The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact sediment has on the survival of
bacteria in a typical rangeland stream. This information is an important component in
determining a time integrated prediction of bacterial numbers in the stream sediment and
overlying water. Bacterial survival in stream is a...
Intracellular pH (pH(i)) imaging is of paramount importance for life sciences. In this work, we implement the ultrafast electronic and stimulated Raman spectroscopies to unravel the fluorescence mechanism of an excitation-ratiometric pH(i) indicator in basic aqueous solution. After photoexcitation of the pH(i) indicator HPTS, a hidden charge-transfer (CT) state following...
This biological assessment (BA) documents the potential effects of existing Forest Service (FS) Land and Resource Management Plans (LRMPs), or 'Forest Plans' and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land Use Plans (LUPs) on the Canada Lynx (Lynx canadensis), hereafter referred to as the lynx. LRMPs and LUPs are collectively referred...
In the past decades, femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (FSRS) has been gaining tremendous popularity in fundamental sciences stemming from chemistry to biology. It is capable of capturing both equilibrium and non-equilibrium structural information across a broad range of timescales with simultaneously high temporal and spectral resolutions. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy...
Ultrafast spectroscopy can exploit the structure-function relationship of chemical- and biological-based systems. More specifically, femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (FSRS) provides ground- and excited-state vibrational information with simultaneously high spectral (spatial) and temporal resolutions. The electronic counterpart, femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA), complements FSRS data analysis as part of a comprehensive approach...
Soils and other resource programs in both public land management agencies and private industry are continually being adapted to the challenges of evolving knowledge and experience in the field of forestry. This dissertation explores new ways of thinking about and using soils information in forest planning and management, with a...
Fluorescent proteins (FPs) are luminescent biomolecules that emit characteristic hues upon irradiation. A group of calmodulin (CaM)-green FP (GFP) chimeras have been previously engineered to enable the optical detection of calcium ions (Ca²⁺). We investigate one of these genetically encoded Ca²⁺ biosensors for optical imaging (GECOs), GEM-GECO1, which fluoresces green...
Photoactivated biomedical tools like fluorescent biosensors and optogenetic proteins have increased in popularity due to the precision targeting and activation used for in vivo applications. In nature, the initially discovered parent proteins exhibit properties such as fluorescence quantum yield (FQY), fluorescence color, and photoswitching dynamics that are unfavorable in mammalian...
The purpose of this exploratory study was to develop an instrument to measure perceived food autonomy (PFA) among cognitively alert residents in state licensed Assisted Living (AL) facilities, and to investigate the influence of PFA on food satisfaction, while controlling for functional (physical, social, and psychological) status, general health, and...
In this dissertation, excited state proton transfer (ESPT) and its inhibition in solution and protein environments are revealed using both femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA) spectroscopy and femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (FSRS). Using a tunable Raman pump to enhance transient vibrational features of the photoacidic chromophore HPTS in methanol and methanol...