The potential for replication and transmission of antibiotic resistance plasmids in an E. coli population in agriculturally impacted stream sediment

The use of antibiotics in agriculture is thought to be a major cause of resistance in microorganisms found in the environment. Horizontal transfer of genetic information from transient to native and from native to transient bacterial populations may enhance the spread and recombination of resistance genes and might play a role in the formation of multi-resistant organisms in environmental reservoirs. Tetracycline resistance plasmids were compared using three isolation techniques -- traditional “endogenous” extraction from isolates, “exogenous” plasmid capture, and direct plasmid extraction from sediment --to determine the potential for plasmid born resistance in an E. coli population found in agriculturally-impacted stream sediment. Comparison of the number of tetracycline resistant E. coli in the sediment versus the water column identified the sediment as a more likely reservoir for resistance plasmids and therefore of genetic exchange. Exogenously captured, self-transmissible plasmids had a significantly greater incidence of resistance to multiple antibiotics than the endogenously isolated plasmids. Variation in plasmid extraction techniques eliminated some of the prejudice against the uncultivable environmental organisms and gave a more complete picture of the “mobilome” of tetracycline resistance plasmids that may circulate in populations of E. coli in stream sediments

Breath of Life: Revitalizing California\u27s Native Languages Through Archives

This thesis presents an oral history of the Advocates for Indigenous California Language Survival (AICLS) and its Breath of Life Workshop. Held every other year since 1996, the workshop is designed to meet the language revitalization needs of California Indian people whose languages have no living fluent speakers. Breath of Life Workshop organizers arrange visits to four archives on the University of California, Berkeley, campus and connect participants with linguistic mentors to read and interpret archival documents in their language for the purpose of bringing their language back into use. Through interviews with AICLS founders, Breath of Life Workshop participants, and University of California, Berkeley, linguists and archivists, this study uncovers the role archivists play in the Breath of Life Workshops and in the care of Native language collections more generally. Topics addressed include the selection and use of archival documents in the program and the changes to archival practice and policies that have resulted from archivists\u27 work with Breath of Life participants. The thesis also examines issues involved in the collection, arrangement, description, preservation, and access to the documentation of California Indian languages. The study concludes with recommendations for future language revitalization programs

Moving Forward: Studying the Impact of Future Self-Continuity and Active Commuting on Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

The current research delves into the relationship between Future Self-Continuity (FSC) and mental health, particularly in the context of commuting behaviors. It employs a cross-sectional, observational design and relies on self-reported data. While this approach provides helpful perspicuity into the nature of the observed phenomena, it also expresses methodological limitations in terms of causal inference and variable control and manipulation. The study utilizes established psychometric tools as a basis for modified measures for the sake of brevity and digestibility by recruited online participants: the Truncated Future Self-Continuity Questionnaire (FSCQ-T) and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-10 (DASS-10), to measure the respective constructs. A linear regression analysis reveals a significant negative correlation between FSCQ-T and DASS-10 scores (n = 90, r = -0.321, p = 0.002). This finding suggests that individuals with a stronger sense of connection to their future selves tend to experience better mental health outcomes. However, the two-group t-tests reveal no significant differences between active and inactive commuters in FSCQ-T (n = 90, t = -0.189, p = 0.851) and DASS-10 (n = 90, t = 0.205, p = 0.838) scores. This outcome indicates that commute type may not significantly influence these specific aspects of mental health. However, the research is limited by its cross-sectional design, reliance on self-reported data, and inability to control and manipulate its variables, which constrain causal inferences and long-term observations, and allow for confounding variables to obfuscate and skew potential effects. Acknowledging these limitations, the study underscores the need for future longitudinal research with diverse samples to deepen our understanding of the interplay between commuting patterns, mental health, and FSC, offering valuable insights for urban planning and public health

Blind Mind? How Visual Imagery Affects Visual Processes

Visual imagery exists on a spectrum: some individuals have very vivid and clear images, and others have very little to no visual imagery, which is the case in a condition called aphantasia. There is a current void in the literature relating to mental imagery when identifying or generating emotions and how attentional bias could impact emotional processing. We intend to investigate the effects of visual imagery on emotion processing using a dot-probe with emotional facial and word stimuli and an emotional priming task developed by Bulter and colleagues (2008). We hypothesize that: (1) high imagers will show a higher negative attentional bias for both faces and words, (2) low imagers will show a similar negative attentional bias to faces but will not show this effect for words, and (3) low imagers will experience less intense emotional priming of faces as shown through lower emotional judgments of ambiguous images. Results are being analyzed currently

Working with Archival Materials

Syllabus for workshop at CoLang 2016As more languages become dormant each year, there is a growing need to develop and disseminate research methods for working with archival documents. This workshop is aimed primarily toward beginning and intermediate participants who either are currently working with or intend to work with archival materials. The workshop will focus primarily on providing and developing skills to accomplish research and revitalization goals through the use of archival documents. Therefore, there will be hands on practice in class as well as regular assignments for participants. These assignments will allow students to begin working with these materials during the workshop itself, to discuss these methods with fellow participants, and to fix any potential pitfalls or obstacles during the initial stages of this process.2015 NSF/BCS 1500841: CoLang 2016: Institute on Collaborative Language Research – ALASKA Alaska Native Language Cente