College of Arts and Sciences Poster Presentations Copyright (c) 2013 Boise State University All rights reserved. http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12 Recent documents in College of Arts and Sciences Poster Presentations en-us Fri, 10 May 2013 10:56:15 PDT 3600 Discovering Novel Anti-Baterial/Anti-Parasite/Anti-Cancer/Carbonyl Reductase Cardiotoxicity Therapeutics Through Large-Scale Computer Aided Drug Screening http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/83 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/83 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:50:42 PDT A streamlined computer aided drug design protocol has been developed in the Xu lab to screen an large in-house chemical database of over 1 million commercially available compounds. The screening protocol consists of a two-step filtering process based on 3D shape and electrostatic potential matching. The selected compounds are docked the targeted protein using AutoDock Vina and rescored with AutoDock 4. These compounds are ranked by their predicted binding free energies and the top hits are purchased and tested using in vitro biological assays. This highly efficient and accurate computational protocol has been applied in the ongoing drug design projects in collaboration with multiple experimental labs in the Chemistry and Biology departments, including anti-parasite/bacterial drug design (Cornell lab), anti-bacterial quorum sensing drug design (Raj lab), anti-cancer drug design (Jorcyk lab) and carbonyl reductase cardiotoxicity drug design (Charlier lab). It is anticipated these collaborative projects will yield novel therapeutics against a broad range of diseases.

]]> Matthew Caylor et al. Electrochemical Oxidation of Americium for Nuclear Fuels Reprocessing http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/82 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/82 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:14:02 PDT The reprocessing of nuclear waste to achieve a closed nuclear fuel cycle is a daunting challenge. One of the most difficult tasks in proposed schemes is the separation of lanthanides from minor actinides, e.g. americium. Size and charge are not different enough between lanthanides and minor actinides to promote selective extraction of either one in the presence of the other, However oxidation of americium to a higher state would enable selective extraction of this element. Instability, rapid reduction and disproportionation of Am(IV) make oxidation difficult but can be overcome with the use of complexing agents. Using cyclic voltammetry, the Am(III) was oxidized in the presence of various complexing agents. Oxidation states in each complexing agent were analyzed and assigned.

]]> Nic Uhnak Latest Developments in the Slinky Seismometer Education Program http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/81 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/81 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 10:38:46 PDT Five years after its inception, the Boise State Seismic Station is still developing and expanding. This program involves four components: the creation of inexpensive Slinky seismometers in the introductory Geophysics 201 course, installation of Slinky seismometers in schools, and a permanent display of the Boise State Seismic Station in the Math/Geoscience Building. The final piece is dissemination of processed seismic data via our website and, when requested, through local news. This website also includes educational information regarding geophysics, and detailed instructions on building and maintaining your own seismometer. In this presentation, we report the most recent developments of the project. They include the latest refinement of the Slinky seismometer design and its website http://cgiss.boisestate.edu/ssis, as well as the creation of a newly-designed amplifier/converter to link the Slinky Seismometers and computer. As a result of these developments, new schools have installed -- or are in the process of installing – slinky seismometers. Future plans include further educational outreach to schools and the Boise State community, with the aim of furthering seismological knowledge and interest.

]]> Helena Mallonee Monitoring a Passive Seismic Network at Neal Hot Springs Geothermal Plant http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/80 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/80 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 10:38:44 PDT The Neal Hot Springs Project, currently under construction, will produce 23 MW of geothermal electric power once online. The project is located near Vale, Oregon (approx. 90 miles northwest of Boise) and consists of about 9.6 square miles of land, which is leased by U.S. Geothermal Inc. During construction the Geosciences department at Boise State University set up a network of 11 passive seismic stations in the area to monitor seismic activity. The goal is to obtain a large collection of seismic data during construction and testing, and to continue seismic monitoring during production. The data will be used to determine natural seismic activity, if any, in the area, seismic activity directly related to testing and production, and to determine the effects of fluid flow in the subsurface. These data sets may also be useful in targeting future geothermal reservoirs within the project area.

]]> Daniel Shaltry et al. Soy quien soy, pero eres quien diga que eres: La representación de identidades elegidas e impuestas en la filmografía de Pedro Almodóvar http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/79 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/79 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:58:42 PDT Vi catorce películas que fueron escritas y dirigidas por el director polémico español Pedro Almodóvar. En este trabajo de investigación, identifico y analizo diversas identidades elegidas y impuestas que propone Almodóvar a través de sus personajes y examino cómo ciertas películas se basan casi exclusivamente en estas identidades para adelantar la trama. Las identidades que tenían características o impactos similares en sus respectivas películas son clasificados en grupos. Los grupos de identidad incluyen tres transexuales con diferentes motivos para su cambio de sexo y resultados diferentes; tres madres que tienen varones en sus familias que mueren (dos de las madres cometieron homicidio y una perdió a su hijo en un accidente); dos hombres que tienen accidentes y quedan discapacitados y ahora ven la vida y la sociedad de una manera muy distinta; y un joven que está seguro de que es una cosa, pero es, de hecho, todo lo contrario. Mis análisis después de ver las películas están combinados con los de estudiosos en libros, artículos, y entrevistas publicadas con actores y el propio director. La conclusión principal de mi investigación es que ciertas películas de Almodóvar hubieran sido fracasos sin un solo personaje, ya que todo el peso de la trama se coloca sobre sus hombros a lo largo de la película. Además, concluyo que su talento para mostrar la complejidad de la identidad humana hace que sus personajes sean palpables y verídicos para el público, y que el público principal de las películas de Pedro Almodóvar, el público europeo occidental, desea ver personajes con los cuales puede simpatizar.

I Am Who I Am, But You Are Who I Say You Are:

The Representation of Chosen and Imposed Identities in the Films of Pedro Almodóvar

I watched fourteen films that were written and directed by the controversial Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar. In this research paper I identify and analyze various chosen and imposed identities that Almodóvar proposes through his characters and I examine how certain films rely almost exclusively on one of these identities to move their plots forward. Identities were grouped that had similar traits or impacts on their respective films. Identity groups include three transsexuals with different reasons for their sex change and different outcomes; three mothers who all had male family members die (two of the mothers committed murder and one lost her son in an accident); two men who have accidents and are left with disabilities and now view life and society very differently; and one young man who is certain he is one thing but is, indeed, quite the opposite. My analysis after watching the films is combined with those of critics in scholarly books, articles, and published interviews with both cast members and the director himself. The primary conclusion of my research is that certain Almodóvar films would be complete failures without a single character because the entire weight of the plot is placed upon their shoulders to carry throughout the film. I also conclude that his talent in showing the complexity of human identity makes his characters palpable and honest to the public, and the primarily Western European audience that Pedro Almodóvar's films generally appeal to desire characters with whom they can easily sympathize.

]]> Clint Vickery La flor de mi flamenco: Almodóvar brinda por el baile 'nacional' http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/78 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/78 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:56:33 PDT Incluso la cocinera tiene un secreto en La flor de mi secreto. En un subtrama de la película, Pedro Almodóvar emplea dos de las grandes estrellas del mundo flamenco español en una parodia de los estereotipos de los gitanos en España. Al mismo tiempo, se ve por primera vez su uso de baile como un vehículo intra-diegético, una estrategia que explorará más profundamente en Hable con ella con las obras del coreógrafo alemán Pina Bausch. La narrativa que sigue a través de la soleá en Flor es una duplicación interior de la trama principal y refleja el abandono y la agonía del protagonista. También, incorpora el tema central de la película: la lucha para la creatividad verdadera en un mundo donde la estética de la cultura de masas reina suprema. Mientras se muestra por la película como el protagonista, Leocadia Macías (Marisa Paredes), sufre de la creatividad frustrada en su escritura, más allá de la pantalla, los bailaores del flamenco han continuado a luchar contra el mismo obstáculo, es decir la creatividad frustrada, en España después de la caída de la dictadura de Franco.

Mientras la crítica reconoce que La flor de mi secreto señala un cambio de sendero para las obras de Pedro Almodóvar, no se encuentra ningún análisis de la incorporación del flamenco y el tratamiento de los estereotipos de los gitanos en esta película. Una búsqueda de artículos en unos bases de datos en inglés y español no produce ningún resultado.

The Flower of My Flamenco: Almodóvar Toasts the 'National' Dance of Spain

Even the cook has a secret in Pedro Almodóvar’s film La flor de mi secreto. In a subplot of the movie, the filmmaker employs two of the biggest stars from Spain’s world of flamenco in a parody of gypsy stereotypes. At the same time, and for the first time, Almodóvar uses dance as an intra-diegetic vehicle, a strategy he will explore more deeply in the film Hable con ella with the works of German choreographer Pina Bausch. The narrative that flows throughout the flamenco soleá in Flor is an interior duplication of the main plot and reflects the agony and abandonment that the protagonist feels. The dance also incorporates the film’s central theme: the struggle for authentic creativity in a world where the esthetics of mass culture reign supreme. While the movie shows the creative frustration of author Leocadia Macías (Marisa Paredes), behind the scenes the flamenco dancers have continued to struggle against the same obstacle, creative frustration, in Spain after the fall of the Franco dictatorship.

While critics recognize La flor de mi secreto as the film that signals a change in the path of Almodóvar’s work, there has been no analysis of the incorporation of flamenco and the examination of gypsy stereotypes in this film.

]]> Bethann Stewart Modeling the Stability of the Bi-Layer Cu2N on the Cu(100) Surface http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/77 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/77 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:52:43 PDT Ultrathin insulating films composed of a few atomic layers are being extensively used for controlling the electronic coupling of nanostructures deposited on a substrate. Ultrathin film, for example, a single layer of Cu2 N deposited on a Cu(100) surface (known as Cu2 N/Cu(100) surface) has been used to determine the spectral properties of nanomagnets using scanning tunneling spectroscopy. However, recent experiments that measure spin relaxation times in a single atom suggest that the single layer of Cu2 N does not provide efficient electronic decoupling. In this work, we study the thermodynamic stability of a bi-layer of copper nitride on the Cu(100) surface. We calculate adsorption and co-adsorption energies of Cu and N as a function of their concentration on the Cu2 N/Cu(100) surface using density functional theory. We find that the adsorption and co-adsorption energies of Cu and N on the Cu2 N/Cu(100) surface are of the order of a few eV. This suggests that the bi-layer of copper nitride is thermodynamically stable on the Cu(100) surface. We also find that the work function of N-adsorbed Cu2 N/Cu(100) increases with the N concentration, suggesting a better insulating character of the bi-layer of copper nitride on the Cu(100) surface.

]]> Izaak Williamson DockoMatic: A Resource for Computational Biology or Chemistry Courses http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/76 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/76 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:24:29 PDT Structure based rational drug design commonly uses receptor models based on X-ray crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to determine specific interactions between the drug and the receptor. Computational approaches have evolved to perform molecular docking to predict ligand (drug) binding properties, such as ideal geometric arrangements and bonding interactions in silico. Dockomatic provides a graphical user interface (GUI) that facilitates job submission to AutoDock, a docking engine that calculates the energy of binding. The objective of this study is to create a laboratory exercise for use in the chemistry and/or biology curriculum that exemplifies how Dockomatic can be used as a computational resource for structure based drug design. The exercise challenges students to analyze the crystal structure of the 16 amino acid peptide conotoxin TxIA (i.e., the ligand) bound to the AcetylCholine Binding Protein from Aplysia californica (Ac-AChBP). Students will propose amino acid side chain substitutions of TxIA that will enhance binding to the receptor, create the peptide analog using DockoMatic, and perform the molecular docking calculation to compare their result to the rest of the class. Analysis of the molecular docking results will determine intermolecular forces, binding energy, and geometric orientation of the newly prepared analog with the AChBP compared to the TxIA interactions with the AChBP. Students are challenged to identify two side chains in TxIA that will most significantly lead to enhanced binding of the peptide. This exercise is designed for a four hour laboratory period and can be accomplished with access to an internet connected PC.

]]> Kenny Weekes et al. Medicinal Alkaloids from the Mountains of Idaho http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/75 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/75 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:16:00 PDT Veratrum californicum is a plant native to the mountainous regions of Idaho. Throughout the growth cycle of the plant steroid alkaloids are produced, interconverted, and ultimately degraded. Efforts in our lab focus on evaluating the composition of steroid alkaloids present in different parts of the plant (root, stem, or leaf) during the growth season. Motivation for this effort is the recent emergence of drug studies based on synthetic derivatives of cyclopamine and veratramine, two steroid alkaloids produced by V. californicaum. Cyclopamine has proven to inhibit the hedgehog-signaling pathway and has potential as a valuable agent in cancer cell treatments and psoriasis. Here we describe our efforts to extract the steroid alkaloids from V. californicaum using solvent soaking and ultrasonication followed by isolation with high-performance liquid chromatography and characterization by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry.

]]> Jessica Brookhouse Parathyroid Hormone Related Protein (PTHrP) Regulates Estrogen Receptor Expression http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/74 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/74 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:12:05 PDT Parathyroid hormone related protein (PTHrP) is required for specification of the mammary mesenchyme during embryonic development. In WT mice, the mammary mesenchyme consists of 3-4 layers of stromal cells that express ER. Overexpression of PTHrP in the basal layer of the epidermis, results in ectopic ER expression in the ventral dermis. Conversely, loss of PTHrP results in ablation of ER expression. Deletion of Wnt pathway components such as beta-catenin also abolishes ER expression. These data suggest that PTHrP-induced Wnt signaling regulates ER expression.

To determine if PTHrP similarly mediates ER expression in breast cancer and bone, we used RNA harvested from osteoblasts treated with PTHrP. Semi-quantitative PCR was used to analyze ER gene expression and to demonstrate that PTHrP treatment results in a 2-fold increase in the levels of ER. We also used immunofluoresence to demonstrate that treatment of T47D breast cancer cells with PTHrP increases ER levels.

Taken together, out studies demonstrate that PTHrP regulates ER expression in bone and breast and that PTHrP could be used as a therapeutic agent to in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis and ER-negative breast cancer.

]]> Hannah Dyar et al. Linguistic Features of Maay Maay http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/73 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/73 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:07:28 PDT This poster provides a preliminary description of the linguistic features of Maay Maay, a language spoken in Eastern Africa and by hundreds of refugees in the Boise area. Maay Maay is characterized as an East Somali, Cushitic language within the Afro-Asiatic language family and, although it is spoken by over 1,860,000 people around the world, it is virtually undocumented in the linguistic literature. Over the course of a semester, our group met with a native speaker of Maay Maay to document the phonological, morphological, and syntactic features of the language. This analysis, along with recordings made by our group, serves the greater linguistic community by providing theoretical linguists with new language data to support their research. It will also serve the Maay Maay community in the diaspora by providing documentation and archiving of this language for future generations to access.

]]> Sarah Plane et al. Phonology of Japanese Palatals http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/72 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/72 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:56:30 PDT Due to contact with other languages throughout its development, the Japanese language contains multiple layers of vocabulary in its lexicon. Each layer, or stratum, consists of words originating from different languages with which Japanese interacts. Itô and Mester (1995, 1999). Depending on the stratum in which a word is found, different phonological processes apply to either resemble native Japanese sound patterns or preserve the word’s native pronunciation. The four layers are: Yamato (native Japanese words), Sino-Japanese (from contact with Chinese), Mimetics (onomatopoeic words), and Foreign (words more recently borrowed into the language, mostly from English). This paper explores a set of four phonological processes that apply to a specific group of sounds (namely, palatals) as they are affected by their placement within the different strata. Implications regarding the status of the palatals as phonemes (mental representations of sounds) or allophones (variations of those sounds) will also be discussed.

]]> Andrew Hayes Local Efforts to Expand the World’s Largest Trichomycete Collection http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/71 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/71 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:52:16 PDT Trichomycetes (gut fungi) are obligate symbionts of various arthropods and have been found in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats on every continent except Antarctica. Gut fungi associate commensally with their immature aquatic hosts (including black flies, mayflies, stoneflies, isopods, and others) attaching to the chitinous lining of the mid- or hindgut. Gut fungi are routinely isolated from the host’s digestive tract into axenic cultures, which provide a rich resource of genetic material for phylogenic analysis. Given the obligate endosymbiotic nature of the fungi, unique challenges are encountered upon culturing, thus only 30% of all trichomycetes have been successfully cultured. Our laboratory houses the world’s largest culture collection of trichomycetes. We have been endeavoring to expand the collection by formulating suitable media in which field collected trichomycete specimens can grow. This requires attention to variables such as competing bacterial growth, pH changes required for sporulation, agar density and proper nutrient balance within the media. The continued development and enhancement of culture media is intended to increase the number of isolates that previously were considered "unculturable" and offer more robust samples of genetic material for future analyses.

]]> Justin W. Gause et al. Zirconium Partitioning in Mafic Rocks as a Tool for Interpreting Zircon Geochronology http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/70 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/70 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:44:35 PDT The mineral zircon (ZrSiO4) is commonly dated to determine when rocks form. During continent-continent collisions, rocks metamorphose, dramatically changing mineral assemblages and abundances. In past studies, zircons that formed during metamorphism have been used to infer the timing and rates of collisional processes. However, sparse information exists about how zirconium (Zr), the primary element that stabilizes zircon, partitions among major minerals. Because these minerals and their Zr content continually change, little is as yet known about the fate of zircon during metamorphism – under what circumstances does zircon grow (because Zr contents of other minerals decrease), and when is it consumed (because Zr contents of other minerals increase)? More specifically, which reactions liberate Zr and produce zircon, and which ones consume Zr and zircon? By identifying how Zr is partitioned among minerals during metamorphism, we can determine how and why zircon forms. To answer these questions, we embarked on two endeavors. First, we quantified Zr partitioning among major metamorphic minerals for the first time. We selected minerals that can be found in a typical rock with the composition of a basalt (oceanic crust) at varying degrees of metamorphism and measured Zr concentrations using Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Analyses were collected using instrumentation housed in the Department of Geosciences, Boise State University. Second, we modeled the mineralogical development of a basaltic rock composition through a range of pressures and temperatures to determine mineral abundances at different metamorphic conditions. One important reaction that we investigated involves the breakdown of plagioclase feldspar to form sodium-rich clinopyroxene and calcium-rich garnet. This marks a major mineralogical transition from amphibolite (moderate-pressure) mineral assemblages to eclogite (high-pressure) mineral assemblages, and many metamorphic zircon ages have been attributed to this reaction. We have determined, however, that clinopyroxene and garnet contains at least 10 times more Zr than plagioclase, so in order for clinopyroxene and garnet to form, more Zr is required than the plagioclase can supply. Thus, the transition to eclogite facies should cause zircon to dissolve, rather than grow, and attributing a metamorphic zircon age to this reaction appears erroneous. We are currently exploring other key metamorphic reactions to infer more likely mechanisms for metamorphic zircon formation.

]]> Christopher Markley Stable Isotope Investigation of Vertebrates From Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/69 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/69 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:42:18 PDT Stable oxygen and carbon isotopes of fossil teeth are commonly used to investigate paleoclimate (rainfall, temperature) of past environments and paleoecology (diet, habitat) of past faunas. Tooth enamel from Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument was analyzed for oxygen and carbon stable isotopes (δ18O and δ13C) to investigate paleoclimatic and paleoecological conditions 3.2 million years ago in southern Idaho. This time period, the Pliocene climatic optimum, was one of Earth’s warmest recent climates. Because climate trends suggest an increase in temperature over the next several hundred years, it may serve as an analogue for future climate dynamics. Taxa analyzed include relatives of elephants (mastodon and gomphothere), horses, camels, and beavers, and data were collected in the Stable Isotope Laboratory, Department of Geosciences, Boise State University. Average δ18O values for taxa ranged between 21.81‰ (VSMOW) for a camel to 17.42‰ for an outlier horse. Overall, beavers have the lowest average δ18O(enamel) values (17.55‰). δ13C values range between -7.75‰ (VPDB) for a beaver to -10.56‰ for a camel. The high δ18O values for camels suggest they consumed more plants and drank less water than the other taxa, while low δ18O values for beavers suggest they drank more water or had a higher water flux. The low δ13C values for camels suggest they selected food that had higher water content, whereas high δ13C values for beavers are consistent with a relatively dry diet of bark. Modern precipitation δ18O in Hagerman is -16‰ whereas the precipitation composition calculated from horses was -15.0‰, and -14.1‰ for combined gomphothere and mastodon. This change in isotope composition is interpreted to result from lower elevations of the Cascade Range in the Pliocene, because higher mountain ranges produce lower δ18O values (as seen today). The modern precipitation rate in Hagerman is 250 mm rain/yr. Using δ13C(enamel), Pliocene precipitation rates are calculated to be 100 mm rain/yr. This suggests that past warm climates in southern Idaho may have been drier. A potential consequence of modern warming trends may be drier conditions in southern Idaho.

]]> Alma Palacios Stable Isotope Fractionation in Grasshopper Assemblages Along an Elevation Gradient http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/68 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/68 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:39:58 PDT Insects comprise over three quarters of all animal species, yet studies of body water isotopic composition are limited to only the cockroach, the hoverfly, and chironomid flies. These studies suggest that oxygen and hydrogen isotopic compositions in body water are primarily controlled by dietary water sources, with modification from respiratory and metabolic processes. In particular, outward diffusion of isotopically depleted water vapor through insect spiracles at low humidity enriches residual body water in 18O and 2H (D). Stable isotope compositions (d18O and dD) also respond to gradients in elevation and humidity, but these influences remain poorly understood. In this study, we measured grasshopper body water and local vegetation isotopic compositions along an elevation gradient in Colorado to evaluate three hypotheses: 1) Insect body water isotopic composition is directly related to food source water composition 2) Water vapor transport alters body water isotopic compositions relative to original diet sources, and 3) Elevation gradients influence isotopic compositions in insect body water.

Thirty-five species of grasshopper were collected from 14 locations in Colorado grasslands, ranging in elevation from 450 to 800 meters (1500 to 2600 feet; n=131). Body water was distilled from previously frozen grasshopper specimens using a vacuum extraction line, furnaces (90 °C), and liquid nitrogen traps. Water samples were then analyzed for d18O and dD on an LGR Liquid Water Isotope Analyzer, housed in the Department of Geosciences, Boise State University.

Grasshopper body water isotopic compositions show wide variation, with values ranging between -76.64‰ to +42.82‰ in δD and -3.06‰ to +26.78‰ in δ18O. Precipitation δ18O values over the entire Earth excluding the poles vary by approximately 30‰, comparable to the total range measured in our single study area. Most grasshopper values deviate from the global meteoric water line relating d18O and dD in precipitation, consistent with evaporative enrichment in food (plants) due to plant transpiration. However, grasshopper body water from any given location is further enriched in 18O and D relative to food. Isotopic values decrease slightly with increasing elevation, but some specific grasshopper species appear more sensitive to elevation. Overall, evaporative enrichment of 18O and D in this relatively dry environment appear the strongest factors influencing grasshopper compositions.

]]> Joey Dean Stratigraphy, Geochronology and Detrital Zircon Provenance of Two Silicic Ash Layers at Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Idaho http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/67 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/67 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:34:23 PDT Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument (HAFO) is home to the world-famous Hagerman Horse Quarry. This site gives important insight into Pliocene age paleontology. Absolute ages of this site have been elusive, although researchers have assumed the site to be around 3.2 Ma. This study sought to determine more precise ages for the previously documented Hagerman Horse Quarry and Peters Gulch ash layers at HAFO thereby defining a more specific date for the Hagerman fossil assemblage, and to describe and interpret their sedimentary horizons. Detailed stratigraphic columns were created to describe sedimentary layers and establish marker beds. The sedimentology and stratigraphy are consistent with that of fluvial/flood plain depositional environments. Two ash samples were collected and analyzed using U/Pb zircon geochronology via laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS). Similar to previous studies, the majority of zircon crystals in these volcanic ashes are detrital in origin, ranging in age from 4 Ma to Precambrian. While the depositional age of these ash beds remains elusive, the detrital ages were grouped into three major volcanic events and described in order to identify the source of the detrital zircons and hosting sediment. These source areas include the Atlanta Lobe of the Idaho Batholith (80 – 100 Ma), the Challis Volcanic Group (45 – 52 Ma), and rhyolitic Yellowstone-Snake River Plain volcanics (4 – 17 Ma).

]]> Susan K. Birnbaum et al. Finding Crystallization Pressures and Temperatures for Plutons http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/66 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/66 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:30:12 PDT In this study we determined the crystallization temperature and pressure of a tonalite from the Triangle Mountain pluton, located in the Cougar Creek complex of the Wallowa island arc terrane, in the Blue Mountain Province of the northern U.S. Cordillera. This tonalite contains coexisting zircon, titanite, and quartz, from which we can use Ti- and Zr- trace element thermobarometry to find crystallization pressure and temperature. We obtained in-situ chemical analyses for zircon and titanite using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS), From that analysis we were able to assess equilibrium between the two minerals based upon rare earth element partitioning. Using these Ti and Zr concentrations, a temperature range of 690-730 ⁰C was obtained for the Triangle Mountain pluton based on the assumption of an activity of TiO2 (aTiO2) between (0.6-0.9) and a pressure range of (6-8) kbar. Alternatively, using aTiO2 = 0.8, and T = 720 ⁰C from the Ti-in-zircon and quartz thermometers, the titanite thermobarometer yields a pressure estimate of 7.5 ± 0.7 kbar. The combination of zircon and titanite thermobarometry holds significant promise for the thermobarometry of intermediate to felsic plutons, and will complement other more traditional ion exchange and net transfer thermobarometers.

]]> Logan Solotky et al. U-Pb Geochronology in the John Day Formation, Oregon http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/65 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/65 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:26:46 PDT In this study, we sought to determine the age of plant and vertebrate fossils in the Turtle Cove Member of the John Day Formation at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Also, we worked towards concluding paleoclimate change and possible relationships between this change, as well as the evolution of fossil organisms during the deposition of sediment. We hypothesized that U-Pb zircon geochronology will be able to provide more precise and accurate ages for the fossil assemblages than those of the previous Ar-Ar dating. Due to the greater stability of zircons and the greater accuracy of U decay constants, U-Pb dating can offer a precision and accuracy of 0.05%. After collecting samples, zircons were separated via density, magnetic, and optical properties, from the Blue Basin and AB Tuffs for U-Pb dating. After being extracted, they will be mounted in epoxy, imaged by cathodoluminescence on a scanning electron microscope before being analyzed for their isotope ratios using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (LAICPMS) and thermal ionization mass spectrometer (TIMS). The determined ages will then allow us to place the rock sequence into context and allow comparisons to other rocks in the formation. Also, they can lead to comparisons to the global climate at the time as well as with fossils and minerals of similar age.

]]> Julia Barge et al. Exploring Phylogenetic Relationships in Drosophila Using Ciliate Operations http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/64 http://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_12/64 Fri, 13 Apr 2012 08:22:11 PDT We studied the phylogenetic relationships among fruit fly species using DNA-editing operations of ciliates. Phylogenetics is the study of evolutionary relationships among groups of organisms. Using a canonical reference species, the relative order of orthologous genes in another species is a scrambled version of that of the reference species. The ciliates are capable of unscrambling the DNA using merge, swap, and reverse operations. We created an algorithm to simulate DNA decryption using the three ciliate operations. The algorithm was implemented in Python and it determines distances among genomes in terms of those operations in polynomial time (O(n^3)). Using the algorithm, we found a correlation between the published evolutionary distances of the fruit fly species and the number of reverse operations used. This correlation also held for the total number of operations used for all but one species. This research was funded by an NSF REU grant DMS 1062857, and by Boise State University.

]]> Anna Nelson et al.