in that it represents two of
the common bat species one can encounter in California’s Central Valley. In
addition to the pleasure I derive from representing ecological complexity in
my art, I also use art to influence and inform my educational blog: [email protected]. This blog is geared towards science novices and enthusiasts and includes guest blogs from the undergraduate students I have trained.
In essence, my art is a platform for communicating the wonder of science and
the natural world to a wider audience.
Whisper
Michele Zugnoni | Education
WHISPER is the story of a young girl who finds personal redemption through
the magic of creation. When her beloved father dies, Bri almost gives up on
herself and on her gifts as a pianist. Spiraling into grief, she relinquishes the
one thing they’d both shared: a deep bond with music. It is only when she
reclaims her creative gifts as a musician that she reconnects with the love of
her father and discovers the newfound feelings of her best friend, Sam. In so
doing, Bri teaches us about love, healing, and the infinite power of creation.
WHISPER was written in a sudden rush of inspiration. One evening, I felt a
burning in my fingertips and experienced the inexplicable urge to write. This
story emerged several hours later, and soon thereafter, won third place and
was published by the Independent Bookworm in “The Adventures of Creation”
anthology. WHISPER wasn’t my first story. I have been writing for the past
twenty years. During this time, my focus has always been on connecting
with my characters in an attempt to empower my audience with messages of
love, friendship and self-redemption. I intend to use these same messages as I
build a self-reflective writing program for my dissertation work at UC Davis.
My program’s focus will be on empowering at-risk youth ages 18-20 not yet
enrolled in college. Here, the term “at-risk” applies to youth who were either
enrolled in continuation school or incarcerated in prison before the age of 18.
My participants will meet two times per week at a local community college,
where they will be encouraged to engage in and share self-reflective writing -writing its rawest, most uncensored form. Through workshops and readings,
my participants will be guided to write about their goals and dreams. In so
doing, it is my hope that they will connect with their identities and forge new
pathways for their futures. The program will feature visits from community
college faculty, who will inform participants about their classes and the possibilities which await should they choose to enroll.
BrainStorm
Siqi Li | Design
Antonieta Castillo Carpio, Luman Qu
People nowadays spend more time interacting with their electronic devices
rather than talking with real people face to face. How much do you share your
emotions with your friends, family, and the people around you? What would
happen if there were another way to express your inner activities other than
language, facial expressions, and body gestures? This design project uses
electronic devices – in the form of brainwave sensors – to spark a new mode of
playful interpersonal communication. The “storm-cloud” headpiece changes
colors and spins based upon the intensity of its wearer’s level of engagement,
connection, and excitement. When worn in a party setting by multiple people
all at once, some brainstorm-like visual effect occurs as people connect with
each other and share in each other’s excitement. Same as the role of food and
drinks, costumes or other interesting wearable pieces may ease the process of
topic finding, thereby encourage more interpersonal interaction. BrainStorm
acts as a party dress up and a social lubricant, making conversation and connection easy through an innovative use of wearable technology.
Want to know more about resources on campus?
Come to the information tables at the Beer and
Cheese Reception!
Panels |
Interdisciplinary Research and Practice
Katja Herges | German
Jerry John Nutor, Venita Sivamani, Vanessa Segundo, Peter Narby, Kristina
Victor
Nowadays, interdisciplinarity is a buzzword in and outside of the academic
world. Interdisciplinary (research) projects address questions or use methods
from different disciplines, often through collaborations, with the aim of finding
more suitable solutions to the problem at hand. This panel seeks to critically
reflect on the possibilities and challenges of interdisciplinary research by sharing experiences with interdisciplinary research and practice in and outside
of academia. Panelists will discuss their understanding of interdisciplinarity,
their motivations and goals in pursuing interdisciplinary work in their respective fields and at the same time share their experiences navigating the challenges and difficulties of working interdisciplinary. Furthermore, this panel
seeks to explore avenues that could facilitate interdisciplinary and collaborative research at various levels of the academic institution or even outside of it.
The panel consists of graduate students from various fields, such as education,
management, medical humanities, science policy and political sciences.
Genetics of Food: Beyond GMO
Don Gibson | Integrative Genetics and Genomics
Perot Sealao, Tasha Thompson, Dianne Velasco
Panel about genetics of food beyond genetically modified organisms.
Talks |
Star Formation in Merging Cluster of Galaxies
Alison Mansheim | Physics
Drian Lemaux, Lori Lubin, William Dawson
In 2003, The Hubble Space Telescope observed a dark patch of sky the size
of a grain of sand. The image revealed over 10,000 galaxies. Each galaxy had
a unique color, shape and size, for reasons we do not yet understand. Galaxy
evolution occurs over billions of years, across the largest distance scales in the
universe. Objects known as clusters of galaxies provide excellent laboratories
to test competing theories, as they contain high concentrations and diverse
populations of galaxies. We take this ideal sample a step further by examining a system in which two clusters have collided, catalyzing the processes its
galaxies undergo in a lifetime. We observe the galaxies using Keck Observatory and perform multi-slit spectroscopy to investigate how star formation is
affected by the cataclysmic merger. Preliminary results show the two clusters
have dramatically different galaxy populations and levels of average star
formation. We measure the equivalent widths of spectral lines and compare to
empirical and theoretical models to construct a star formation history for active and passive galaxy populations. Results suggesting a starburst at the time
of the merger would shed light on the mechanisms that drive the evolution of
galaxies.
Using Li diffusion to track thermal histories within single zircon
crystals
Allison Rubin | Geology
Kari M. Cooper, Adam JR Kent, Fidel Costa Rodriguez, Christy Till
Large silicic volcanic centers produce the most catastrophic eruptions on
earth, including massive ‘supervolcanic’ eruptions. In order to anticipate a
volcanic eruption, one needs to understand what proportion of time a body of
magma spends at high temperatures in a mostly-liquid (and thus eruptible)
state relative to the amount of time it spends as a low-temperature, crystalrich body. Two useful methods for constraining these timescales include 1) radiometric dating of single zircons or bulk plagioclase separates, which reveals
the time at which a given phase crystallized, and 2) Li diffusion profiles, which
record the amount of time a single crystal spent above a given temperature
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prior to eruption. We present the first combination of these techniques within
single zircon crystals from the Taupo Volcanic Zone in New Zealand. Combining these techniques reveals that zircons with residence times of up to 100,000
years could not have spent more than a few percent of their total existence in
an eruptible state. These findings support other data suggesting that rhyolitic
magmas within the TVZ may have spent much of their pre-eruptive existence at low-temperature conditions (e.g., Storm et al., 2012, Contrib Mineral
Petrol).
Does Mere Exposure Mediate Sensitivity to Bitter Taste on Consumer Liking and Acceptability of Whole Grain Foods?
Angela De Leon | Nutritional Biology
Maria Giovanni, William Horn, Dustin Burnett, Nancy L. Keim
those that were harmful and therefore, detrimental to their college aspirations.
Helpful teachers tended to be mentors, enablers of achievement, and cultural
insiders, whereas harmful teachers were indifferent, doubtful, and avoided
examining critical perspectives. Helpful schools promoted a culture of success
while providing ample college prep enrichment and extracurricular opportunities. By contrast, harmful schools over-emphasized collegiate athletic
opportunities and offered limited enrichment opportunities, or accelerated/
advanced placement coursework. Findings of the THRIVING WHILE BLACK
pilot study contribute to needed scholarship regarding how teacher educators,
school administrators, teachers, and counselors can augment the academic
trajectories of African American students.
Ocean Acidification Impairs Predator Avoidance Behaviors of an
Intertidal Snail
Health benefits of whole grains (WG) are well known, yet consumption by
Americans falls far short of recommended amounts. Roughly 75% of Americans are sensitive to bitter taste, and WG are known to contain bitter tasting
phenolic compounds. It has been reported that individuals with the highest
sensitivity, supertasters, prefer refined grain (RG) bread over WG. Other
research has shown that with repeated exposure, initially less liked foods
ultimately achieve higher acceptance. We aimed to determine the combined
effects of bitter taste sensitivity and exposure to WG in individuals who were
self-identified low WG consumers. Healthy adults were provided market
baskets of a variety WG or equivalent RG products for daily use over 6 wk.
Sensory evaluation (SE) of WG and RG products was conducted pre- and
post-intervention using standard taste panel procedures. Scores for overall
liking increased (p<0.03) in non-tasters and supertasters from baseline to 6 wk,
independent of group assignment or grain type of SE food. These shifts were
greater in supertasters, who gave lower overall liking scores (p<0.005) than
persons in other taster categories. Supertasters in the WG group were significantly more willing to include SE foods in the diet at 6 wk than supertasters in
the RG group (p<0.012). This suggests that while bitter taste sensitivity may
influence consumption of WG, with repeated exposure, liking and acceptability can increase.
Male sage-grouse tactically adjust display effort in response to the
behaviors of a robotic female
Anna C. Perry | Animal Behavior
Alan H. Krakauer, Richard McElreath, Gail L. Patricelli
Females in many species prefer to mate with males that display at higher rates.
However, selection may favor males that allocate their time and energetic
resources strategically, by performing these costly, high-intensity displays only
toward preferred females. Males responsive to the social context of courtship
may discriminate between females that differ in their reproductive value, including the likelihood that a female will consent to an eventual mating. Using
a robotic female as a controlled stimulus, we tested the hypothesis that male
Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) adjust their display intensity in response to cues of female interest in mating. We sampled the display
effort of 51 males across three breeding sites using two robotic stimuli: either
“interested” or “uninterested” female behaviors. We also measured male display effort in the presence or absence of live females. We used a mixed model
to evaluate how each male’s display intensity changed with their social environment. Our model produces a posterior distribution describing each male’s
responsiveness to female cues, allowing us to assess whether more responsive
males were able to obtain more matings over the course of the breeding season.
Our results suggest that both variation in male display intensity and responsiveness to female behaviors are important components of courtship.
THRIVING WHILE BLACK: Understanding Black University
Students’ Perspectives About the K-12 Teacher & School Characteristics That Were Most Helpful and Most Harmful to Their
College Aspirations
BernNadette T. Best-Green | Education
The “THRIVING WHILE BLACK: Understanding Black University Students’
Perceptions about the K-12 Teacher & School Characteristics That Were
Most Helpful and Most Harmful to Their College Aspirations” pilot study
investigated African American collegians’ perspectives about the teacher- and
school-related factors they attribute to facilitating high achievement, fostering
a college-going culture, and promoting academic success in college, as well as
Brittany Jellison | Ecology
Brian Gaylord, Aaron Ninokawa
Rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide have led to a global drop in average oceanic pH and pose a major threat to marine biota. Previous research
has highlighted the physiological consequences of lowered pH on individual
species. However, emerging evidence suggests that marine acidification can
alter behavior through mechanisms that are not yet well understood. One such
mechanism may involve the disruption of an organism’s ability to perceive or
integrate chemical cues from their environment, which has the potential to
change species interactions and lead to unforeseen ecosystem level consequences. We investigated effects of ocean acidification on chemoreception and
the “crawl out” behavior of the intertidal turban snail, Chlorostoma funebralis
(formerly Tegula funebralis) as induced by chemical cues from the predatory
sea star, Pisaster ochraceus. Results indicated that CO2 did not affect cue
detection but did affect decision-making in C. funebralis, reducing the avoidance response to predator cue at elevated CO2. The percent time snails spent
out of water in the presence of cue decreased with increasing pCO2. Values
of pH examined in our study arise already in rock pools inhabited by turban
snails; however, the low pH conditions that alter snail decision-making occur
exclusively during low tides and periods of upwelling. In coming decades, as
lower-pH conditions comprise an increasingly large fraction of a typical day,
snails may exhibit a substantial reduction in their ability to avoid predation,
with potential consequences not only for themselves but for the trophic web
in which they are embedded.
Short Chain Fatty Acid Production and Glucose Responses by Methane
Producers
Bret Rust | Nutritional Biology
Dorothy Keifer, Ira Gray, William Horn, John Newman, Nancy Keim
Bacteria in the digestive tract utilize undigested carbohydrates for energy and
produce byproducts that have physiologic implications for the host. Some gut
bacteria produce methane by combining CO2 with H2 while others produce
short chain fatty acids (SCFA) that affect host metabolism. We aimed to
compare physiologic responses in six breath methane producers (MP) and 6
non producers (NM) matched by gender and BMI who consumed three different quantities of a carbohydrate. Participants consumed zero, 15 or 30 g/d of
added carbohydrate for 3-wk test periods separated by at least 2-wk washout
periods. In the 3rd wk of each test period, for 5 successive days all stool
was collected and frozen. At the end of each test period, subjects consumed
one-half of the daily dosage of carbohydrate in the morning. Blood, urine and
breath samples were collected throughout the day. Comparisons were made
between the 0 and 30 g/d doses in MP and NM. The SCFA, acetate, propionate and butyrate, were measured in the stool. Blood glucose and insulin
were measured in response to test meals periodically on the test day. Glucose
responses were lower in MP (p<.05) compared to NM. Insulin responses did
not differ. Although the concentrations of stool acetate were nearly identical,
the relative abundance of acetate was higher by 10.8% (p<.01) while propionate
was lower by 8.7% in MP (p<.01). Removal of carbon by methanogenic bacteria
may and potentially reduce glucose available for absorption.
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Poetics over Politics: Scipione Borghese’s Aesthestic Collecting
practices in the Villa Borghese
to seven brain proteins, which associated with a diagnosis of ASD in the child.
In order to advance this research, we elucidated the peptide targets, epitopes,
of maternal antibodies using overlapping peptide methodology. The proteins
were translated into overlapping peptide sequences, which were printed onto
glass slides, and incubated with maternal plasma samples predetermined to
be highly reactive to the target proteins. This allowed for the discovery of all
possible epitopes within a given protein. Currently, we are working to resolve
the dominant epitopes, which will promote the creation of a broader screening
platform and the generation of a future animal model. We predict individuals
within the patient population will recognize specific epitopes on each protein.
We also anticipate the creation of the first relevant biologic animal model for
ASD.
Cristina Urrutia | Art History
During the early seventeenth century, political power in Rome resided with
the head of the Catholic Church and popes often employed nepotism in the
form of a cardinal nephew to further their social, political, and religious standing. One such cardinal is Scipione Caffarelli Borghese, whose family became
the most important religious and political figures in Rome at the time. They
publically displayed their political power through the acquisition of ancient
and contemporary art housed in the Villa Borghese. Many other seventeenth
century religious and political figures often collected artworks with underlying political messages to promote their wealth and power. However, Cardinal
Scipione Borghese is unique in his collecting because he often acquired works
that appealed more towards his aesthetic preferences rather than his political
ones. He was primarily concerned with the artwork’s poetic quality, making
the political nature of the work secondary. Through the public exhibition of
magnificence and power, the collection at the Villa Borghese is most importantly a physical manifestation of Scipione Borghese’s identity as a man who
is interested in an elevated intellectual and aesthetic idea of art not seen in his
contemporaries.
IL-17 induced skin inflammation is protected by conditional deletion of Wdfy3 in neutrophils
Erika Suzuki | Immunology
Emanual Maverakis, Hyun Seock Shin, Vijay K. Kuchroo, Frank O. Nestle,
Iannis E. Adamopoulos
Estimating species interactions from observational data with
Markov random fields
David J. Harris | Population Biology
Inferring species interactions from observational data is one of the most
controversial issues in community ecology. Part of the problem is that an
interaction between one pair of species can ripple through an ecological
network and produce surprising indirect consequences. Here, I recommend a
family of models from statistical physics for exploring the direct and indirect
consequences of species interactions. The proposed models, called Markov
random fields (MRFs), provide a rigorous and well-specified method for
simulating species assemblages from any possible interaction matrix. Using
such simulated assemblages, I demonstrate that existing methods for detecting
species interactions from co-occurrence data (based on null models or covariance patterns) have very high error rates. I also show that one can reduce these
error rates dramatically using a maximum likelihood approach for estimating
MRF parameters.
Using natural peptide toxins to computational design new peptide reporters of ion channel activity.
American Inflicted Trauma and Legacy Anti-Americanism
Drew Tilley | Biophysics
Vladimir Yarov-Yarovoy, Jon Sack
Evan Sandlin | Political Science
Ion channels are found in every cell and are critical in physiological signaling
by allowing ions to pass through membranes. The role of specific ion channels in different tissues and during channelopathies is not fully understood.
Venoms from predatory animals often contain small peptides that inhibit
specific channel subtypes providing a scaffold for computationally designing novel peptides capable of targeting new channels. The tarantula toxin
Guangxitoxin (GxTx) can fluorescently report potassium channel activity in
live cells by binding to channel voltage sensors and dissociating upon activation. Other toxins such as the scorpion toxin Charybdotoxin (CTX) inhibits
channels through occluding the pore in which the ionic currents pass. Using
these known mechanisms of channel inhibition new peptides can be designed
using computational methods. These designs can be validated through peptide
synthesis and tested for inhibitory activity. By expanding the library of specific
peptide inhibitors the roles of certain ion channel types can be more thoroughly understood.
Elucidating the antigenic epitopes of maternal autoantibodies in
ASD: Establishing biomarkers and developing an animal model
Elizabeth Fox | Immunology
Elizabeth Fox, Judy Van De Water
Studies have found a correlation between the presence of maternal autoantibodies and neuronal dysfunction in the neonate. Specifically, maternal antibrain antibodies, which may access the fetal compartment during gestation,
have been identified as one risk factor for developing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Studies by our laboratory identified maternal antibody reactivity
Although neutrophils exhibit prominent anti-inflammatory functions such
as phagocytosis, neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, and cytokine
production, their over activation is associated with various pathologies in
autoimmune diseases. The degradation and elimination of neutrophil phagocytic content is mediated by autophagy, a process that requires the assembly
of an autophagosome, regulated by the master regulator of macro-selective
autophagy, Wdfy3. Wdfy3 contains a BEACH domain, originally named after
the Chediak-Higashi syndrome, a disorder in humans that leads to neutropenia
and defects in lysosomal trafficking, resulting in immunodeficiency. Recently,
autophagy was shown to be required for neutrophil NET release, which is
associated with skin inflammation and the secretion of IL-17. However, the
role of autophagic mediators such as Wdfy3 in neutrophil function or skin
inflammation has not been studied. Herein we show by conditional deletion
of Wdfy3 in neutrophils that macro-selective autophagy in neutrophils is
critical for the development of skin inflammation in mice. Moreover, we show
in Il23r-/-, Rag1-/- and Tcrd-/- mice that Wdfy3 regulated NET formation,
neutrophil elastase and lysosomal exocytosis is independent of the IL-23/IL-17
axis in inflammation and T cells. Our data divert our focus from the dogma of
the IL-23/IL-17 axis in inflammation and T cell dominance in cutaneous manifestations in autoimmune diseases to new molecular pathways of selective
macroautophagy in neutrophils and promise therapeutic targets in cutaneous
diseases.
This presentation considers the extent to which long-term or “legacy antiAmericanism” can be attributed to past traumatic events in which the United
States is implicated. It does so by drawing on sociological theories of cultural
trauma and exploring the ways in which historical US foreign policy actions
may include characteristics often associated with events that produce such
trauma. Although national traumas are socially constructed, certain events
create greater possibilities for this construction than others. When events
such as genocide, violent regime change, and violent foreign intervention are
attributable to the US, it is possible for new historical narratives to be adopted
that will persist through the mechanism of collective memory. This process
has negative long-term implications for the international image of the US.
What can you squeeze out of a stack of newspaper: medicines,
pesticides, plastic bottles, or even gasoline?
Fei Chang | Chemistry
Saikat Dutta
With rapid growth in population and industrialization, the demand for energy
and chemicals/materials has drastically increased. However, the traditional
fossil resources are nonrenewable and it causes a series of environmental
issues such as greenhouse effect. Biomass as a renewable, carbon-neutral,
and environmental friendly resource has gained serious interest in recent
years. Although first generation biofuels that are manufactured from food
crops have been commercialized, they have raised food vs. fuel controversy. In
comparison, waste biomass (e.g. agricultural and municipal waste) would be
more sustainable and affordable for generating fuels and chemicals. We have
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recently demonstrated a high-yielding preparation 5-(chloromethyl)furfural
(CMF) by acidic hydrolysis of cellulosic wastes (e.g. newspaper, cotton, corncob) within a biphasic reactor. CMF has been exploited as a biomass-derived
platform chemical in synthesizing value-added products ranging from fuels
(e.g. gasoline-range branched alkanes), monomers for renewable polymers
(e.g. succinic acid and 3-hydroxypropionic acid), chemical feedstock (e.g.
2,5-dimethylfuran), agrochemicals (e.g. 5-aminolevulinic acid, prothrin), to
pharmaceuticals (e.g. ranitidine, furan fatty acids), which would traditionally
be derived from petroleum. These established results suggest that CMF could
serve as a renewable source to provide valuable industrial products.
machine-learning algorithms, I have quantified and established innovation
trends for low-carbon transportation technologies, such as biofuels and electric vehicles. Millions of articles were captured and retained in a local event
database and classified into 14 different classes relevant for successful technology innovation. Using a statistical model, classified articles were analyzed to
determine where significant innovation shifts occurred. Significant deviations
were placed into a historical context to ascertain how policy implementation
may have influenced innovation outcomes.
AMI patient mortality in hospitals of differing ownership status:
An analysis of 2000-2007 cross-sectional data from the National
Hospital Discharge Survey
Kv2 channel subtypes are independently expressed, trafficked,
and regulated within and between neurons
Hannah Bishop | Neuroscience
Elke Bocksteins, Laxmi Kumar Parajuli, Robert C. Foehring,, James S. Trimmer
Jennifer Reed | Epidemiology
Susan Hassig
The potassium channels Kv2.1 and Kv2.2 form the bulk of the neuronal delayed
rectifier K+ current in many mammalian central neurons. Kv2.1 is unique
among voltage-gated potassium channels both in its wide expression and its
role in modulating intrinsic excitability through the dynamic regulation of its
phosphorylation state. In contrast to the extensive expression and phosphorylation of Kv2.1 in virtually all neurons in the brain, Kv2.2 shows a more
restricted pattern of expression and has far fewer phosphosites. Using cortical
layer markers and transgenic mice, we define the pattern of Kv2 expression in
the cortex, showing that while Kv2.1 expression is high throughout all cortical
layers, Kv2.2 expression is limited to layers 2/3 and 5a. Additionally, we test
the hypothesis that Kv2.2 is less sensitive to acute regulation via phosphorylation than Kv2.1. Specifically, we show that regulation of Kv2.2 subcellular
localization is less pronounced than that of Kv2.1, both in vivo and in vitro. Finally, recordings from transfected HEK293 cells reveal that the voltage-dependent gating of Kv2.1 and Kv2.2 are highly similar at basal conditions, however
acute changes in phosphorylation following alkaline phosphatase treatment
reveal differences in their phospho-dependent functional modulation. Taken
together, these results suggest distinct roles for the two Kv2 channel family
members in mammalian brain.
Heightened attention to transparency within the United States healthcare
system in recent years has called for the evaluation of performance among
hospitals and other medical facilities. One particular point of interest is
whether or not performance differs according to hospital ownership status.
Mortality among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a common metric for research directed to address this issue. Previous studies suggest
that mortality rates among AMI patients differ significantly among hospitals
of differing ownership status, while other investigations suggest that these
differences are not statistically significant. The present study used nationally
representative 2000-2007 cross-sectional data collected through the National
Hospital Discharge Survey to investigate the relationship between in-hospital
mortality among AMI patients and hospital ownership. Effect estimates calculated from a logistic regression model suggested that differences in in-hospital
mortality among AMI patients were statistically significant in a comparison
of non-profit and proprietary hospitals (OR; 95%CI: 0.723; 0.644-0.812), and
of government and proprietary institutions (OR; 95%CI: 0.802; 0.682-0.942).
These results suggest that significant differences in in-hospital mortality
among AMI patients exist in proprietary hospitals compared to government
and non-profit institutions. Due to inconsistencies among these findings and
the literature, additional investigations should be conducted in order to reach
more conclusive results.
Reversible optical control of conductive polymer solubility with
sub-micron resolution
Conservation of a large carnivore (Puma concolor) in a fragmented, urbanizing landscape
Ian Jacobs | Chemical Engineering and Material Science
Jun Li, David J. Bilsky, Pieter Stroeve, Matthew P. Augustine, Adam J. Moule
Organic electronics promise to provide flexible, large–area circuitry that can
be fabricated inexpensively from solutions. Due to the mutual solubility of
most conjugated organic materials (COMs), solution-based fabrication of
multi–layer, micro– to nano–scale features is problematic. Here we demonstrate that the solubility of the prototypical conductive polymer P3HT can be
reversibly “switched off” by molecular doping with the strong electron acceptor F4TCNQ, then recovered with light or a suitable de-doping solution. Using
this technique, we are able to stack mutually soluble materials and laterally
pattern polymer films, achieving sub–micron feature sizes. After forming these
structures, the films can be reverted to their original optical, electrical, and
chemical state without disrupting the patterned features. This method greatly
simplifies solution based device fabrication, is easily adaptable to current
manufacturing workflows, and is potentially generalizable to other classes of
materials.
Quantifying Technology Innovation
Jeff Kessler | Transportation Technology and Policy
Daniel Sperling
Technology innovation assessment often relies on qualitative data collected for
technologies after successful adoption has occurred. In contrast, more quantitatively rigorous methods for innovation assessment can trace their origins to
economics and the use of patent databases and patent counts. Regardless of
the method chosen, it is difficult to compare technologies, or to predict successful innovation outcomes. This research aims to better develop methods for
quantitative innovation assessment, and to clarify the link between technology-forcing policies and technology innovation. In this research, innovation is
viewed as the dissemination and use of knowledge and information flows, and
English-language news stories from a multitude of different sources act as a
proxy for these flows. Through use of natural language processing alongside
Jessica Sanchez | Veterinary Medicine
Winston Vickers, Scott A. Morrison, Randy Botta, Trish Smith, Brian S. Cohen, Patrick R. Huber, Holly B. Ernest, Walter M. Boyce
We monitored 74 collared pumas (Puma concolor) from 2001-2013, and
investigated 254 mortalities from 1981-2013, to assess puma health and disease
in the urbanizing landscape of Southern California. Demographic and genetic
analyses showed that a 10-lane freeway carrying >300,000 vehicles/day, and associated development, effectively created two puma populations (east, west).
Annual survival rates were low in both populations and most mortalities were
anthropogenic (vehicle collisions, depredation permits). All pumas tested (n
= 31) were positive for anticoagulant rodenticides, some at levels known to
cause mortality. Coccidiodomycosis and Salmonella sepsis were fatal in two
collared animals, and Leptospira spp. was detected in animals with evidence of
non-fatal renal pathology. Numerous other pathogens were detected but were
not associated with clinical pathology. The isolated western population had
lower genetic diversity and showed strong evidence of a genetic bottleneck, as
compared to the eastern population that had migration and interbreeding with
other puma populations. Habitat fragmentation and high mortality rates raise
doubts about the long-term persistence of pumas in this urban area, particularly for the small, inbred, western population. To mitigate human caused
mortality in this region, transportation authorities recently funded fencing and
road modifications to minimize mortalities of pumas and other wildlife.
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Get Involved!
Visit http://www.gsa.ucdavis.edu.
Growth mindset in the classroom: How school context may contribute to intelligence beliefs
Julia C. Singleton | Human Development
Kali H. Trzesniewski
Growth mindset, the belief that abilities can change (Dweck, 1999), has been
found to be associated with positive outcomes, such as higher grades (Aronson
et al., 2002), higher motivation (Rattan et al., 2012), and greater well-being
(Chan, 2012). These findings lead researchers and practitioners to try to boost
growth mindsets in students, but little is known about the factors that shape
these beliefs. Previous research in human ontogeny has focused on the importance of context (Bronfenbrenner, 2006) and how it can influence a child’s
beliefs and achievement (e.g., Eccles, 2009). Thus, the current study examines
the influence of a main context in which students spend a large amount of
time: the classroom. Results showed that students had more of a growth
mindset when their classmates’ had a growth mindset, lower ability goals, and
higher self-esteem. Further, students had more of a growth mindset if their
teacher believed that their class had higher self-esteem and higher academic
self-efficacy. These findings suggest that the classroom climate can shape
student’s beliefs about their abilities. Further research is needed to investigate
the causal impact of teachers and classmates on a student’s growth mindset.
Herbal Sovereignty or Green Development?: Marijuana Cultivation in Yurok Country
Kaitlin Reed | Native American Studies
This past summer, on the Yurok Reservation, there was a massive drug raid
wherein thousands of marijuana plants were destroyed. Simultaneously,
however, state after state has begun to legalize marijuana, medicinal if not
recreational. I put forth the question, then, why are drugs, marijuana specifically, an issue tribal governments must combat on their own land. This paper
is an attempt to answer this question. First, I shall argue, this issue stems from
a disregard of sovereignty; I shall further argue that, in the case of the Yurok
Reservation, there choosing to illegalize growing marijuana is a sovereign act.
Second, I shall look at the environmental consequences of marijuana cultivation. I highly suspect to see an established trend here – projects or activities
that destroy the lands and its subsequent resources are frequently, if not
always, relegated to Indian land. Third, and lastly, this paper will examine
ideas and paradigms of development, thereby situating marijuana cultivation
within the context of economic development. My stance on which is a critical
one: I argue the broad concept of economic development is not meant to help
tribes; rather, economic development further inculcates tribal governments
within a capitalist system dependent upon exploitation of resources – at odds
with their very worldview.
Chickpea to Cook: Exploring and Harnessing 10,000 years of Agricultural Domestication in the Face of Climate Change
Kay Watt | Integrated Genetics and Genomics
Rumi’s 13th century reflections on the chickpea are a small glimpse into the
slow transformation of the chickpea into a domestic crop consumed on a
global level today. The spark of the domestication process is estimated to
have ignited nine thousand years before Rumi picked up his pen, thousands of
miles away from his home in Afghanistan, in the deserts of Syria. During the
thousands of years of the flow of chickpea beyond Syria, distinct small pools
and pockets of farmers and their seeds formed, each transformed by the challenges of the environment as well as emerging cultures. Currently over 81,000
different samples of chickpea seeds grown between Spain and China exist as
a resource in germplasm banks worldwide. The problems of climate change
– drought, flooding, extreme temperatures – have been faced before in these
different communities. Strengthening global food security involves teasing out
the traits that make some of these varieties more adept than others at facing
these new trials. Drawing on our rich agricultural legacy, we can breed a more
resilient chickpea to nourish the future.
debate that has occupied rangeland management discussions for over a
century, Briske et al. (2008) reviewed 47 articles comparing the two systems.
The authors used vote counting to tally the number of studies that found
significantly different production for CG relative to RG for animal production
(AP, in kg/head and kg/ha). They concluded grazing research does not show
these two systems produce different results. However, a quantitative metaanalysis of these same studies revealed differences not previously detected by
the vote-counting method. Animal production was on average higher for CG
than RG, but meta-analysis showed instances in which RG may outperform
CG. Animal production was higher under RG than CG in arid climates for
large scale, commercial-sized operations in highly seasonal environments, but
not for small, research- scale studies, suggesting the scale of observation plays
an important role in detection of productivity outcomes. These results indicate
the possibility of RG outperforming CG for animal production at large scales
in less constant, arid climates - where most livestock grazing occurs.
More than words can say: Linguistically diverse students’ interpretations of mathematical word problems
Leslie Banes | Education
This study analyzes 20 interviews with linguistically diverse third graders
to explore their beliefs and understanding of the word problem genre. Word
problems are a source of difficulty for many students, especially students who
must comprehend and solve them in their second language (NAEP, 2005; Barwell, 2011). A genre approach allows us to gain a more complex understanding
of word problem comprehension that includes both the features of the genre,
as well as the student assumptions that accompany it. Findings demonstrate
that many of these 20 students are still developing a word problem schema,
especially for problems that have unpredictable questions, or particular
mathematical and linguistic phrases, such as “twice as many.” Despite the use
of reform-oriented curriculum, some students still had a better-developed
schema for what Nesher (1980) calls “stereotyped” word problems. For some
students, inconsistent attention to the question and other features of the genre
in interview tasks was associated with misinterpretation of assessment items
on a linguistically simplified word problem test. Understanding more about
how students read and interpret problems may shed light on how we can help
equip all students with the skills necessary to comprehend word problems
successfully, which is now more important than ever given the wider variety of
problem types required by the new Common Core State Standards.
Application of FMCW signal return to soil humidity characterization
Maria C. Gonzalez | Electrical and Computer Engineering
Christian Hurd
The proper soil moisture is critical for many crops to reach the desired level of
maturity. For this reason, many sensors that measures water content have been
developed to give the grower some feedback of the moisture content in the soil
and regulate the irrigation accordingly. Some methods such as gravimetric are
accurate but labor consuming, other such tension meters required periodic
service, neutron probe is also accurate but expensive. The more popular is
based in electrical resistance measurement that gives acceptable accuracy and
it is not expensive. However, this sensor has the disadvantage that needs to be
buried in the soil.
In this research, we are assessing the viability of a sensor based in FMCW
radar technology for water detection with the advantage of being portable
and low cost. The research involves the fabrication of a radar kit and adjusts
the operation and signal processing to the detection of moisture in soil and or
plants. We present the calibration methods and graphic results of the reflected
signal of bare soil and covered by plants.
Phenotypic stability in extrinsic incubation of WNV strains in
Culex tarsalis
Mary Danforth | Epidemiology
William K. Reisen, Christopher M. Barker
Continuous versus rotational grazing, again: Another perspective
from meta-analysis
Kristina M. Wolf | Ecology
Marc Horney
In an effort to close the continuous- (CG) versus rotational-grazing (RG)
The transmission of West Nile virus by mosquitoes is driven in large part
by temperature. One factor that helps to quantify the relationship between
temperature and transmission is the extrinsic incubation period, or the time
from when a mosquito consumes an infected bloodmeal to when it is capable
of transmitting the infection to another host. The extrinsic incubation period
15
and related factors determine where and when WNV is transmitted and when
transmission has the potential to turn into outbreak levels. Some recent research indicates that newer strains of WNV have more rapid extrinsic incubation rates than the founding strain in the United States, NY99, though not all
data agrees. In this study, we compare one of original isolates of WNV found
in California as well as a more recent strain from California’s Central Valley to
the original North American strain. In addition, we take into consideration the
probabilistic range of extrinsic incubation periods among these strains by expanding upon an existing degree-day model of transmission. While we anticipated finding more rapid transmission by our recent California isolates than by
NY99, we found no difference in Culex tarsalis at two different temperatures
(22 and 30°C). Regardless, we continued to develop an epidemiological model
to assess the implications of the range of WNV transmission.
Encouarging Empowerment Through Expression
Michele Zugnoni | Education
I explore the relationship between feelings of alienation and an individual’s
tendency toward delinquency, then propose an approach to rehabilitation in
the form of self-reflective writing programs. Several of these programs are in
existence today, many aimed at reducing the rates of recidivism (the rates of
youth who return to prison) and encouraging youth through empowerment of
voice. I offer a brief overview of four such programs, including details of their
design, their approach to rehabilitation through writing, and their success
stories. Next, I point out a drawback of these programs: several of them focus
on youth aged 19 and below. At the time these youth become ineligible, they
are experiencing a major change in their lives. No longer high school students,
they are faced with the possibility of attending college … or not attending.
With this in mind, I detail my own design of a self-reflective writing program
for at-risk 18- to 20-year-olds, individuals who were either incarcerated
or attended continuation school as minors. Beginning in March 2016, this
program will be taught at a local community college, and will explore whether
participant self-exploration increases levels of motivation in attaining a higher
education. In the end, I hope the program will serve as a model for administrators considering the creation of similar programs.
reactions. Iron nitrosyl species have been studied using traditional FTIR
spectroscopy, in which two characteristic, strong vNO bands in the 1680- 1690
cm-1 and 1730- 1740 cm-1 regions are detected. Other types of measurements
include Fe-57 Mössbauer, UV-visible, Raman, and X-ray absorption spectroscopies [11, 20-22]. However individually these techniques lack full diagnostic
ability to discriminate between different iron nitrosyl species and a mixture of
other species. Nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy (NRVS) is a vibrational technique that has only recently been applied in studies of iron proteins.
Like IR and Raman spectroscopy, data from NRVS can be converted into Fe-57
partial vibrational density of states (PVDOS), but the technique is not limited
by the selection rules of IR and Raman spectroscopy, and therefore provides a
complete set of the vibrational modes that involve significant displacement of
the Fe-57 nucleus along the direction of the incident x-ray [23-26]. This makes
it an ideal candidate for probing the intermediates and products of Fe-S cluster
nitrosylations. It was recently applied to studies of a [4Fe-4S] ferredoxin and
a [2Fe-2S] Rieske-type protein, revealing that RBS and RRE, respectively,
were the final products of nitrosylation rather than DNICs [27]. The sensitivity of Fe-S clusters that function in the sensing of small molecules such as O2
and NO have, up to now, hampered efforts to apply techniques such as NRVS,
which require millimolar concentrations and 57Fe enrichment. We wish to
determine the mechanism, intermediates and products of nitrosylation in such
regulatory proteins, leading to a clearer understanding of how Fe-S clusters are
used to “sense” NO, how NO is damaging at higher non-signaling levels, and
finally how the sensing reaction is transduced at a DNA level.
Utilizing wild Capsicum annuum germplasm for breeding Curtovirus resistance in cultivated chile pepper
Randi Jiménez | Horticulture & Agronomy
Allen Van Deynze, Li-Fang Chen, Robert L. Gilbertson
Probing [4Fe-4S] and Nitrosyl Chemistry with NRVS, Mössbauer, and EXAFS for WhiD and NsrR Proteins.
Pauline N. Serrano | Chemistry
Hongxing Wang, Jason C. Crack, Matthew Hutchings, Michael Y. Hu
Iron-sulfur (Fe-S) proteins are characterized by the presence of clusters containing sulfide-linked di-, tri-, tetra-, or even more- iron centers in varying oxidation states [1, 2]. Fe-S cores are found in a variety of metalloproteins, such as
the ferredoxins, as well as NADH dehydrogenase, Coenzyme Q - cytochrome
c reductase, Succinate - coenzyme Q reductase and various hydrogenases and
nitrogenase.[3]. Fe-S core containing proteins have vast number of biological
roles, involving, including those involving chemical sensing, electron transport
within and between proteins, and catalysis of chemical reactions [4, 5]. Other
protection pathways may include interference with respiration and DNA replication, through signal transduction [6, 7] that are important factors in human
health and disease. In many cases, the roles that Fe-S proteins play are not fully
understood [8]. Fe-S containing proteins are generally sensitive to NO and O2,
and undergo damage under conditions of oxidative and nitrosative stress. This
results in deficiencies in, for example, respiration and DNA replication [6, 7].
The intrinsic cluster sensitivity has been exploited through the evolution of
Fe-S proteins that function as sensors for these molecules [9, 10]. For example,
proteins that sense NO or O2 appear to be important in enabling pathogens
to evade host immune response, by promoting transition into a dormant state
[6]. Reactions of NO with Fe-S clusters usually result in the disassembly of the
Fe-S core and formation of nitrosyl iron complexes [11]. The simplest of these
are mononitrosyl iron complexes (MNICs) and dinitrosyl iron complexes
(DNICs). The latter are usually denoted [Fe(NO)2L2]- with L representing S
containing ligands (usually cysteine) or histidine in this context [8, 12]. More
complex iron- nitrosyl complexes include the multi-iron Roussin’s red ester
(RRE), and Roussin’s black salt (RBS). Previously, studies of the consequences
of nitrosative stress have led to the general conclusion that DNICs are the
products of Fe-S nitrosylation. This is in part because DNICs are paramagnetic (S= ½) and are readily detectable using EPR spectroscopy, giving rise
to a characteristic g = 2.03 signal [13-16]. However, these EPR measurements
only account for a fraction of the total iron content [17-19] implying that other
iron nitrosyl species are EPR silent. EPR cannot detect any of the diamagnetic
iron nitrosyl species and which is not ideal for studying cluster nitrosylation
Geminiviruses are the largest family of viruses, and they have major economic
impact on vegetable production globally. Additionally, Curly top virus (CTV)
is one of the most damaging geminiviruses of chile pepper (Capsicum annuum)
in the United States. The demand and value for pepper is significant with U.S.
pepper production in 2013 having a value of $810.4M, grown on 74,000 acres.
Germplasm sources of resistance to CTV have only recently been discovered,
and the genetic basis of this resistance is not known. To identify additional
sources of resistance, we have developed a rapid Agrobacterium-mediated
inoculation assay with additional verification using the traditional insect
vector. We are using this method to screen 90 wild pepper lines collected
in Mexico, which is a center of diversity for pepper where virus is prevalent.
Wild lines identified as resistant and a cultivated jalapeño variety are being
used to generate populations segregating for CTV resistance and favorable
agronomic traits. These populations will be used to determine the genetics and
mechanism of CTV resistance in pepper. Our long-term goals are to develop
and release pepper breeding lines that combine resistance from wild pepper
germplasm to CTV, as well as to determine the genetic basis and mechanism of
this resistance.
Snord116: A long, noncoding RNA at the heart of Prader-Willi
syndrome
Rochelle Coulson | Integrative Genetics and Genomics
Dag Yasui, Justin Aflatooni, Janine LaSalle
Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by
the loss of the long, noncoding RNA SNORD116. In typically developing individuals, SNORD116 is only actively expressed from the DNA copy inherited
from their father (paternal allele), while the copy inherited from their mother
(maternal allele) is present but does not produce RNA. PWS individuals are
lacking the paternal allele, and since the maternal allele is not active, they do
not express SNORD116. A PWS mouse model (Prad) with a deletion of the paternal allele has been created and used to study the functions of Snord116 and
understand the molecular basis of PWS. Since the paternal allele produces the
Snord116 RNA, it becomes more loosely wrapped up compared to the tightly
compacted maternal allele. The Snord116 RNA that is produced from the paternal allele stays in the nucleus of neurons and forms a cloud of RNA around
the DNA from which it originated. This RNA cloud is important for regulating
many other genes and is not present in PWS individuals. We have shown that
when Snord116 is introduced abnormally in many cell types, it is only able to
form a cloud in neurons with a loosely compacted paternal allele, suggesting
neuron-specific requirements.
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Can one enzyme affect the toxicity of a common environmental
pollutant?
Sarah Carratt | Pharmacology and Toxicology
Dexter Morin, Alan Buckpitt, Patti Edwards, Laura Van Winkle
Naphthalene (NA) is a potentially harmful environmental pollutant that
causes cellular damage, which results in lung tumors in mice. We study the
mechanisms of NA cellular damage in animals to better understand the risks
to humans. When humans or animals breathe NA, enzymes in our lungs break
down NA into metabolites that can either be removed from the body or that
can cause lung cell damage. The current belief is that NA can cause lung tumors to form through repeated cycles of lung cell damage and repair. However,
there is debate over which NA metabolites cause lung toxicity. To study this,
we evaluated if NA was toxic when a major enzyme, microsomal epoxide
hydrolase (mEH), was removed from mice. By eliminating mEH, we limited
which metabolites formed. We then assessed lung damage after allowing mice
to breathe NA, and we observed that the mice without the mEH enzyme had
more severe cellular damage in tissues susceptible to tumor formation. This
suggests that metabolites generated through the mEH pathway may be of
minor importance in the overall toxicity and subsequent distal airway carcinogenesis from NA exposure.
ly been proposed. Little is known about the implications on weed emergence
and population dynamics. The primary objectives of this research were to
quantify: 1) differences in field emergence patterns of Cyperus difformis L. and
Echinochloa phyllopogon (Stapf.) Koss under dry and flooded conditions; and
2) species-specific relationships for major weed species between percentage
cover at canopy closure, biomass at harvest, and yield loss under alternative
irrigation systems. Studies were conducted at the Rice Experiment Station, in
Biggs, CA, in 2013. The experiment was a Randomized Complete Block Design
with three replications per irrigation treatment: 1) Drill-seeded alternate wet
and dry (DS-AWD); 2) Water-seeded alternate wet and dry (WS-AWD); and
3) Water-seeded conventional (WS-Control). E. phyllopogon emerged under
both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. C. difformis emerged at high numbers
under flooded conditions, but was not competitive against other species after
emergence. Yields were the same across treatments when weeds were fully
controlled with herbicide. Without weed control, yields were significantly
less in the DS-AWD. Grasses were the drivers of yield loss across all irrigation
systems.
Transient Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore Opening in
Cardiac Myocytes during SR Ca release
Xiyuan Lu | Molecular, Cellular, & Integrative Physiology
Donald Bers
Reading the Future: Context Maintenance Affects Prediction in
Elderly Readers
Shruti Dave | Human Development
Trevor Brothers, Matthew Traxler, Tamara Swaab
Language in older adults benefits from lifetime vocabulary exposure, but is
challenged by requiring active online processing. Age differences in languagerelated electrophysiological components (or ERP) may be linked to difficulty
predicting upcoming words, or alternately, by overall delays in word processing. Previous work with young adults separated ERP trials based on accurate
and inaccurate predictions and found that the effect of prediction accuracy
preceded the effect of contextual support by 100ms (Brothers, Swaab, &
Traxler, 2014). The current study replicated this paradigm in elderly adults.
Older adults reported equal prediction accuracy and a similar 100ms delay
between the effects of prediction accuracy and contextual facilitation, but
both effects were 60ms later than in young adults. As a result, elderly deficits
in prediction cannot explain generalized delay and reduction of contextual
facilitation. Additionally, in comparison to a separate reading task without
prediction, the timing of young adults’ context effects was identical to the
prediction study. However, older adults’ latency was delayed between comprehension-only and prediction-added tasks, indicating a likely detrimental role
of increased load and demand.
The Brazilian Exile in Mexico
Theresa Bachmann | Spanish and Portuguese
In face of the persecution led by the government against insurgents during
the military dictatorship in Brazil (1964-1985), many students and intellectuals sought refuge in exile, and Mexico was one of their destinations. As the
period of dictatorship lasted two decades (and many of the exiles left the
country as soon as the military took power), what was initially a temporary
situation gradually gave way to the prospect of stability and permanence. It
was in Mexico that many young Brazilian refugees became adults, receiving
their education and professional training, where many of them settled down
and had their families. As a result, a bilingual and bi-national generation took
shape. For many Brazilians, temporary exile became a home, and, with the end
of the Brazilian dictatorship, some chose to stay. This presentation will offer
a portrait of that time through exiles who gave testimony to the Archivo de
la Palabra (UNAM), a project that preserves the memory of Latin American
exiles in Mexico.
The opening of a high-conductance and long-lasting mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) induces uncoupling of respiration from ADP
phosphorylation, and inevitably causes mitochondrial injury and cell death.
However, the low-conductance (transient) opening of mPTP may limit mitochondrial calcium load and mediate mitochondrial reactive oxygen species
(ROS) signaling. Despite the cardioprotective role of transient opening of
mPTP has been proposed, the evidence for its occurrence in vivo still remains
indirect and the possible role of the mPTP in physiological Ca2+ homeostasis has not been studied thoroughly. To address the cellular mechanism, we
measured mitochondrial Ca2+ with Rhod-2 and membrane potential (..m) in
single permeablized myocytes during sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release. Rapid mitochondrial Ca2+ and ..m oscillations were observed during SR
Ca2+ release. The frequency of these oscillations increased when the cells were
challenged with H2O2, suggesting that ROS is a potential modulator of the
transient pore openings. The observed oscillations and the H2O2 effects were
mediated by the openings and closings of mPTP because they were sensitive to
mPTP inhibitor cyclosporine A (CsA). The transient opening frequency was
increased as the [Ca2+] rised when the SR function was blocked. The duration
of the transient opening was 46.7 ± 15.1s. The size of the pore didn’t allow
calcien to pass through (M.W. 600 Da) indicating that only small solutes can
freely move across. Our data suggest that transient openings of mPTP can
regulate the mitochondrial Ca2+ homeostasis under the physiological condition, and that these openings are regulated
by Ca2+ and ROS. Thus we conclude that transient opening of low conductance mPTP play a role in regulation of [Ca2+]mito under physiological
conditions.
Stess and Sex: How Context Affects Depression
Abigail Laman-Maharg | Neuroscience
Brain Trainor
Weed emergence and population dynamics in alternative irrigation systems in California rice
Whitney Brim-DeForest | Horticulture and Agronomy
Bruce Linquist, Albert Fischer
Rice in California is continuously flooded, for control of certain weed species.
Due to concerns about water usage, alternative irrigation methods have recent-
Stress has many adverse effects on the brain and can lead to disorders like
depression, which is twice as common in women as in men. Social stress leads
to the activation of a class of proteins found in the brain called kappa opioid
receptors (KOR) which in turn facilitate depressive-like behaviors. This has
generated a strong interest in developing drugs that block KOR as a novel class
of antidepressant. However, most studies showing stress-induced activation of
KOR focus on short-term effects of stress and only study males. New evidence
suggests that long-term effects of stress modify KOR function, and that there
may be sex differences. We examined the long-term effects of social stress on
KOR action using both male and female California mice. Stressed females, but
not stressed males, showed a decrease in social interaction, a depressive-like
behavior. KOR activation in non-stressed females and males led to reduced
social interaction. Interestingly, KOR activation in stressed females exerted
an antidepressant effect, increasing social interaction. This suggests that KOR
activation should be further evaluated for antidepressant effects in the context
of stress-induced psychiatric disorders, especially in females.
17
ing proficiency, phonological working memory capacity (PWMC), working
memory capacity (WMC) and time on task interact with the main effect of the
keyboarding treatment?
Novel matrices to enhance the bone-forming capacity of mesenchymal
stem cells
Allison Hoch | Biomedical Engineering
Vaishali Mittal, Debika Mitra, J. Kent Leach
In the gold standard for bone repair, clinicians insert a piece of the patient’s
own healthy tissue into the damaged region, yet the patient still suffers from
the harmful effects of an additional surgery. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)
are a promising alternative to the current grafting paradigm. Prior to transplantation, MSCs have been differentiated toward a bone-forming phenotype
using a soluble cocktail of supplements. However, there is little evidence of
MSCs directly participating in bone formation in vivo. Thus, we hypothesized
the cocktail alone was ineffective at cementing the bone-forming phenotype.
Indeed, we show that already 24 hours after we remove the cocktail, MSCs revert back to an undifferentiated phenotype. This is a crucial limitation because
bone formation requires a span of several months. Cell-secreted decellularized
extracellular matrices (DMs) represent a novel strategy that provides a structural architecture for the cellular adhesion and signaling of MSCs. Unlike the
soluble cocktail, cell seeded DMs can be delivered directly into the bone defect. We hypothesized that DMs would preserve the bone-forming phenotype
of MSCs achieved in response to the common soluble cocktail. We show DMs
coerced MSCs to deposit up to 2-fold more calcium likely via a stretching
mechanism. These results highlight the rationale for delivering MSCs with
robust DMs into a bone defect to enhance the longevity of mineral production.
Bioinformatic discovery of conserved and lineage-specific high-confidence
small Open Reading Frame type genes across 43 green plant species
Anandkumar Surendrarao | Plant Biology
Ravi K. Patel, Kousuke Hanada, Douglas R. Cook, ,
With the advent of new and powerful sequencing technologies, and software
for sequence assembly and annotation, the number of novel genes that are
being discovered has correspondingly increased. However, a disproportionately miniscule number of genes of the small Open Reading Frame (sORF)
type, that encode gene products in the 10-100 amino acid size range have been
identified by bioinformatics methods, and even fewer have been functionally
characterized. This is despite evidence of their crucial roles in plant growth,
development, and responses to biotic and abiotic cues, some examples being CLAVATA, and legume ENODs. To ameliorate this problem, we have
performed a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of 43 Viridiplantae species
to identify sORF loci. Loci initially identified using the sORF Finder Pipeline
were subject to additional filters of increasing stringency to generate a subset
of high-confidence sORF genes. These filters included but were not limited
to verification of protein coding potential as evidenced by recognizable Pfam
protein domains versus non-coding RNAs. Interestingly, the numbers of highconfidence sORFs loci is not correlated to genome size or any other genome
size parameter.
To understand the evolution of these sORF genes, their protein products
were analyzed for orthology relationships. This yielded an interesting picture
of both conservation and lineage-specific diversification of these genes, as
observed across our taxonomically wide distribution of 43 plant species.
How habitat characteristics drive a direct relationship between reproduction and recruitment and the implications for marine management
Erin Satterthwaite | Ecology
The relationship between reproductive output and recruitment is a central
unanswered question for most marine populations. A direct relationship
between reproductive output and recruitment is often difficult to detect for
many species, and the underlying factors affecting the relationship are often
poorly explored. In this study, I investigated whether reproductive output
and subsequent recruitment were correlated in a model intertidal crustacean
species, the flat porcelain crab (Petrolisthes cinctipes), and which factors may
affect this relationship. I recorded field measurements of reproductive output,
recruitment and relevant biological and physical factors at five sites spanning
300 km of the Northern California coastline. Total reproductive output and
total recruitment were positively correlated: sites with greater reproductive
output had greater recruitment. Larger sites had more suitable habitat per
area and steeper habitats had lower ovigerous female and recruit densities.
Consequently, habitat characteristics appear to be an important driver of the
direct relationship between reproductive output and recruitment observed in
Petrolisthes cinctipes populations.
Lessons from the “Microbiology Revolution of Medicine”: Continuing
to Foster Interdisciplinary Relationships Between Microbiologists and
Medicical Professionals
Fabian Rivera-Chávez | Microbiology
Andreas J. Baumler, Christopher A. Lopez
The late 19th century marked the era for remarkable and revolutionary discoveries in microbiology that changed medicine forever. In 1861, Louis Pasteur
helped pave the way for modern microbiology by demonstrating that microscopic organisms in the air and not “Spontaneous Generation” was responsible
for contamination of flasks. This led to Louis Pasteur’s “Germ Theory of Disease” which hypothesized that some human diseases were caused by microbes.
These seemingly trivial advances in microbiology changed the dogma for what
was thought to cause disease and lead to advances in medicine that changed
the world by helping to eradicate diseases and significantly increasing average
lifespan around the world. Notably, Louis Pasteur’s development of the rabies
vaccine in 1885 lead to the beginning of bacteriology and the discovery of
antitoxins, and in 1891 a vaccine against diphtheria. These huge milestones in
medicine through microbiological research opened the doors for further medical discovery and advances that are still shaping medicine today. The lesson
learned from the “Microbiology Revolution of Medicine” lies in the interdisciplinary connection between basic microbiology research and medicine. To
this end, I propose a coalition that fosters communication between young
microbiology researchers and medical professionals in order to ensure that our
future will continute to see novel advancements in medicine.
Effects of the [GAR+] prion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae wine strains
Gordon A. Walker | Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular & Developmental
Biology
Linda F. Bisson
The Role of Keyboarding in the Development and Rentention of L2 Spanish Vocabulary
Annalisa Teixeira (née Corioso) | Spanish and Portuguese
Many researchers considering CALL (Computer-Assisted Language Learning) vocabulary development have looked extensively at the use of enhanced
input and depth of processing in determining what benefits technology might
afford L2 vocabulary development (Chun & Plass, 1997; Groot, 2000; Chun,
2006, Payne & Whitney, 2002; Yoshi & Flaitz, 2002; Loucky, 2006; Sagarra
& Alba, 2006). It is understood that visual cues are important for vocabulary
acquisition, but what has yet to be explored is the role that keyboarding, or
the tactile/visual act of typing new L2 vocabulary terms, might play in the
short-term and long-term development L2 vocabulary. The present study aims
to investigate the effect size of keyboarding with intermediate L2 Spanish
students by comparing the learning outcomes of an experimental group interacting with keyboard enabled flashcards with groups who do not. Research
questions include the following: (1) Do online flashcards that utilize keyboarding facilitate more successful short-term and long-term L2 vocabulary gains
compared to online flashcards that do not include this feature? (2) How
might the individual differences of initial vocabulary knowledge, keyboard-
An extreme preference for glucose as carbon source is a hallmark of Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolism. This preference can be overcome in cells that
harbor a prion known as the [GAR+] (for “resistant to glucose-associated
repression”) phenotype. Prions are proteins capable of two stable conformational states, one of which is self-templating. Yeast prions are heritable, dynamic, epigenetic “switches” that allow cells to quickly and reversibly diversify
their phenotypic output in response to stressful environmental conditions.
Interestingly we have seen that certain wine spoilage are capable of inducing
the [GAR+] prion in fermentation. This is particularly significant because we
have shown that [GAR+] prion negatively affects fermentation performance.
We have indeed observed that problem fermentations occur when spoilage
bacteria induces [GAR+] in a fermenting yeast population. We have worked to
characterize the physiological changes happening in response to prion induction to better understand problem fermentations caused by [GAR+].
18
in the gain domain may be more complex. Bolstered by theory on positivity
offset (i.e., the motivation to approach in novel environments), we propose
that in the gain domain, positive frames are stickier than negative frames but
only when issues are novel to participants. Our results provide accumulating
evidence consistent with this hypothesis.
Using a Crossover Randomized Design to Determine Acceptability of a
Chickpea-Sesame Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food
in School Children in Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia
Hanqi Luo | Epidemiology
Bitiya Admassu, Peter Akomo, Adela Hruby, Kate Sadler
Chickpea- and Sesame-based Ready-To-Use-Food (CS-RUF) has been
successfully used for nutrition rehabilitation of HIV-infected, malnourished
adults in several research programs in Malawi. However, the acceptability
of the original CS-RUF was poor in children with severe acute malnutrition
in both Malawi and Bangladesh. A randomized crossover controlled trial
was designed to assess the tolerance and sensory characteristics of a newly
formulated CS-RUF among young children in Jimma, Southern Ethiopia. Fifty
children were divided into two groups in random order. The groups received
either two servings of the CS-RUF (150g/meal) or local porridge (150 g/meal)
in two 2-wk phases with a 2-wk washout period in between. Participants
consumed significantly more porridge than CS-RUF (P <0.05). However,
due to the low calorie density of local porridge, energy intake from CS-RUF
was approximately 900 kcal/d higher than porridge. Participants exhibited
increased preference for the CS-RUF over a longer period. Participants did
not demonstrate differences in preference for RUF versus porridge in terms of
color, taste, or texture. This trial demonstrates that this CS-RUF formulation
is acceptable to young children, with high levels of contentment, and is safe to
be clinically trialed as a supplementary and/or complementary food for use in
interventions to treat or prevent undernutrition.
Dynamic and Selective Enhancement of Neural Sound Processing During
Auditory Attention
Josh Downer | Neuroscience
Mitch Sutter
Two people having conversation at a crowded party must tune out a huge
amount of noise to tune in to each other’s voices. This behavior is commonly
called “selective listening” and is among the most amazing and least wellunderstood feats of the nervous system. One theory of selective listening is
that single neurons can rapidly change how they respond to specific sound
features to enhance or suppress the representation of those features. Unfortunately, this theory has proven difficult to test and thus the neural mechanisms
of selective listening remain obscure. In the present study, we have trained
non-human primates to perform a complex listening task in which they must
periodically switch their attention between two different sound features. We
have simultaneously recorded from single neurons in a sound-processing brain
region while they perform this task. We find that these neurons possess a
remarkable capacity to change how they respond to sounds. Neurons respond
robustly to a given feature when animals are attending to that feature and
suppress their response to that feature when the animal must ignore it. These
results constitute a crucial advance in our understanding of how the brain
supports selective listening.
Cross-modal plasticity following early loss of vision
James Dooley | Neuroscience
Leah Krubitzer
Previously, our laboratory has examined the effects of early visual loss at
the earliest possible stages of visual development. These studies show that
neurons in what would otherwise be primary visual cortex become responsive
to somatosensory and auditory stimuli. These results are corroborated by
connectional studies, indicating that large-scale changes in cortical organization and connectivity can occur by removing input from the eyes. Additionally,
we have shown that early visual loss also affects the cortical connectivity of
the spared sensory systems. In the present investigation, we examined the
projections from the thalamus (the primary subcortical structure projecting to
cortex) were altered following early enucleation. To accomplish this goal, we
performed enucleations both before and following the arrival of retinal ganglion cell axons to the thalamus and allowed animals to develop into adults.
Animals experiencing at both ages preserved the basic pattern of connectivity
as normal animals, however they also displayed exuberant thalamic projections, presumably due to these early manipulations.
When good is stickier than bad: Sequential framing effects in the gain
domain
Jehan Sparks | Psychology
Alison Ledgerwood
When are people more or less likely to get stuck thinking about things in one
way? One important factor shaping people’s thinking is the way the current
context is framed or described. Considerable research has demonstrated the
power of the current frame to shape people’s current judgments. But what
happens when frames change over time? People often come across the same information framed one way at first (e.g., positively), and subsequently reframed
in a different way (e.g., negatively). Despite the prevalence of sequential framing, few studies have examined implications of order effects (i.e, positive-first
vs. negative-first): What frame sticks in the mind and continues to influence
judgment, even in the face of an opposing frame?
Household Resources as Determinants of Child Mortality in Ghana
Jerry John Nutor | Nursing
Janice F. Bell
The present research expands on past work to look at frame stickiness when
issues are framed in terms of the presence (gain) and absence (non-gain) of
positive outcomes. Study 1 showed that although the tendency for negative
frames to stick more than positive frames holds in the loss domain, this pattern significantly reverses in the gain domain. Study 2 suggests that the story
Digestion of complementary food proteins by human milk proteases
Junai Gan | Food Science
Weaning is a key life stage for infants, characterized by the dietary change
from mother’s milk to other foods, called complementary foods. Proteins in
complementary foods are essential for infant growth, yet they may promote
health problems like allergy, intolerance and microbiota dysbiosis. Epidemiological studies showed that continued breastfeeding while complementary
foods are introduced reduces the risk of allergic diseases. However, why
mother’s milk has such protective effects on infants remains unclear. We
hypothesize that a previously unrecognized bioactive component in mother’s
milk – proteases, interact with complementary food proteins and perform their
enzymatic actions in digesting otherwise intractable proteins. This work aims
to answer the following question: Do proteases in human milk help digest
proteins in complementary food? By detecting the intact protein and peptide
fragments, we are able to monitor the protein digestion process. Our study
on the interaction between human milk proteases and complementary food
proteins provides unique insights into the biological role of milk proteases,
offers science-based recommendations for weaning practice, and creates a
translational strategy to improve infant health.
Examining Gender Roles and Expectations to Understand the Educational
Experiences of Hmong Male Students
Kaozong Mouavangsou | Education
According to the 2013 U.S. Census, on average, Hmong male students are
graduating at a higher rate than Hmong female students; however the preliminary data in this study shows that the Hmong community believes that
Hmong female students are the ones excelling in school. Past research on
Hmong student’s education have concluded that differences in gender roles
and expectations may play a role in the success of Hmong women’s attempts
to pursue a higher education. However, these studies fail to address the
degree to which the same may or may not apply to Hmong men. The present
study interviewed Hmong families to understand the educational difference
between Hmong male and female students from the perspective of the parents
and siblings. Ultimately, this study seeks to understand the structural forces
that influence the survey participants’ perception of Hmong male students by
investigating how gender roles and expectations shape the educational experiences of Hmong students.
19
Timescales of Eruptible Magma Storage at Lassen Volcanic Center, CA:
Insights from Plagioclase Diffusion Profiles
Kevin L. Schrecengost | Igneous Petrology & Geochemsitry
Kari M. Cooper, Fidel Costa Rodriguez, Adam J.R. Kent
were interested in the mechanism, and how successful the mechanism was at
improving students’ grades.
The physical and thermal conditions of magma storage and remobilization are
poorly understood; however, these conditions strongly influence the behavior
of volcanic systems and eruptive style. We combine U-series crystal ages and
diffusion durations from trace-element diffusion profiles to examine the physical conditions of magma storage and subsequent remobilization for two recent
eruptions (Lassen Peak: 1915; Chaos Crags: 1144 ± 23 ka) at Lassen Volcanic
Center, CA. These eruptions share similar geochemical mixing trends, but contrasting eruptive styles. U-series geochronology and trace-element diffusion
allow us to evaluate different aspects and timescales of magmatic processes
and to constrain the thermal histories of magma bodies. Together these data
provide the percentage of time spent at temperatures where magmas are
mobile and eruptible, the duration of magma storage (time spent above temperatures of rheological lock-up, ~40-50% crystalline), and lag time between
eruption and mixing events. Preliminary diffusion timescales from plagioclase
trace-element profiles indicate durations of magma storage at eruptible conditions on the order of 10-1000 years for the Chaos Crags and 1915 eruptions at
the Lassen Volcanic Center.
One Health Nicaragua: Empowering current & future health workers in
Nicaragua & California
Laura Budd | Veterinary Medicine
Samantha Lawton, Carolina Vicario, Karen Soreneson, Rebeccah Landman
One Health Nicaragua is a UC Davis graduate student-led, interdisciplinary
collaboration with community health leaders in Sabana Grande, Nicaragua to
develop innovative and sustainable solutions to local health problems. This
partnership has two primary goals: 1.To use education and capacity-building
to address this underserved community’s interrelated animal and human
health needs 2.To provide students first-hand experience working as a multidisciplinary team to address global health issues in a culturally sensitive and
sustainable way. Annual needs assessments and interviews with community
health workers identify topics for educational interventions. Workshops
are designed to empower Nicaraguan health workers to better disseminate
their knowledge and to assist animal owners to build skills to optimize food
production through active animal health management. Students from the
DVM, MD, MPH, and IAD programs contribute their expertise and collaborate to address complicated health challenges. Students develop skills in
grant-writing, international project management, public speaking, education,
cultural sensitivity, and leadership. One Health Nicaragua is an innovative and
mutually beneficial collaboration between graduate students and community
partners to design sustainable solutions to complex health challenges. Current
achievements include the formation of a human and animal health worker
cooperation, a locally led workshop on poultry vaccination, and a voluntary
300-chicken vaccination campaign. Student successes include obtaining funding for project expenses, presenting at relevant conferences, and continuing to
attract and inspire incoming students and faculty. The sustainable nature of
this project will allow continued positive outcomes for future generations of
students and community members alike.
College Better: Parimutuel Betting Markets as a Commitment Device and
Monetary Incentive
Lester Lusher | Economics
What would happen if we allowed undergraduate students the opportunity
to place a bet on themselves to achieve an academic goal, and rewarded them
with money if they subsequently achieved the goal? Researchers from the
fields of economics and education have long been interested in how students
respond to various monetary incentive schemes. Through an experiment
with over 1,000 undergraduate students at UC Davis, I implemented a novel
mechanism loosely based off of parimutuel betting markets which encourages students to commit to goals and earn money for succeeding in college.
Here’s how the mechanism, called CollegeBetter, worked. Undergraduates
were invited at the beginning of the Winter quarter to place a $10 wager on
themselves to raise their cumulative GPA by the end of the quarter. These $10
wagers were collected into one giant pot of money. At the end of the quarter,
those students who successfully raised their cumulative GPAs split the pot
of money evenly; those students who did not successfully raise their cumulative GPA lost their $10 buy-in fee. In this study, we identify which students
Understanding The First Effective Vaccination Against A Cancer: Interactions Of Marek’s Disease Virus And Vaccines With The Host Genome
Marla McPherson | Integrative Genetics and Genomics
Mary E. Delany, Hans Chang
Marek’s Disease Virus (MDV) is a herpesvirus that gives rise to Marek’s Disease (MD) within its natural host, chicken (Gallus gallus). MD is characterized by blindness, paralysis, and the development of tumors. Disease-causing
MDV strains are known to integrate into the host telomeres during disease
pathogenesis. MD vaccinations are currently administered to chickens to
prevent fatal tumor development after MDV infection; establishing these vaccines as the first effective against a cancer-causing virus. The life cycles of MD
vaccines in the host and a precise mechanism explaining the anti-tumor effect
of vaccination are not adequately described in the scientific literature. In this
study, we characterized host-vaccine interactions at the level of the genome
during the first 3 weeks after inoculation. We established that MD vaccines
are able to integrate into host telomeres, but do not establish a latency-associated phenotype. Our current aim is to study changes in the interactions of
disease-causing MDV with the host DNA in vaccinated vs. unvaccinated birds.
Our results highlight that the establishment of a viral stage known as latency
and the associated viral phenotype may be a critical precursor to tumorigenesis.
What’s Working Memory, Attention, and Motivation Have to do with
Writing?: Exploring Writing Ability in School-Age Children with HighFunctioning Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Matthew C. Zajic | Education
Nancy S. McIntyre, Lindsay E. Swain-Lerro, Tasha M. Oswald, Peter C. Mundy
Writing is a complex social-communicative act that requires using sociocognitive processes to produce effective text for specific contexts. When considering how disabilities, such as high-functioning autism spectrum disorder
(HFASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), complicate
these processes, writing becomes even more complex. Though working
memory, attention, and motivation have been studied to various degrees, little
research exists on how children with HFASD and ADHD engage with these
processes during writing. Using a sample of 180 children (ages 8 to 16) from a
four-year longitudinal study, my research explores how these three processes
may impact children’s writing across three distinct writing tasks. In my
talk, I discuss preliminary findings regarding diagnostic group differences in
writing and show how these processes vary across writing tasks. Exploring
the processes involved in different writing tasks will help researchers better
understand why some school-age children with disabilities struggle with writing, how to better develop instruction for navigating complex writing tasks,
and how reliance on different processes in different writing tasks complicates
our understanding of writing ability.
Brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys Stal) poses a threat to
California rice
Mohammad-Amir Aghaee | Entomology
Jhalendra Rijal, Larry D. Godfrey
The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys Stal) is an invasive
stink bug from Asia that has been spreading over the United States since 1998.
It was detected in Sacramento for the first time in 2013. Many are concerned
that the H. halys could be a threat to the California rice industry. A greenhouse
study conducted in Davis examined the effect of feeding by H. halys adults
on kernel weight at the milk, soft dough and hard dough stage of rice kernel
development. Fecundity of these adults was also examined over the course of
the study. Evidence from these studies show H. halys damages maturing rice
kernels. Kernel weights were reduced in the presence of H. halys (F = 7.04, df =
1, p = 0.0137), but not across kernel development stage. There was a significant
interaction between the kernel development stage and presence of stink bugs,
which revealed that damage was only significant during the milk stage (F =
14.65, df =1 , p = 0.007). There were more aborted kernel on panicles that had
been fed on during the milk stage. Kernels from the soft dough and hard dough
stages that had been infested with stink bugs were more prone to rotting,
breaking, and discoloration
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Rapid evolution of Rana draytonii behavioral responses to an introduced
predator
Rachel Anderson | Ecology
Sharon Lawler
The American Bullfrog (Lithobates (Rana) catesbeianus) is a voracious global
invader implicated in the decline of native amphibian species, including the
threatened California Red-legged Frog (Rana draytonii). Limited evidence
suggests populations of native amphibians that have co-occurred with bullfrogs for many generations may show adaptive responses to bullfrog presence.
We examined whether R. draytonii larvae from populations syntopic with
bullfrogs would show a response to chemical cues from overwintered bullfrog
larvae. In the presence of these cues, early-stage syntopic larvae decreased
movement, consistent with an innate defense, while allotopic larvae did not
show behavioral changes. Additionally, the syntopic larvae showed increased
activity in the absence of cues, indicating a potential response to the competitive effects of coexisting with bullfrog larvae. These results indicate that rapid
evolution can be induced in native amphibians by invasive bullfrogs. In ongoing work, we test if co-evolved red-legged frog larvae survive or grow better
with bullfrogs than do allopatric populations.
radiative budget and the degree of scattering is size-dependent. Thus aerosols
scatter more light at elevated relative humidities when they grow larger via
water uptake. This growth depends on critically chemical composition. SSA
can become enriched in organics during phytoplankton blooms, becoming less
salty and therefore less hygroscopic. Aerosol hygroscopicity of SSA sampled
during an in-lab phytoplankton bloom (including the death of the bloom) was
measured during the CAICE-IMPACTS 2014 study. SSA were generated via
breaking waves in an enclosed 33 m wave channel filled with natural seawater.
Aerosol hygroscopicity was characterized by measuring light extinction at 532
nm of dry aerosols and of aerosols humidified to 85% relative humidity using
a Cavity Ringdown Spectrometer. These optical growth factors (humidified
extinction/dry extinction) were converted to physical growth factors using
Mie Theory calculations and aerosol size distributions measured by a scanning electrical mobility spectrometer (SEMS) and an aerodynamic particle
sizer (APS). Growth factors for super and sub-micron SSA were quantified
separately through the use of a PM2.5 cyclone or PM1 impactor. The observed
SSA growth factors will be linked to SSA and source water chemical composition determined by both offline and online analysis of samples. The SSA bulk
growth factors will also be compared with concurrent measurements of the
efficiency with which SSA acted as cloud condensation nuclei. Observed SSA
growth factors will also be compared to offline hygroscopic growth measurements.
The role of loanwords on second language pronunciation
Renee Kemp | Linguistics
Using ReSET and Sialosyl Iodide as Chemical Probes to Study Sialic Acid
(Neu5Ac) and Beyond
Simon Park | Chemistry
Jacquelyn Gervay-Hauge
Acquiring highly proficient or native-like pronunciation skills in a second
language (L2) can be one of the most challenging parts of language learning.
Previous work in linguistics and psychology have found that factors such as
the age of acquisition for an L2 has a large effect on the accuracy of learners’
pronunciation. Far less work, however, has been conducted on the potential
influence of loanwords on L2 pronunciation. The pronunciation of loanwords, lexical items borrowed from one language into another (e.g., the use
of Spanish words such as canyon and burrito in English), can vary depending
upon aspects such as the borrowing language’s sound inventory. Japanese is
particularly interesting because an estimated 10% of its vocabulary derives
from English and there is a large population of Japanese learners of English.
This current work describes a speech production experiment I conducted on
loanword pronunciation with L1 Japanese subjects currently learning English.
I found that the pronunciation of English-based loanwords was distinct from
the pronunciation of both native Japanese and English words; thus, loanword
pronunciation appears to be separate category, which has implications for
language learning and teaching.
In mammalian cells, glycans comprised of sialic acids play an important role
in various biochemical pathways. Sialic acid is a family of more than 50 forms
and N-acetyl neuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) is the most common form in mammalian cells. In recent years, reports show that partially O-acetylated Neu5Ac
derivatives pose diverse functions in bacteria and mammalian cells. However,
harsh extraction conditions and labile/migration properties of the O-ester
groups limit accessible quantities for biochemical studies where purity is a
virtue. To overcome this challenge, a series of partially O-acetylated Neu5Ac
were synthesized using regioselective silyl exchange technology (ReSET) to
serve as standards and substrates for chemoenzymatic studies that can lead to
unique sialoglycoconjugates. In addition, a novel sialosyl iodide was developed
to provide a chemical methodology by which a-sialosterols could be prepared.
Sialosyl iodide serves as a donor that gives exclusively a-linked sialosides.
a-Sialosterols have been shown to have neuritogenic activity in NIE.115 neuroblastoma cells. In conjunction with the developed methodologies, understanding the role of sialic acid in biological systems can be explored further.
Dynamic of Nano-second Laser Ablation with High Temporal and Spatial
Resolution
Sahar Hihath | Physics
Melissa Santala, Geoffrey Campbell, Klaus van Benthem
NOTICE ME: The Politics of Federal Recognition in California
Vanessa Esquivido-Meza | Native American Studies
Laser ablation processes, which involves removal of a material from a substrate
has significant applications in both industry and academia ranging from printing circuit boards (PCB) to investigating of material responses subject to laser
irradiation. The early stages of laser ablation of nickel thin films on a (100) silicon substrate with high temporal and spatial resolution were captured with
the Dynamic Transmission Electron Microscope (DTEM), which is equipped
with a drive laser to induce a reaction across a sample and a probe laser to
capture the kinetics with high temporal resolution. Time-resolved images with
nanosecond resolution reveal the dewetting of the nickel thin film followed by
substrate fracture and nanosized particle formation. To understand the temperature variation across the sample finite element simulation was performed
using the Fourier’s law via the COMSOL Multiphysics software package.
Spatio-temporal temperature profiles indicate that the nickel film was melted
on the regions where dewetting was experimentally observed. The findings of
this research will pave the way to better understand the mechanisms that are
involved in laser ablation processes.
Variations in water uptake of sea spray aerosol as chemical composition
evolves during phytoplankton blooms
Sarah Forestieri | Civil and Environmental Engineering
Kimberly A. Prather, Christopher D. Cappa
Marine sea spray aerosols (SSA) make up a significant portion of natural aerosols and are therefore important in establishing the baseline for anthropogenic
aerosol climate impacts. Scattering of solar radiation by aerosols affects Earth’s
81 Native American tribes continue to fight for federal recognition in California. The federal acknowledgement process (FAP) has been used to deny
Native American tribes federal recognition since its inception in 1978; only
recognizing seventeen tribes in the past 37 years. This paper engages with the
federal recognition process and the meaning it holds for Native tribes that
remain unrecognized by the federal government. This paper is particularly
interested in what this means for Native women who are often invisiblized.
As a member of a non-federally recognized tribe, Nor Rel Muk Wintu Nation,
located in Northern California I speak from firsthand knowledge of what it
means to be a non-recognized Indian. The Nor Rel Muk Wintu first submitted their petition in 1984 to the Office of Federal Acknowledgement; 31 years
later, the tribe is still fighting for it. They continue to work on their petition
by submitting supplements to their petition. Every year that they remain nonrecognized is a violation of their sovereignty, a continual injustice of Native
erasure and oppression.Federal recognition is important because it is a conversation happening in numerous places, Native American Studies, federal Indian
law, building environmental policies, anthropology, history, and so many
more academic disciplines. This is also immensely important to Native tribes.
Non-recognized tribes hold no rights to receive health care, government-togovernment relationships (sovereignty), and political representation. By not
recognizing tribes it erases the history of genocide of this settler state. Native
peoples continue to survive, revitalize their culture and continue to fight to be
recognized by the federal government.
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Impacts of Weather and Climate on the Transatlantic Slave Trade
William Turner IV | Atmospheric Science
GI inflammation within the ASD population
Destanie Rose | Immunology
Two hundred years ago marked the end of what was the largest forced migration of people from Africa to the Americas: The Transatlantic Slave Trade
(TAST). During this period, the Earth was in a climatic aberration known as
the Little Ice Age (LIA). This study focuses on an unresolved question in the
history of science: how did the weather and climate during the LIA affect the
TAST? To answer this question, an interdisciplinary approach is required; one
that combines the mathematics of climate reconstruction, statistical analysis
of data, and historical evaluations of Africa’s cultural impact on the Americas.
To carry out the analysis, data obtained from Global Ship Observations, The
Maury Collection, 1792–1910 and the Slave Voyages Data Set will be used to
reconstruct the weather and climate patterns during the TAST. These patterns
will be compared with present-day to determine to what extent the weather
and climate during the TAST was anomalous. An assessment will then be
made to determine how the weather patterns affected the frequency and ship
routes of slave voyages, and Africa’s cultural impact on the Americas.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders that
affect 1 in 68 children in the U.S. Many children with ASD also suffer from
co-morbidities such as epilepsy, sleep issues, gastrointestinal (GI) issues, etc…
We wanted to determine if the GI symptoms experiences by some children
with ASD stemmed from immune dysfunction, focusing particularly on lymphocytes that have been to the GI. For this study we utilized subjects from the
Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and Environment (CHARGE) study.
Subjects were assessed for GI symptoms and placed into one of four groups:
ASD with GI symptoms, ASD without GI symptoms, TD with GI symptoms
and TD without GI symptoms. Each subject underwent behavioral assessment
and had blood drawn. Blood was processed for plasma and peripheral blood
mononuclear cells (PBMC). PBMC were stimulated with immune stimulates
and cultured supernatants were collected and cells were analyzed via flow
cytometry for surface markers and intracellular cytokines. We found that
PBMC from children with ASD had increased cytokine production compared
to TD controls and those children with ASD and GI symptoms had a different
cytokine profile from ASD without GI symptoms. In addition children with
ASD also had decreased number of regulatory T cells compared to TDs and this
was more dramatic in children with both ASD and GI symptoms.
Latin@ STEM Majors in Community College: A Case Study of One Successful Student-Organized Calculus Study Group
Angelica Cortes | Education
Where the Wild Things Aren’t: Freud 101+Children’s Books on the Couch
Eric Taggart | Performance Studies
Calculus is a gatekeeper course for many college students who aspire to attain
a baccalaureate degree in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. For community college STEM majors, not passing calculus
during the first attempt delays their time to transfer and, in some cases, not
passing the course in subsequent attempts deters them from their intended
major. Previous research shows that studying in groups increases minority
student success in calculus at the university level. Less is known about STEM
student study practices at the community college level, and in particular,
about Latin@ STEM majors. This study documents the study practices of
Latina@ STEM majors at one California community college through the use
of ethnographic research methods. Findings show students studied alone,
in groups, or in some combination and incorporated various forms of study
spaces and technological resources. In one successful study group, members
used key study spaces and technology in a multitude of ways that allowed
them access to resources beyond those available on campus. Future research
based on this study includes a statewide survey of underrepresented STEM
majors’ experiences as well as investigating how access to a suitable study
space, student engagement with online videos, and student-produced videos
of problem-solving group sessions can improve success in calculus and other
mathematics courses.
This presentation uses psychoanalysis and attachment theory to perform a
playful exploration of Max and his journey to Where the Wild Things Are.
Because who doesn’t like story time?
The #linguistic Properties of Twitter Hashtags (or, Mining Twitter for
Tags)
Christopher Graham | Linguistics
Determination of the Geographical Origin of Green Coffee Using Stable
Isotope Ratio and Elemental Analysis
Courtney K Tanabe | Forensic Science
Moshe Rosenberg, Sue Ebeler, Jenny Nelson
A growing global market for specialty coffees of specific regional origin
exists and has led to increasing occurrences of fraud and adulteration that
affect coffee growers, processors, and consumers. Effective means for reliable
authentication of region-specific coffee are needed. The objective of this
research was to investigate the applicability and challenge the reliability of utilizing elemental compositions and stable isotope ratios as effective means for
identifying and authenticating the regional origin of green coffee beans (GCB).
GCB samples of Coffea arabica from Colombia, Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, and
Ethiopia were investigated. The concentrations of 40 elements were determined by ICP-MS and ICP-OES; the stable isotope ratios of C and N were determined using IRMS. The data were processed and challenged for significance
by ANOVA, PCA, and PLS-DA tests. The investigated compositional variables
allowed discriminating GCB samples according to their country of origin. Data
obtained with Colombian, Indonesian, Ethiopian, and Brazilian GCB samples
presented discernable distinctions based on regional origin (in the country).
Some of the Colombian GCB samples could be distinguished based on their
municipality of origin (in a given region). Results indicated the validity and
applicability of the analytical approaches and present new opportunities when
traceability and authentication of GCB are considered.
The social phenomenon of hashtags, begun on Twitter and now seemingly
ubiquitous with usage in multiple forms of media, has been studied previously
primarily with respect to information diffusion (cf. Cunha et al., 2011) or to
discourse classification (cf. Davidov, Tsur, and Rappoport, 2010). The present
study aims to shed light on the underlying syntactic and lexical properties of
Twitter hashtags, with the ultimate goal of describing their distribution in a
novel, linguisitcally-motivated way. A script was developed to mine Twitter’s
public stream over time for English-language tweets containing hashtags, and
those hashtags were then tokenized and categorized using a variety of lexical
or syntactic criteria. Statistics over the resultant categorical sets and supersets
suggest an emerging underlying ‘grammar’ of hashtags which is unique to them
alone. Figures for mean length of tweet suggest a link between commonality
and shortness which is congruent with well-accepted linguistic principles of
efficiency. These findings can inform not only linguistic inquiry but also the
development of web search and indexing technologies, where knowing the
most common properties of hashtags improves speed and accuracy in machine
interpretation.
Against Erasure: Towards a Pedagogical Strategy for (Re)Claiming
GLBTQ2 Epistemologies
Dani “Ahuicapahtzin” Cornejo | Native American Studies
The process of colonization has produced an unprecedented loss of Indigenous
knowledge, especially with regards to components of tradition that U.S.
dominance deems deviant, such as traditional conceptions of 3rd, 4th, and
5th gender. This loss of knowledge has gone hand-in-hand with a process of
socialization that has positioned heteropatriarchy as the norm and GLBTQ2 as
“perverse.” U.S. public education has played a central role in the socialization
of heteropatriarchy within Native communities through institutions such as
“Indian” Boarding Schools. In the present GLBTQ2 issues remain taboo within
the context of public education in the United States and by extension public
education offered to Native students in urban environments. Resources that
address GLBTQ2 issues within the realm of public education are scarce and
resources that address Two-Spirit issues within the realm of public education are non-existent. The invisibilization of the GLBTQ2 population in
educational discourse presents a tremendous gap in knowledge that needs
to be addressed. In this presentation I will discuss a proposal for designing
Native educational hubs, informed by Indigenous holistic models of education,
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that engage pedagogies of community building, using mosaic methodologies,
for the purpose of engaging GLBTQ2 issues in the classroom. Furthermore I
seek to engage the mosaic methodology in producing “La Danza de Tonantzin”
framework that will support Native students in (re)claiming GLBTQ2 epistemologies.
Spatio-Temporal Interpolation of Childhood Malnutrition in Nigeria
Elise Hellwig | Ecology
Robert Hijmans
The height of a child at a given age, ‘height for age’, is one of the most accurate
and least invasive indicators of childhood malnutrition. The Demographic and
Health Survey (DHS) program has gathered height for age data worldwide
over the past 30 years. Four DHS surveys in Nigeria provide an opportunity to
explor the capacity of space-time interpolationto create a robust and univied
picture of malnutrition from these data sets. This study used thin plate splines
(TPS) to interpolate mean height for age Z-scores in space and time in Nigeria.
Both space and space-time interpolations shows significant improvements
in malnutrition across most of Nigeria, though the north generally lagged
behind the south. Both TPS interpolations exhibited lower RMSE values than
a national average. The space-time interpolation also provided a coherent
progression from 1990 to 2013, and easily generated reasonable predictions for
years not sampled. The space only interpolation seemed to be more susceptible
to fitting noise and did not produce unsampled year predictions. Overall, the
space-time TPS interpolation provided a more useful and reliable product than
a space only interpolation for assessing the state of childhood malnutrition in
Nigeria.
Posters |
Understanding the role of surface chemical properties of cellulose
fibrils in productive cellulase binding during hydrolysis
Akshata Mudinoor | Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Tina Jeoh
The molecular scale mechanisms of cellulose hydrolysis is still poorly understood. We recently showed that a stark contrast in the digestibility of Cellulose from two sources–bacterial cellulose from Gluconacetobacter xylinus
and algal cellulose from Cladophora aegagropila, both sources a mixture of
Cellulose Ia and Iß, by Trichoderma reesei Cel7A (TrCel7A) are likely due to
differences in reducing-end accessibility in the contrasting fibril architecture.
We further demonstrated that mechanically increasing the available reducing ends did not impact the rate of hydrolysis by TrCel7A. The accessibility
of these available reducing ends play a big role in cellulose hydrolysis that
ultimately affects productive binding releasing sugar; however, little is known
about the spatial distribution of accessible reducing ends on cellulose fibrils.
TrCel7A binds to the cellulose surface by hydrophobic interactions via its
carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) while its catalytic domain (CD) binds
individual cellodextrins in its active site predominantly by hydrogen bonding
interactions. We hypothesize that a surface chemistry map of the cellulose fibril can reveal the binding sites of TrCel7A by its CBM and where the enzymes
may locate an accessible reducing end for productive binding. Moreover we
hypothesize that mapping changes to the surface chemistry of the cellulose fibrils due to enzyme action will provide insights into the evolving recalcitrance
of the insoluble substrate. We present results from applying chemical force
microscopy to quantify the ratio of hydrophilic to hydrophobic areas on cellulose fibrils to understand the role of surface chemical properties on productive
and non-productive binding of TrCel7A to cellulose.
Transcriptional Regulation of Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Arabidopsis thaliana
Allison Gaudinier | Plant Biology
Christophe Liseron-Monfils, Lifang Zhang, Bo Shen, Doreen Ware, Siobhan
Brady
As sessile organisms, plants have limited means to explore and acquire nutrients from the environment. Roots are an essential component for stabilizing the plant and taking up nutrients from the soil for the entire plant. The
primary root of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana is used as a system to
uncover how plants genetically control the uptake of and respond to varying
levels of nutrients. Nitrogen (N) is an essential element needed by plants in
greater amounts than any other mineral element and is necessary for basic cellular function. Higher plants most commonly take up N in the form of nitrate,
but nitrate sources are often insufficient and heterogeneous in the soil. We are
mapping transcriptional control of genes involved in the uptake, assimilation
and downstream N metabolism. We are using publicly available gene expression datasets combined with possible transcriptional regulators to prioritize
transcription factors involved in N metabolism. Current analysis of mutants
for developmental and physiological defects in response to different nitrate
environments will be compared to expression analysis to determine the in vivo
role of novel transcription factors found in this study.
Requirements for Neurogenin2 in the developing mammalian
retina
Angelica Kowalchuk | Integrative Genetics and Genomics
Kate A. Maurer, Nadean L. Brown
The retina is a highly organized structure comprised of seven different cell
types. Successful differentiation of this organized structure is important for
the proper neural crosstalk that enables normal vision. Understanding the differentiation factors is key in elucidating how the developing retina functions
and the consequences when these pathways are disrupted. Murine cell type
differentiation follows a distinct order, occurring in a sequence that is both
sequential and overlapping. The overlapping sequence is determined by many
signaling factors that work both extrinsically and intrinsically in the cell of the
mouse retina. Neurogenesis is regulated intrinsically by many bHLH transcription factors including Neurogenin2 (Neurog2). Evaluation of prenatal retinas
has suggested that Neurog2 has a role in rod photoreceptor development.
Elucidation of the role of Neurog2 in the developing retina will be needed to
further our knowledge about the crucial developmental pathways necessary
for proper visual connections.
Damage to the medial temporal lobes impairs spatial precision and
spatiotemporal binding while sparing allocentric memory
Branden Kolarik | Psychology
Alyssa A. Borders, Andrew P. Yonelinas, Arne D. Ekstrom
Separate lines of research suggest roles for the human hippocampus in both
spatial navigation and the binding of item and context information in episodic
memory. Reconciling these two accounts has proven difficult. Here, we tested
a novel model of hippocampal function termed the perception and binding
model (PBM) (Yonelinas, 2013), which postulates roles for the hippocampus
in complex, high-resolution binding as part of a larger role in both perception
and memory. Using a virtual analogue of the Morris Water Maze (vMWM),
we tested a patient with damage to the medial temporal lobes (MTL) on
multiple probe locations over different delay intervals. We analyzed search
patterns on probe trials using a sliding window centered on the hidden target
rather than employing spatial quadrants, as done in past work, because this
method might be better poised to reveal deficits in spatial precision. Analysis
of patient search patterns during probe trials revealed a tendency to search the
area of the hidden platform although with less spatial precision than controls.
These data suggest that in a patient with MTL damage, some allocentric
spatial memory is spared but the precision of this memory is reduced relative
to controls. Additionally, using a modified version of our task, we show that
memory and precision impairments become more severe when required to
remember more than one location. These second set of finding suggest deficits
in spatiotemporal binding. Together, our findings suggest a role for the hippocampus in spatial precision and spatiotemporal binding, consistent with the
PBM model.
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Risky Business: Risk and Responsibility Messages in Teen Sex
Romps
in order to confirm this.
Cassandra Alexopoulos | Communication
Laramie Taylor
Previous research on media effects has revealed a relationship between exposure to sexual content on screen and sexual attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.
Highly sexual films targeting adolescent audiences (teen sex romps) may be
particularly influential. A content analysis was conducted examining the frequency of sexual behavior, talk about sex, and risk and responsibility messages
in the films of the teen sex romp genre. The development of patterns of representations in these films was examined by comparing their frequency in teen
sex romps produced in the 1980s and those produced in the 2000s. In a sample
of thirty teen sex romp films, messages related to sexual precaution appeared
only once for every 10 instances of sexual behavior, and mentions of birth
control occurred approximately once for every 17 conversations about sex.
Implications for questions of media influence and sexual health are discussed.
Analysis of non-enzymatic collagen crosslinks in engineered cellsecreted extracellular matrices
Debika Mitra | Biomedical Engineering
Hussain Fatakdawala, Laura Marcu, J. Kent Leach
Diabetic patients suffer from significantly reduced bone healing compared
to otherwise healthy patients. The extracellular matrix (ECM) serves as the
instruction manual for cells, and hyperglycemia results in the formation of
non-enzymatic crosslinks, such as pentosidine (PENT) between collagen
fibrils of the ECM. PENT can diminish bone biomechanical properties and impair the osteogenic response of bone-forming osteoblasts. Current techniques
for studying PENT are destructive, and often employ collagen films rather than
complex ECMs found in vivo. Moreover, the effect of PENT on progenitor
cells like mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which differentiate into osteoblasts, has not been investigated. We addressed these challenges by exposing
cell-secreted decellularized matrices (DMs) to ribose treatment and using
non-destructive Time-Resolved Fluorescence Spectroscopy (TRFS) to detect
PENT. A significant blue shift in peak fluorescence and reduction in average
lifetime were observed, indicating the formation of a new autofluorescent
biomolecule, presumably PENT. We are currently using HPLC to confirm the
presence of PENT and validate TRFS as a more efficient method of crosslink
detection. Preliminary studies also show that total calcium deposited by MSCs
was significantly reduced due to crosslinking. The model system developed
here may provide an alternate method to determine the role of PENT in impaired diabetic bone healing.
Removal of competing vegetation in post-fire areas targeted for
reforestation increases understory plant species richness
Gabrielle N. Bohlman | Ecology
Malcolm North, Hugh D. Safford
Large, high severity fires are becoming more prevalent throughout Sierra
Nevada mixed conifer forests due to heavy fuel loading and forest densification caused by past and current management practices. These large areas
of severely burned forests require active reforestation in order to prevent a
potential type-conversion to shrub fields. Typical reforestation efforts utilize
a variety of tools (e.g. mechanical and/or chemical) to reduce shrub competition and promote conifer survival and growth. For years managers have carried
out reforestation efforts without fully understanding how understory species
richness and composition are altered by these practices. The objectives of
this study were to (1) determine whether a difference in understory species
richness exists between actively reforested areas and areas left to regenerate
naturally after high severity fire in mixed-conifer forests; (2) assess whether
differences in exotic species richness exist; and (3) identify the key environmental gradients driving understory species richness. Plots were installed
throughout three different aged fires located in the South Fork of the American
River canyon. All three experienced large, stand-replacing fire and had areas
that were actively reforested and areas that were left alone to regenerate on
their own. Preliminary results suggest that native understory plant species
richness is significantly higher in reforested areas where removal of shrub competition took place. Non-native species show an initial increase in richness but
this increase disappears as time since disturbance increases. Soil moisture and
overstory shrub cover (shrubs = 6ft. tall) appear to be the key factors driving
understory species richness levels but further analysis needs to be carried out
Impact of Senescent Endothelial Cells on Vascular Smooth Muscle
Cells
Hyun Tae Hwang | Pharmacology & Toxicology
Anne A.Knowlton
Cellular senescence was at one time thought to be benign, but it is becoming
evident that senescent cells are associated with other deleterious consequences in aging organisms. To investigate this issue, we co-cultured human
microvascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) with SEN or early-passage (EP)
human EC, separated by a permeable membrane to allow both VSMC and EC
to communicate with secreted factors. We found that the coculture of VSMC
with EC synergistically elevated pro-inflammatory factors, IL-6, IL-8, and
MCP-1. While both SEN and EP cells increased the inflammatory factor release
by comparable levels, the amount released in SEN EC – VSMC coculture was
1.5- to 2- fold greater than in EP EC – VSMC co-culture. Then, we investigated
if SEN EC is involved in aggravating vascular dysfunction in older individuals. We found that coculture with SEN EC produced pro-vasodilatory protein
expression in VSMC, where pVASP/VASP ratio is increased and total VASP is
decreased, both by about a factor of 3. These findings suggest the role of senescent EC in modulating the physiology of the neighboring VSMC, potentially
contributing to the development of age-related disorders.
Therapeutic Benefits of Hot Springs Therapy in Healthcare: Lessons from Japan
Jennifer K. Fukasawa | Nursing
Gerald Kayingo
Hot Springs are one of the natural therapies frequently used in Japan. Currently, there is a lot of effort to increase awareness of the health benefits
associated with its naturally heated, mineral waters. In addition to its health
benefits, hot springs also provide a communal environment where people come
together and socialize, as one Japanese patron puts it, “once you are immersed
in a bath stripped of material possessions, everyone is equal.” The aim of this
study is to conduct a systematic review of studies and critic the evidence on
the therapeutic uses of these hot springs for both the prevention and treatment of diseases. A search strategy involving terms hot springs, Japan, onsen,
communal spas, wellness, prevention, treatment, and therapy, was conducted
using Medline via PubMed, Google Scholar and the Cochrane library. Two
reviewers independently reviewed the databases and extracted the data. The
therapeutic benefits of hot springs were reported in the following categories:
1) preventive uses; 2) chronic disease care; 3) rehabilitation. Statistically
significant benefits were reported for the management of atopic dermatitis,
asthma, chronic rheumatic diseases and musculoskeletal pain, improvement
in physical function, lowering blood pressure and treating psychosomatic
disorders. These health benefits are reported to be mediated via the autonomic
nervous system, endocrine and immune systems. Hot springs are an integral
part of Japanese culture and there is strong scientific evidence in support of
their therapeutic potential. In this era of worsening chronic diseases and costly
western medicine practices, hot springs may provide alternative or adjunctive
approaches to prevent disease and manage many of the chronic illnesses that
currently weaken our country.
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Remember to cast your vote for
People’s Choice!
An Evaluation of Extratropical Cyclone Statistics Using CLIVARtype Experiments
Josephine Fong | Atmospheric Science Graduate Group
Paul Ullrich, Prabhat, Michael Wehner
Extratropical cyclones are phenomena associated with transient low-pressure
systems occurring in the mid-latitudes, known for producing damaging levels
of wind, precipitation, low temperatures, and flooding. Statistics of extratropical cyclones from the Community Earth System Model (CESM) are assessed
using an automated detection and characterization-based approach. This
approach is applied to multi-year global simulations with static climatological
forcing using experiments developed by the US Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR) project. The CLIVAR experiments include (a) presentday greenhouse gas concentration and sea surface temperatures (SSTs), (b)
doubled atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, (c) increased global SSTs
by 2 degrees, and (d) a combination of (b) and (c). These configurations are
simulated using the global Community Atmosphere Model (CAM) version 5.1
at two horizontal resolutions, approximately 100 km and 25 km at the equator.
Across all detection schemes and resolutions, we find statistical significance
for decreasing extratropical cyclone counts in both hemispheres when SST increases by 2 degrees and when a combination of elevated SST is coupled with a
doubling of carbon dioxide.
Get Wild & Be Sexy: Discursive Practices of the ‘e.girl’
Kelly Corcoran | Linguistics
Magazines have been shown to combine various discourses with sociallyindexed linguistic features in order to create the identity and voice of an
idealized reader (e.g., the Cosmo girl). Women’s fashion magazines therefore
provide a lens through which a particular gendered identity can be analyzed.
‘egg’ is one of a number of alternative Japanese women’s fashion magazines
marketed to members of the ‘gal’ subculture, a popular group with both cultural anthropologists and popular media similar to the ‘Valley Girls’ of the United
States. By examining the text of an issue of egg magazine, I focused on the
discursive practices of the ‘e.girl’, the eponymous gal reader. I conclude that
e.girl identity is crucially the product of three distinct discourses: ‘sexyness’,
‘heterosexuality’, and ‘gang admiration’, which all fall under a larger youth
discourse of ‘play’. These discourses are reinforced through the creative use of
wordplay, slang, emoji, and written representations of casual oral styles.
Kinetics of Gastric Protein Digestion of Raw and Roasted Almonds in the Growing Pig
Krista Drechsler | Biological Systems Engineering
Gail Bornhorst, Carlos Montoya, R. Paul Singh
The chemical breakdown of dietary proteins begins in the stomach where
pepsin acts to cleave peptide bonds and break down proteins. This study
examined the kinetics of raw and roasted almond protein degradation in the
stomach of the growing pig. The gastric disappearance of almond proteins was
quantified by performing tricine-sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel
electrophoresis and subsequently Image J band analysis. An increase in gastric
protein disappearance was observed with increased digestion time. A greater
percent gastric disappearance was observed in the distal region than in the
proximal stomach region. Raw almonds generally showed greater gastric protein disappearance than roasted almonds. The three way interaction between
digestion time, stomach region, and almond type significantly influenced the
apparent degree of gastric protein breakdown (P < 0.05). This study displays
the importance of understanding the kinetics of protein breakdown for different dietary protein sources on the rate of protein breakdown.
Improving modeled snow depth and density within a coupled
multi-layer-vegetation-atmopshere model
Laura McGowan | Land Air Water Resources
Kyaw Tha Paw U, Davis Plyse, Shuhua Chen
Estimates of snow depth, extent, and melt in the Sierra Nevada Mountain
Range are critical to estimating the amount of water that will be available for
crops during the growing season within California’s Central Valley. Simulations utilizing a forth order turbulent closure transport scheme in a multilayer soil-vegetation-atmosphere model, Advanced Canopy-Atmosphere-Soil
Algorithm (ACASA), were used to explore snow model improvements in the
physics-based parameterization for the Sierra Nevada Range. Initially, severla
snow seasons were modeled with the original snow physics. After the intial
simulations were completed, a set of alterations were made to the exisitng
snowpack model within ACASA focusing on improvements to snow cover
depth and density. The simulated output from the models were compared to
the Earth System Research Laboratory snowpack data to determine which
model alterations made the largest improvements to the snow simulations.
Assessing the Influences on Rural Women’s Reproductive Life
PlansA Cross-sectional Descriptive Study
Lori Jagoda | Nursing
To explore the influences on rural womens’ reproductive life planning. Thirty
rural non-pregnant, English-speaking women age 18-35 years living in two
Northern California counties.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study based on the Health Promotion
Model. Data collection took place in a local beauty salon using an anonymous
on-line survey, which included basic demographic information, questions
regarding reproductive plans, contraceptive use, and the usefulness of the
survey. Participants were predominantly single, white, educated, religious,
long-term rural residents. Most had health insurance and regular healthcare
providers, and indicated they wanted to have children in the future. Most felt
they would feel “very happy” or “fairly happy” if they were pregnant now and
64% reported they were not ready or unsure if ready for a pregnancy. Forty
seven percent were currently using contraception, although 81% reported
using birth control in the past. Reasons reported for discontinuing contraception included side effects (80%), dislike of the method (58%), and/or forgot to
use it (32%). Reasons reported for never having used contraception included
a personal health issue and confidentiality concerns. The majority provided
positive feedback regarding the understandability and usefulness of the survey.
Leptospirosis in mesocarnivores and other peri-urban wildlife in
northern California
Mary Straub | Epidemiology
Janet Foley
Leptospirosis is a globally important and common zoonotic disease caused by
spirochetes in the genus Leptospira. Leptospirosis can cause liver and kidney
failure in both people and animals and has a fatality rate of up to 20%. The
bacteria are shed in the urine of infected animals and people and can survive in
fresh water or mud for months. Infection usually occurs through contact with
infected urine or water. In California, cases of leptospirosis in humans and
dogs are thought to be on the rise, though very little published information is
available on the epidemiology and ecology of the disease in the state. Additionally, leptospirosis is increasingly being detected in a variety of peri-urban
wildlife species in the United States, including raccoons, skunks and squirrels.
It is possible that direct or indirect contact with these and other peri-urban
wildlife species may be transmitting leptospirosis to domestic animals, such
as dogs and cats, and even to humans. A survey is underway to determine the
prevalence of leptospirosis in several species of peri-urban wildlife in northern
California. Results from the first two years of the survey indicate that leptospirosis is commonly found in raccoons and skunks in northern California and is
also present in opossums and invasive fox squirrels. These animals are frequent
visitors to urban and suburban backyards and the finding of leptospirosis in
these animals has important implications for human and animal health.
Measuring productive and non-productive binding of Trichoderma reesei Cel7A on cellulose
Nardrapee Karuna | Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Nardrapee Karuna, Tina Jeoh Zicari
Quantification of the change in the accessibility of cellulose to cellulase due to
pretreatment can be used as an indicator to aid in predicting the impact of the
pretreatment on downstream enzymatic saccharification rates of the biomass.
Increasing the adsorption of cellulases to biomass alone, however, will not
necessarily lead to higher saccharification rates if the enzymes are not productively bound. Cellulases bound productively to insoluble cellulose hydrolyze
glycosidic bonds, while those that are non- productively bound do not. The
rate of cellobiose release by cellobiohydrolases is a function of the concentration of productively bound cellobiohydrolases. Moreover, recent advances in
the understanding of the cellobiohydrolase Cel7A from Trichoderma reesei
(TrCel7A) has shown that once productively bound, TrCel7A hydrolyzes crys-
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talline cellulose with a first order catalytic rate constant, kcat ~ 5 s-1. Applying
this finding, we have developed a direct method to measure productive and
non-productive binding of TrCel7A on cellulose as a means to quantify the ‘accessibility of cellulose to cellulases’. We demonstrate this method by quantifying the accessibility of different types of cellulose (filter paper, phosphoric acid
swollen filter paper, microcrystalline cellulose, bacterial and algal cellulose) to
TrCel7A. We further discuss the application of this method to assess productive and non-productive cellulase binding in pretreated biomass impacting
minimum cellulase loadings for effective saccharification.
Privacy and Provenance: Can We Have Both?
Parisa Kianmajd | Computer Science
Bertram Ludaescher
In recent years, privacy-preserving data analysis and publishing has gained a
considerable attention in research communities. As a typical scenario, assume
a trusted data curator wants to publish a sanitized version of a dataset of
individuals’ information; a version that is useful to data analysts and that protects the privacy of individuals in the dataset. In some applications, meta-data
explaining the provenance of the dataset has to be published as well to help
in evaluating data integrity, and possibly, confidentiality. Provenance record
may contain private data or be too detailed and has to be sanitized before
publishing. Associating a sanitized dataset with its provenance can introduce
new challenges as privacy and provenance have two opposing goals; while
one is trying to hide the linkage between individuals’ records and other public
datasets, the other aims to explain their origin. The main goal of this project is
to improve the existing methods for provenance sanitization, investigate the
effects of publishing provenance data on data sanitization methods, and present a new notion for quantifying privacy risks that takes the nature of both
dataset and provenance into account.
Expanding a Commonly Used High Resolution Global Climate
Dataset with New Data, Satellite Covariates and Additional
Variables.
Stephen Fick | Ecology
Robert Hijmans
Obtaining reliable estimates for climate variables at a high spatial resolution
and global spatial extent is a critical, yet potentially elusive component of
many applications in the environmental sciences, such as modelling species
distributions. One dataset which is commonly used for many such applications
is WorldClim, a set of high resolution (1-km) interpolated climate surfaces for
monthly average precipitation, maximum, minimum and average temperature.
However, WorldClim has noted deficiencies in mountainous regions and
areas with low weather station density, where estimates are highly uncertain
and potentially biased. We updated the original Worldclim dataset with new
stations, a broadened spatial scope (including Antarctica), and the inclusion
of MODIS satellite imagery from a 10-year period to examine how uncertainty
in remote and mountainous regions was affected. Additionally we added three
new variables: mean monthly solar radiation, windspeed and vapour pressure
(humidity). These improved and expanded climate surfaces, along with calculated Bayesian uncertainty estimates will provide a broader and more accurate
palette of inputs for future models.
Textural and Microstructural Changes in Orange Fleshed Sweet
Potatoes during In Vitro Gastric Digestion
Yamile Mennah-Govela | Biological Systems Engineering
Gail Bornhorst
A novel method for debittering table olives
Rebecca Johnson | Food Science and Technology
Alyson Mitchell
A new rapid UHPLC-ESI-QQQ/MS method has been developed for the
simultaneous analysis of twelve phenolic compounds linked to olive bitterness; hydroxytyrosol 4-O-glucoside, hydroxytyrosol, oleoside methyl ester,
oleuropein, oleuropein aglycon, ligstroside, tyrosol, methoytyrosol, ligstral,
oleocanthal, oleocein, and elenolic acid in order to monitor their eveolution
in olives undergoing a novel debittering process. Manzanillo olives harvested
greeen in September 2015 underwent processing in the presence of FPX66, a
macroreticular polymeric resin suspended in an 1.0% acteic acid brine. Rate of
phenolic loss due to resin was quantified by evaluating phenolic ontent in olives and brine, and recovering adsorbed polyphenols from resin. Resin assisted
debittering shows a marked decrease in the phenolic levels of both olives and
brine when compared to olives without resin. Results indicate resins have the
potential to aid in the removal of bitter polyphenols from whole olives.
Protein Hydrolysis Kinetics of Almond Milk during in Vitro Gastric Digestion
Orange fleshed sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants. Cooking is one factor
that may influence antioxidant release and absorption through microstructural
changes and texture softening. The objective of this study was to determine
the influence of cooking method on microstructural and textural changes of
sweet potatoes during simulated gastric digestion. Sweet potatoes where
cut into cubes and cooked (boiled, steamed, microwave steamed, or fried).
Cooked cubes were mixed with simulated saliva (0.2 mL/g) for 30 s, 100 mL
of simulated gastric juice was added followed by 4h incubation in a shaking
water bath (37°C, 100 rpm). Samples were taken before and after incubation,
fixed in formalin, dehydrated in ethanol, and embedded in paraffin. Sections
were stained with toluidine blue and imaged via light microscopy. The number
of cells per image was quantified. Hardness of individual cubes was measured
by compression to 6 mm. Microwaving had the greatest decrease in cells
during 4h of incubation (163±3 to 92±7 cells/image), followed by boiled and
steamed with 53% and 52% decrease in cells, respectively. Change in texture
after 4h (percent decrease from initial hardness) ranged from 31% (steamed)
to 59% (fried). Cooking method influenced cellular and textural changes, with
greatest changes observed after frying. The link between cooking and behavior
during digestion is crucial in choosing optimal cooking methods for specific
food functional properties.
Enhancement of Triplet Excited States of Organic Compounds in
Laboratory Ice Experiments
Sarah O’Meara | Biological Systems Engineering
Krista Drechsler, Yamile Mennah-Govela, Gail Bornhorst
Almond milk is a dairy alternative that is also a rich source of vitamins and
minerals. The objective of this study was to quantify protein hydrolysis in
almond milk during in vitro gastric digestion as a function of in vitro condition
(i.e. pH, pepsin level), and almond thermal processing (i.e. raw or roasted
almonds). Almond milk was prepared using either raw or roasted almonds
and mixed with simulated gastric fluid. Pepsin was added at either a high (32
mg/mL) or low (10 mg/mL) concentration, and pH was adjusted to 1.8 or 3.9,
resulting in four in vitro digestion conditions for each type of almond milk.
Samples were incubated in a shaking water bath (120 rpm, 37C) for up to
120 min. Protein hydrolysis was assessed by analysis of free amino nitrogen
(NH2). Free amino nitrogen increased during in vitro gastric digestion. After
120 min of digestion, raw and roasted almond milk had similar (p > 0.05) NH2
concentration (0.16 mg NH2/mL). Low pH resulted in significantly greater
protein hydrolysis after 120 min (p = 0.03). Pepsin level did not significantly
influence NH2 levels (p > 0.05). These results indicate that in vitro gastric
digestion conditions, especially pH, should be carefully considered for future
studies.
Zeyuan Chen | Atmospheric Science
Cort Anastasio
Photochemical oxidants likely play an important role in the processing of
organic compounds in snow and ice and the release of organic gases such as
formaldehyde into the overlying atmosphere. While oxidants such as hydroxyl
radical have received significant attention in snow and ice, little is known
of triplet excited states of organic compounds (3C*) in snow and ice, even
though they can be important oxidants in atmospheric aqueous phases (e.g.,
fog droplets) and in surface waters. 3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde (DMB),
which is emitted from biomass combustion, can absorb light and become
excited to its triplet state (3DMB*). In its triplet state, 3DMB* can either
return to the ground state, react with oxygen to form singlet molecular oxygen
(1O2*), or oxidize organics, such as phenol. Recent research shows that 1O2*
concentrations in illuminated ice are many orders of magnitude higher than
levels in the same sample studied as solution. This suggests that concentrations of excited triplet states can be similarly enhanced, in which case this
group of oxidants could be an important sink for organic compounds in/on
illuminated ice.
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Role of VCP and autophagy in exosome formation
Adam Poe | Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology
Anne Knowlton
There is growing evidence that the exosomal pathway may play an important
role in intercellular signaling. However, the mechanisms of exosome production are not fully understood. In previous proteomic studies, our lab has found
that exosomes from rat cardiac myocytes contain Valosin Containing Protein
(VCP). VCP is a cytoplasmic ATPase implicated as a molecular chaperone in a
number of cellular processes, including endosomal sorting. I hypothesize that
hypothesize that VCP plays an important role in exosome production, and
reduction of VCP will result in a decrease in exosome release. This project will
be carried out in C2C12 cells as a simple model of exosome production. VCP
expression was downregulated by siRNA transfection, as well as chemically
inhibited using DBeQ, a VCP specific inhibitor. Confocal imaging showed
that VCP knockdown resulted in the production of large, intracellular vesicles.
Exosome release is induced by cellular injury with ethanol. Exosome release
will be measured by acetylcholine esterase activity and particle sizing profiles.
The goal of this project is to outline the mechanism and regulation of exosome
formation, to eventually be carried over to our study of cardiac myocytes.
Effect of an obesogenic diet on mammary gland development in a unique
animal model
Caitlin Donovan | Animal Biology
Grace Berryhill, Josephine Trott, Roberto Sainz, Russell Hovey
Particulate Matter Enhances the Pulmonary Allergic Immune Response to
House Dust Mite in a BALB/c Mouse Model
Alex Castaneda | Immunology
Kent E. Pinkerton, Keith Bein, Christoph Vogel
The mammary glands develop during postnatal life and are essential for milk
production to ensure survival and growth of the neonate, yet also can succumb
to cancer. Several lines of evidence indicate that an obese state during puberty
can impact this critical period for mammary gland development. Obesity
affects the timing of puberty, where precocious puberty increases the risk for
developing breast cancer as an adult. Understanding the relationship between
obesity and mammary gland development is critical as childhood obesity rates
reach pandemic levels. Our overarching goal is to determine the effects of
diet-induced obesity on mammary gland development in pigs, a species with
mammary histomorphology remarkably similar to that in the human breast.
Prepubertal female pigs were either fed control maintenance diet or a diet
supplemented with excess fat and sugar. Body condition, feed intake, and
estrous cyclicity were monitored throughout the five month study period. Serial samples of mammary gland tissue were collected via biopsy, and mammary
glands were collected at necropsy. Preliminary analyses indicate that excessive
dietary energy changed adipose tissue partitioning, while analysis of the mammary gland phenotype is ongoing. Evaluating how the pig mammary glands
respond to the obese condition represents a unique way to gain insight on the
specific developmental alterations that contribute towards increased breast
cancer risk as an adult.
The San Joaquin Valley has one of the highest incidences of asthma in the
country, a phenomenon that has been linked to high levels of air pollution.
The purpose of this study is to understand how particulate matter (PM)
exacerbates asthma through the use of an animal model. BALB/c mice were
exposed to PBS, Sacramento PM, house dust mite (HDM), or HDM+PM (n=4
for all groups). Lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were analyzed
for extent of inflammation by assessing inflammatory cytokines, chemokines,
oxidative stress enzymes profiles. Administration of PM during allergen
sensitization to HDM led to a significant influx of immune cells into the lung,
indicating great airway inflammation compared to mice treated with HDM
only. Histopathological analysis of lung tissue supported these findings. Our
findings suggest that particulate matter enhances the inflammatory response
to allergens in the lung by significantly enhancing the influx of immune cells
that enter the lung. Taken together our results provide evidence that early
PM exposure during allergen sensitization, imprints immunological memory
in the pulmonary compartment that is responsible for attracting significantly
more inflammatory cells into the lung during the challenge period which are
responsible for inducing greater damage and tissue injury.
TULP4 Inhibits TLR4-mediated NF-kB Innate Immune Response
Amanda Fox | Immunology
Alexander King, Lorena Navarro
It is our ability to respond to pathogens, and sometimes more importantly,
revert back to homeostasis which allows us to survive. Tubby-like protein 4
(TULP4) is a novel putative immunoregulatory protein, which may be pertinent for this reversal process. While conserved throughout the animal and
plant kingdoms, the molecular basis of TULP4 function in the cell is unknown.
Luciferase results reveal that overexpression of TULP4 in HEK 293A cells,
stably expressing TLR4-MD2-CD14, inhibits LPS stimulated NF.B activation,
a process that is reversed when TULP4 specific shRNA is introduced. This
indicates that TULP4 may be pertinent for the NF.B pathway, which is an important innate immunity regulator. Further luciferase assays show that TULP4
functions early in the NF.B pathway though a direct mechanism for this inhibition has yet to be determined. TULP4 also inhibits LPS stimulated mRNA levels of the NF.B target IL-6. Yet, TULP4’s own mRNA levels are not affected by
LPS exposure. Therefore, TULP4 must be activated in a manner independent
of sheer concentration. Further development of this research will determine
how TULP4 is initiating its regulation and what its specific target is.
Bedtime hunger predicts lower sleep quality in users of a personal sleep
measurement device
Bonnie Dixon | Nutritional Biology
Siwei Liu, Thomas E. Nordahl, J. Bruce German
The Zeo EEG headband (sold ‘09-’13) recorded users’ sleep each night. Users
uploaded sleep records and tracked nightly conditions online, and this data
was deidentified for research. 183 people (age 19-77, 68% male) provided 4284
records (mean: 23/person) with bedtime hunger rated on a standard scale.
We analyzed these with multilevel modeling to determine the relationship
between hunger level and subsequent sleep efficiency, the percent of time in
bed spent asleep. We decomposed hunger ratings into person-mean hunger
and nightly hunger (variation, the difference between each hunger rating and
the person’s mean), and adjusted for other variables related to sleep efficiency.
Nightly hunger was related to reduced sleep efficiency (p = .01), person-mean
hunger was not related (p = .26), and there was a marginal interaction between
them (p = .08) so that those who rarely go to bed hungry had the largest
reduction in sleep efficiency on hungry nights. Sleep efficiency for an average
person on an average night was 95%, and the difference between nights with
low, vs. high, hunger was -2.4 percentage points for the average person (range:
-12.5-1.6). The size of this effect across people correlated with their typical
sleep efficiency (r = 0.73, p = .00) and their unexplained variability (r = -0.47,
p = .00). These results provide evidence that bedtime hunger reduces sleep
quality, especially in poor sleepers, and suggests that those most affected avoid
bedtime hunger.
Determination of the Geographical Origin of Green Coffee Using Stable
Isotope Ratio and Elemental Analysis
Courtney K. Tanabe | Forensic Science
Moshe Rosenberg, Sue Ebeler, Jenny Nelson
A growing global market for specialty coffees of specific regional origin
exists and has led to increasing occurrences of fraud and adulteration that
affect coffee growers, processors, and consumers. Effective means for reliable
authentication of region-specific coffee are needed. The objective of this
research was to investigate the applicability and challenge the reliability of utilizing elemental compositions and stable isotope ratios as effective means for
identifying and authenticating the regional origin of green coffee beans (GCB).
GCB samples of Coffea arabica from Colombia, Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, and
Ethiopia were investigated. The concentrations of 40 elements were determined by ICP-MS and ICP-OES; the stable isotope ratios of C and N were determined using IRMS. The data were processed and challenged for significance
by ANOVA, PCA, and PLS-DA tests. The investigated compositional variables
allowed discriminating GCB samples according to their country of origin. Data
obtained with Colombian, Indonesian, Ethiopian, and Brazilian GCB samples
presented discernable distinctions based on regional origin (in the country).
Some of the Colombian GCB samples could be distinguished based on their
municipality of origin (in a given region). Results indicated the validity and
applicability of the analytical approaches and present new opportunities when
traceability and authentication of GCB are considered.
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Investigating the function of Wdfy3 in skeletal homeostasis
Dennis Wu | Immunology
Ritu Sarin, Ran Gu, Konstantinos S. Zarbalis, Iannis E. Adamopoulos
Bone remodeling is a dynamic process, which maintains skeletal homeostasis
and entails the removal of old bone and its replacement with new. Two types
of cells with opposing functions regulate this process; the osteoclasts, that
resorb bone and the osteoblasts that form new bone. Dysregulation of skeletal
homeostasis lead to musculoskeletal diseases. Recently, autophagy-related
proteins Atg5, 7 and 4B were shown to regulate the ruffled border formation
in osteoclasts therefore affected bone remodeling. Wdfy3 is a master regulator
of selective autophagy that clears large cytoplasmic protein aggregates. Wdfy3
also exhibits adaptor functions, and is involved in vesicle trafficking, which
is essential during the bone destruction process. Although Wdfy3’s function,
are well characterized during autophagy the role of Wdfy3 in other biological
process remains unknown. To test the role of Wdfy3 in osteoclast development and function, we have generated a series Wdfy3 transgenic mice (Wdfy3lacZ, and Wdfy3loxP) to address the role of Wdfy3 in bone destruction via
the osteoclast. X-gal staining revealed Wdfy3 expression in bone tissues in
vivo and on osteoclasts and osteoblasts in vitro. Our preliminary results point
towards an increased expression of Wdfy3 in osteoclasts but further investigation is needed to characterize the function of Wdfy3 in osteoclasts and skeletal
homeostasis. (Research was supported by NIH research grant R01 AR062173
to IEA).
Effects of the [GAR+] prion in Saccharomyces cerevisiae wine strains
Gordon A. Walker | Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology
Linda F. Bisson
An extreme preference for glucose as carbon source is a hallmark of Saccharomyces cerevisiae metabolism. This preference can be overcome in cells that
harbor a prion known as the [GAR+] (for “resistant to glucose-associated
repression”) phenotype. Prions are proteins capable of two stable conformational states, one of which is self-templating. Yeast prions are heritable, dynamic, epigenetic “switches” that allow cells to quickly and reversibly diversify
their phenotypic output in response to stressful environmental conditions.
Interestingly we have seen that certain wine spoilage are capable of inducing
the [GAR+] prion in fermentation. This is particularly significant because we
have shown that [GAR+] prion negatively affects fermentation performance.
We have indeed observed that problem fermentations occur when spoilage
bacteria induces [GAR+] in a fermenting yeast population. We have worked to
characterize the physiological changes happening in response to prion induction to better understand problem fermentations caused by [GAR+].
Modeling the interaction between racehorse limb and race surface
Jen Symons | Biomedical Engineering
David A. Hawkins, David P. Fyhrie, Susan M. Stover
Racehorse fatalities and attrition are largely attributed to musculoskeletal
injury. Epidemiological studies have shown that the race surface plays a role in
the incidence of injury. Ground reaction forces applied by the race surface to a
racehorse’s hoof and limb affect limb deformations that can result in injury of
musculoskeletal structures. Ground reaction forces can be modulated through
race surface material selection and maintenance procedures. Race surface
design is a promising avenue for injury prevention through modulation of limb
and tissue loading during stance. However, optimal race surface characteristics
are unknown. The aim of this research is to develop a computational model of
a racehorse’s limb interacting with a race surface. Model results will be validated by comparison with racehorse limb motions and race surface mechanical
properties collected in the field. This tool is an economical way to study the
interaction between a variety of virtual race surfaces, and the forces imposed
on racehorse ligaments, tendons and bones during training and race conditions. The results will aid in the development of race surfaces that reduce the
incidence of racehorse fatalities and attrition due to musculoskeletal injury.
Yolo Hospice: Cultural Competence Assessment
Jerry John Nutor | Nursing
Tami Cisneros
Cultural competence is an essential aspect of the delivery of end-of-life (EOL)
care. Different cultures view death in different ways. The professionals who
provide care for patients and their families at the end of life must be culturally humble and possess a broad understanding of the various cultural issues
related to their patients’ cultural, ethnic, racial, and spiritual beliefs. Yolo
Hospice strives to recruit and maintain professional staff and volunteers who
are culturally competent but there was no evidence to back up their claim
of cultural competence. The purpose of our study was to assess the cultural
competence of the professional staff and volunteers at Yolo Hospice. An online
survey was developed using a validated tool that included self-identified
demographic factors. The findings of the assessment established the cultural
competency of the participants and determined that Yolo Hospice is indeed
the “to go” organization for EOL care in the culturally diverse community
that they serve. We recommended that the organization plan and implement
an ongoing cultural humility/competent experience that includes sharing of
individual team members’ cultural and ethnic diversity as well as client and
family experiences.
LET-99 Localization via PAR-independent Mechanism
Kari Price | Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology
Asymmetric cell division is required to generate cellular diversity during
normal development. Asymmetric division relies on communication between
polarity proteins and an asymmetrically positioned mitotic spindle to properly
position components of the contractile ring to specify the plane of cellular
division. We have previously shown that the G-protein regulator LET-99 is
required for asymmetric cell division in the one-cell embryo of the nematode
C. elegans and functions to asymmetrically position the mitotic spindle by
modulating cortical pulling forces. During spindle positioning, LET-99 localizes in a band where it regulates the force generation machinery to properly
orient the mitotic spindle. Interestingly, however, during anaphase, moving
the spindle can reposition the cortical band of LET-99. This relocalization that
occurs during anaphase suggests a possible feedback loop between the spindle
and cortical LET-99 to properly position the future site of cellular division.
One goal of my research is to understand the mechanism by which LET-99
is positioned by the anaphase spindle. Furthermore, I will explore the role of
LET-99 in cytokinesis.
Bioinformatic mining of a plant pathogen genome identifies potential immune suppressing proteins
Kelsey Wood | Integrative Genetics and Genomics
Lida Derevnina, Juliana Gil, Sebastian Reyes Chin Wo, Joan Wong, Richard
Michelmore
Much like animals, plants have an innate immune system that allows them to
detect and respond to invading pathogens. Pathogens have evolved to evade
recognition by interfering with components of this signaling pathway using
secreted proteins known as effectors. Certain effectors contain a structurally
conserved WY-domain that has been implicated in immune system suppression. The genome of Bremia lactucae, the causative agent of lettuce downy
mildew, was recently sequenced by the Michelmore lab and we have used
bioinformatic mining to identify candidate effectors by searching for the WYdomain. A family of secreted proteins with variable numbers of WY-domains
per protein were found in B. lactucae, most of which have no known homologs
in related species. These candidate effectors will be functionally tested in
planta for suppression of cell death activity. Effector identification will provide
a base for future research into the molecular mechanisms of downy mildew
pathogenesis and provide tools for genetic improvement of lettuce and disease
management.
Student nurses’ perception of self-efficacy, readiness, and perceived clinical judgment through the use of multi-patient simulation: A pilot study
Laura Corson & Charlie Dharmasukrit | Nursing
Aims. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of multi-patient
simulation on students’ self-efficacy, perceived clinical judgment, and readiness to care for multiple patients. Significance. Nursing students struggle
with implementing the nursing process and using sound clinical judgment
when caring for multiple patients. There are limited opportunities in nursing
education for students to gain the skills necessary to provide safe, competent
care for multiple patients. Methods. A mixed methods study design utilizing a pre/posttest Self-Efficacy in Clinical Performance Survey, a Simulation
Design Survey, a multi-patient simulation scenario using three High Fidelity
Simulation mannequins, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with
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nine senior-level nursing students at the beginning of their final semester of a
pre-licensure bachelors nursing program. Results. The statistical data gathered
during the pre/posttest indicated no statistical significant difference in the
students’ self -reported perceptions on level of confidence when caring for
multiple simulated patients. Qualitative data indicated that the simulation
was valuable in promoting their perceptions of readiness in prioritizing and
managing care for multiple patients.
Attention Theory: Trait Learning in Context
Lisa Huang | Psychology
Dario Sacchi, Jeff Sherman
The current research examines why trait impressions of people are stronger in
some contexts than in others. Consistent with principles of Attention Theory
(Kruschke, 1996, 2001), we hypothesized that impressions of a target person in
a frequently occurring context are learned prior to impressions of the person in
a rarely-occurring context and that this learning order would lead rare context
impressions to become stronger than frequent context impressions. In study
1, participants learned about a target person by guessing which traits he possessed, depending on whether he was in a frequent context or a rare context.
Results supported the hypotheses; frequent impressions were learned prior to
rare impressions, but rare impressions were stronger. Study 2 extended these
findings by using the Stereotype Misperception Task (Krieglmeyer & Sherman, 2012) to demonstrate implicit learning of trait-context pairs. Results of
the current research suggest that context-based trait impressions are stronger
in contexts that are learned last.
Towards a yeast based multivalue technology platform
Luis Antonio Garay Almada | Food Science
Irnayuli R. Sitepu, Hui Ean The, Tomas Cajka, J. Bruce German, Kyria BoundyMills
An important aspect in microbial biotechnology industrialization is economic
feasibility. A common approach is to develop a microbial culture to produce
a single product. This strategy in many cases fails to be economically feasible.
Creating a portfolio of products out of a microbial culture can render the
process economically attractive. This work utilized Rhodosporidium babjevae,
a pink, oleaginous basidiomycete yeast sourced from the Phaff Yeast Culture
Collection to test the concept at a lab scale. The yeast was cultured in shake
flasks, harvested, and passed through a screw press to recover oil, and high
protein yeast meal. The oil was further characterized to contain a triacylglycerol profile ideal for biofuel conversion or high heat cooking since it is rich in
monounsaturated fatty acids. Pigments were analyzed using TLC, and could
be further processed into high value products. Overall, this work establishes
a framework to procure multiple high value products from yeast through an
economically feasible, environmentally friendly and sustainable technological
platform.
Early infant diet has sustained impact on the immune system
Nicole Narayan | Integrative Genetics and Genomics
Amir Ardeshir, Gema Méndez-Lagares, Ding Lu, Koen K. A. Van Rompay,
Dennis J. Hartigan-O’Connor
The diet consumed in infancy has an important influence on immunologic
development. Our recently published work showed that breast- and formulafeeding were associated with differences in T cells, including those that are
indispensable for intestinal immunity. We have now assessed the potential
lingering effects of early infant diet on the juvenile immune system. We
examined circulating immune cells from 12 juvenile rhesus macaques, aged 2-3
years (6 breast-fed in infancy, 6 formula-fed). Juveniles that were previously
breast-fed maintained differences in memory T cell activation, as compared to
their formula-fed contemporaries. In addition, previously breast-fed juveniles
maintain networks of correlations between T cell activation and T helper 17
cells that are not maintained in animals that are formula-fed. These sustained
relationships are were likely driven by the influence of breast-feeding in
infancy and may suggest that breast- and formula-fed infants will have different responses to interventions targeting the immune system, even years after
weaning. Our findings are significant for understanding the sustained impact
of breast-feeding on the immune system, from infancy into adulthood.
Using an Emic Lens to Understand how Latino Families Cope with Dementia Behavior Problems
Rachel Turner | Human Ecology
Ladson Hinton, Dolores Gallagher Thompson, Marian Tzuang, Ramone Valle
Focus group data collected for a larger project to develop a fotonovela for
Latino caregivers was used to conduct a meaning-centered thematic analysis in
order to elicit Latino family caregiver perspectives on how behavior problems
occurring in the context of dementia are perceived and managed. A sample
of 42 Spanish-speaking Latino caregivers were recruited from organizations
affiliated with the Alzheimer’s Association near San Diego, California. Caregivers were queried on challenging behaviors, coping strategies, as well as other
daily challenges. Focus group sessions were conducted in Spanish, translated
and transcribed into English, and analyzed using qualitative, grounded anthropological methods. In addition to a range of behavior problems, five indigenous
approaches to managing challenging behaviors were identified: acceptance,
love, patience, adaptability, and establishing routines of care. Additionally,
participants identified persistent challenges which deter effective coping.
These include: issues with providers, problems with family members, limited
knowledge of resources, emotional distress, and financial strain. To our knowledge, this is one of the few qualitative studies to report indigenous coping
strategies for dementia behavioral problems. These findings have the potential
to inform culturally-tailored intervention.
Field-validation of minimum application intervals for use of raw animal
manure as a soil amendment in the Central Valley, California
Saharuetai Jeamsripong | Epidemiology
Michele Jay-Russell, Patricia D. Millner, Manan Sharma, Edward R. Atwill
Investigating the Role of Presenilins in Mammalian Lens Development
Mina Azimi | Biochemistry, Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology
Tien Le, Nadean Brown
The evolutionarily conserved Notch signaling pathway functions in all
metazoans and is involved in a variety of cellular processes, including cell fate
determination. Our lab identified a Jag1-Notch1/2-Rbpj signal that plays an
important role in vertebrate lens development. This signal is necessary for
proper lens growth, fiber cell differentiation, and maintenance of the transition
zone. A fundamental step in Notch activation is the ligand-induced proteolysis
of the Notch receptor that releases the Notch intracellular domain (NICD)
signaling fragment. Cleavage is mediated in part by the protease complex
.-secretase, which contains a Presenilin (Psen) catalytic subunit required
for cleavage. In addition to cleaving and activating Notch, Psen cleaves a
multitude of other proteins. Interestingly, Psen has been shown in vitro to also
cleave the ligands of Notch, Delta-like and Jagged. However, the significance
of Notch ligand proteolysis and its relevance in vivo is not understood. The
objective of this project is to test the hypothesis that along with its role in activating the Notch receptor in canonical signaling, Presenilin cleaves the Notch
ligand Jagged1 (Jag1) during the development of the mammalian lens.
Biological soil amendments of animal origin have been identified as a potential
source of contamination of fresh produce with enteric pathogens. The original
FDA Produce Safety Rule proposed a 9-month interval between application
of raw manure and crop harvest; in contrast, the USDA National Organic
Program (NOP) standard requires 120- and 90-day intervals for crops with
and without soil contact, respectively. A 12-month experimental field trial was
conducted to examine the survival of a three-strain cocktail of rifampicin-resistant generic Escherichia coli applied to soil amended with different animal
manure types in California’s Central Valley. High (107 CFU/ml) and low (104
CFU/ml) inoculum were separately applied by spraying the E. coli cocktail
onto 4 untreated horse-, cattle-, goat-, and chicken litter- amended soil and
control plots (2m x 1m) at the UC Davis vegetable crop field station. Soil
samples were collected from November 2013 to October 2014 to determine the
generic E.coli population by direct plating and MPN methods. The study was
initiated during a time when the region was experiencing extreme drought
conditions. We observed a 7.16 log reduction after 120 days from manure application. The generic E. coli populations survived longest in untreated chicken
litter followed by horse, cattle and goat manure. E. coli populations increased
after heavy rains by 5.87 and 5.61 log CFU in high and low inoculums plots,
respectively. Time and manure type were statistically significant (P<0.0001)
and predicted the concentration of indicator E. coli in a linear regression
29
model. Although die-off was observed in soil by day 120 during a fall-winter
period, resuscitation was observed for all manure types following heavy spring
rains. The findings suggest that generic E. coli experiences multiple log reductions over 120 days, but exposures to rain fall can contemporarily reverse these
reductions.
data are the findings that robust antigen stimulation of T-cells is required for
proper differentiation and memory formation. These findings support the hypothesis that T-cells undergo greater competition for antigen stimulation during infection versus challenge with HKST, and that this competition underlies
the loss of CD4+ T-cells during infection.
Encapsulation of Lipids in Novel Cross-Linked Alginate Microcapsules
Prepared by Spray-Drying
Scott Strobel | Biological Systems Engineering
Herb Scher, Nitin Nitin, Tina Jeoh
Who will win the Chancellor’s
Grand Prize? Find out at the
IGPS Awards dinner!
Microencapsulation in dry, cross-linked alginate microcapsules (CLAMs) is
a promising strategy to facilitate the incorporation of emulsified lipophilic
bioactive compounds into dry food systems. CLAMs prolong the shelf life of
their bioactive cargo and provide a mechanism for targeted delivery in the gastrointestinal tract. However, current technology to produce CLAMs requires
multiple time- and energy- intensive unit operations. We developed a novel
technology that streamlines CLAM production by accomplishing particle
formation, cross-linking, and drying in the spray-drying unit operation. This
research demonstrates the effective microencapsulation of corn oil as a model
lipid and characterizes the spray-dried CLAMs based on their size, morphology, and distribution of encapsulated oil droplets. Dry-basis oil loadings up
to 35% (w/w) were achieved. SEM indicates that spray-dried CLAMs are approximately spherical, with particle diameters on the order of 2 to 20 µm. Oil
droplets within CLAMs are distributed evenly throughout each microcapsule.
The size distribution of oil droplets, with peak diameters ranging from 200 to
300 nm, remained unchanged after the encapsulation process. Coupled with
the ease of scalability of this novel CLAM production method, the successful
encapsulation of the model lipid suggests that spray-dried CLAMs may be of
commercial use for incorporating lipophilic bioactives into foods.
Grad Slam |
Star Formation in Merging Cluster of Galaxies
Alison Mansheim | Physics
Drian Lemaux, Lori Lubin, William Dawson
See “Oral Talk” Abstract
Mechnisms by which Zinc Transporter 7 (Znt7) Regulates Cellular Lipid
Accumulation in Adipocytes
Surpun Tepaamorndech | Integrative Genetics and Genomics
Catherine Kirschke, Liping Huang
Discovering tiny nuggets of genetic gold in the genomic haystick
Obese animals accumulate high cellular zinc contents in adipose tissue, but
how cellular zinc plays roles in adipocytes remains unclear. Zinc transporter
7 (Znt7) expresses in mouse adipose tissue and its expression is upregulated
during 3T3-L1 adipocyte differentiation. These suggest that Znt7 regulates
cellular zinc homeostasis in adipocytes. Using Znt7 knockdown cell lines
and Znt7 knockout mice, we studied the adipogenic effect of Znt7 during
adipocyte differentiation. Our results demonstrated that Znt7 knockdown
adipocytes exhibited decreased cellular lipid and triglyceride accumulation.
In accordance with our in vitro studies, Znt7 knockout mice had less body
fat accumulation than their wild-type controls. To get insight into cellular
mechanisms, we investigated if Znt7 knockdown alters the regulation of
glucose uptake modulators, Erk1/2 and Akt, and glucose uptake activity which
are critical for controlling lipid accumulation in adipocytes. Compared with
the control cells, Znt7 knockdown adipocytes reduced the levels of Erk1/2
and Akt phosphorylation leading to decreased glucose uptake activity. Our
findings indicate that disruption of zinc homeostasis by Znt7 knockdown
decreases glucose uptake and lipid accumulation by inhibiting Erk1/2 and Akt
phosphorylation during adipocyte differentiation.
Anandkumar Surendrarao | Plant Biology
Ravi K. Patel, Kousuke Hanada, Douglas R. Cook
See “Oral Talk” Abstract
THRIVING WHILE BLACK: Understanding Black University
Students’ Perspectives About the K-12 Teacher & School Characteristics That Were Most Helpful and Most Harmful to Their
College Aspirations
BernNadette T. Best-Green | Education
See “Oral Talk” Abstract
Short Chain Fatty Acid Production and Glucose Responses by
Methane Producers
Bret Rust | Nutritional Biology
Dorothy Keifer, Ira Gray, William Horn, John Newman, Nancy Keim
See “Oral Talk” Abstract
Decoding attention: How neurons say which and where
Doug Totten | Neuroscience
William DeBello
Selective Loss of CD4 T-cells During Salmonella Infection
Zachary Fogassy | Microbiology
Stephen McSorley
Following exposure to S. Typhimurium in vivo, Salmonella specific CD4+
T-cells expand and become effector T-cells. The majority of these cells during
the contraction phase, but a subset survive to become memory cells. Using
flow cytometry, this can be visualized in adoptively transferred flagellinspecific CD4+ T-cells (SM1 cells) after immunization with heat-killed bacteria
(HKST). Likewise, endogenous cells specific to the 2W1S epitope expressed
by Salmonella survive the contraction phase during infection with live
bacteria. However, even though SM1 cells expand during infection, they fall
below the limit of detection following the contraction phase. The mechanisms
underlying this loss remain unknown. The population density of naïve T-cells
inversely correlates with the probability of those cells becoming memory
cells. In agreement with this data, SM1 cells transferred into mice lacking all
other Salmonella specific cells survive the contraction phase. Related to these
Attention is the filter that allows us to focus our finite cognitive resources on
relevant tasks, while ignoring superfluous information. While there is no question of its importance, there are still remarkable gaps in our understanding of
how attention occurs in the brain. Every mental process emerges from complex
patterns of activity that ripple across our neurons. This research describes
how those patterns might give rise to attention. Specifically, it explores how
activity within groups of neurons encodes the locations of visual objects, while
activity between groups competitively determines which to attend. This is
accomplished by recording the electrical activity emanating from cohorts of
neurons in awake barn owls, a model system that has been used for decades
to study basic sensory processing and the allocation of attention. The findings
from this work suggest mechanisms by which neural activity performs computations essential to attention. This is a novel advancement for this well-studied
system.
30
How habitat characteristics drive a direct relationship between
reproduction and recruitment and the implications for marine
management
tion, foraging time, and attack rates at unrestored sites, likely in response to
greater rodent and snake abundance. These results will help guide goals and
methods of restoration, and suggest that restoring native perennial grasslands
in California may actually reduce some wildlife utilization. A more nuanced
approach to grassland restoration may therefore be required for the restoration
of wildlife abundance, biodiversity, and trophic cascades.
Erin Satterthwaite | Ecology
See “Oral Talk” Abstract
Powering California with Food Waste
Forrest “Ryan” Dowdy | Food Science
Christopher Simmons
Towards a yeast based multivalue technology platform
Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) are a new bioengineering technology that can
transform food and agricultural waste into zero-emission energy. MFCs use
bacteria that are exoelectrogenic, meaning able to generate an electrical current. These bacteria produce electricity by oxidizing organic compounds and
passing electrons to a conductive carbon-based substrate attached to a circuit .
Since the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organization estimates producers and consumers waste around 40% of food globally, this technology can
broadly impact waste reduction by generating electrical power directly from
waste organic compounds.
When good is stickier than bad: Sequential framing effects in the
gain domain
Jehan Sparks | Psychology
Alison Ledgerwood
See “Oral Talk” Abstract
Household Resources as Determinants of Child Mortality in
Ghana
Jerry John Nutor | Nursing
Janice F. Bell
This study investigated the contribution of household resources to child
mortality in Ghana, beyond the influence of maternal education as a measure
of socioeconomic status (SES).
Parous women, ages 15–45 years, in the 2007 Ghana Maternal Health survey
(n= 7,183), were included in the sample. Household resources were examined
for their association with maternal report of any child death under age five
using survey-weighted logistic regression, controlling for socio-demographic
and health covariates. In unadjusted analysis, each of the household resources
we examined was associated with child mortality; however, in adjusted regression models only possession of a refrigerator retained significance. In stratified
analysis, this finding held for women in living in urban, but not in rural, areas.
Primary school education, older age, rural residence and multiple pregnancies
were also associated with child mortality. Possession of a refrigerator may play
a role in child mortality, particularly in urban areas. This finding may reflect
unmeasured SES or the importance of access to refrigeration in preventing
diarrheal disease or other proximal causes of child mortality in sub-Saharan
Africa.
Chickpea to Cook: Exploring and Harnessing 10,000 years of Agricultural Domestication in the Face of Climate Change
Kay Watt | Integrated Genetics and Genomics
See “Oral Talk” Abstract
Native perennial grassland restoration in California may not confer increased wildlife abundance or utilization.... so now what?
Kristina M. Wolf | Ecology
Roger A. Baldwin, Ryan Bourbour
In California’s Central Valley, 98% of native grasslands have been destroyed or
degraded due to agricultural or urban development and habitat fragmentation.
Grassland restoration is often assumed to provide improved wildlife habitat,
resulting in higher wildlife abundance and diversity relative to unrestored,
invaded grasslands. We compared wildlife utilization of habitats in paired
restored and exotic annual (unrestored) grasslands at four locations in Yolo
and Sacramento Counties using live traps, camera traps, snake boards, and observational surveys in the spring, summer, and fall of 2014. Rodent and snake
utilization were higher at unrestored relative to restored sites in the spring,
summer, and fall. Summer and fall raptor surveys also revealed greater utiliza-
Luis Antonio Garay Almada | Food Science
Irnayuli R. Sitepu, Hui Ean The, Tomas Cajka, J. Bruce German, Kyria BoundyMills
See “Oral Talk” Abstract
Encouring Empowerment Through Expression
Michele Zugnoni | Education
I explore the relationship between individual feelings of alienation and a
tendency toward delinquency, then propose an approach to rehabilitation in
the form of self-reflective writing programs. Several of these programs are in
existence today, many aimed at reducing the rates of recidivism (the number
of youth returning to prison) and encouraging youth through empowerment
of voice. Unfortunately, a drawback is that several of these programs focus on
youth aged 19 and below. At the time these youth become ineligible, they are
experiencing a major change in their lives. No longer high school students,
they are faced with the possibility of attending college … or not attending.
With this in mind, I intend to create a self-reflective writing program for atrisk 18- to 20-year-olds, individuals who were either incarcerated or attended
continuation school as minors. Beginning in March 2016, this program will be
taught at a local community college, and will explore whether participant selfexploration increases levels of motivation in attaining a higher education. In
the end, I hope the program will serve as a model for administrators considering the creation of similar programs.
Red Hot Chile Peppers: Three Hot Minutes
Randi Jiménez | Horticulture & Agronomy
Allen Van Deynze, Li-Fang Chen, Robert L. Gilbertson
Chile pepper (Capsicum sp.) is an economically important crop in the U.S.
with production in 2013 having a value of $810.4 M, grown on 74,000 acres over 55,000 football fields worth of land! Peppers are used as fresh vegetables,
condiments, spices, for pain-relieving qualities, in traditional medicines,
and for non-lethal defense. However, most commercial varieties of peppers
are prone to infection by a plant virus called Curly top virus (CTV). When
infected with CTV, the pepper plant is stunted and does not produce pepper
fruit, leading to reduced yields and economic losses. CTV is transferred from
plant to plant by the Beet Leafhopper (Circulifer tenellus), an insect that
feeds on an infected plant, takes up virus particles, and then introduces those
virus particles into the next plant it feeds on. However, there are wild pepper
plants that show resistance to CTV. Typically, resistance is when a plant
becomes infected but does not develop symptoms that lead to fruit yield and
economic losses. To identify additional resistant wild pepper plants, we use a
screen where CTV DNA is injected into plants, and the plants are observed for
symptom development. I am using this method to screen dozens of wild pepper plants collected in Mexico. Peppers are native to Mexico, and usually there
is more diversity in a species where it is indigenous compared to where it has
been introduced. Also, since the wild peppers evolved in Mexico with similar
types of viruses to CTV, there is a better chance of discovering a wild pepper
from there resistant to CTV. However, wild pepper plants have traits that are
not favorable for vegetable production such as small fruit, undesirable fruit
shapes, and irregular plant shape. Therefore, generally wild pepper plants that
have a disease resistance trait are bred with cultivated plants with good traits
for vegetable production to produce new pepper lines over several generations
in order to maximize desirable traits and minimize undesirable traits of both
parents. In my research, wild pepper plants identified as resistant are being
crossed to a cultivated jalapeño variety to produce new pepper lines that have
some CTV resistance and favorable traits like large fruit size, fruit shape, and
desirable plant shape. One of our long-term goals is to develop and release
pepper breeding lines that combine desirable agronomic traits and resistance
to CTV from wild pepper germplasm.
31
Can one enzyme affect the toxicity of a common environmental
pollutant?
Biofuel production from food processing waste
Brittany Allison | Food Science
Christopher Simmons
Sarah Carrat | Pharmacology and Toxicology
Dexter Morin, Alan Buckpitt, Patti Edwards, Laura Van Winkle
See “Oral Talk” Abstract
Getting a Feel for Chemistry: Integrating 3D Printing Technology
into Chemical Education
Timothy Newman | Chemistry
Hoby Wedler, Gert Vriend
Free to use software has been developed for generating digital models of
chemical molecules on-line. The software uses a completely accessible command line web-based interface which we originally developed for blind computational chemist Hoby Wedler. However, for many molecules it is one of the
most efficient methods available to anyone for making geometrically correct
chemical structures. The software is capable of converting typed text commands into 2-D and 3-D digital structures as well as generating output files for
use with any currently available 3-D printer. The software can additionally be
used to create high level 3-D coordinate output files for input to computational
chemistry software on a super computer for quantum mechanical theoretical
chemistry research. The easy to learn system is freely available for use, and can
be used by professors to quickly and easily print 3-D models of molecules for
use in classroom settings. The goal is to begin integrating the use of this technology into the undergraduate chemistry curriculum starting in Fall 2015.
Transient Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore Opening in
Cardiac Myocytes during SR Ca release
Xiyuan Lu | Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology
Donald Bers
See “Oral Talk” Abstract
Novel matrices to enhance the bone-forming capacity of mesenchymal
stem cells
Allison Hoch | Biomedical Engineering
Vaishali Mittal, Debika Mitra, J. Kent Leach
See “Oral Talk” Abstract
Tomato and grape pomace are two of the most abundant processing residues
in California, and there has been little research into the potential to utilize
these waste streams for biofuel production. The goal of this project is to
develop a method for pre-treatment of these residues to make them easier to
deconstruct in an anaerobic digestion process. Ionic liquids will be used to
pre-treat each respective pomace to make the cell wall polysaccharides more
accessible to bacteria in the digesters. Because these residues differ from
traditional bioenergy crops in their ratio of polysaccharides, pectin content,
and the presence of sugars and other metabolites unique to fruits, the pretreatment method will need to be optimized for these differences. Following
pre-treatment, anaerobic digestion will be used to deconstruct the pomace to
methane, which can subsequently be collected, analyzed, and purified for use
as fuel. Repurposing these waste streams would provide an economic incentive
for food industries to reduce landfill, offset the use of fossil fuels, and join the
movement to a more sustainable future.
How Plants Make Leaves: Cell Fate Plasticity and Tissue Committment
Donnelly West | Intergrative Genetics and Genomics
All plants have to respond quickly to environmental conditions or perish.
In order to (re)generate organs with extreme flexibility, plants maintain a
toitipotent stem cell population throughout their entire lives. To investigate
how plants regulate this potential and how developmental plasticity manifests
genetically, I separate and analyze four distinct cell populations: (i) totipotent
stem cells, with unlimited potential; (ii) differentiating cells just starting to
become tissue; (iii) cells whose fate has been generally decided on as leaf tissue; and (iv) cells that have committed to becoming leaf vasculature and can
no longer change into other tissues types. Understanding the complexities of
cell fate plasticity in plants will allow breeders to more precisely influence leaf
morphogenesis and maximize crop efficiency while plasticity genetics also
uncovers possibile targets for animal organ genesis and stem cell manipulation.
Elucidating the antigenic epitopes of maternal autoantibodies in ASD:
Establishing biomarkers and developing an animal model
Elizabeth Fox | Immunology
Elizabeth Fox, Judy Van De Water
See “Oral Talk” Abstract
The Role of Keyboarding in the Development and Rentention of L2 Spanish Vocabulary
Annalisa Teixeira (née Corioso) | Spanish and Portuguese
See “Oral Talk” Abstract
Salmonella Typhimurium Locates the Epithelial Surface of the Small Intestine by Sensing Nitrate
Fabian Rivera-Chávez | Microbiology
Andreas J. Baumler, Christopher A. Lopez
Electrotaxis of Cardiac Progenitor Cells, Cardiac Fibroblasts, and induced
Pluripotent Cardiac Progenitor Cells requires serum and is directed via
VLA4-sVCAM
Bert J Frederich | Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology
Bert J. Frederich, Valeriy Timofeyev, Victor C. Lau, Padmini Sirish, Nipavan
Chiamvimonvat
Electrically guided migration, electrotaxis, is an important migratory mechanism involved in wound repair. Thus far, cell-based therapies for restoring
damaged heart tissue have shown promising results, but could further be
improved using the electrotaxis properties of therapeutic cells. Despite its
clinical relevance, the role of electrotaxis in adult cardiac tissue remains unexplored. Gaining a better understanding of the electrotaxis mechanisms of these
cells is especially important for improving the efficacy of current cell-based
therapies. Here we report several types of clinically relevant cardiac cells that
exhibit novel electrotactic behaviors. Cardiac Progenitor Cells (CPCs) and
Cardiac Fibroblasts (CFs) electrotax anodally, while induced pluripotent stem
cells-derived cardiac progenitor cells (iPSC-CPCs) electrotax cathodally. CPC
electrotaxis is dependent on VLA4, an integrin receptor, and its ligand, sVCAM. CPC electrotaxis is also dependent on a known cell migration mediator,
PI3’K. CPC migration is restored by adding sVCAM to the media. iPSC-CPCs
do not express VLA4, migrate cathodally, and require media serum and PI3’K
activity for electrotaxis. The electrotaxis of these cardiac cell types shows the
critical roles of electrical fields on the localization of potentially therapeutic
cells, which is currently underutilized in clinical therapy.
Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium) causes gastroenteritis, a disease characterized by acute intestinal inflammation. During
initial stages of infection, S. Typhimurium uses motility and virulence factors
to invade the mammalian small intestine. However, a mechanism by which S.
Typhimurium locates epithelial surfaces for invasion has not been described.
Here, we investigated whether S. Typhimurium uses chemotaxis to locate the
small intestine Peyer’s Patches during invasion in vivo. Our data indicate that
S. Typhimurium enhances invasion of Peyer’s patches by sensing endogenous
electron acceptors produced from constitutively expressed inducible Nitric
Oxide Synthase (iNOS) in the small intestine of mice. S. Typhimurium can
sense nitrate using Tsr receptor-mediated energy taxis, as suggested by the
finding that in the absence of nitrate respiration, no invasion benefit was
conferred by the tsr gene in vivo or in vitro. Remarkably, oral infection of Nos2
knockout mice, which do not express iNOS and thus cannot produce nitrate,
resulted in a significant decrease of invasion by S. Typhimurium. We conclude
that Salmonella uses chemotaxis to locate the intestinal epithelium by sensing
nitrate, which enhances invasion during initial stages of infection.
See It Before You Buy it: The Future of Online Shopping in 3D
Jason Mak | Computer Science
What if you could turn and flip an object, viewing it from all angles before
you buy it...online? Computer vision is changing the way we interact with the
commercial world. Just as human beings can use their 2D vision to infer the
3D structure of an object, advances in computer vision techniques can help
32
machines do the same. In this talk, I discuss how 3D reconstruction from 2D
photographs can improve the way we interact with the digital world in the
context of online shopping.
Asynchronous Telepsychiatry: A Collaborative Care Model That Introduces A New Physician Support Role
Michelle Parish | Nursing
Breanne Harris, Peter Yellowless
Hitting the Ground Running
Jen Symons | Biomedical Engineering
David A. Hawkins, David P. Fyhrie, Susan M. Stover
Collaborative care models in primary care improve care and lower costs,
particularly for patients with chronic diseases and mental illness (Bodenheimer, Chen, & Bennett, 2009). Within this model, coordinating patient care
between specialty physicians, nurses, mental health professionals and primary
care physicians is essential to improve patient care within the framework of
the patient centered medical home (Brett A & Blumberg L, 2006; Van Citters
AD & Bartels SJ, 2004). Despite the promise of these models, Collaborative
models of care in mental health have not grown rapidly in the US and most
patient care continues to center around specialist models of care with limited
collaboration between PCP and specialists and limited roles for physician support providers such as RNs, NPs, LVNs. Unfortunately, the time burden PCPs
are facing to manage growing panels of patients and their limited availability
is now a legitimate concern as the rate of medical graduates specializing in primary care has dropped dramatically and will continue to decline over the next
decade (Bodenheimer et al., 2009). In this setting health information technologies such as telemedicine have been identified as important tools in advancing
the PCMH by improving and streamlining communication between PCPs and
specialists, in addition to increasing access to specialists (Croghan & Brown,
2010). In the specialty of psychiatry, increasing use of asynchronous models of
telepsychiatry have been proposed to close the gap between PCP and specialist
by increasing communication and by creating physician support roles to help
PCPs manage patients with comorbid physical conditions and mental illness.
Asynchronous telepsychiatry (ATP) is a not only highly patient centered care
but also increases access to care and as the ATP consultations are recorded in
the patients primary care clinic by physician extenders it has been suggested
that it will save costs and increase the availability of appointments (Yellowlees
P, Odor A, Parish MB et al, 2010, Yellowlees P, Odor A, Iosif A, et al 2013, Butler T, Yellowlees P, 2012). We will present a sustainable collaborative model of
asynchronous telepsychiatry consultation to primary care, which we hope will
improve patient outcomes by facilitating the PCMH and expanding roles in
healthcare for nurses, NPs/PAs, MAs and social workers.
Athletes incur musculoskeletal injuries while training and competing. These
injuries can necessitate euthanasia in horse athletes. Musculoskeletal injuries
are most prevalent in racehorses, compared to other equestrian disciplines.
Sports equipment design has been used to prevent injuries and enhance
performance in human athletes. These same principles can be applied to the
design of racehorse surfaces. Race surface material selection and maintenance
procedures can affect likelihood for injury because surface properties affect
forces applied to the hoof and limb of a racehorse when contacting the ground.
These forces affect limb and tissues deformations that contribute to injury.
This research applies engineering principles to develop a computational model
of the interaction between racehorse limb and race surface. This tool will
improve understanding of the effect of race surface mechanical properties on
racehorse limb motion and deformation during ground contact, as well as aid
in the design of optimal environments for racehorse training and competition.
Digestion of complementary food proteins by human milk proteases
Junai Gan | Food Science
See “Oral Talk” Abstract
How genomics will help us outsmart plant pathogens
Kelsey Wood | Integrative Genetics and Genomics
Plant disease-causing pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi,
represent a major threat to the production of all our favorite food crops. Plant
breeders at both research universities and in industry are constantly working
to breed new plant varieties that are disease resistant, however this “genetic
resistance” is often overcome in 5-10 years due to evolution of the pathogen.
In this talk, I will explain how genomics, which has revolutionized our understanding of biological processes in human disease, can help us understand how
plant pathogens thwart our efforts to control them and how we can create the
next generation of disease resistant plants for sustainable agriculture.
College Better: Parimutuel Betting Markets as a Commitment Device and
Monetary Incentive
Lester Lusher | Economics
See “Oral Talk” Abstract
Dynamic of Nano-second Laser Ablation with High Temporal and Spatial
Resolution
Sahar Hihath | Physics
Melissa Santala, Geoffrey Campbell, Klaus van Benthem,
See “Oral Talk” Abstract
BrainStorm
Siqi Li | Design
Does Process Inform Product?: Using Video Analysis to Measure the Influence of Attention on Writing Ability in Children with High-functioning
Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Matthew Zajic | Education
See “Oral Talk” Abstract
Asynchronous Telepsychiatry: A Collaborative Care Model That Introduces A New Physician Support Role
Michelle Parish | Nursing
Breanne Harris, Peter Yellowless
Collaborative care models in primary care improve care and lower costs,
particularly for patients with chronic diseases and mental illness (Bodenheimer, Chen, & Bennett, 2009). Within this model, coordinating patient care
between specialty physicians, nurses, mental health professionals and primary
care physicians is essential to improve patient care within the framework of
the patient centered medical home (Brett A & Blumberg L, 2006; Van Citters
AD & Bartels SJ, 2004). Despite the promise of these models, Collaborative
models of care in mental health have not grown rapidly in the US and most
patient care continues to center around specialist models of care with limited
collaboration between PCP and specialists and limited roles for physician support providers such as RNs, NPs, LVNs. Unfortunately, the time burden PCPs
are facing to manage growing panels of patients and their limited availability
is now a legitimate concern as the rate of medical graduates specializing in pri-
People nowadays spend more time interacting with their electronic devices
rather than talking with real people face to face. How much do you share your
emotions with your friends, family, and the people around you? What would
happen if there were another way to express your inner activities other than
language, facial expressions, and body gestures? This design project uses
electronic devices – in the form of brainwave sensors – to spark a new mode of
playful interpersonal communication. The “storm-cloud” headpiece changes
colors and spins based upon the intensity of its wearer’s level of engagement,
connection, and excitement. When worn in a party setting by multiple people
all at once, some brainstorm-like visual effect occurs as people connect with
each other and share in each other’s excitement. Same as the role of food and
drinks, costumes or other interesting wearable pieces may ease the process of
topic finding, thereby encourage more interpersonal interaction. BrainStorm
acts as a party dress up and a social lubricant, making conversation and connection easy through an innovative use of wearable technology.
Impacts of Weather and Climate on the Transatlantic Slave Trade
William Turner IV | Atmospheric Science
See “Oral Talk” Abstract
33
See you next year at the 2016 UC Davis
IGPS on April 7th and 8th, 2016, at the
Walter A. Buehler Alumni Center and
the UC Davis Conference Center!