May 2, 2025
Reception & Presentations 2pm to 5pm
Cal Poly Humboldt Library
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Presenters & Abstracts: Search
Effects of Rest Interval Duration on the Volume Completed During a High-Intensity Bench Press Exercise
Dennis J. Hernandez
Kinesiology
Graduate Student
Boram Lim
Kinesiology
Graduate Student
Dr. Sean Healy
Kinesiology
Faculty
Dr. Mona Hass
Biological Science
Faculty
Dr. Young Sub Kwon
Kinesiology
Faculty
College of Professional Studies
Between set rest intervals (RI) are one of the most important variables in resistance training; however, no known research has investigated the effects of RIs greater than 5-min during strength training. The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of three different RIs on training volume (TV) completed during a high-intensity bench press exercise. 15 resistance trained males completed 3 experimental sessions, during which 4 sets of the bench press were performed. Resistance trained males, with the goal of greater volume during strength training, would benefit from longer RIs. Specifically, using an 8-min RI between 4 consecutive sets of a bench press allows for a greater TV.
Investigating How LGL1 Loss Affects the Murine Brain Cytoarchitecture
Madison
Gutierrez
Biological Sciences
Graduate Student
Ashley
King
Biological Sciences
Graduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Lethal (2) giant larvae 1 (Lgl1) maintains cell polarity and regulates cell migration. Its dysregulation is linked to gliomas, suggesting a role in tumor development. Glioblastomas may originate from neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) accumulating mutations. Loss of Lgl1 in NPCs leads to cancer-like traits, including increased migration and altered signaling. Scanning electron microscopy can reveal morphological changes. This study compares WT and Lgl1 KO murine brain tissue, aiming to uncover changes associated with Lgl1 loss, offering insights into gliomagenesis.
Natural History and Basking Habits of Western Pond Turtles
Gaby Ruso
Wildlife Biology
Undergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
This research represents the preliminary results of a longer term project in Sequoia National Park, California. I used temperature dataloggers to investigate western pond turtle behavior to better understand their natural history and thus inform monitoring protocol and conservation. These data suggest that snorkel surveys used to monitor turtle populations may be more effective if conducted at night. In addition, these data indicate the potential for intraspecific niche partitioning among turtles according to age. These early results hint at unique turtle behavior that is otherwise difficult to observe for a cryptic species and thereby warrant further investigation.
Characterization of a Novel Endocellulase Enzyme for Biofuel Optimization
Amanda
Ratcliff
Chemistry
Undergraduate Student
Sarai
Tapia
Chemistry
Undergraduate Student
Priscilla
Gamez
Chemistry
Undergraduate Student
Sienna
Mills
Chemistry
Undergraduate Student
Frank
Cappuccio
Chemistry
Faculty
Jenny
Cappuccio
Chemistry
Faculty
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Currently food crops are used to produce bioethanol production, while plant waste cellulose could be used. However, cellulase enzymes are a limiting factor. We sought to characterize a novel cellulase identified by metagenomic analysis of bovine rumen by the JGI and Hess et al. We performed protein expression, genomic analysis, and characterization by SDS-PAGE, CMC and DNS activity assays, and electron microscopy of cellulose degradation. Our data indicates the cellulase is an endoglucanase with an activity of 6.27 cm2/ug, or 6x higher than commercial cellulase enzymes. These results have implications for creating efficient biofuels from agricultural waste products versus the current methods
New Petrology and SEM imagery of the West China Peak Complex of the Ironside Mountain Batholith, Klamath Mountains, Trinity County, CA
Desiree Otillio
Geology
Undergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
The Ironside Mountain Batholith located in the Western Hayfork terrane in the Klamath Mountains province represents crustal derived plutonism that pre-dates the Nevadan Orogeny by 20Ma. Redating the Ironside Mountain Batholith will be done via U-Pb laser ablation of accessory zircons, this will yield an age of crystallization thus providing an age of emplacement, and constrain the pre-Nevadan orogeny. Barnes and Petersen dated the Ironside Mountain Batholith in 1992 using U-Pb, Pb-Pb, and K-Ar dating methods, and yielded a date in the Mid Jurassic from 169 Ma (K-Ar) to 174 Ma (U-Pb), with an accepted age of 170Ma.
The Response of Breeding Western Snowy Plovers to Habitat Restoration and Sea Level Rise in Coastal Northern California
Stephanie Leja
Wildlife
Graduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
The Western Snowy Plover is threatened by habitat loss from invasive European Beachgrass. Habitat restoration is implemented to counteract this threat. A second threat to this beach-nesting bird is flooding from sea level rise due to global warming. To inform managers, we evaluated these threats using GIS geospatial analyses to compare nesting habitat features in restored areas and evaluate sea level inundation. In this preliminary study, we found plovers nested on wider beaches with more woody debris, open sand, and other nests than at random. Most nests (84%) were in restored habitat, and a two meter increase from mean sea level would result in 53% of plover nests becoming inundated.
Investigation of the Ubiquitin Proteosome’s Role in Tau Proteostasis and Tauopathy as Regulated by Cholesteryl Esters
Sintra Stewart
Biological Sciences
Undergraduate Student
John Steele
Biological Sciences
Faculty
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Many neurodegenerative diseases are characterized as cholesterol metabolism or storage disorders. Recently, the drug Efavirenz was implicated as a mediator of cholesterol-induced pathology in AD SC- based models. It restores function of MAP, tau, by mitigating cholesterol’s disruption of the UPS, which facilitates tau proteostasis. In this study, we are investigating the mechanistic target of cholesterol leading to UPS dysfunction. We are using human SC-derived neurons to model UPS dysfunction at different regulatory levels and determine which stages can be rescued with Efavirenz treatment. We will use this drug to aid in the complete characterization of cholesterol-mediated tauopathy.
Helping the Community Save Energy
Nancy Charco
Environmental Resources Engineering
Undergraduate Student
Aneika Perez
Environment and Community
Graduate Student
Anh Bui
Energy Technology & Policy
Graduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Our project is focused on developing educational materials on energy efficiency targeted to renters and student residence hall occupants. We are developing a checklist of possible actions that will include building energy efficiency, appliances, transportation, and energy purchasing options that are available to typical renters, who do not have the ability to make major improvements to their home. The main outcome will be a set of appropriate outreach materials to help deliver these messages. We will develop draft materials, workshop these with current renters, and improve the messages based on their feedback. The goal is to empower renters to make positive clean energy choices.
Self-uncertainty and Systematic Processing of self-relevant information: Understanding Uncertainty Reduction
Alexandria Jaurique
Psychology
Graduate Student
Jack Allen
Psychology
Graduate Student
Benjamin Skillman
Psychology
Undergraduate Student
Clara Allen
Psychology
Graduate Student
Amber M. Gaffney
Psychology
Faculty
College of Professional Studies
We found that not only did participants experiencing high self-uncertainty make fewer overall errors, but more interestingly, they demonstrated greater accuracy for self-relevant word-pairings than those low in uncertainty. This in turn affected reaction times pairing self-relevant vs. self-irrelevant words. This implies that uncertainty might not lead to cognitive load or distracted and heuristic processing. Instead, we suggest that uncertainty can create a motivated process with respect to self-relevant information, leading to more accurate judgments about the self, perhaps in an attempt to reduce uncertainty.
A New Ocean Wave Model Applied to Humboldt Bay Entrance
Ken Owens
Math
Faculty
William Hein
Physics
Undergraduate Student
Emma Modrick
Oceanography/Math
Undergraduate Student
River Galaz
Physics
Undergraduate Student
Ana Sammel
Math
Undergraduate Student
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
A new one-dimensional ocean wave model was derived and applied to the Humboldt Bay Channel. This model consists of the continuity equation and momentum equation which describe the incomprehensibility and movement of sea water.
This model was digitized on a computer using the Octave programming language and simulations were ran for five different ocean swell scenarios. Wind generated this swell ranging in speed from 10 to 50 nautical miles per hour, yielding wavelengths in the range of 8.5 to 212 meters with wave speeds in the range of 2.8-14.8 meters/second.
In all cases the measured speeds agreed the the theoretical shallow water wave speed.