This study will compare the Environmental Laws and their corresponding Environmental Impact Assessment processes in developing and developed nations with a focus on Sri Lanka and the United States. The study will involve analysis and comparison of individual EIA components (i.e. screening, scoping, impact analysis and mitigation measures), identification of the strengths and weaknesses of each component under different national laws, and how that influences the effectiveness of the laws as well as how those laws are implemented. This research will serve as a basis on which to make recommendations to improve EIA processes and strengthen environmental policies and implementation.

Due to the many industrial processes of modern America, heavy metal contamination of our waterways, specifically in densely populated areas, has become a major issue. The Prokaryotic species Caulobacter vibrioides exhibits a surface layer protein, RsaA, forming a 2-D crystallin array above the cell membrane. RsaA can be modified to exhibit a high binding potential with many of the charged ions, such as heavy metals, which are found in waterways. Here we show through an quantitative fluorescence assay that upon exposure to 39.063nM Pb solution, engineered C. vibrioides strains Hcm 027, and 028 remediated approximately 10% more Pb than the wildtype, Hcm 009.

For the second consecutive summer, Cal Poly Humboldt's CSU Summer Algebra Institute's (SAI) goal was aimed at demystifying Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) related projects, majors, and careers, to further increase Humboldt, Del Norte, and Mendocino County BIPOC (6th-12th grades) students’ interests in pursuing majors and careers in STEAM, and minimize learning gaps in mathematics. Students who enrolled in the virtual 2022 SAI, a 4-week program, completed a minimum of 57 hour intensive individualized Mathematics course using EdReady, engaged in 19 days of culturally relevant STEAM curriculum, and participated in workshops on College & Career Preparation.

Running economy(RE) is considered to be a critical factor to improve running performance. Stride frequency(SF) is an important variable for determining RE. However, no previous research has investigated the interaction between running performance and SF at the velocity of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of SF variations on running performance (duration/distance) at the velocity of VO2max. 14 male recreational runners completed total 7 experimental sessions with different SF conditions. The SF variations have a significant influence on running performance, especially 105% of preferred SF conditions revealed the best performance.

The excessive use of fossil fuels has surged the need for alternative energy sources, such as solar energy. Here, possible organic photovoltaic (OPV) compounds were designed and their initial computational assessment was done. Density Functional Theory was used to calculate the HOMO-LUMO gap of the 26 compounds designed. Semiconductors such as naphthalene, 1,1’-biphenyl, and ɑ-septithiophene were used as the backbone and the main electron-withdrawing group (EWG) used was thien[3,4-c] [1,2,5]thiadiazole-2-sIV(8CI,9CI), among other thieno-thiadiazole derivatives.

Western thatching ant (Formica obscuripes) mounds are a conspicuous feature in the coastal beach pine forests of the local Lanphere and Ma-le’l Dunes. We explored the mounds’ size and spatial distributions, and tested whether their mound-forming behaviors could impact soil nutrient conditions. In a 3-km segment, we found 346 mounds generally situated along the sand–forest interface. Furthermore, from soil samples of seven of the mounds, we found that the ants significantly concentrated the soils with nutrients necessary for plant growth. These findings suggest that the ants could have important implications for supporting plant populations in this nutrient-poor environment.

The CB2 G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) is found in the brainstem & hippocampus and is devoid of psychotropic effects but is less studied than the CB1 receptor. CB2 is inducible in CNS microglia following inflammation or injury, indicating a role in pain response. Here we sought to analyze CB2 using ChimeraX structures and overcome GPCR protein insolubility in extraction. The pET28a-CNR2, plasmid created and transformed into E.coli pLysS, was confirmed by restriction digest. Purification of CB2 micelles was achieved by affinity chromatography with detergent (43 kD). We aim to utilize nanodiscs to stabilize CB2, allowing studies of the molecular underpinnings informing treatment options.

Anabaena sensory rhodopsin (ASR) is a prokaryotic photoactive transmembrane G protein coupled receptor extracted from the cyanobacterium Nostoc. The potential for ASR and its transducer, ASRT, to transcribe/translate prokaryotic genes into products by light signals is an extremely attractive possibility for future membrane research. Nanodiscs are a useful tool for studying membrane proteins because they serve to create a stable amphipathic environment. In the present study, 6x-His ASR has been extracted, isolated, purified, and inserted into a MSP nanodisc with ApoA1 and DMPC. We examine ApoA1 insertion into the nanodisc via SDS-PAGE and chemiluminescent western blot analysis.

A rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale is a numerical representation of an individual’s perceptual response to training and is a viable method of measuring exertion during training (Borg 1982). Recently, versions of previously used RPE scales have been developed and are being used specifically for measuring repetitions-in-reserve (RIR), or repetitions-to-failure (RTF) in resistance exercise. The purpose of this study was to assess how accurately division II NCAA football players could predict repetitions-to-failure during the bench press exercise using an absolute load of 225-lbs by comparing predicted repetitions-to-failure (RTF) with actual repetitions-to-failure.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has become popular in recent years, but a lack of guidelines for interval intensities and margins compromise exercise prescription. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 3 HIIT sessions and 1 continuous running session of the same average intensity (80% VO2max) on total Run Time to Exhaustion (TE). Ten adult male recreational runners (Age=22.9 ± 2.5 yr, Height=1.72 ± 0.1m, Body Mass=74.1 ± 7.4 kg) completed running sessions, with HIIT trials featuring 2 minute bouts and a 1:1 ratio of work to active recovery. A repeated measures ANOVA revealed mean TE differed significantly between conditions (F (3, 27) = 23.4071, p < 0.05).