2017 Projects
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/183170
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Browsing 2017 Projects by Issue Date
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Item Open Access Fabrication of antibacterial thin films from essential oils(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Mann, Michelle N., author; Fisher, Ellen R., authorPolymers used in environmental and biomedical applications (e.g., filtration membranes and wound dressings) have surface properties that limit their biocompatibility and performance in biological settings. Such limitations arise from material hydrophobicity and propensity for bacterial attachment, leading to infection and device failure. Here, plasma processing is used to deposit films derived from essential-oil derived compounds. Surface characterization and performance testing reveals deposited films are anti-fouling and have controllable surface properties. As the use of polymers is widespread in biomedical devices and water treatment, such tunability allows for development of advanced naturally-derived antibacterial coatings, potentially improving medical outcomes and water quality.Item Open Access Linking Pacific storms to North American heat waves(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Jenney, Andrea, author; Randall, David A., authorLong-range predictions of heat waves offer little improvement over climatology despite the continuing improvements of weather forecast models. Tropical variability in weather at sub-seasonal timescales is well-understood to influence weather in the Extratropics, particularly in the winter. For this reason, it is considered a potential source of sub-seasonal predictability of weather. However, much less is understood about the tropical-extratropical connection in the summer. we show that a major climate oscillation in the tropical west pacific is significantly correlated to U.S. heat waves with long lead times, suggesting potential for use in seasonal prediction of these events.Item Open Access Wet, wetter, wettest: Amazon rainforest responsiveness to short-term drought(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Gallup, Sarah, author; Baker, Ian, author; Denning, A. Scott, author; Cheesman, Michael, author; Haynes, Katherine, authorThe Amazonian rainforest’s massive gas exchanges with the atmosphere strongly affect CO2 concentrations globally. Dry periods in the Amazon are expected to become more common and could hinder vegetation. We compare a proxy measure of photosynthetic rate, solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2) satellite, to rainfall in the previous 30 days. In the climatologically wettest regions, photosynthesis barely responded or even increased in response to short-term drying. In rainforest areas with longer dry seasons, photosynthesis weakly declined after reduced rain. The finding is consistent with and more precise than earlier studies, and offers a metric for evaluating photosynthesis projections for the Amazon.Item Open Access What is said is more important than who says it: an experimental study of content and prestige biases in social learning(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Berl, Richard E. W., author; Samarasinghe, Alarna N., author; Roberts, Sean G., author; Gavin, Michael C., author; Jordan, Fiona M., author; Gray, Russell D., authorEvery human on our planet belongs to a culture, and we all begin to learn this information very early in life. But to accomplish this, we each have some very important decisions to make: What do we learn and who do we learn it from? And what do we do when these signals compete for our attention? To answer this, we used speakers of high and low prestige and two artificially constructed creation stories to test what information people use. Our findings may upturn our understanding of how humans learn and behave, and how our extraordinary capacity for culture evolved.Item Open Access Demand for food quantity and quality in urban China(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Mendis, Sachintha S., author; Hovhannisyan, Vardges, authorFood consumers in China have undergone significant changes in their food consumption patterns and have become more dependent on animal products for protein, while substituting fine grains for coarse grains. Considerable research effort has been devoted to this topic. A majority of these studies rely on the AIDS model, which has linear Engel and ignores unobserved consumer heterogeneity. We study food demand in China using the Exact Affine Stone Index (EASI) system. The EASI model not only shares all of the desirable properties of the AIDS model but also provides additional benefits. Specifically, it is not subject to the rank three limitation of Gorman (1981) and allows the Engel curves to take arbitrary shapes. Further, the EASI accounts for unobserved consumer heterogeneity. This is especially important in welfare studies conducted on consumer-level since much of the demand variation is left unexplained. Previous studies focus on changes in quantities, however we reveal that quality is also very important. Further, results confirm the prevalence of unobserved heterogeneity in consumer food preferences across provinces in China. By enhancing the findings of previous studies, this study elicits more realistic food preferences in China for agricultural policy, trade, and foreign direct investment decisions.Item Open Access Nationwide study of the response of municipal outdoor water use to climatic factors(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Opalinski, Nicole F., author; Bhaskar, Aditi S., authorUrban water supply planning has become increasingly challenging under the effects of climate change, population growth, and altered land use patterns. Outdoor water use is a major component of the urban water budget, often accounting for over half of total annual household use in municipalities across the United States. This study aims to assess the relationship between outdoor water use for landscape irrigation and climatically-driven factors (i.e. precipitation, temperature, evapotranspiration) for 230 U.S. cities. Results of this study have implications for water resource planning, hydrologic considerations, and utility pricing structures.Item Open Access Who influences whom in international politics?(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Marrs, Frank W., authorState decisions in environmental policy are driven by international factors, but systematic assessment of this influence has proven elusive. For the first time, we examine the latent influence network that underlies global politics. We propose a model for longitudinal bipartite relational data to infer latent influence networks. Our approach provides improved interpretability and estimability over existing models while performing at least as well. We analyze a newly compiled dataset and find that strong positive and negative influences among countries and treaties do exist. These findings provide a means to understand the evolution of international environmental protection.Item Open Access Characterization of urban water use and water demand forecasting using the Integrated Urban Water Model in Sao Paulo, Brazil(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Batista, Giovana, author; Arabi, Mazdak, author; Sharvelle, Sybil, author; Dozier, Andre, authorUrban sprawl over the past decades have put water resources under pressure in urban areas due to constantly increasing demand and impaired quality. Particularly in developing countries, investments in this sector are still scarce. The application of the Integrated Urban Water Model - IUWM - for the characterization of current and future urban water demand in the municipality of Sao Paulo, Brazil, is pioneering in applying the model outside of the United States. The model also evaluates water conservation scenarios, cost saving options and can be of use for water utilities and urban planners.Item Open Access Don't lose focus: critical repeat photography of CSU's campus(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Oldberg, Katherine, authorRepeat photography is an effective way to analyze the built and natural environments in terms of time and space. Not only does critical repeat photography allow for historical analysis, it also requires keeping meticulous records, which can be used in future replication of the photographs and future research. Employing critical repeat photography to examine CSU's architecture tells us about literal snapshots of CSU's history and how these spaces have changed over time. Critical repeat photography of Morgan Library, Lory Student Center, Clark, and Green Hall demonstrates CSU's shift away from its post-war architecture towards a more cohesive vernacular.Item Open Access Sailing(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) LaCrosse, Michelle, authorThis essay examines the narrator's desire to travel and explore, what that means to her family life, and how she feels about it through personal experiences with sailing, growing up in the Pacific Northwest and learning about the lives and journeys of early global explorers.Item Open Access Evaluating the relationship between physical activity, gross motor skills and healthy growth in preschoolers using structural equation modeling(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Courtney, Jimikaye B, author; Grimm, Kevin, author; Boles, Richard E, author; Johnson, Susan L, author; Bellows, Laura L, authorPurpose: The purpose of this study was to use structural equation modeling (SEM) to understand the directionality of the relationship between physical activity (PA) and gross motor skills (GMS) in predicting healthy growth (body mass index, (BMI)) in preschoolers. Procedure: Baseline data from preschoolers (4-5 years old) enrolled in the Colorado Longitudinal Eating And Physical activity (LEAP) study were used. Preschoolers were assessed on GMS (balance, locomotor and ball skills) and fitness (Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, Second Edition), PA (Actical accelerometers), and perceived physical competence (The Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children, (PPC)). Measured height and weight were used to calculate preschoolers’ BMI. SEM was performed using Mplus software to test two models. Both models used the same combination of manifest variables to define six latent variables: three GMS-balance skills, locomotor skills, ball skills, PA, PPC, and fitness. Model 1 tested PA predicting the three GMS (balance, locomotor, and ball skills) and GMS predicting BMI. Model 2 tested the three GMS predicting PA and PA predicting BMI. Paths for PPC and fitness were tested in both models. All latent variables and BMI were regressed on preschooler ethnicity, age, and sex. Model fit was assessed using Chi-square and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), with p >.05 and p <.05 as indicators of close fit, respectively. Results: Model 1, testing PA predicting the three GMS (balance, locomotor, and ball skills) and GMS predicting BMI, demonstrated acceptable fit (Chi-square(556)=805, p>.05; RMSEA=.044). PA significantly, positively predicted locomotor and ball skills. Locomotor skills significantly, positively predicted fitness. Fitness did not significantly predict BMI; however, the relationship was in the expected direction (b=-0.176, p=.09). Model 2, testing three GMS predicting PA and PA predicting BMI, demonstrated acceptable fit (Chi-square(558)=824, p>.05; RMSEA=.045). Locomotor skills significantly, positively predicted PA. PA significantly, positively predicted fitness. Fitness did not significantly predict BMI; however, the relationship was in the expected direction (b=-0.132, p=.18). Implications/Future Directions: Both models showed significant pathways from locomotor skills to PA, and vice-versa, suggesting the need for additional research to examine the potential for reciprocity between PA and locomotor skills. Ball skills were not predictive of PA, likely due to preschoolers’ relatively low ball skill proficiency. Additional analyses will test individual latent variables in each model as mediators and will test direct paths from physical activity to fitness (model 1) and from physical activity to BMI (both models). Additional research is required to determine whether fitness or PA is a more appropriate predictor of health risk (BMI) in preschoolers. Longitudinal data are necessary to determine how the directionality of these relationships changes throughout child development, a next step for the Colorado LEAP study data set.Item Open Access Fluorescent labeling of extracellular markers on stem cells from human breast milk(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Carranza, Kasimir, author; Allen, Christopher P., author; Henao-Tamayo, Marcela, author; Hanneman, William, authorPumping breast milk and freezing it is common practice in hospitals, neonatal intensive care units (NICU), and numerous households. Freezing milk may alter the cellular constituency of breast milk by reducing the amount of stem cells. Here, we investigate the alteration of stem cell viability and concentration in human breast milk frozen at varying temperatures and durations. This reduction may negatively impact infant development; vulnerable populations such as preterm infants have higher nutritional requirements and less volumetric capacity in their stomach. Freezing milk may undermine attempts to supply preterm infants with the nutritional requirements needed to sustain life.Item Open Access Improving soil health using tillage techniques to increase soil carbon sequestration(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Leichty, Sarah, author; Cotrufo, Francesca, author; Stewart, Catherine, authorSoil carbon sequestration is a strategy to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions while enhancing microbial processes and water retention. Agricultural practices that leave residue on the surface without tilling have been promoted to sequester more C. However, recent work shows a redistribution of C rather than an increase when the entire soil profile is measured. This project will determine if surface application or incorporation (10 cm) stabilizes more residue throughout the soil profile (100 cm) using carbon stable isotope-labeled residue in a sprinkler-irrigated corn system in Colorado.Item Open Access Metagenomic approaches to determine soil microbial communities associated with Armillaria root disease(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Lalande, Bradley, author; Abdo, Zaid, author; Hanna, John, author; Page-Dumroese, Deborah, author; Warwell, Marcus, author; Tirocker, Joanne, author; Kim, Mee-Sook, author; Klopfenstein, Ned B., author; Stewart, Jane, authorArmillaria root disease causes extensive damage to tree roots throughout the world and lacks successful management practices. Soil metagenomics and metatransciptomics may unlock the ability to understand how soil microbial communities interact with root pathogens, which may inhibit or facilitate the pathogenicity of disease. A western white pine (Pinus monticola) seed provenance plantation located within the Priest River Experimental Forest in northern Idaho provides the ability to sample numerous Armiilaria species along with bulk density soil cores. The basis of the research is to identify how soil microbial communities differ between different Armillaria species. Sixty-three trees were chosen with preference to trees that were previously identified to be infected with either A. solidipes or A. altimontana, and split between healthy and dead trees. At each tree, we sampled DBH, tree health, bulk density soil cores, and sampled for rhizomorphs. Soil samples are used to extract DNA and RNA to identify microbial communities involved with Armillaria species. Each DNA sample was amplified at the ITS-2 and 16S rDNA region to determine what microbes were present at each tree. Rhizomorphs were isolated and amplified using the translation elongation factor-1α locus to identify Armillaria species present within sampled trees. The ITS-2 and 16S microbial communities will be analyzed to show how they differ between each Armillaria species, tree health status, seed provenance, and soil properties. If microbial communities differ between species and tree health, this may unlock a new means of management for root diseases in a forest setting.Item Open Access From ants to robotic explorers: using biologically inspired robots to map the unknown(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Emmons, Megan, author; Maciejewski, Anthony A., author; Chong, Edwin K. P., authorRobotic swarms are comprised of simple, individual robots but can collectively accomplish complex tasks through frequent interactions with other robots and the environment. One pertinent objective for swarms is mapping unknown, potentially hazardous environments. We show that the collective or emergent behavior of a swarm observed at one area can be used to infer the presence of obstacles in an unknown environment even when the robots are unable to communicate and have limited sensing capabilities. In the process, we present a general methodology for mapping the discrete, individual robot behaviors to a continuous time model of the emergent behavior.Item Open Access Nutritional analysis: food advertising during children's television programming in Nepal(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Johnson, Ashlie N., author; Menger-Oglle, Andrew D., author; Morgan, John A., author; Graham, Dan J., authorThis study seeks to describe the TV food marketing landscape that children experience in the southeast Asian country of Nepal. We conducted a content analysis on 12 hours of commercials, categorizing commercials based available food nutrition information. Results show that 55% of airtime commercials during children’s programming was dedicated to foods. Over 80% of the food commercials had excessive amounts of saturated fat, sugar or sodium; over half of the products that containing excess sugar. Results from this study suggest that the media landscape in Nepal isn’t meeting WHO recommendations for advertising foods to children.Item Open Access Obesity-induced lymph node dysregulation - a TEM analysis(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Solt, Claudia M., author; Vanderpool, Kim G., author; Foster, Michelle T., authorExcess adiposity has been demonstrated to induce a chronic low grade inflammatory state, increasing disease susceptibility. Our previous studies demonstrated that mice fed a high fat diet exhibited greater collagen accumulation in the visceral lymph nodes than a CHOW fed group. In our present experiment, TEM is used to closely explore and elucidate the mechanisms by which fibrosis influences lymph node microarchitecture and cellular communication. Taken together this data can help support the development of preventative measures to reduce susceptibility to immune dysregulation associated with obesity.Item Open Access Subcutaneous fat: a protector from metabolic dysregulation(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Booth, Andrea, author; Magnuson, Aaron, author; Fouts, Josephine, author; Broeckling, Corey, author; Wei, Rosie, author; Wang, Dong, author; Pagliassotti, Michael, author; Foster, Michelle, authorLower body subcutaneous adipose tissue (LBSAT) is proposed to be a protective fat depot functioning as a “metabolic sink” for excess lipid accumulation. We have previously demonstrated that removal of this LBSAT in high fat diet (HFD) mice resulted in increased muscle triglycerides and was associated with decreased glucose tolerance. In the present study we removed varying amounts of SAT to comprehensively investigate mechanisms of the “metabolic sink” concept. Overall, accumulative fat removal worsens muscle insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. This decline may be related to lipid intermediates contained within the muscle.Item Open Access The influence of hydrologic regime, vegetation, and land use on carbon dynamics of Northern Sierra Nevada fens(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Flett, Dana, author; Cooper, David, authorFens are a type of wetland meadow supported by ground water and are important carbon reservoirs. However, many factors can impact these ecosystems. I measured water table dynamics, vegetation composition, CO2 fluxes, and impacts due to cattle trampling at four fens in the northern Sierra Nevada of California. My goal was to understand the natural functioning of fens and the effects of cattle grazing and drainage. Untrammeled areas were carbon accumulating while cattle trampling had a negative effect on carbon sequestration. Any amount of cattle trampling negatively affected carbon accumulation and greater disturbance resulted in greater carbon loss. Trampling had a greater negative effect on carbon sequestration than water table drawdown.Item Open Access Protein interface prediction using graph convolutional networks(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Fout, Alex, author; Byrd, Jonathon, author; Shariat, Basir, author; Ben-Hur, Asa, authorDetermining the interface between two interacting proteins can help illuminate cellular biology, improve our understanding of disease, and aid pharmaceutical research. Such determination is expensive and time consuming using wet-lab experiments, which has motivated the development of computational methods. Inspired by the success of deep learning in image processing and other application areas, we adapt convolutional neural networks to work with irregularly structured data, such as proteins. We construct a novel pairwise classification architecture which is trained and tested with data from the Docking Benchmark Dataset versions 4.0 and 5.0. This outperforms the existing state-of-the-art prediction method, PAIRpred.