In this project, I investigated whether Balboa Park, a 1,200 acre major urban park located in San Diego, California, represents an example of modernism in landscape architecture. Landscape architecture is the design of open spaces for public recreation, social-bonding, ecology and education. It is a multi-disciplinary field which embraces science and human health. The study of modernism of Balboa Park is important not only to designers and scholars, but also to people in general, since one of the most essential contributions of modern landscape architecture to contemporary life is the emphasis that landscapes are for the public, a fundamentally democratic ideal developed at a time when gardens were historically the privilege of the rich minority. First established in 1868, Balboa Park has gone through considerable changes, including during the Panama-California Exposition in 1915. As a 1,200 acre public park, which is early double the size of New York’s Central Park, Balboa Park is a crucial open space for not only the city of San Diego, but also the nation. A modern landscape architecture provides space for public recreation, offers space for public gathering and improves the urban ecology. So, it is valuable to examine whether Balboa Park represents a transition to modern landscape architecture. In order to investigate my hypothesis, which is that Balboa Park is a modern landscape architecture, I engaged the work of several scholars, including Marc Treib, who defines modernism using several “axioms of a Modern Landscape Architecture”. I tested several axioms on Balboa Park, such as “a denial of historical styles”, “landscapes are for people” and so on. Also, I compared Balboa Park to other examples of parks in California from the same time period to prove the modernism of Balboa Park.

The physiological mechanism of light-induced leaf expansion may begin with the capture of blue light by the photoreceptor phototropin. This process is responsible for growth of the plant which influences photosynthetic ability and overall productivity. Our goal was to determine whether phototropin has an affect on expansion and if so, what phototropin's role in growth is. In this study, we grew Arabidopsis thaliana WT (wild type), phot1, phot2, and phot1/2 mutants in pots in a growth chamber under continuous light. Each plant's fifth leaf was photographed every day and measured with ImageJ to obtain growth rates. This experiment was run three times. The results show that phot1 mutants do not significantly differ from WT, phot2 mutants had a similar growth rate to WT but continued growing at a fast rate for a day longer, and phot1/2 had a much slower growth rate than WT. A second experiment was done using the same growth conditions, but using only WT, phot2, and phot1/2. On the sixth day after its appearance, the fifth leaf was removed from each plant and floated in a 5 millimolar solution of KCl for 24 hours. These leaves were photographed before and after to obtain their growth rates and the results were consistent with the first experiment which used intact leaves. The second experiment demonstrates that there is a phot-mediated mechanism contained within the leaf which influences growth. Knowing the cellular mechanism regulating leaf growth rate may help to understand how environmental stresses such as drought reduce plant productivity. Our next step will be to determine the mechanism which is causing the difference between the rates. First, we will look at anatomy of the leaves to determine if cell expansion or division is most affected by phototropin.

Forensic entomology uses the life cycles of insects to determine the time of death (post mortem interval, PMI) of victims of homicide and abuse. Currently, PMI is not used on bodies that have been burned with the use of an accelerant because little is known about how the accelerants affect the life cycles of insects at the scene. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether flesh flies (Sarcophaga bullata) will colonize and complete a full life cycle on charred carrion that has been burned with an accelerant. Laboratory reared adult flesh flies were provided with various substrates; one not burned, one organically burned and one burned with the accelerant, gasoline. Early results of this experiment have shown normal progression of the fly life cycle with larvae deposited on the control carrion. No progression of the life cycle of the flies has been observed on either of the charred substrates. The results of these experiments can show how carrion burned with accelerants affects the colonization and life cycle of an important forensic indicator species, the flesh fly. This pilot study can lead to further studies regarding using PMI for charred remains. The broad scope of this study is to gain insight into the use of insect life cycles to determine the time of death of victims burned with accelerants.

This study investigated the effects of environmental pollution in Elliott Bay, central Puget Sound, by analyzing the microscopic biota collected from the sediment-water interface, in summer 1998 and 2007. The focus was on Foraminifera, single-cell microorganisms with shells made of calcium carbon or agglutinated sediment.  Many Foraminifera are sensitive to changes in the physical parameters of their environment and thus, they can be good indicators of pollution. Elliott Bay is surrounded by the city of Seattle with its large maritime industrial presence. City development and economic growth near Elliott Bay led to a focus on environmental concerns. On the southern shoreline of the Bay there are many heavy industries and Federal Superfund sites that had discharged large amounts of industrial pollution from the Duwamish River and Elliott Bay. In our study, sediment samples collected by the Washington State Department of Ecology were processed and the assemblage of Foraminifera species were obtained from  each of 16 samples. The species composition, species richness and density (number of individuals per sample) for each sample were analyzed.  Using this data, comparisons were made between those samples collected in 1998 and those collected from exactly the same sites in 2007. The results show that there are 12 different species found in the Bay, and the assemblages are dominated by the species Elphidiella hannai, Haplophragmoides planissimum, and the pollution-tolerant Eggerella advena. Large population of Eggerella advena in Elliott Bay, and the exclusion of other less tolerant species, indicates a physically stressed environment. By comparing foraminiferal assemblages from Elliott Bay with samples from less anthropogenically impacted locations within the Puget Sound, we can assess the degree of environmental damage to Elliott Bay.

Eukaryotic genomes contain many copies of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) encoding the RNA components of ribosomes, ranging from 150 tandem repeated copies in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to approximately 700 copies in diploid human cells.  Recent work in the Brewer/Raghuraman and Bedalov labs used S. cerevisiae to identify connections between rDNA copy number and cellular processes such as genome replication and replicative aging.  Based on their findings, I hypothesize that a cell with too many rDNA copies may have difficulty with genome-wide DNA replication, while a cell with too few copies will not be able to satisfy ribosome demand from protein synthesis.  What dictates the size of rDNA region remains unknown, but we hope to learn about the relationship between the size of rDNA region and DNA replication by identifying its genetic regulators.  A preliminary survey found single gene deletion strains with altered numbers of rDNA repeats, supporting the idea that rDNA copy number is under genetic control.  Encouraged by this result, I screened 400 mutants from S. cerevisiae deletion collection for rDNA copy number.  I also examined the putative link between rDNA size and longevity: half of the mutants chosen in this screen were reported to have longer replicative lifespan and the other half were randomly selected.  I found that the average rDNA copy number is not significantly different between the two groups, suggesting that the relationship between the size of rDNA region and replicative lifespan is not direct.  I did observe a notable enrichment for mutants with altered rDNA size in genes that have mitochondrial function, defects in cell cycle progression, and abnormal cytoskeleton phenotypes.  By continuous investigation and exploring the molecular mechanisms that govern rDNA copy number, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of how the rDNA region interacts with genome-wide DNA replication.

This study aimed to analyze benthic foraminiferal assemblages to determine if environmental changes from pollution and other factors have affected the health of the Bremerton area marine ecosystems. Foraminifera are shelled, single-celled microorganisms that can act as good indicators of environmental change. Sinclair and Dyes Inlets border Bremerton and are connected by the Port Washington Waterway in Kitsap County, Washington. Bremerton is the home of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and is listed as a federal Superfund site due to accumulations of industrial pollution. Additionally, agricultural and residential pollutants have been released into Dyes Inlet from local streams. Foraminifera were collected from 40 sediment samples provided by the Washington State Department of Ecology from 1998-2012. Samples were analyzed for foraminiferal species composition, diversity, and density (number of inidividuals/gram sediment). Results show 22 species were found, however most samples had low diversities and densities. Ten samples contained no foraminifera. In addition, numerous euhedral gypsum crystals were found in 13 samples in both inlets. Gypsum is a calcium sulfate mineral, and occurrences of subaquatic gypsum crystals in non-evaporitic settings are unusual. Samples with gypsum showed either lower foraminiferal densities or no foraminifera present. Sulfur isotope analysis of the crystals indicates they formed in a sulfate-reducing environment. The comparitively high Total Organic Carbon (TOC) values in gypsym-containing samples suggests that decomposition of organic material may lead to this sulfate-reduction. Additionally, significant dissolution observed in the calcium carbonate shells of many foraminifera indicates pH values of the sediment were low. This can also result from the degradation of organic matter. Thus, foramiferal assemblages within Sinclair and Dyes Inlets are responding markedly to conditions in sediments, establishing the efficacy of using foraminifera as a tool for monitoring benthic ecosystems in Puget Sound.

The purpose of this project is to develop and refine a technique for taking photographs to be included in an atlas of the foraminifera of Puget Sound. Foraminifera are shelled single-celled organisms that live at the sediment/water interface in marine environments. Their sensitivity to environmental conditions makes them useful in monitoring ecosystems on the sea floor. The atlas will contain photographs and detailed descriptions of each foraminifera species. Despite their importance as an environmental monitoring tool, foraminifera have never been comprehensively studied in Puget Sound. This catalogue will become a useful tool for future workers in research and environmental monitoring. Key to this atlas is the inclusion of clear, accurate photographs of each species of foraminifera. Scanning Electron Micrographs yield excellent images, but these often do not portray the organism as it is viewed through a light microscope. Thus, the inclusion of photomicrographs is essential. Photography becomes quite technical when dealing with objects of a microscopic scale while still trying to produce a clear image with depth of field. With the Puget Sound Foram Project we work with specimens that can be as small as a tenth of a millimeter in size, so producing a high quality publishable picture takes time and a specialized technique. Using a light microscope, each specimen has to be photographed several times, focusing at a different depth each time. Once all of the layers have been captured, the pictures are then synchronized and edited in such a way that we get one final image that has both clarity and depth of field. In addition, each specimen must be photographed from two or more angles to illustrate critical features. Photography for research purposes can be a complicated and lengthy process but is essential for not only supplementing data but conveying vital information.