A Preliminary Checklist of Lichens from Kamiak Butte County Park, Washington State

The semiarid Palouse ecoregion of North America was once dominated by temperate prairies and connects areas of southeast Washington, north-central Idaho, and northeast Oregon. Transformation of nearly all habitats comprising this ecosystem into agricultural lands has drastically reduced extant native grasslands to small, highly fragmented pieces. These land conversion practices, coupled with the subsequent takeover of invasive plant species, have placed the Palouse ecoregion among the most critically endangered ecosystems in the United States, with \u3c 1% of land remaining that is suitable to host native species. The enormous loss of biodiversity across the Palouse has prompted a need for further study regarding a wide variety of organisms. In particular, lichen diversity of the Palouse ecoregion has never been formally characterized, and there are overall very few detailed studies of lichens throughout eastern Washington. To improve knowledge of Palouse lichen diversity, we first reviewed collection data from historical herbarium specimens via the Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria (CNALH) database. We then collected lichen voucher specimens from Kamiak Butte County Park (KBCP), one of the largest contiguous natural areas within the Palouse ecoregion as its relatively steep, rocky slopes make it ill-suited for agricultural conversion. KBCP consists of 298 acres of mixed Pinus ponderosa (ponderosa pine) and Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir) forest and native grassland that rises above the surrounding farmland, as well as an east-west ridgeline with steep north and south-facing slopes hosting basaltic and granitic outcrops. Maximum elevation within the park is ca. 3,640 feet (110 meters) above sea level. Historical lichen observations in the park date back to the year 1913 and include observations from highly notable lichenologists Albert W. Herre and Henry A. Imshaug. Fieldwork was conducted across multiple visits in Fall 2018 and Winter 2019 and voucher specimens were collected from a representative sampling of various habitats and substrates throughout the park. All collections were returned to the Eastern Washington University (EWU) mycology laboratory, where a variety of lichen identification keys, chemical tests, EWU herbarium specimens, and the CNALH database were used to identify all collected specimens to species. To date we have identified 135 species having been present at some point in recorded time within KBCP, 40 of which are only known from previous collections and were not rediscovered in the current study. Twenty-three species were found both historically and in the present study and we identified 61 species that were not previously on record for the park. The most frequently collected species included Letharia vulpina, Evernia prunastri L. (Hue), Hypogymnia tubulosa (Schaer.) Hav., Hypogymnia imshaugii Krog, and Parmelia hygrophila Goward & Ahti. The genera representing the most diversity in the park are Rhizocarpon Ramond ex DC., Lecanora Ach., Usnea Dill. ex Adans., and Cladonia P. Browne. Among our collections we found Rhizocarpon cookeanum H. Magn., a species thought to be rare in Washington state. The completion of this survey resulted in the production of a species list of both historical and extant lichens present in KBCP to be submitted for park records, as well as expanded on knowledge of lichen taxa present for the ecologically endangered Palouse region overall. The baseline species list created here was a necessary initial step toward establishing future conservation measures and lichen species distributions. A follow-up study inspired by and expanding on this research is already underway that will further depict extant lichen flora of other protected areas within the Palouse ecoregion, including Palouse Falls and Steptoe Butte State Parks

Low level Atrazine exposure effects on crayfish development

Undergraduate Applie

Ecological role of an offshore industry artificial structure

Decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure globally has focused attention on its importance as hard substratum on continental shelf and slope habitats. Observational studies are needed to improve understanding of faunal assemblages supported by offshore infrastructure and better predict the effect of removal. Here, we present results from visual inspection and physical sampling of a small oil and gas industry structure decommissioned from an oil field in the North East Atlantic. This is supported by observations of similar structures nearby and by photographs of the surrounding seabed from environmental baseline surveys. The structure supported a reasonably high biomass and diversity of invertebrates (>10 kg and >39 macrofaunal and 17 megafaunal species) and fishes (>20 kg biomass and >4 species). The invertebrate megafaunal species present on the structure were a sub-set of the hard substratum fauna observed on surrounding seabed. Porifera were absent from the structure. Biological succession in the first 2 years occurred as follows. Sparse colonies of the hydroid Obelia sp. stet were early colonisers then subsequent development of thick hydroid turf (Obelia sp. stet. and Halecium sp. stet.) supported an invertebrate assemblage (2654 individuals kg wet mass–1) dominated by saddle oysters [Pododesmus squama (Gmelin, 1791) and Heteranomia sp. stet.)] and scale worms (Harmothoe spp.). Percentage cover of hydroid turf varied significantly over the structure, with most growth on sections exposed to strongest currents. Commercially important fish species present around the structure included Gadus morhua (Atlantic cod), Pollachius virens (saithe) and Lophius piscatorius (monkfish). Studies of artificial structures such as this provide much needed data to understand their role in the ecology of seafloor habitats and inform environmental decision making on all stages of industry from exploration to decommissioning. We show that the ecological role of the decommissioned three-dimensional structures was to enhance the biomass of a sub-set of epifaunal invertebrates found in the area. This supported diverse associated macrofaunal organisms, providing a food source for motile invertebrates and fishes in an area where background hard substratum can be lost through the impacts of drilling

Prevalence and Correlates of HIV-Risk Behaviors among Homeless Adults in a Southern City

This paper aims to describe the prevalence and correlates of HIV-risk behaviors among adults receiving transitional and emergency housing services in Memphis, Tennessee. A cross-sectional, interviewer-administered survey was conducted with a convenience-based sample (N=116) of homeless adults. Sex without a condom, sex while on drugs or drunk, and sex with an unknown person emerged as the three most prevalent HIV-risk behaviors. Sex while drunk or high on drugs was also assessed as a significant predictor for sex without a condom and sex with an unknown person. Multivariate logistic regressions revealed that mental health status, duration of homelessness, incarceration history, and sex while drunk or high on drugs were significant predictors of HIV-risk behaviors. Consideration of these important correlates in designing HIV prevention programs for this vulnerable sub-group of adults is warranted

Optimal Tilings of Bipartite Graphs Using Self-Assembling DNA

Motivated by the recent advancements in nanotechnology and the discovery of new laboratory techniques using the Watson-Crick complementary properties of DNA strands, formal graph theory has recently become useful in the study of self-assembling DNA complexes. Construction methods based on graph theory have resulted in significantly increased efficiency. We present the results of applying graph theoretical and linear algebra techniques for constructing crossed-prism graphs, crown graphs, book graphs, stacked book graphs, and helm graphs, along with kite, cricket, and moth graphs. In particular, we explore various design strategies for these graph families in two sets of laboratory constraints

Enhancing the NASA Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resource Web Data Delivery System with Geographic Information System (GIS) Capabilities

Renewable energy technologies are changing the face of the world's energy market. Currently, these technologies are being incorporated within existing structures to increase energy efficiency. Crucial to the success of the emerging renewable market is the availability of accurate, global solar radiation, and meteorology data. This poster traces the history of the development of an effort to distribute data parameters from NASA's research for use in the energy sector applications spanning from renewable energy to energy efficiency. These data may be useful to several renewable energy sectors: solar and wind power generation, agricultural crop modeling, and sustainable buildings

Impact of Service Learning on the Inter-Cultural Competency of Pre-Service Teachers

The population of the U.S. is becoming increasingly diverse in language and culture. And, the population of students in elementary and secondary schools is becoming more diverse, as well. Therefore, it is critical that pre-service teachers (PSTs) experience and understand other cultures. Teachers will need to become more inter-culturally competent (ICC). According to Hammer & Bennett (2010), ICC is the capability to accurately understand and adapt behavior to cultural differences and commonality.” One way to do this is for PSTs to participate in Service Learning. According to the National Service-Learning Clearinghouse (NSLC), service learning is “a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities (NSLC, 2012). This study responded to the question: Do different types of Service Learning have different impacts on changes in inter-cultural competence of pre-service teachers? The data set included more than 800 students who took the general education course, Human Relations in a Multicultural Society. Students completed the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) at the beginning and at the conclusion of the semester (Hammer, Bennett, & Wiseman, 2003). This study analyzed several types of Service Learning that may have impacted the pretest and posttest results. Service Learning opportunities included 18 hours of volunteer work at organizations such as residences for disabled adults, English language tutoring of immigrants and refugees, home visits with children of new immigrants, and others. The university may use this information in considering the effectiveness of its cultural diversity goal: experience diversity with supervised reflection and recognize and respond to conditions of marginalized populations. University departments will use the information in planning, evaluating, and promoting opportunities in the community

Men who have sex with robot dolls: a Foucauldian discourse analysis

Sextech involves technology aimed at enhancing sexual experience and human sexuality. Part of this technology includes digisexuality which concerns sexual and emotional engagement with a sex robot. Research investigating both the positive and negative roles sex that robots may play in emotional and physical well-being remains limited. The present study therefore examined the motivation for men having intimate relationships with lifelike sex robots and revealed an in-depth understanding of the role that sex robots play in that motivation. Existing content was gathered through online platforms including documentaries and video interviews to gain an in-depth understanding of the aspects that lead individuals to develop sexual relationships with sex robots. A summative content analysis and Foucauldian discourse was conducted via an inductive and exploratory analysis based on the reports of eight men on their emotional and sexual relationship with sex robots. As a result, four major discourses emerged from the data that encapsulated differing drives of human-robotic sexual relationships. These were 1) the male power fantasy 2) powerlessness 3) cognitive dissonance and 4) power dynamics. It was found that all elements were co-related and interconnected whereby powerover and power-to constructs were identified throughout the discourse. The rationalizations attributed to engaging in robot sex are discussed using a critical discursive stance