 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. R. Patton
Student Representative at the Geological Society of America Poster
Presentation
Bonny Batt, Beth Brady, Elie Braun,
Gwen Erickson, Daisy Finch, Colin Hughes,
Brett Ingles, Lora Kiger, Noel Liner,
Michelle Murt, Ozzie Ordaz, Alexa Ozzello-Reed,
Jay Patton, Justin Reeves, Russ Seghetti,
Chris Sheridan, Nate Smith, and Jay Stallman
Camp Participants
Ken Aalto (Humboldt State University), Joanna Redwine
(Humboldt State University), and
Russell Shapiro (Bowdoin College)
Camp Teaching Staff
Department of Geology, Humboldt State University
Paleozoic formations mapped, all marine, include crinoidal grainstones and wackestones of the Joana Limestone (Mississippian), mixed siliciclastics of the Antlerland-derived Chainman and Diamond Peak Fms (Mississippian), carbonate mudstones, wackestones and grainstones of the Ely Limestone (Pennsylvanian), and carbonate mudstones (with craton-derived quartz silt), wackestones and grainstones of the Arcturus Fm (Permian). Diamond Peak coarse clastics exhibit both graded bedding and cross-bedding. Tertiary units include basal red siliciclastics interpreted as fanglomerates, succeeded by finely laminated and interbedded white, tuffaceous calcareous lacustrine sandstone and mudstone of the Sheep Pass Fm. Younger volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks include several ignimbrites, basalt and basaltic andesite flows and dikes, vitrophyre flows and a variety of airfall tuffs, epiclastic sandstones and lahar-emplaced diamictites. At least three generations of Quaternary fan deposits are present.
Unconformable relations suggest that Paleozoic formations were
folded prior to deposition of basal Tertiary sediments. Folds
trend north-south, have wavelengths of one half to several km,
vary from open and generally upright to tight with east-vergent
axial surfaces, and plunge moderately both to the north and south.
The tightest structures, on Antelope Mt. and the southern half
of Joana Ridge, exhibit fault-propagation fold geometry with overturning
to the east. A strange mesa (Efin Mesa), at the north end of Joanna
Ridge, exhibits excellent fault-bend fold geometry with east-west
trending cross faults separating the two folding styles along
the ridge. East-northeast trending normal faults crosscut Tertiary
formations, and in turn are crosscut by north-south trending normal
(Basin & Range) faults, some of which offset Quaternary fans.
On the southern flanks of Joana Ridge, dense varicolored jasperoid
is developed along the Joana-Chainman Fm contact. However, on
Efin Mesa extensive coeval (?) silicification of flat-lying Diamond
Pk. (Newark Valley sequence?) calcareous chert pebble conglomerate,
breccia and quartzose sandstone suggests that the zone of alteration
migrated upwards within the Chainman/Diamond Peak clastic wedge.
The fault-bend fold geometry of the mesa suggests that here a
decollment is stepping up from a deeper horizon to the Pilot Shale,
which stratigraphically underlies the Joana Limestone.
Sharon S. Chadwick and Mary H. Kay
The Library, Humboldt State University
The Library at Humboldt State University has had a long history
of complaints from staff and library users about its poor air
quality. These problems were exacerbated when an addition with
its own HVAC system was built in 1977. With California's increasingly
worse budget problems and the resultant decrease in maintenance
of the HVAC systems, the indoor air quality deteriorated greatly
in the late 1980's and early 1990's. Each time the carpeting was
replaced or painting was undertaken in the Library, several employees
would become ill. The first author was one of the more severely
affected and was out on disability for the academic year 1991/92
when a major recarpeting and repainting project was carried out.
Changes in the Library administration brought a commitment to
finding out the underlying cause(s) for the indoor air pollution
and taking steps to resolve the problem. The ongoing process will
be described in this poster.
Phyllis Chin
Department of Mathematics, Humboldt State University
Over the last 10 years, the presenter has worked with a team of university mathematicians and K-12 teachers to improve the content and pedagogical knowledge and teaching in a large rural area of Northern California. Two funding sources have sponsored on-going interactions between the mathematicians and teachers.
RAMP (Redwood Area Mathematics Project) is an ongoing project funded by the State of California and has as its major goals to enhance the teaching effectiveness of K-12 teachers and to develop and support teacher-leadership. University mathematics faculty members provide mathematics content while K-12 teachers share ideas for classroom applications of the content and learn about the mathematics that precedes and follows what they teach at their grade levels.
PROMPT (Professors Rethinking Options in Mathematics for Prospective Teachers) was funded by the United States National Science Foundation. The participants in Project PROMPT are mathematicians from universities who teach math content courses to K-8 teachers. Its primary goal is to improve the mathematical preparation of teachers by involving participants in a variety of ways of teaching and learning and evaluating learning.
At the heart of both projects is a residential program, containing a mixture of content presentations and pedagogical discussions. Participants are treated as professionals with valuable ideas to share. Professors and K-12 teachers alike have benefited from their interactions and all report changes in what and how they teach.
The effectiveness of these projects results from participants:
o learning significant mathematics in cooperative settings
o evaluating new K-12 curricular materials
o discussing the content and methods they use in teaching
o exploring a variety of assessment techniques
o examining the role higher education should play in facilitating
changes in mathematics education in the United States.
These experiences are particularly important for mathematicians, since they were successful in learning from lectures on mathematics and thus do not always recognize the necessity of alternative methods to instruct less mathematically inclined students. For teachers, the interactions with mathematicians led to increased content competence.
This poster will display a summary of the philosophy and effects
of the projects along with photographs of some RAMP and PROMPT
activities.
M. A. de Angelis, M. E. Torres, J. McManus
Department of Oceanography, Humboldt State University
Continental shelves have been identified as sites for a variety
of cold seeps, where release of fluids and gases from sediments
to oceanic bottom water occurs as the result of tectonic compression
of sediments. Frequently, these seeps are characterized by elevated
levels of methane. The quantification of the methane released
from seeps or to oceanic bottom water is important in determining
the oceanic methane budget as well as providing an upper limit
to the amount of methane that may eventually be released to the
atmosphere from continental shelves where it may contribute to
global warming. Equally important in determining the contribution
of seep methane to the atmosphere is the microbial oxidation of
methane within seep sediments and the water column into which
the methane is being injected. The control of microbial methane
oxidation at seep sites is not well understood. The study reported
here examined microbial methane oxidation activity in sediments
and near-bottom water at methane seep and non-seep sites within
the San Clemente basin in order to gain a better understanding
of the role of methane oxidation in determining methane fluxes
at such seeps and possible controls on the rate of microbial methane
oxidation in such systems.
Caroline E. Noha and James L. Dupree
Department of Psychology, Humboldt State University
Little research has been conducted to examine the differences in romantic love between persons identifying as homosexuals and heterosexuals as well as between male and female homosexuals. This study explored such potential differences by administering the Hendrick's Love Attitude Scale (LAS) to 136 subjects ranging in age from 18 to 74. The final self-identified subject pool consisted of 34 heterosexual men, 32 homosexual men, 35 heterosexual women, and 35 homosexual women. This study was a 2X2 factorial design. Subjects were elicited from both a university and community population. The LAS is probably the most commonly used and psychometrically evaluated measurement of romantic love. It is a 42-item questionnaire intended to measure six different styles or approaches to love.
As predicted, no significant differences were noted between
homosexual and heterosexual respondents, suggesting that romantic
love issues are similar between groups. One gender/orientation
interaction was noted. Heterosexual men and homosexual women endorsed
Mania more than other respondents. Some gender issues were noted,
regardless of the sexual orientation of the subjects. Women were
found to endorse the lovestyle Eros more than men.
Eros is considered a more physical, passionate approach to love.
Men endorsed the lovestyle of Ludus more than women, which style
is considered the more game-playing, manipulative, and non-monogamous
approach. Other issues such as Storge (friendship), Pragma (practical),
and Agape (selfless) failed to emerge as contributing factors
in trying to compare romantic love in these populations. Implications
for counseling homosexual couples were discussed. It was suggested
that the romantic love issues of homosexual couples seem to be
not significantly different than issues shared by heterosexual
couples.
S. B. Edinger-Marshall, C.H. Yang, and D.E. Crowley
Department of Rangeland Resources and Wildland Soils, Humboldt State University
Microbiotic crusts cycle nutrients and protect soils against
erosion. Fluctuations in microbial communities in response to
distrubance were studied using polymerase chain reaction (PCR),
denaturing gel gradient electrophoresis (DGGE) and DNA sequence
analyses. From the DNA DGGE profiles of 16S rDNA, five to seven
dominant bands were detected from different crusted soils. Community
structure and species composition was similar for several soil
crusts. Fewer and different DNA bands were observed in rodent-disturbed
surface materials compared to intact soil crusts, suggesting loss
of structure and greater species evenness. Tire tracks, while
altering physical properties of crusts, did not appear to alter
bacterial communities significantly when compared to spatial variability
within either undisturbed or tire track sites. Results of
watering experiments on tire track sites and undisturbed sites
will be discussed.
Mary B. Gruber, Kathy D. Munoz, Chris A. Hopper, and Robert Herb
Department of Psychology, Humboldt State University
The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of including
versus not including children's families in a six-week program
to teach children about exercise and nutrition. Six classes of
fifth and sixth graders were assigned to three different treatment
conditions, with one fifth grade and one sixth grade class in
each condition. The three conditions were a school-and-home treatment
condition (n=50), a school-only condition (n=47), and a control
condition (n=51). In the control condition, children were given
no additional instruction in exercise or nutrition concepts beyond
that provided in their regular school curriculum. In the school-and-home
and school-only conditions, children were provided with additional
in-class instruction and activities relating to healthy exercise
and nutrition habits. In the school-and-home condition, the children's
parents were also asked to participate by engaging in specific
exercise and nutrition activities at home with their family as
a "home team". Family teams received weekly points for
completing exercise and nutrition activities. Stickers and other
rewards were presented contingent upon family participation. Between-groups
analysis of variance showed significant differences at posttest,
with pairwise comparisons showing the school-and- home group scoring
higher than the control group on tests of flexibility, exercise
knowledge, and nutrition knowledge, and significantly lower than
the control group on percent of calories obtained from fat. Repeated
measures analysis of variance showed that the school-and-home
group with family participation significantly increased their
number of timed sit-ups and significantly decreased their time
to run a mile, while the school-and-home children with no family
participation did not. Repeated-measures analysis of variance
indicated that only the control group showed a significant pretest
to posttest increase in skinfolds, while the other groups showed
no significant change. The participating parents showed significant
pretest to posttest improvements on the flexibility and sit-ups
tests, and a significant reduction in their intake of saturated
fat. Parents showed no significant change in exercise and nutrition
knowledge, but the individual parents' degree of change in knowledge
scores did correlate significantly and positively with those of
their children. The "home-team" approach was effective
in improving some fitness components of children and their parents,
indicating that the family unit can be effective in producing
lifestyle changes.
Jill Montre and Mary B. Gruber
Department of Psychology, Humboldt State University
The purpose of this experiment was to examine whether children's
attractiveness has a biasing effect on adults' ratings of their
personalities. A pilot study pre-determined a set of photographs
of attractive and unattractive male and female children to be
used as visual stimuli in the study. The actual subjects consisted
of 100 male and 100 female college students. Each subject received
the same, identical written descriptive case history of a child.
Along with the written case history was attached a photograph
from one of four conditions: attractive boy, attractive girl,
unattractive boy, unattractive girl. Each subject also received
a questionnaire asking them to rate their perception of the child
on a semantic differential scale for 20 personality attributes.
Analysis of variance indicated that the attractive children were
rated as significantly more intelligent, popular, carefree, happy,
attractive, healthy, honest, powerful, hopeful, competent, independent,
sociable, and loved than were the unattractive children. The attractive
children were not rated as significantly more aggressive, serious,
moral, carefree, normal, emotional, or funny than the unattractive
children, however. In addition, the subjects' ratings of the children's
attractiveness were significantly and positively correlated with
the ratings of the children as intelligent, popular, moral, carefree,
confident, happy, normal, healthy, honest, powerful, hopeful,
competent, independent, emotional, sociable, and loved. Ratings
of the children's attractiveness were not significantly correlated
with ratings of the children as aggressive, serious, or funny.
Factor analysis was used to condense the 20 adjective items into
four factor scales. A 2x2x2 analysis of covariance for attractiveness
of child, gender of child, and gender of subject, with age of
subject as a covariate, was performed on each descriptive scale.
Results indicated that the attractive children were rated higher
than the unattractive children on the Popular-and-Successful factor,
the Powerful-and-Confident factor, and the Honest-and-Wholesome
factor. The attractive and unattractive children were not rated
significantly differently on the Carefree-and-Fun factor, however.
Those who work with children should be aware of the biasing effect
of children's physical attractiveness on adults' ratings of their
personalities, since this effect has implications for prejudicial
treatment of children and for children's self-esteem.
Lisa A. Carson and Mary B. Gruber
Department of Psychology, Humboldt State University
This experiment was conducted to evaluate the concept of psychological
momentum, which sport psychologists view as an increase in self-confidence
and subsequent performance which occurs as a result of perceived
gains in a competitive situation. Forty college students were
each placed in apparent competition with a same- sex confederate.
Prior to each trial, subjects rated their degree of expectation
of winning, confidence in their ability, and anxiety about their
performance on the next trial. Three one-minute trials were given
on a rotary pursuit task of tracking a moving light with a hand-held
stylus, and time on target was recorded. After each trial, subjects
were given fictitious feedback about whether they had won or lost
that trial. Subjects were randomly assigned to four different
feedback conditions, which were win-win, win-lose, lose-win, and
lose-lose feedback, given after the first and second trials respectively.
Subjects who were told they won showed significantly higher next-trial
expectations of winning, confidence in their ability, and actual
motor performance scores, compared to subjects who were told they
lost, thereby supporting the concept of psychological momentum.
The win-win group showed the greatest overall first-to-third trial
increases in expectation of winning, confidence in ability, and
actual motor performance, while the lose-lose group showed the
least. The win-lose and lose-win groups were compared to test
contrasting predictions of the primacy effect, which predicts
that a series with an initial win followed by a loss provides
more psychological momentum to a competitor than an initial loss
followed by a win, versus the comeback effect, which predicts
the reverse. While the lose-win group showed greater first-to-third
trial increases in expectation of winning and decreases in anxiety,
the win-lose group showed greater first-to-third trial improvements
in actual motor performance. Thus the results favor the comeback
effect with respect to confidence, but favor the primacy effect
with respect to actual motor performance.
Jennifer Conn and Senqi Hu
Department of Psychology, Humboldt State University
Thirty-one subjects viewed an optokinetic rotating drum for
12 minutes in one session and self-rotated around a vertical pole
with eyes closed while alternately flexing and extending the neck
in another session. The self-rotation session contained 6 trials
(3 clockwise and 3 counter-clockwise rotations). Each trial contained
20 cycles of self-rotations. The self-reported ratings of nausea
and symptoms of motion sickness were obtained for each session.
The subjects developed symptoms of nausea, sweating, dizziness,
headache, drowsiness, and changes in salivation in both drum rotation
and self-rotation sessions. However, the subjects reported higher
ratings of nausea in the session of optokinetic rotation than
in the session of self-rotation around a vertical pole. These
results indicated that both optokinetic rotation and self-rotation
with eyes closed while alternately flexing and extending the neck
are effective means of inducing nausea and motion sickness.
Senqi Hu and Nicholas Herren
Department of Psychology, Humboldt State University
Thirty-six subjects' facial electromyographic (EMG) activities
at the zygomatic, corrugator, and levator labii (superioris/alaeque
nasi) muscle regions were recorded while they were acting self-generated
emotions of happiness, anger, fear, sadness, disgust, and surprise.
The results showed that the EMG activities at the levator labii
region generated significantly higher power than those at the
corrugator region while acting out disgust (P < 0.01), the
EMG activities at the zygomatic region generated significantly
higher power than those at corrugator region while acting out
happiness and surprise (p < 0.01), and the EMG activities at
the corrugator region generated significantly higher power than
those at zygomatic and levator labii regions while acting out
anger, sadness, and fear (p < 0.01). It was concluded that
the negative self-generated emotions were associated with increased
EMG activities at corrugator muscles and that the positive self-acting
emotions were associated with increased EMG activities at zygomatic
muscles.
Senqi Hu and Kathryn A. Player
Department of Psychology, Humboldt State University
This study investigated the effects of different retention
intervals on the magnitude of optokinetic rotation-induced conditioned
taste aversions (CTA) in humans. Two experiments were conducted.
In Experiment 1, 20 subjects were divided into two groups: CS-UCS
Group, drinking soybean milk (CS) was paired with optokinetic
rotation-induced gastric illness (UCS); and CS alone Group, drinking
soybean milk was not paired with optokinetic rotation. Results
indicated that two days after pairing soybean milk drinking with
optokinetic rotation, the subjects in the CS-UCS Group significantly
reduced palatability to soybean milk and consumption of soybean
milk than those in the CS alone Group. In Experiment 2, 40 subjects
were divided into four CS-UCS groups with 1 day, 3 days, 5 days,
and 10 days retention intervals between the session of pairing
soybean milk with optokinetic rotation and the session of re-tasting
soybean milk. The results revealed no significant differences
among four groups on palatability to soybean milk and consumption
of soybean milk in the re-tasting session. It is concluded that
optokinetic rotation is an effective unconditioned stimulus for
CTA formation and that CTA has a retention period of at least
10 days.
Senqi Hu and Jason E. Scozzafava
Department of Psychology, Humboldt State University
The purpose of the present study was to observe the subjective
responses to odors of lavender and jasmine and associated facial
electromyographic (EMG). Twenty-nine subjects participated in
the experiment. Electrodes were placed on subjects' zygomaticus
major, corrugator supercilli, and frontalis muscles of the face
to record facial EMG signals. The baseline EMG were recorded before
odor presentations. Each subject was then inhaled essential oils
of lavender, jasmine, and water while EMG activities were recorded.
The order of the odor presentation was counterbalanced. The subjective
ratings of pleasantness were also obtained after each odor presentation.
The ratio of EMG power between tasting and baseline periods was
calculated in statistical analysis. One-way analysis of variance
(ANOVA) on the pleasantness scores indicated significant differences
among odors. Further comparisons with paired t-tests indicated
that the subjects reported significantly higher ratings of pleasantness
to jasmine than to water (t = 4.52, p < 0.001), and that the
subjects reported significantly higher ratings of pleasantness
to lavender than to water (t = 3.78, p < 0.001). However, a
two-way within subjects ANOVA on ratios of EMG spectral power
between odor inhaling period and baseline indicated that the odor
main effect was not significant, F (2, 27) = 0.685, p < 0.51
and the EMG site main effect was also not significant, F (2, 27)
= 0.93, p < 0.46. It is concluded that that facial EMG activity
at zygomaticus major, corrugator supercilli, and frontalis muscles
are not sensitive enough to reflect the level of pleasantness
to jasmine and lavender.
Katherine S. Neidhardt, Maya Brewer, Jennifer Conn, and Senqi Hu
Department of Psychology, Humboldt State University
Twenty subjects' palatability reports and facial electromyographic
(EMG) activities at the zygomaticus major, corrugator supercilli,
and levator labii (superioris/alaeque nasi) regions were recorded
while they were tasting water or pickle juice. The results showed
that subjects reported significantly higher ratings of palatability
to water than to pickle juice. The EMG activities at the levator
labii region generated significantly higher power than those at
the corrugator supercilli region while tasting water. The EMG
activities at the levator labii region generated significantly
higher power than those at the corrugator supercilli region and
those at the zygomaticus major region while tasting pickle juice.
It was concluded that the facial EMG activity at the levator labii
region was the most sensitive indicator of palatability.
Lumei Hui
Department of Psychology, Humboldt State University
The vertical-horizontal (VH) illusion involves two straight lines; a vertical line is placed perpendicularly to, and on, the center of a horizontal line, as an inverted letter T. Yet, of all the geometric illusions, it is one of the most fascinating for at least two reasons: First, the VH is one of the simplest geometric illusions among those discovered since J.J. Oppel coined the phrase "geometric optical illusions" (Oppel, 1854-1855). However, the illusory effect is very strong. Subjects have normally overestimated the length of the vertical line 15-20% in comparison to the horizontal line (Hui, 1992).Secondly, there has not been a convincing explanation put forward about it from the time the VH illusion was first alluded to in literature 150 years ago.
One popular hypothesis was based on the inappropriate constancy scaling (ICS) theory. The ICS theory proposed by Gregory (1963,1966) assumes that familiar features in a two-dimensional figure can function as depth cues, causing a constancy scaling process, and resulting in an illusory effect. Because the depth itself is not presented in a two-dimensional figure, the constancy scaling process is therefore inappropriate. Girgus and Coren (1975) suggested that the ICS theory could be used to explain the VH illusion. They proposed that the relative height of the vertical line in the inverted letter T figure functions as a relative-height depth cue. The "higher in" the two-dimensional plane an object is, the farther away in three-dimensional space it is perceived to be. Thus, the vertical line in the figure is perceived as representing an object receding horizontally away into the third dimension. Unfortunately, they did not find a way to test this hypothesis directly.
The present researcher proposed a new hypothesis. This hypothesis assumes that an inverted T figure evokes a three-dimensional representation with the vertical line representing a vertical object and the horizontal line representing a horizontal object, in which the former stands behind the latter in front of the viewer. The depth between the two objects is hidden from the viewer. Because the depth information is missing, the vertical line was heuristically overestimated in comparison to the horizontal line. In other words, the illusory effect is due to the content of the hidden spatial relationship, not due to a depth cue per say. According to this hypothesis, if the hidden depth hypothesis is valid, then a hidden spatial condition might be reconstructed in a three-dimensional condition.
For example, a subject sits behind a curtain with her viewing level controlled by a slot on the curtain. The subject views two wood sticks on a round platform: one stick lying horizontally in front on the platform and the other standing vertically behind. There were 18 different combinations of those paired wood sticks used, with lengths ranging from 9 cm to 12 cm. Nine of them had a distance of 1 cm between the two sticks and the other nine cases had a distance of 5 cm between the two sticks. The lengths of the two sticks in the various combinations were either equal or shorter or longer by one centimeter.
A subject's viewing level could be designed low enough that (s)he could not perceive the distance between a horizontal object and a vertical standing object resulting an inverted letter T figure perception. Thus, subjects in such hidden depth spatial conditions might overestimate the length of the vertical object in comparison to the horizontal object. However, when the subject's viewing level was designed high enough that (s)he could see the distance between the two objects, then the VH illusory effect in such an explicit depth condition might be reduced significantly.
Six randomly selected subjects participated in the experiment. Each subject was required to compare the lengths of two wood sticks for about eighteen combinations. For each combination, a subject's response had to be one of three choices: the vertical stick's length was (1) equal to, or (2) longer, or (3) shorter than the horizontal one.
Results indicated that (1) in the hidden depth condition, the
subjects overestimated the length of the vertical stick in comparison
to the horizontal stick 68 times out of 72 possible cases; and
(2) in the explicit depth condition, the subjects overestimated
the length of the vertical stick in comparison to the horizontal
stick 35 times out of 72 possible cases. The difference between
the two different spatial conditions were statistically significant
(x2 = 29.37, df = 1, p < .001). Thus, the results supported
the hidden depth hypothesis for the VH illusion.
Jennifer F. Taylor
Department of Psychology, Humboldt State University
The unique needs of ethnic minority special education students have only recently begun to be addressed in educational programming. In 1995, the World of Difference (WOD) was initiated to facilitate the academic progress of elementary students designated as "Seriously Emotionally Disturbed" (SED) and "Learning Disabled" (LD), in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). In the SFUSD, 87% of SED/LD students identify as African-American, Latino/a or bi-racial; 75% are boys and all are considered "at-risk" for dropping out of the educational system.
WOD provides a three-prong approach to "culturally competent" education, including specialized cultural training for educators, multi-cultural classroom materials and facilitation of parent/caregiver involvement via monthly "team" meetings. In 1997, a multi-modal evaluation was developed to measure WOD impacts. Student records (n=65) were analyzed to determine whether differences would be found in academic achievement and absentee rates. Student, classroom team and parent/caregiver attitudes towards school and WOD were qualitatively assessed.
Results show significant overall increases in academic achievement (t = 6.39, p < .001) and significant overall decreases in absenteeism (t = 3.09, p =. 007). WOD student attitudes are remarkably positive- in 1998-1999, none (0%) of the students reported disliking school! Moreover, WOD student gains are being maintained, as no significant difference was found between the 1998 & 1999 academic achievement (t =.24, p = .82) or attendance (t = 1.95, p = .08) data. Strengths of these findings include the use of a multi-modal and culturally/learning-style sensitive methodology. Limitations include the lack of a control group (pre-WOD baseline measures were used) and that the evaluation was initiated two years after WOD began. The potential role of ethnic identity development is noted.
Notwithstanding methodological imperfections, WOD is making
a "World of Difference" for ethnic minority SED/LD students
and appears to be a program worthy of replication. Unfortunately,
USDOE funding has ended. While new funding is being sought, the
future of WOD in current and potential classrooms is uncertain.
Mimi Black, Amanda Ellsmore, Carol O'Brien, and J. Varkey
Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University
The genetic and phenotypic characterization of spermatogenesis
genes in the free-living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans,
is used to understand the molecular basis of male specific meiosis.
Reverse genetic techniques are being used to analyze mutations
in the early acting spermatogenesis genes spe-30 and spe-25.
Both male and hermaphrodite worms lacking the functional gene
products SPE-30 and SPE-25 are sterile. Even though
meiotic spindles are organized in the mutant spermatocytes and
actin organization appears normal, chromosome segregation is defective
resulting in multinucleated cells. Mutations in spe-30
and spe-25 have also been shown to cause defects in the
segregation of organelles during meiosis. Precise genetic mapping
of mutations in spe-25 on chromosome III (0.3mu away from
unc-36) and spe-30 on chromosome IV (0.75mu away from dpy-20
have been used to identify cosmid clones for transformation rescue
analysis. We report progress in the molecular characterization
and detailed phenotypic analysis of different alleles of the genes.
Undergraduate research project supported by HHMI and NSF.
Kim Brown, Kathleen Haines, and J. Varkey
Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University
Here we report the genetic and phenotypic characterization
of two previously uncharacterized spermatogenesis-specific mutations
in Caenorhabditis elegans. Alleles it113 and it111
are mutations of different genes, both of which cause sterility
in males and hermaphrodites. Light microscopic observations indicate
that both mutant strains fail to produce functional spermatids
due to a defect in meiosis. Development of the male germ line
does not proceed beyond the spermatocyte stage. DAPI staining
shows that the defective spermatocytes of it113 mutants
often have multiple condensed nuclei, similar in appearance to
haploid spermatid nuclei. However, mislocalized chromosomes have
also been observed in the defective spermatocytes, indicating
a possible defect in chromosome segregation. Immunolocalization
studies reveal that in defective spermatocytes, tubulin
filaments fail to organize into recognizable meiotic spindles.
A possible role of it113 in the organization of centrosomes
is being investigated using centrosome-specific antibodies. There
is no previous report of a difference in the tubulin organization
between mitotic and male meiotic divisions in C. elegans,
as observed in the it113 mutants. Conversely, the spermatocytes
of it111 mutant worms appear to have normal meiotic spindle
formation. However, chromosome segregation does not occur in it111
defective spermatocytes. The chromosomes of the defective spermatocytes
appear as condensed bivalents arrested in diakinesis of meiosis
I. This phenotype is very similar to spe-6 mutants, which
also show meiotic chromosomal segregation defects (Varkey et al.,
1993). Ultrastructural analyses and mutation screening for new
alleles are in progress for both strains. Both mutations have
been mapped to Chromosome IV; it113 is on the left arm,
approximately 4.4 mu from unc-17, and it111 is on
the right arm, approximately 4.6 mu from dpy-20. Undergraduate
research project funded by HHMI (71196-535002) and NSF (MCB9734584).
The Development of Amino Alcohols
as Acyl Transfer CatalystsKjirsten A. Wayman and Tarek Sammakia
Department of Chemistry, Humboldt State University
We have developed two amino-alcohol systems as nucleophilic oxygen catalysts for acyl transfer reactions. These molecules bear an alcohol and a base in close proximity to facilitate the acylation and subsequent deacylation of the catalyst oxygen. Initial studies focused on 4-dialkylaminopyridines as the basic unit, with substitution at both the 2- and 6-positions in order to sterically deactivate the nucleophilic pyridine nitrogen. A second system was based on an ortho disubstituted benzene, consisting of a pyrrolidinomethyl substituent at one site and a hydroxyalkyl group at the other. A variety of catalysts of these types were prepared with varying acidities due to the presence of electron-withdrawing and electron-donating alkyl groups geminal to the hydroxyl group.
The importance of the hydroxyl group for catalytic activity has been established by blocking the hydroxyl group as the methyl ether. The methyl ethers of both the pyridine-derived and benzene-derived systems were found to be 94 and 930 times less active than the corresponding alcohol derivatives, respectively.
The inductive effect of the alkyl group plays a significant role in the reactivity of this class of catalysts. An electron-withdrawing group renders the hydroxyl group more acidic, more readily deprotonated and more reactive towards acylation, and a better leaving group for deacylation. As a result, trifluoromethyl substituted catalysts were found to proceed 4 and 40 times faster than the methyl substituted derivatives of the pyridine and benzene-derived systems, respectively.
The mechanism of this process is further revealed by the following
observations. Immediately after the reaction is initiated, the
NMR spectra (used to monitor the reaction progress) show the rapid
decrease in the concentration of the catalyst and the appearance
of a new set of signals corresponding to the acylated catalyst.
The acylated catalyst remains as the predominant species until
the reaction nears completion and the catalyst reverts to its
original unacylated state. The system displays zero order kinetics
with respect to the p-nitrophenyl methoxyacetate throughout
the majority of the reaction, suggesting a rate-limiting deacylation
of a steady state concentration of the acyl-catalyst intermediate.
The reaction is first order in catalyst, as expected. We are confident
that the dominant catalytic pathway proceeds via acylation-deacylation
of the catalyst oxygen.
Jeffrey White
Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University
Most studies of rarity have been conducted from ecological
and population genetic frameworks while evolutionary history (phylogeny)
has been largely ignored. Macroevolutionary dynamics and underlying
genealogical processes may significantly contribute to explanations
about the positions and rates of rarity within some groups. Work
presented here is a case study of rarity from a phylogenetic framework
and utilizes several new methods of analysis. The study was framed
around the hypothesis that high rates of diversification coupled
with local speciation generate phylogenetic clusters of rare species.
Evidence for this hypothesis was sought by addressing three testable
questions: 1) Do diversification rates vary within the group?
2) Do rare
species cluster in the phylogeny? And 3) Are newly derived rare
species more frequent than expected? This study is based on the
results of a morphological cladistic analysis of 47 species of
Astragalus 17 of which are rare. Species range sizes,
based upon published distributional-dot maps, were quantified
using ArcView GIS and the program "Minimum Cell Count"
written for this analysis. Significant evidence was found that
diversification rates vary within the group (Asymmetry Test, p<.05).
Evidence of phylogenetic clustering of rare species was found
but not at a significant level (Mantel procedure, p=.09). Rare
species do not appear more derived that would be expected by chance
(Monte Carlo simulation, p=.32). Taken together, these results
provide equivocal support for the study hypothesis and may be
due to a variety of reasons. One possibility is that the phylogenetic
scale (number of taxa in this case) of the study system was not
large enough. Other evidence is presented which supports this
conclusion. Overall, this work demonstrates a number of new methods
for the study of rarity with respect to phylogeny and the utility
of this general approach.
William F. Wood and James T. Welsh
Departments of Chemistry and Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University
The pronghorn, Antilocapra americana, is the sole living
member of the family Antilocapridae, a family consisting of living
and extinct pronghorns and the extinct merycodonts. Taxonomically,
the closest living relatives to the pronghorn are thought be the
giraffes and the okapi. Gas chromatographic-mass spectral (GC-MS)
analyses of male pronghorn interdigital (hoof) gland secretion
showed it contains five major volatile components; tetradecanal,
1-tetradecanol, (Z)-9-hexadecen-1-ol, 1-hexadecanol and
1-hexadecyl acetate. These compounds are different from those
found in previous studies on ungulate interdigital glands from
African antelope and members of the deer family (Cervidae). Most
of the secretions previously investigated contain known antimicrobial
compounds. Similarly, three of the compounds from the pronghorn,
1-tetradecanol, (Z)-9-hexadecen-1-ol, and 1-hexadecanol,
have previously been shown to have significant antibacterial activity.
The function of interdigital gland secretions has not been determined,
but these results suggest it may be the production of antimicrobial
substances.
William F. Wood, Cynthia L. Archer, and David L. Largent
Departments of Chemistry and Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University
The banana slug, Ariolimax columbianus (Gould),
a natural mycophagist from the temperate rain forests of the Pacific
Northwest, is selective in the species of mushrooms in its diet.
We observed this slug to taste and reject sporocarps of the mushroom,
Clitopilus prunulus. Tissue disruption of mushroom sporocarps,
similar to that expected by the exploratory feeding of slugs,
is known to greatly increase the number of volatile compounds.
Comparison of the volatile chemicals in whole, uncrushed, sporocarps
and crushed (tissue disrupted) sporocarps of C. prunulus
showed the concentration of 1-octen-3-ol to increase from 1.5
µg/g (non-crushed) to 28 µg/g (crushed). 1-Octen-3-ol
is found in many species of mushrooms and has a "mushroom-like"
odor. In an antifeedant test, 6 out of 10 banana slugs rejected
a 1.0 cm2 piece of lettuce treated with 8.3 µg of 1-octen-3-ol.
This is the same level found in the mushroom, so 1-octen-3-ol
may be the reason slugs do not eat this mushroom. (E)-2-nonenal
has previously been identified in the crushed tissue of this mushroom's
sporocarp at 17 µg/g. In the antifeedant tests, 85 µg
of (E)-2-nonenal was used before 5 out of 10 slugs rejected
it, so it is not a major antifeedant in this mushroom.
Christopher N. Chervin and Robert W. Zoellner
Department of Chemistry, Humboldt State University
The common herb St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum)
is often used in the United States as an over-the-counter remedy
for mild depression. The photoactive component of this herb is
hypericin, which exhibits potential as a photodynamic therapy
drug. Using the computational chemistry programs PC Spartan
Pro (Wavefunction, Inc.) and Gaussian 98W (Gaussian,
Inc.), hypericin and the two thiocarbonyl derivatives of hypericin
have been investigated. Both the mono-thiocarbonyl and di-thiocarbonyl
derivatives, and the optical isomers of the molecules, have been
studied using semiempirical and Hartree-Fock methods. Compounds
containing thiocarbonyl groups are more reactive than the carbonyl-containing
parent compounds and thioketones are highly colored even when
the parent ketone is colorless. In addition to exhibiting enhanced
reactivity, thiocarbonyl derivatives of hypericin are expected
to be photoactive at different wavelengths than is hypericin itself.
Finally, carbonyl groups are readily converted to thiocarbonyl
compounds using Lawesson's Reagent, a phosphorus-sulfur heterocyclic
system. Thus, the possibility exists that the thiocarbonyl derivatives
of hypericin may be able to be synthesized, tying the calculations
to real-world synthetic chemistry. The calculated structures and
properties of the thiocarbonyl derivatives of hypericin are reported.
Brief discussions of the implications these calculations have
for syntheses of the thiocarbonyl derivatives (in progress) are
also included.
Last modified 1 October 2001