id authorlist title abstract
GF1 Chia (Candie) Hsuan Cho, Robin Donatello, Naomi Stamper, Marianne Paiva, Stephanie Bianco Feeding Student Success: Benefits of CalFresh Food Enrollment College student poverty and food insecurity rates in CA and across the U.S. are at an all-time high and have significant implications on academic success and health. This pilot study focused on the impact of CalFresh benefits on various student success measures among disadvantaged students, specifically those in the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). Results help guide higher education institution services and state and federal policymakers. The primary objective of this cross-sectional pilot study was to test and validate the Impact of Basic Needs on Student Success Survey (IBNS3) for future use statewide.
GF1 Courtney Merrick, Lauren Housley Sulforaphane Modulates Cytokine Levels in Cell Culture Media of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells Grown with Macrophages Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) makes up approximately 10-20% of all breast cancer cases. It is particularly difficult to treat, with high-metastasis rates, poor prognosis, and limited treatment options. Mortality is largely due to the tumor cells high invasive capacity and rapid progression to metastasis. Evidence suggests that macrophages in the breast tumor microenvironment release cytokines that increase tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Sulforaphane (SFN) is a broccoli phytochemical that slows the progression of breast cancer and alters cytokine secretion from macrophages and breast cancer cells grown in single culture. SFN effects on cytokine secretion in the breast tumor microenvironment remain unclear. This study investigates the effect of SFN on cytokine levels secreted by TNBC cells grown with and without macrophages. We hypothesize that cytokine levels differ in media from cocultured cells versus singly cultured cells, and SFN treatment further alters cytokine levels in media. In this study, TNBC cells (MDA-MB-231) were grown in transwell plates with and without macrophages (THP-1 cells differentiated with phorbol-myristate acetate). Cell cultures (n=3) were treated with 15 µM SFN, DMSO (vehicle-control), or a non-treatment control. We evaluated levels of 44 individual cytokines in cell culture media at 24 and 48 hours after treatment using a multi-plex (BioPlex) assay. Control groups included single-cultured MDA-MB-231 and differentiated THP-1 cells. Results from this study will provide information on mechanisms underlying SFN effects on TNBC behavior.
GF1 Matt Berry, Carrie Monohan, Dave Weixelman, and Anne Bykerk-Kauffman Water table height and vegetation composition of wetland obligate species in response to restoration in a montane meadow, Northern California Restoration of hydrologic function in meadows is a way to improve habitat and to improve climate resiliency. Wet Meadows are groundwater-dependent systems that rely on shallow water-table depths and are more common in gradually sloped valley bottoms. A shallow water table is critical to meadow hydrologic function and provides a multitude of ecosystem services, such as flood attenuation, water quality improvement, water storage, habitat, and carbon sequestration. This study investigates the linkage between water table height and vegetation composition, specifically the percent of wetland obligate and facultative species. Hourly groundwater data and surface water stream gage measurements will be coupled with vegetation composition data from transects and high-resolution drone imagery. By monitoring vegetation composition changes from pre to post restoration, land managers and restoration practitioners may not have to use groundwater wells to monitor hydrologic function and restoration effectiveness. The study area is in Red Clover Valley, CA, a ~1,250-hectare degraded meadow that has been grazed for over 100 years. Two types of restoration techniques were implemented in the study area in 2018 and 2019: Beaver dam analogs (BDAs) and grade control structures. Both techniques abate stream incision and subsequently reconnect the groundwater table to the floodplain. Post-restoration, an increase in wetland obligate and facultative species is expected, as is a significantly elevated water table, which should increase hydrologic function and the amount of water available to the roo
GF1 Kaitlyn Romo, Cawa Tran The Effects of Bacterial Colonization in the Sea Anemone Exaiptasia pallida Coral reefs are threatened by rising ocean temperatures associated with climate change. Methods must be developed to help corals adapt to these changing conditions. Scientists predict that coral adaptability depends highly on the three-way relationship involving the coral host, the algal symbiont, and bacteria . Before we can enhance these relationships, we need to understand each one. Here, we are looking to understand, and improve, the relationship between the microbiome and the host by investigating bacterial species and their impact on the host. Two bacterial species, Alteromonas macleodii and Vibrio alginolyticus, are fluorescently labeled to track their colonization patterns within the host. The health of the host is subsequently examined by assessing its morphology, biomass, protein content, and bleaching potential. These assessments will help gain a better understanding of the relationship between the cnidarian host and their associated prokaryotes, and overall make a prediction whether these associations can influence host response to climate change.
GF1 Stephanie Parker, Don Miller Rudimentary social behavior and spatial distribution of exuviae of the gall-inducing aphid, Tamalia coweni Aphid sociality is defined by a division of labor with physical and behavioral differences among various castes. This is especially observed with galling aphids who induce galls, a tumor-like growth, on stems and leaves. Tamalia coweni (Aphididae: Tamaliinae) induces galls on manzanita species, woody shrubs in the heath family (Ericaceae, Arbutoideae, Arctostaphylos) and is considered non-social. Inside the gall, the female’s offspring will grow, molt, and leave behind their cast exoskeletons. This study examined the spatial arrangement of exuviae, or cast exoskeletons, left within the galls on two species of manzanita, Arctostaphylos manzanita and Arctostaphylos viscida. The exuviae within A. viscida galls have a significantly greater tendency toward clustered distribution than those in A. manzanita which tended toward random distribution according to nearest neighbor analysis, suggesting a rudimentary social behavior. Considering the restrictive nature of living in a gall, the structure of the gall may have a major impact on the behavior of the inhabiting aphids thus explaining the differences in behavior among this population of T. coweni. However, there were no gall size differences between the two species of manzanita and no relationship between the occurrence of clustering and gall size. This requires consideration for other factors that may be influencing the variation in behavior.
GF1 Laura Lampe, Christopher Ivey Investigating how climate-related phenological shifts affect plant-pollinator interactions in two Northern California habitats. Phenology, or the timing of life history events, is often cued by climate and, in many species, has shifted in recent decades with climate change. Furthermore, many interactions between species are dependent on alignment of their respective phenologies. Plant flowering, for example, must occur during pollinator flight periods in order for pollination to be successful. There is also thought that alpine habitats may be especially sensitive to climate change; therefore, climate-related community changes may be unique in alpine areas. I will compare historical plant and pollinator collections with contemporary collections to evaluate whether phenological shifts have occurred in selected Northern California bees and animal-pollinated plants, and whether any of these shifts suggest that plant-pollinator phenological misalignment may be a concern. In addition, I will compare collections from alpine and lower-elevation habitats to evaluate whether shifts in phenology or potential misalignments vary between these habitats. Finally, I plan to visit selected plant populations during their flowering period to test whether the phenological changes as predicted from studies of collection records are also observed in the field. Further understanding of the potential for phenological misalignment, especially in communities at risk of habitat loss, will aid in predicting future impacts on species interactions and, by extension, biodiversity.