SRS 2015 STUDENT April 10-11 RESEARCH University of Hawai‘i at Ma¯noa SYMPOSIUM

Proudly presented by the University of Hawai‘i at Ma¯noa College Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and College of Engineering

Welcome to the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) and College of Engineering (COE) 2015 Student Research Symposium.

This annual event, now in its 27th year, brings together graduate and undergraduate students to share the research they are pursuing under the supervision of faculty in CTAHR and COE. The students are able to present their findings, exchange information, and incorporate what they have learned from their peers into their own scholarly work.

The scientific exploration and engineering design conducted by students in CTAHR and COE is truly multidisciplinary, and the Student Research Symposium reflects this diversity and the strong relationship between CTAHR and COE. The investigations presented here range from fundamental studies to novel applications and encompass engineering, production agriculture, environmental technologies, health and food sciences, family and consumer sciences, and natural sciences. All stages of the research and development process and multiple types of student learning experiences are represented: discovery; advanced diagnostics and laboratory testing; design, validation, and field testing; and adoption of new methods and technologies. Each project represents a unique path that contributes to CTAHR’s mission of preparing students for life in the global community through research that fosters viable communities, a diversified economy, and a healthy environment, as well as COE’s mission of providing research experiences and opportunities to students that will enhance the growth of the technological workforce and stimulate the growth of technology-based industries in Hawai‘i.

The pace at which knowledge and technology are advancing in the basic and applied sciences is breathtaking. Many of the projects presented here would not have been possible at the time these students were born. CTAHR and COE are proud of our new scientists and engineers and are proud to sponsor this event. We look forward to an exciting and informative Symposium, and we encourage you to take this opportunity to interact with students, faculty, and other professionals; exchange ideas; develop new research collaborations; and rekindle old friendships.

Aloha,

Maria Gallo Peter Crouch

Dean and Director, CTAHR Dean, COE 27TH ANNUAL CTAHR and COE STUDENT RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM

Agricultural Science Building University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

PROGRAM SCHEDULE Poster Session

Friday, April 10, 2015 Agricultural Science Building 2nd, 3rd and 4th Floor Hallways

Abstracts 1 – 109 (Undergraduate, M.S., Ph.D.)

11:00 am - 1:00 pm Poster set-up by students

1:00 - 1:15pm Judges’ Orientation (AgSci 219)

1:15 - 3:00 pm Viewing and judging of posters by judges (without students and symposium participants present; only judges)

3:00 - 5:30 pm Viewing of posters by public Interviewing of students by judges

5:30 - 6:30 pm Networking (refreshments will be provided in tented area near AgSci)

Note: Posters should remain on display until 3:00 pm, Friday, April 17, 2015. If students need to remove posters before that time, please discuss your plans with the program coordinators.

1 Oral Sessions

Saturday, April 11, 2015 Agricultural Science Building Rooms 204, 219 and 220

7:45 – 8:15 am Refreshments AgSci Bldg., 2nd Floor

8:00 – 8:10 am Judges’ Orientation Room 219

8:15 - 10:15 am Session I Undergraduate (Section 1) Room 219 Abstracts 110-117

Session II M.S. (Section 1) Room 204 Abstracts 118-126

Session III Ph.D. (Section 1) Room 220 Abstracts 127-134

10:15 - 10:30 am Break AgSci Bldg., 2nd Floor

10:30 am - 12:30 pm Session IV Undergraduate (Section 2) Room 219 Abstracts 135-142

Session V M.S. (Section 2) Room 204 Abstracts 143-151

Session VI Ph.D. (Section 2) Room 220 Abstracts 152-159

12:30 - 1:30 pm Networking (lunch will be provided)

2 Poster Session

Friday, April 10, 2015 Agricultural Science Building 2nd, 3rd and 4th Floor Hallways

Abstracts 1 – 109 (Undergraduate, M.S., Ph.D.) (* designates presenter)

Abstract Presenter’s Title, Authors No. Home Unit 1 Dissipation effects of three different geometrically shaped artificial ME (Poster UG) reefs on long wave run-up onto beaches. Ame Arakaki*, and Michelle Teng. 2 Wetwood in Casuarina equisetifolia (ironwood) trees as a tradeoff for BIOL (Poster UG) nitrogen fixation? Cody Awana*, Caleb Ayin, Robert Schlub, and Anne Alvarez. 3 Algal wastewater treatment, CO2 capture, and biofuel production. CEE (Poster UG) Bertram Booker*, Rommel Yanos, Donghee Hoh, Stuart Watson, and Eunsung Kan. 4 Liquid-metal spiral microstrip variable inductor. Christopher C. EE (Poster UG) Brough*, Wayne A. Shiroma, and Aaron T. Ohta. 5 Prediction of Soil Dispersivity Coefficient in Homogeneous Saturated CEE (Poster UG) Soil. Sayed Bateni and Chastyne Cabanas*. 6 Optical and Infrared Imaging of Thermo-Fluid Phenomena. Eric ME (Poster UG) Caldwell*, Nathan Maldonado, Rintaro Hayashi, and John S. Allen. 7 Effects of Fermented Noni Juice on Hepatic Inflammation in High-Fat BIOL (Poster UG) Diet-Fed Mice. Justin Campbell*, Erik Saksa, and Pratibha V. Nerurkar. 8 Insecticidal Management of Adoretus sinicus on Cacao. Alex Ching*, PEPS (Poster UG) Chelsea Hardin, Megan Manley, Helen Spafford, Harry C. Bittenbender. 9 Identification of Fungal Pathogens on Camelia Sinesis. Devan PEPS (Poster UG) Coppess* and Janice Uchida. 10 Biological control of cane tibouchina (Tibouchina herbacea) with a PEPS (Poster UG) flea beetle (Syphraea uberabensis). Gerald R. Crank*, Helen Spafford, and Tracy Johnson. 11 A comparison of mitochondrial genomes among populations of NREM (Poster UG) Achatinella mustelina found along an environmental gradient. Taylor Creasy* and Melissa Price. 12 Environmental Sensor Networks. Zachary Dorman*, Conrad Chong, EE (Poster UG) and Anthony Kuh. 13 Development of a Fixed-Wing Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ME (Poster UG) (UAV): Airframe, Propulsion, Launcher. Eric Guyett*and Mehrdad Ghasemi Nejhad.

3 Abstract Presenter’s Title, Authors No. Home Unit 14 Identification of Fungal Pathogens on Theobroma cacao. Chelsea PEPS (Poster UG) Hardin* and Janice Uchida. 15 Implementation of facial recognition using OpenCV. Charles Jarquio*, EE (Poster UG) Kunliang Xiao, and Yingfei Dong. 16 Investigation of mesh networking capabilities of picosatellites for EE (Poster UG) mission flexibility. Bryan Fewell, Jonathan Kutsunai*, Kevin Sonoda, Chauncey Tom, and Wayne Shiroma. 17 Radar Techniques for Identifying Subjects and Sensing Vital Signs. EE (Poster UG) Alexander Lee*, Scott Clemens, Ryan Takamori, Quang Vo, Robert Nakata, Ashikur Rahman, Shuhei Yamada, and Victor Lubecke. 18 Quasi-static tensile behavior of friction stir blind riveted dissimilar ME (Poster UG) material joints. Kok T. Lim*, Wei-Ming Wang, Yingsen Tang, and Jingjing Li. 19 Triboelectric sensors. Dewei Liu*, Joycelyn H. Ng, Olga Boric- EE (Poster UG) Lubecke, and Bryson Padasdao. 20 Hot water treatment as potential control of mites and scales on tea PEPS (Poster UG) plants. Megan Manley* and Koon-Hui Wang. 21 The Study of Water’s Memory Effect Following the Impact Electric HNFAS (Poster UG) and Magnetic Fields Have on Supercooled Water. Nohelani Marple*, Soojin Jun. 22 Mechanical Papaya Seed Cleaner. Samira Fatemi, Laura Martinez* MBBE (Poster UG) and Loren Gautz. 23 Effect of in vitro fermentation of Hawaiian feedstuffs on intestinal LCC (Poster UG) microbial communities of pigs. Sarah Mattus*, Courtney Bednarczyk, Utsav P. Tiwari, Alyssa Haygood, Kabi Neupane, and Rajesh Jha. 24 Composting as a means to reduce the viability of Cyperus rotundus TPSS (Poster UG) tubers. Nate Nicholson*, Koon-Hui Wang, and Theodore Radovich. 25 Omni-channel consumer decision processes with m-internet devices FCS (Poster UG) for apparel and electronics purchases. Su Lun Novikoff*, Caitlen Schmidt*, and Ju-Young M. Kang. 26 Open Platform for Weather Dataset Aggregation and Collaboration. EE (Poster UG) Christie Obatake*, Kenny Luong, Ryan Walser, and Anthony Kuh. 27 (26) Modelling wind-generated ocean waves on the coast of CEE (Poster UG) Kahoolawe, HI. Tatiana Oje*, Oceana Francis. 28 Surface Winds for Coastal and Offshore Applications. Darren CEE (Poster UG) Ramos*, Tatiana Oje, Jeffrey Nielson, Carlos Torres Lua, and Oceana Francis. 29 Nutritional value of macadamia nut cake for tilapia (Oreochromis HNFAS (Poster UG) honorum). Michelle Sakuda* and Rajesh Jha. 30 Development of a Fixed-Wing Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle EE (Poster UG) (UAV): Electronics and Camera. Alexander Sanchez* and Mehrdad Ghasemi Nejhad. 31 Design of Control System for an Autonomous Path-Following Space ME (Poster UG) Mining Rover System. Holm Smidt* and Peter Berkelman.

4 Abstract Presenter’s Title, Authors No. Home Unit 32 Characterization of Viral Resistance in Transgenic Orchid MBBE (Poster UG) Brassolaeliocattleya Raye Holmes Expressing the Antisense RNA of Cymbidium Mosaic Virus Coat Protein Gene. Nyan Stillwell*, David Christopher, Hongwei Li, Ingelia White, Judy Zhu, Heather McCafferty. 33 Effects of Supplementing Multi-Enzymes and Probiotics on Gut LCC (Poster UG) Microbiota of Broiler Chicken Fed High and Low Fiber Diets. Taylor * * Tashiro , Tyson Mendiola , Amit K. Singh, Alyssa Haygood, Kabi Neupane, and Rajesh Jha. 34 Product Development and Evaluation of Gluten-free pizza crust. HNFAS (Poster UG) Amanda Tom*, Alvin Huang, and Alfred H. Chen. 35 Analysis of Conus Striatus Milked Venom Profile. Tiffany-Heather T. MBBE (Poster UG) Ulep* and Jon-Paul Bingham. 36 Designing a process for 3D printing polycaprolactone and collagen MBBE (Poster UG) composite filament scaffolds for bone tissue implant applications. Jon Coloma, Michael Vo*, and Loren D. Gautz. 37 How well do current select bakery products match NLEA food label HNFAS (Poster UG) servings? Ericka Yiu*, W. Jay Gibson, and Joannie Dobbs. 38 Building an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle from Scratch. Joseph Yokoi*, EE (Poster UG) Alexander Lee, and Yingfei Dong. 39 UAV Platform for Sensor Research. Gavin Zhang*, Daylan Chock, EE (Poster UG) Bryson Leong, Aaron-Matthew Lenchanko, Danielle Ferguson, Ashikur Rahman, Shuhei Yamada, Robert Nakata, and Victor Lubecke. 40 Successful Cryopreservation of UH232 Dendrobium Jaquelyn Thomas TPSS (Poster MS) ‘Uniwai Supreme’ using the droplet-vitrification method. Amanda Ackerman*, Michael Melzer, and Kenneth Leonhardt. 41 A survey of Steinernema on Maui and Oahu Islands. Justin Bisel*, PEPS (Poster MS) Roxana Y. Myers, and Brent S. Sipes. 42 Probiotic Bacteria Can Protect the Coral Montipora capitata from MBBE (Poster MS) Infection by the Pathogen Vibrio coralillitycus Strain OCN008. Andrew Burger*, Blake Ushijima, Greta Aeby, Sean Callahan. 43 Nutrient profile of leucaena and guinea grass and growth performance HNFAS (Poster MS) and carcass quality of beef cattle grazed on these pastures in . Kayla Butler*, Glen K. Fukumoto, Yong-Soo Kim, and Rajesh Jha. 44 Separation of Escherichia coli K12 From Contaminated Tap Water HNFAS (Poster MS) Using a Single Stage, Continuous Flow Dielectrophoresis (DEP) device. Jireh Cebricos* and Soojin Jun. 45 Risk Tolerance and Adoption of Conservation Agricultural Practices PEPS (Poster MS) by Indian Tribal Farmers. K. Chan*, J. Halbrendt, B. Sipes, T. Masuda, and S.N. Mishra. 46 Assessment of Plastic Ingestion and Associated Organic Pollutants in NREM (Poster MS) Sea Turtles across the Pacific Ocean. Katharine E. Clukey*, Christopher Lepczyk, George Balazs, Thierry Work, and Jennifer M. Lynch. 47 Investigating the epigenetic basis of elevated monocyte inflammation MBBE (Poster MS) in adults at risk for cardiovascular disease. Christian Dye * and Alika Maunakea.

5 Abstract Presenter’s Title, Authors No. Home Unit 48 Preferences for Palm Oil in Urban Togo, Africa: A Consumer NREM (Poster MS) Perspective. Nicole Evans*, Catherine Chan, John Yanagida, Tomoaki Miura. 49 Genetic Diversity of Taro vein chlorosis virus (TaVCV) Affecting PEPS (Poster MS) Taro (Colocasia esculenta) in Hawaii. Riten Gosai* and Michael Melzer. 50 A supply chain analysis of Hawaii’s nearshore fisheries. Shanna NREM (Poster MS) Grafeld*, and Kirsten Oleson. 51 Improving rooting success of cuttings and stock plant management for NREM (Poster MS) Gray. Erin Hickey*, Travis Idol, JB Friday, and Faith Inman-Narahari. 52 Photocatalytic Oxidation and Biodegradation of Antibiotics for MBBE (Poster MS) Agricultural Reuse of Treated Wastewater. Donghee Hoh*, Jihyun R. Kim, and Eunsung Kan. 53 Site-directed mutagenesis of rhizomimosinase, an enzyme required for MBBE (Poster MS) mimosine degradation by Rhizobium, a nodulate of Leucaena leucocephala. Michael Honda*, Vishal Negi, and Dulal Borthakur. 54 Broadening the Genetic Base of Papaya through Inter-Generic TPSS (Poster MS) Hybridization. Gregory Hoover* and Richard Manshardt. 55 Evaluating the Impact of a Community-based Diabetes Intervention on MBBE (Poster MS) Monocyte Epigenomes of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Peoples. Kelsea Hosoda*, Christian Dye, Michael Corley, Claire Townsend, and Alika Maunakea. 56 Consumer Preference for Locally Produced Tea in Hawaii. Rebecca NREM (Poster MS) Ingram*, Jessie Chen, Amanda Knauf, Frankie Koethe, and Catherine Chan. 57 The next new superfood? Estimating the physiological effects of HNFAS (Poster MS) Dragon Fruit fiber. Jessie Kai* and Maria Stewart. 58 Corrosion of 1018 Carbon Steel in Static Seawater/Diesel (Petrol and ME (Poster MS) Renewable) Mixtures. Jan Kealoha*, Shengxi Li, Stuart Donachie, and L. H. Hihara. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hawaii Corrosion Lab, Department of Microbiology. 59 Comparison of Capsaicinoid Content in Capsicum frutescens MBBE (Poster MS) Cultivated in Aquaponics. Mahrukh Khawaja*, J.P. Bingham, Theodore Radovich, Bradley Fox, and Clyde Tamaru. 60 Effects of soil nutrient availability on competitive dynamics between NREM (Poster MS) non-native invasive and native in Hawaiian dry forests. Amanda Knauf*, Creighton Litton, Rebecca Cole, Christian Giardina, Jed Sparks. 61 Plant-parasitic nematodes associated with breadfruit on Kauai and PEPS (Poster MS) Maui. Jin-Wah Lau*, Sharadchandra P. Marahatta, and Brent S. Sipes. 62 Optimization of Baseline Soil Carbon Mapping across the Hawaiian NREM (Poster MS) Islands. Michelle Lazaro*, Susan Crow, Cynthia Stiles, Creighton M. Litton, and Christian Giardina. 63 Examining Hawaii Resident Consumer Preference for Ahi Poke: A NREM (Poster MS) Latent Class Analysis. Gwendolen Lentes*, Nanea Lindsey, Michelle Lazaro, Jon Wells, and Catherine Chan.

6 Abstract Presenter’s Title, Authors No. Home Unit 64 Probiotic potential of lactic acid bacteria isolated from fermented taro HNFAS (Poster MS) skins. Qianting Li*, C.N. Lee, Michael A. Dunn, and Yong Li. 65 Effects of fibers with varying viscosity and solubility on obesity HNFAS (Poster MS) related physiological parameters of mice. Chelsea Liu*, Amit Singh, Maria Stewart, and Rajesh Jha. 66 Fire on the Mountain: Forest / Grassland Interactions across NREM (Poster MS) Environmental Gradients in Hawaiian Post-fire Novel Ecosystems. Matthew Lucas* and Clay Trauernicht. 67 Using Controlled Exposure Trials to Assess Predation and Parasitism PEPS (Poster MS) of The Kamehameha (: tameamea). Colby Maeda*, William Haines, and Cynthia King. 68 Conjoint Choice Analysis of Faculty of Housing Preference at the NREM (Poster MS) University of Hawai’i. Jonathan Marshall*, Joey Lecky, Wanda Sowa, and Catherine Chan-Halbrendt. 69 Brucella suis in Hunting Dogs. Britt S. McNeill*, Halina M. Zaleski, HNFAS (Poster MS) Ashley M. Stokes, and Rajesh Jha. 70 Cyclization and Derivatization of the Potassium Channel Antagonist MBBE (Poster MS) Tertiapin (TPNQ). Vinay Menon* and JP Bingham. 71 (70) Linking global warming potential and economics to the NREM (Poster MS) sustainability of biochar use in Hawaiian agriculture. Jabez Meulemans*, Susan E. Crow, John Yanagida, and Jonathan Deenik. 72 Examine the potential of vermicompost tea to induce host plant PEPS (Poster MS) resistance against root-knot nematode infection. Shova Mishra*, and K.H. Wang. 73 Liquid-metal tunable high frequency devices. Matthew R. EE (Poster MS) Moorefield*, Michael Dubiel, Aaron T. Ohta, and Wayne A. Shiroma. 74 The distribution of Solenopsis papuana in the Waianae and Koolau PEPS (Poster MS) Mountains. Cassandra S. Ogura-Yamada* and Paul D. Krushelnycky. 75 Valuation of Climate Change Impact on Ecosystem Goods and ECON (Poster MS) Services of Forests and Grazing Lands in Nepal. Botir Okhunjanov*, Catherine Chan, Bikash Paudel, and Katherine Wilson. 76 Molecular Detection and Identification of Emara-like Viruses PEPS (Poster MS) Associated with Ti Ringspot Disease of Cordyline fruticosa (L.) in Hawai’i. Adam Park* and Michael Melzer. 77 Effect of tillage practices on performance of maize in Bàrué and TPSS (Poster MS) Nhamatanda districts of Mozambique. António J. Rocha*, Russell Yost, Joseph Keter, and Joseph M. Ndutu. 78 Spatial Tracking Analysis of Herbicide Ballistic Technology MBBE (Poster MS) Operations Characterizing Performance of Target Treatment. Roberto Rodriguez III*, Daniel M. Jenkins, James J. K. Leary, and Brooke V. Mahnken. 79 Effects of Fermented Noni Juice on Systemic and Adipose MBBE (Poster MS) Inflammation in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice. Erik Saksa* and Pratibha V. Nerurkar. 80 The Prevalence of Deformed Wing Virus in across the PEPS (Poster MS) Hawaiian Isles. Jessika Santamaria*, Ethel Villalobos, Scott Nikaido, and Jason Graham.

7 Presenter’s Abstract No. Title, Authors Home Unit 81 Management of Fungal Diseases on Native Endemic Mint within PEPS (Poster MS) Protected Lands in Hawaii. Gabriel Schierman*, Janice Uchida, Chris Kadooka, and Clifford Smith. 82 Relating PRSV prevalence to distribution of GE and non-GE papayas TPSS (Poster MS) in Honolulu. David Shepard*, Scot Nelson, and Richard Manshardt. 83 Biochemical analysis of the antimicrobial resveratrol glucoside in MBBE (Poster MS) transgenic papaya calli differentially expressing the stilbene synthase gene controlled by three native papaya promoters. Rick Shimshock*, Luzminda Carlos-Hilario, and David A. Christopher. 84 Cone Snail Diet Manipulation. Nicholas N. Sinclair* and Jon-Paul MBBE (Poster MS) Bingham. 85 Evaluation of mollusks as dietary sources of iron: heme and non- HNFAS (Poster MS) heme iron content of clams and oysters consumed in the Asia-Pacific region. C. Taniguchi*, J.C. Dobbs, M.A. Dunn. 86 A Discrete Choice Analysis of Consumer Preference for Koa Bowls NREM (Poster MS) in Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. Emily Cadiz, Catherine Chan, J.B. Friday, Ryan Peʻa, William Weaver*, and Katherine Wilson. 87 Conventional sugarcane to sustainable biofuel feedstocks: optimizing NREM (Poster MS) C4 grass feedstock selection. Jon Wells*, Susan E. Crow, Richard Ogoshi, Brian Turano, Andrew Hashimoto, Jim Kiniry. 88 Ay caramba! Advanced chemical analysis of chili peppers and MBBE (Poster MS) tomatoes. Jason Wen*, Archana Pant, Theodore Radovich, Koon-Hui Wang, and Jon-Paul Bingham. 89 Characterization of Novel Conotoxins Derived from Milked Venom MBBE (Poster MS) of Conus obscurus. Rui-Yang Zhang* and Jon-Paul Bingham. 90 Pan-cancer analysis reveals a panel of clinically relevant lincRNAs. MBBE (Poster PhD) Travers Ching*, Lana X Garmire et al. 91 Determining the role of hydroxyproline to the phyla selectivity of the MBBE (Poster PhD) alpha conotoxin TxIC. Michael J. Espiritu* and Jon-Paul Bingham. 92 Improving Head Start teacher health status and behaviors for HNFAS (Poster PhD) enhanced wellness policy intervention effect of the environment for child health. Monica K Esquivel*, Fenfang Li, and Rachel Novotny. 93 A comparison of rapid Cardy meter sap test and ICP spectrometry of TPSS (Poster PhD) dry tissue for measuring potassium (K+) concentrations in pak choi (Brassica rapa Chinensis group). Chandrappa Gangaiah*, Amjad Ahmad, and Theodore J. K. Radovich. 94 The Role of HIF-1α in the regulation of TERT expression in cancer MBBE (Poster PhD) cells. Lauren H. Gardner*, Philip M.C. Davy, and Richard Allsopp.

95 Novel roles of Gαi1 and Gαi3 proteins in colitis-associated colorectal MBBE (Poster PhD) cancer. Ting Gong* and Wen-Ming Chu. 96 Portable Concentration of Agricultural Rinsate Using Electrolysis to MBBE (Poster PhD) Aid in the Detection of Pathogen Contaminations. Eli Horwitz*, Roberto Rodriguez, Ryo Kubota, Trent Robertson, Daniel Jenkins. 97 Hydrogen Sulfide Removal using Biochar. Jarupat Kanjanarong* and MBBE (Poster PhD) Samir Kumar Khanal.

8 Presenter’s Abstract No. Title, Authors Home Unit 98 A Flow-type junction biosensor functionalized with single walled MBBE (Poster PhD) carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) for rapid detection of Escherichia coli K-12. Inae Lee* and Soojin Jun. 99 Oxidation reduction potential (ORP)-based microaeration system for MBBE (Poster PhD) anaerobic digestion. Duc Nguyen* and Samir K. Khanal. 100 Optimization of climate smart conservation agriculture practices in NREM (Poster PhD) tribal communities of Mahaldiha and Rudhiapada, Odisha, India. Stephanie O’Connor* and Catherine Chan. 101 Novel regulation of pro-migratory genes by nuclear Src in pancreatic MBBE (Poster PhD) cancer cells. David Paladino* and J. Turkson. 102 Enhanced volatile fatty acids production with micro-oxygenation MBBE (Poster PhD) during anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass. Chayanon Sawatdeenarunat* and Samir K. Khanal. 103 Growth performance and economics of raising pastured broiler HNFAS (Poster PhD) chicken fed with diet based on local feedstuffs in Hawaii. Amit K. Singh*, Michael W. DuPonte, and Rajesh Jha. 104 Supplemental multi-enzymes affect growth performance of broilers HNFAS (Poster PhD) fed low and high fiber diets. Amit K. Singh*, Julio F. Diaz Berrocoso, Yueming Dersjant-Li, Ajay Awati, and Rajesh Jha. 105 Bioconversion of Food Wastes to Biodiesel and Feed MBBE (Poster PhD) through Farming. K.C. Surendra*, Robert Olivier, Jeffery K. Tomberlin, and Samir K. Khanal. 106 Nutritional value of agro-industrial co-products in swine. Utsav P. HNFAS (Poster PhD) Tiwari*, Halina M. Zaleski, and Rajesh Jha. 107 Acculturation and Childhood overweight and obesity in American PHS (Poster PhD) Samoa: Results from the Children’s Healthy Living (CHL) Program. Aifili J. Tufa*, Eric Hurwitz, Rachel Novotny, Marie K. Fialkowski, Fenfang Li, and Aufa’i Apulu Ropeti Areta. 108 Recombinant myostatin prodomain in treating Age-Associated MBBE (Poster PhD) Sarcopenia. Arthur Wong*, SangBeum Lee, Donghyuck Choi, and Yong Soo Kim. 109 Inflammatory bowel disease and IκBα. Can Xin*, Chi Ma, and Wen- MBBE (Poster PhD) ming Chu.

9

Oral Sessions

Saturday, April 11, 2015 Agricultural Science Building (* designates presenter)

Session I Undergraduate (Section 1) 8:15–10:15 am AgSci Bldg, Room 219

Abstract Presenter’s Title, Authors No. Home Unit 110 Development and analysis of a tropical probiotic beverage using water HNFAS (Oral UG) kefir grains. Elyse Bowman*, Qianting Li, C.N. Lee, and Yong Li. 111 Heterologous expression of Rhizobium pydA and pydB genes for MBBE (Oral UG) degradation of 3-hydroxy-4-pyridone (3H4P) in Escherichia coli. James Carrillo*, Vishal S. Negi, and Dulal Borthakur. 112 Perceptions of Biotechnology in the Hawaiian Islands. Cassandra BIOL (Oral UG) Ferguson*, Ania Wieczorek, Mark Wright, and M’Randa Sandlin. 113 Development of Novel Fluorophore Azide Cyclized Peptide Tx2005 BIOL (Oral UG) as a Basis for Exploring Biopesticides, Oral Analgesics, and Diagnostics Tools. Theodore Fitch* and J.P. Bingham. 114 Importance of Biochar Ash in Relation to Plant Growth. William M. TPSS (Oral UG) Thompson* and Jonathan Deenik. 115 Design and Fabrication of a New Electrostatic Time Resolving Spore MBBE (Oral UG) Trap. Raymond Hoptowit*, Kelli Katayama, and Loren Gautz. 116 Street Fashion Styles in Honolulu and Beijing Influenced by Chinese FCS (Oral UG) Culture. Li King* and Shu Hwa lin. 117 Control of microrobots using laser technology. Caralyn King*, Sammy EE (Oral UG) Khamis, Leanne King, Edward Nerad, Derrik Trang, Kelsie Yamakawa, Brent Kim, Matthew Savella, Dexter James Barit, Christian Josh Liwang, Gavin Nakai, Brendan Pascua, Reed Villanueva, Bryan Yagi, Mychal Yagi, and Aaron Ohta.

10 Session II M.S. (Section 1) 8:15–10:15 am AgSci Bldg, Room 204

Abstract Presenter’s Title, Authors No. Home Unit 118 Trunk injection of systemic insecticides, a viable approach to manage PEPS (Oral MS) stem and leaf gall wasps, Josephiella species (Agaonidae, Hymenoptera) on Ficus microcarpa in Hawai’i. Bishnu P. Bhandari* and Zhiqiang Cheng. 119 Economic Feasibility of Producing Oysters Using a Small-Scale NREM (Oral MS) Hawaiian Fishpond Model. Jessie Chen*, Maria Haws, Quentin Fong, PingSun Leung. 120 Effects of oyster mushroom compost waste on soil and plant health in PEPS (Oral MS) plant-parasitic nematode infested soils. S. Ching * and K.H. Wang. 121 The evaluation of biochar effects at the field and laboratory scale; NREM (Oral MS) increases in soil carbon, shifts in microbial community composition and decline in methane efflux. Lauren M. Deem*, Susan E. Crow, Jonathan Deenik, Ryan Penton, and Julian Yu. 122 Effects of Gamma Irradiation on Phytophthora palmivora. Mark PEPS (Oral MS) Dragich*, Janice Uchida, Chris Kadooka, Lyle Wong, and Kenneth Kamiya. 123 Functional characterization of putative extracellular cystatins in PEPS (Oral MS) Phytophthora palmivora pathogenicity on papaya. Rebecca Gumtow*, Mark Dragich, Janice Uchida, Sebastian Schornack, and Miaoying Tian. 124 Potential Impact of Deformed Wing Virus on Honeybee Larval PEPS (Oral MS) Development. S. Nikaido*, C. Higashi, D. Downey, and E. Villalobos. 125 Natural Whole-cell Oil Microcapsules as Innovative Enrichment Diets MBBE (Oral MS) for Aquatic Live Feeds. Alexander Park*, Zhi Yong Ju, Zhenlin Han, Dong-Fang Deng, and Wei-Wen Su. 126 Naturally Occurring Host Resistance to Banana Bunchy Top Virus TPSS (Oral MS) (BBTV). Gabriel Sachter-Smith*, H.C. Bittenbender, Scot Nelson, John Hu, and Richard Manshardt.

11 Session III Ph.D. (Section 1) 8:15–10:15 am AgSci Bldg, Room 220

Abstract Presenter’s Title, Authors No. Home Unit 127 Social networks and coupled outcomes in a marine social-ecological NREM (Oral PhD) system. Michele Barnes-Mauthe*, Kolter Kalberg, John Lynham, Minling Pan, and PingSun Leung. 128 Developing a decision support framework to assess soil erosion in TPSS (Oral PhD) leeward Hawaiian islands. Kim Falinski*, Kirsten Oleson, Johnathan Stock. 129 Dynamic visualization of microstructural changes in a biocompatible MBBE (Oral PhD) hydrogel with MRI. Bradley Hann* and Kevin Bennett. 130 Identification of genes involved in disease resistance in Acacia koa. MBBE (Oral PhD) Kazue Ishihara*, Eric Lee, and Dulal Borthakur. 131 Income determinants of out-of-school youth in an agrarian conflict NREM (Oral PhD) region: the case of Mindanao, Philippines. C. Lai*, C. Chan, D. Dentoni, E. Neyra, J. Yanagida. 132 Optimization of Waltheria indica seed dormancy relief methods and TPSS (Oral PhD) seed storage parameters. Scott Lukas* and Joseph DeFrank. 133 A Suitability Assessment of Edaphic and Environmental Factors NREM (Oral PhD) Influencing the Achievability of the Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP) Targets in the Philippines. Rusyan Jill Mamiit*, John Yanagida, and Tomoaki Miura. 134 Food-related cultural beliefs in adolescent girls ages 9-13 and their HNFAS (Oral PhD) caregivers on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. Michelle A. Mosley*, Treena Delormier, and Jinan Banna.

12 Session IV Undergraduate (Section 2) 10:30 am–12:30 pm AgSci Bldg, Room 219

Abstract Presenter’s Title, Authors No. Home Unit 135 College life crossing paths with contaminated technology. Krista Ann HNFAS (Oral UG) Lee*, Q.T. Li, A. Keliikuli, Y. Li, and C.N. Lee. 136 Active Computing Interface. Kenny Luong*, Kainalu Matthews, and EE (Oral UG) Aaron Ohta. 137 Ethnicity and consumer buying behaviors: apparel product country-of- FCS (Oral UG) origin preferences among Caucasians and Asians in Hawaii. Asia Joan Mateo*, Hailey Pedersen, and Loriena Yancura. 138 Regulation of sphingosine kinase 1 and adipose inflammation by HNFAS (Oral UG) Momordica charantia (bitter melon) in high-fat diet-fed mice. Daniella Orias* and Pratibha V. Nerurkar. 139 Visualizing the tissues in which the protein disulfide isomerase genes, BIOL (Oral UG) PDI9 and PDI10, are expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana plants. Tyler G. Smith*, Brad W. Porter, Chris Y. L. Yuen, and David A. Christopher. 140 Increasing Biosecurity from recirculating or biofloc technology MBBE (Oral UG) systems. Rebecca Barone, Alec Sodetani*, Michael Field, and Harry Ako. 141 Gene Expression during Papaya Fruit Ripening: An RNA-seq TPSS (Oral UG) Transcriptome Analysis. James Green*, Nancy Chen, Ching Man Wai, and Robert E. Paull. 142 Breadfruit Corer and Peeler. Alex Yang*, Ryan Ringuette, and Loren MBBE (Oral UG) D. Gautz.

13 Session V M.S. (Section 2) 10:30 am–12:30 pm AgSci Bldg, Room 204

Abstract Presenter’s Title, Authors No. Home Unit 143 Extension of supercooled state in beef steak using pulsed electric HNFAS (Oral MS) fields and oscillating magnetic fields as a novel preservation technique. Tim Shafel* and Soojin Jun. 144 Anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass using rumen content as MBBE (Oral MS) inoculum for enhanced biogas production. Shilva Shrestha*, Xavier Fonoll, Joan Mata-Alvarez, Lutgarde Raskin and Samir Khanal. 145 Characterization of Conus obscurus Venom: The Search for Novel MBBE (Oral MS) Bioactive Leads. Christopher Sugai* and J.P. Bingham. 146 West Nile Virus NS2B recruits NS3 Helicase to Virus-Induced MBBE (Oral MS) Replication Organelles to Initiate Viral RNA Synthesis. Alanna Tseng*, Vivek R. Nerurkar and Pakieli H. Kaufusi. 147 The effect of spirotetramat against reniform nematode, Rotylenchulus PEPS (Oral MS) reniformis, on pineapple, Ananas comosus, and tomato, Solanum lycopersicon. Philip Waisen* and Brent Sipes. 148 Utilization of carbonic anhydrase-displaying Escherichia coli in the MBBE (Oral MS) foam bioreactor to capture and sequester carbon dioxide. Stuart Watson*, Zhenlin Han, Wei Wen Su, and Eunsung Kan. 149 Evaluating the Publics Aesthetic Value for old and new Growth NREM (Oral MS) Acacia koa Forests. Katherine Wilson*, Catherine Chan, and J.B. Friday. 150 N- to C-Terminal Cyclization and Fluorophore Bioconjugation – A MBBE (Oral MS) Novel Approach to Stable Traceable Peptides. Peter Yu* and Jon-Paul Bingham. 151 Busy : forager traffic and honeybee colony health on Oahu. PEPS (Oral MS) Zhening Zhang*, Ethel Villalobos, and Scott Nikaido.

14 Session VI Ph.D. (Section 2) 10:30 am–12:30 pm AgSci Bldg, Room 220

Abstract Presenter’s Title, Authors No. Home Unit 152 Economic potential of conservation agriculture systems for NREM (Oral PhD) smallholder farmers in the hill region of Nepal. B. Paudel*, C. Chan, J. Halbrendt, S. Crow, T.J.K. Radovich, and G. Norton. 153 Impacts of conservation agriculture production system (CAPS) on soil NREM (Oral PhD) organic carbon fractions. Aliza Pradhan*, Susan E. Crow, and Travis Idol. 154 Supplemental multi-enzymes and probiotics enhance nutrient HNFAS (Oral PhD) digestibility in broilers fed low and high fiber diets. Amit K. Singh*, Julio F. Diaz Berrocoso, Yueming Dersjant-Li, Ajay Awati, and Rajesh Jha. 155 Evaluating governance outcomes of marine protected areas along the NREM (Oral PhD) US west coast. Jutha Supholdhavanij* and Kirsten L.L. Oleson. 156 Bioengineering of peptide from conesnail to explore its potential as a MBBE (Oral PhD) drug scaffold and bio-conjugation tool. Parashar Thapa*, Zachary Bergeron, Peter Yu, and Jon-Paul Bingham. 157 Nutritional value of macadamia nut cake for swine. Utsav P. HNFAS (Oral PhD) Tiwari*and Rajesh Jha. 158 Efficacy of A. tumida traps in Hawaii's honeybee colonies. Jason PEPS (Oral PhD) Wong*, Ethel Villalobos, Scott Nikaido. 159 Nitrogen transformations in floating-raft aquaponic system. Sumeth MBBE (Oral PhD) Wongkiew*, and Samir Khanal.

15 CREDITS AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

2015 Symposium Coordinating Committee Charles Kinoshita (Overall Coordinator) Bruce Liebert (COE Coordinator) Mandy Chen (Program Coordinator) Zhiqiang Cheng (Chief Judge) Lori Yancura (Co-Chief Judge) Travis Idol (Co-Chief Judge) Soojin Jun (Co-Chief Judge) Jon-Paul Bingham (Judging Coordinator) Matthew Chun-Hori (Equipment/Facilities Coordinator) Lisa Kitagawa-Akagi (Registration Coordinator) Lydia Gerakas (Refreshments Coordinator) Miles Hakoda Thomas Lim Halina Zaleski Anne Alvarez Sylvia Wu Cheryl Ernst

Special thanks to the Student Activity Program and Fee Board (SAPFB) and USDA-NIFA for funding part of this event.

Judges

Aaron Ohta Harry Ako Linda Cox Reza Ghorbani, Alan Titchenal Helen Turano Loriena Yancura Richard Manshardt Amjad Ahmad Hua Zan Luzminda Hilario Sarah Yuan Ania Wieczorek Hue Nguyen M’Randa Sandlin Sayed Bateni Archana Pant Janice Uchida Margaret Baker Shu Hwa Lin Asoka Silva Jannai Yafuso Maria Stewart Soojin Jun Barbara DeBaryshe Jinan Banna Mary Martini Tao Yan Bradley Fox Joannie Dobbs Matthew Loke Teresita Amore Bradley Porter Joe DeFrank Miaoying Tian Theodore Radovich Brian Turano John Allen Michael Cheang Thomas Wolfgruber Catherine Chan John Hu Michael Melzer Travis Idol Chris Yuen jonathan Deenik Michelle Teng Victor Lubecke Christine Lynch Julio F.D. Berrocoso Mike Kawate Vishal Negi Clay Trauernicht Kabi Neupane Oceana Francis Wayne Shiroma Daniel Jenkins Kevin Schneider Pakieli Kaufusi Yihan Li David Christopher Kirsten Oleson Paul Krushelnycky Yingfei Dong Douglas Vincent Koon-Hui Wang Pratibha Nerurkar Yong Kim Eunsung Kan Krishna Lamichhane Qing Li Yong Li Gernot Presting Lee Chang Joo Rajesh Jha Zhiqiang Cheng Halina Zaleski

16 ABSTRACTS (* designates presenter)

(1) Dissipation effects of three different geometrically shaped artificial reefs on long wave run-up onto beaches. Ame Arakaki*, and Michelle Teng. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Our research project’s goal is to investigate if various shaped reefs dissipate different amounts of energy contained within ocean long waves such as tidal waves or tsunamis. Our study is an experimental study carried out in a wave tank in the CEE hydraulics lab. The specific method for testing was to situate the artificial reefs in the path of a single long wave generated by a magnetic piston wavemaker placed at one end of the wave flume and an artificial beach at the other end to simulate long wave run-up onto beaches. We recorded the wave during each test using a wave gauge, which gave us the amplitude and shape of the wave before it intercepted the reef, and we also measured the run up of the altered wave upon the artificial beach. We tested each reef with a set of specific amplitudes and repeated for three complete runs. We also did a set of runs for each wave amplitude before each reef model was placed into the tank for baseline comparison. Once the data was collected we compiled the data of each run with and without the reefs, and compared the amount of dissipation between the three different shapes of reefs, namely, reef with a flat surface, reef with a semi-circular wavy surface, and reef with sharp-edged saw-tooth surface. Our preliminary results showed that the sharp-edged saw-tooth reef surface cause the most reduction in long wave run-up.

(2) Wetwood in Casuarina equisetifolia (ironwood) trees as a tradeoff for nitrogen fixation? Cody Awana*, Caleb Ayin, Robert Schlub, and Anne Alvarez. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. Diseased ironwood trees have been dying in Guam since 2002, but the decline disease has not been observed in Hawaii. In 2012, a bacterial pathogen, Ralstonia solanacearum (Rs) and two Klebsiella spp. were isolated from declining trees which also showed distinct wetwood symptoms. The Rs isolates killed ironwood trees in pathogenicity tests, but the role of Klebsiella spp. was unknown. Based on observations from multiple surveys, our previous hypothesis was that the decline and wetwood symptoms were related; hence Klebsiella spp. should be consistently present in declining trees. In January 2015, subsamples from 33 trees were plated onto differential media. The majority of 42 fermentative isolates, resembling Klebsiella morphology, were negative for Klebsiella spp. using a genus specific immunodiagnostic dot-blot assay as well as a loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay using Klebsiella variicola and Klebsiella oxytoca primers. Unexpectedly, sequence analysis of 16S rRNA identified some of the unknowns as Kosakonia, Phytobacter and Enterobacter (≥99% ID). Genera in the family Enterobacteriaceae, such as Klebsiella and Enterobacter, contain endophytic species that also fix nitrogen. Current results reveal that that Klebsiella is not the only enteric bacterium associated with wetwood in Guam, and that wetwood may be associated with nitrogen-fixing endophytes residing in woody tissues of ironwood trees.

17 (3) Algal wastewater treatment, CO2 capture, and biofuel production. Bertram Booker*, Rommel Yanos, Donghee Hoh*, Stuart Watson, and Eunsung Kan. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Department of Molecular Bioscience and Bioengineering. This study investigated sustainable wastewater treatment, CO2 capture, and biofuel production using locally-occurring microalgae in an economical algal bioreactor when applied as a form of post-biological treatment. When the locally-isolated microalgae was cultivated in three different modes (autotrophic, mixotrophic and heterotrophic cultivation) in a laboratory algal bioreactor over a long period of time, the mixotrophic culture showed highest cell growth and chlorophyll content compared with the autotrophic and heterotrophic cultures. The mixotrophic and autotrophic algal cultures were kept in a 12 hours light/12 hours dark operation, while the heterotrophic culture was grown under a 24-hour dark operation. The mixotrophic algal culture also exhibited carbon (organic contaminant), nitrogen, and phosphate (nutrients in wastewater) removal much higher than the autotrophic and heterotrophic cultures at the typical load of organic contaminants and nutrients in natural wastewater. The potential production of lipids from the algae grown on wastewater indicated high productivity of biodiesel associated with wastewater treatment. In addition to algal wastewater treatment, algal CO2 capture in CO2- containing waste gas showed slow but substantial CO2 removal, which provides additional benefits to the algal bioreactor. Overall, these results supported that the algal treatment of wastewater would be developed as a sustainable bioprocess for algal biodiesel production and the effective removal of organic contaminants, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphate), and CO2.

(4) Liquid-metal spiral microstrip variable inductor. Christopher C. Brough*, Wayne A. Shiroma, and Aaron T. Ohta. Department of Electrical Engineering. Wireless communications (e.g. radio, television) are made possible by tunable circuits, which enable selection of data at a desired frequency. Without this ability the device is either limited to a few frequencies or must be unreasonably large to accommodate individual circuitry for each frequency. The circuit configurations that produce this variable functionality (filters, oscillators, amplifiers) often use variable inductors to perform the tuning, but these can be bulky or limited to pre-set discrete values. To reduce space and broaden functionality, a new type of variable inductor is investigated. In this project a variable planar spiral microstrip inductor was designed, fabricated, and tested. The inductance can be varied by using a non-toxic liquid metal to selectively connect or open circuit conductor coils. The fabricated inductor can be tuned over a range of 23 to 162 nH. Good agreement was seen between ideal devices, standard microstrip devices (control), and liquid-metal devices (experimental). Initial results indicate that the liquid- metal devices have performance comparable to standard fixed inductors, but with the additional capability to vary the inductance. This design saves valuable substrate space and suggests that future work on more complicated liquid-metal elements and circuits could offer comparable performance to current variable-element configurations, in a more compact form factor.

18 (5) Prediction of Soil Dispersivity Coefficient in Homogeneous Saturated Soil. Sayed Bateni and Chastyne Cabanas*. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Accurate estimation of soil dispersivity (α) is required for modeling solute transport in soil. In situ measurement of α is expensive, labor-extensive and time consuming. Therefore, in this study, two artificial intelligence-based approaches namely, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) are employed to estimate α for more readily measurable soil physical variables (i.e. travel distance from source of pollutant (L), mean grain size (D50), soil bulk density (ρb) and contaminant velocity (Vc)). Three statistical metrics (i.e., mean absolute error (MAE), root mean square error (RMSE) and coefficient of determination (R2)) are used to evaluate performance of ANN and ANFIS. It is found that both models can accurately estimate α. The ANN model (with RMSE = 0.00050 m and R2 = 0.977) also performs better than the ANFIS model (with RMSE = 0.00602 m and R2 = 0.956). The performance of ANN and ANFIS models is also compared with the traditional Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) method. The comparison indicates that both soft computing methods outperform the MLR model. Finally, the sensitivity analysis shows that the travel distance from source of pollution (L) and bulk density (ρb) have respectively the most and the least effect on the soil dispersivity.

(6) Optical and Infrared Imaging of Thermo-Fluid Phenomena. Eric Caldwell*, Nathan Maldonado, Rintaro Hayashi, and John S. Allen. Department of Mechanical Engineering. We investigate combined optical and infrared imaging for a variety of thermal physics phenomena including heat transfer associated with natural convective flows. These flows are driven by density differences and can lead either stable patterns or instabilities depending on the particular parameter regime. For example, convection cells can form as result of a liquid heated from below which rises and is subsequently cooled at an air interface. Some structure is often seen in visible regime; however, infrared thermography provides a robust methodology for quantifying the transient spatial and temporal evolution. Combined optical and infrared imaging provides addition insight and supplements standard points sensor measurements such as with thermocouples. Other systems investigated include natural convection of melting ice in air and water, variable mass candle oscillation and rotating Dremel devices. Heat transfer combined with a chemical reaction is examined using an innovative rubber balloon visualization technique.

19 (7) Effects of Fermented Noni Juice on Hepatic Inflammation in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice. Justin Campbell*, Erik Saksa, and Pratibha V. Nerurkar. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is escalating worldwide. In Hawaii, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and Filipinos have the highest rates of T2D as compared to Caucasians. Increased use of complementary and alternative medicine among T2D individuals is probably associated with rising medical costs and side effects of therapeutic drugs. Morinda citrifolia (noni) is one of the topmost selling natural products worldwide. We have previously demonstrated that fermented noni juice (fNJ) reduced body weights and improved glucose tolerance in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. However, early effects of fNJ on glucose metabolism and body weights are unknown. The objective of this study was to identify early effects of fNJ on body weights, glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. C57BL/6 male mice were fed 1) control diet with 4% fat, 2) fNJ at physiological relevant concentrations of 1.5 µl/g body weight, 3) HFD with 60% fat and 4) HFD + fNJ for four weeks. fNJ significantly improved fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity as early as two weeks, but had no effects on glucose tolerance and body weights. Since hepatic inflammation may play a crucial role in the etiology of T2D, we will test the hypothesis that fNJ-associated improvement in hepatic inflammation is an early event in regulating glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. Hepatic inflammation will be analyzed using dot blot protein arrays in mice fed HFD with and without fNJ. Significance: Such studies may lead to novel, low cost affordable complementary treatments for T2D. Supported in parts by NIFA, USDA (HAW05023-R, HAW00598-H) and NIH (R21AT003719, G12RR003061 and P20MD000173) grants.

(8) Insecticidal Management of Adoretus sinicus on Cacao. Alex Ching*, Chelsea Hardin, Megan Manley, Helen Spafford, Harry C. Bittenbender. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences. Chinese rose beetle, Adoretus sinicus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) (CRB), is an introduced and widely established pest in Hawaii since 1891. Adult beetles feed on the leaves of a wide range of crop and ornamental plants including cacao (Theobroma cacao). Feeding by CRB can defoliate and kill young cacao trees. We tested six different insecticides and weed mat ground cover in the field for their effectiveness in reducing adult feeding damage. In the field, young cacao trees were selected in areas either with or without ground cover and were sprayed with one of six insecticides or no spray (control). Foliar applications of products containing imidacloprid, azadirachtin, or Beauveria bassiana, were most effective in reducing CRB feeding damage relative to pyrethrin, kaolin clay or no spray control. Trees in areas with the ground cover incurred less damage than the cacao trees in areas without the cover. In the laboratory, we tested the mortality and leaf consumption of individual beetles when presented with cacao leaf discs that were treated with one of the six insecticides or water only (control). Applications of pyrethrin, azadiractin or imidacloprid to cacao leaf discs induced the highest mortality and reduced the leaf area consumed by adult CRB. Based on these results, we recommend the use of ground covers, and imidacloprid for the management of CRB in cacao.

20 (9) Identification of Fungal Pathogens on Camelia Sinesis. Devan Coppess* and Janice Uchida. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. Camelia sinesis (commonly known as tea), is one of the most ancient and commonly consumed beverages in the world. Tea plants thrive best in tropical and subtropical environments with consistent and evenly distributed rainfall. The tropical and humid climate of the Hawaiian Islands serve as ideal growing conditions for tea propagation. Tea was first introduced into the Hawaiian Islands in 1887. Although tea successfully grew on the island land, the plant could not compete with the thriving commodity crops of sugar cane and pineapple. With much research in the past two decades detecting which varieties thrive best in Hawaii, CTHAR researchers determined Camelia sinesis would succeed as a specialty product. Recently a large crop (approximately 100 potted tea plants) began to die, leaving only 20 tea plants surviving. Today, three plants were brought into the UH Manoa lab with one showing obvious signs of root rot. To identify the cause of the disease symptoms, root samples were cut from the potted plants to conduct isolation of possible pathogens. The root portion between the diseased and healthy sections of the samples were obtained. To sanitize the cut samples, specimens were dipped into 10% bleach solution and placed into petri dishes of water agar. After 2-4 days fungal pathogens grew on the water agar. Samples of the pathogens were then transferred onto individual nutrient agar plates using the process of single hyphal tip removal. This process forms pure isolates so the existing fungal pathogens can be identified to its genus. Two different types of Fusarium, two Pythium species and binucliate Rhizoctonia solani-like were identified and will be tested for pathogenicity.

(10) Biological control of cane tibouchina (Tibouchina herbacea) with a flea beetle (Syphraea uberabensis). Gerald R. Crank*, Helen Spafford, and Tracy Johnson. Department of Plants and Environmental Protection Sciences, USDA US Forest Service. Tibouchina herbacea, also known as cane tibouchina, is a species of herb native to Brazil. It has invaded thousands of acres of Hawaiian rainforest on six major islands. This weed is able to successfully invade pastures, forest openings, and shaded forest understories. Due to the climate and the lack of natural enemies in Hawai`i, tibouchina is able to grow much larger and in thicker patches than those seen in Brazil. Native plants in areas that have been invaded by tibouchina are at risk of being out-competed, and the remote locations of these areas make conventional weed management practices extremely difficult. Biological control of tibouchina is a possible approach. Host-specificity studies have indicated that a flea beetle, Syphraea uberabensis, will likely impact four melastome species present in Hawai`i: Tibouchina herbacea, Tibouchina longifolia, Pterolepis glomerata, and Melastoma candidum. All of these plants are non-native. The current objectives of this project are to survey land managers to determine the significance and current management practices of tibouchina on their land; to determine release sites for the flea beetle; and to develop a protocol for pre and post release site surveys and impact analyses.

21 (11) A comparison of mitochondrial genomes among populations of Achatinella mustelina found along an environmental gradient. Taylor Creasy* and Melissa Price. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. Populations of the endemic Hawaiian Tree Snail Achatinella mustelina have been in decline for several decades due to habitat disturbance and introduced predators. Today populations only remain at high elevations in the Waianae Mountain range on Oahu. Several predator-proof exclosures have been built to protect remaining populations, but these exclosures limit gene flow, increasing the likelihood of inbreeding and reducing the inherent potential for adaptation. Approximately 75% of the mitochondrial genome of Achatinella mustelina has been sequenced using reduced-representation methods (ezRAD), including 11 of the 13 protein-coding genes commonly found in Pulmonate mitogenomes. In this study we designed primers and used traditional Sanger sequencing to complete the mitochondrial genome of A. mustelina. Complete mitogenomes were then compared among populations to identify environmentally-correlated SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms). Results of this study will guide managers in deciding which populations should combined within predator-proof exclosures to maximize adaptive ability under drier, warmer conditions predicted under climate change.

(12) Environmental Sensor Networks. Zachary Dorman*, Conrad Chong, and Anthony Kuh. Department of Electrical Engineering. In the Galvin Electricity Initiative, a microgrid is defined as a “small scale version of the central electricity system”. Smart microgrids are also referred to as “an ideal way to integrate renewable resources.” Renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaic (PV), are intermittent, which raises concern when considering their integration on a large scale. The Renewable Energy and Island Sustainability group (REIS) is proposing the design, implementation, and assessment of a smart microgrid which provides a dynamic energy management plan based on sensing, modeling, and analysis. This project is focused on the development of weather sensor networks, a critical component in the smart microgrid infrastructure. The student team is currently designing the hardware and software for a fourth generation weather sensor network. Verification systems are being implemented on each platform to expedite the fabrication and review process. Each sensor nodes will measure various types of environmental data, including solar irradiation, temperature, and humidity. These self-powered nodes will be able to operate in a network autonomously. In comparison to commercial sensor nodes, these nodes will be low cost and have a low power consumption. Once complete, nodes will be deployed throughout the University of Hawai`i at Manoa campus. The outcome of this project is the production of datasets. Analyzing these datasets can mitigate the University of Hawai`i at Manoa’s dependence on non-renewable energy.

22 (13) Development of a Fixed-Wing Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV): Airframe, Propulsion, Launcher. Eric Guyett*and Mehrdad Ghasemi Nejhad. Department of Mechanical Engineering. The goal of this project is to design and build a fully autonomous electric fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) to survey and monitor a 4,000 acre plot of land/farm. The UAV will take land footage with an on-board HD camera. The aircraft will be a blended body fixed wing aircraft made of fiberglass and carbon epoxy composite shells. It will be capable of fully autonomous flight, following a GPS guided adjustable flight pattern, as well as manual RC control. The plane is also equipped with a real-time First Person Bird-Eye View system and high definition surveillance camera under the fuselage. This proposed research will develop a composite shell over the high-performance EPO (Expanded Poly Olefin) foam sandwich blended body fixed wing structure of the UAV, with proper incorporation of the wings flaps for flight control. There will also be a design of internal substructure to house the electronics and camera. In addition, the propulsion system including the motor and propeller as well as the launcher will be designed, fabricated, and tested in this proposed research.

(14) Identification of Fungal Pathogens on Theobroma cacao. Chelsea Hardin* and Janice Uchida. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. Theobroma cacao (commonly known as cacao) is a tree that is grown for its pod-like fruit, which contains seeds that are processed to make chocolate. Cacao thrives best in tropical environments, requiring high humidity and consistent rainfall. Hawaii is currently the only place in the United States were cacao is grown commercially, with farms located on Oʻahu, Maui, Kauaʻi, and Hawaiʻi Island (Big Island). In recent years, the cacao industry has expanded and an increasing amount of acres are being planted throughout the state. With the emergence of more cacao farms, growers are becoming concerned about the increasing presence of disease on their crops. At a cacao farm in Kualoa, trees are exhibiting a number disease signs including wilting, tip dieback, stunted growth, deformed fruit, and overall decline in growth of a few trees. To identify the sources of these disease signs, branch and twig samples were cut from the trees at Kualoa and taken to the University of Hawaii at Manoa to conduct isolation tests. The tissue between the diseased and healthy sections of the samples were obtainted, cut into sections, dipped into a 10% bleach solution and then placed on water agar. After 2 to 4 days, fungal pathogens grew on the water agar and were then transferred to individual nutrient agar plates through the process of single hyphal tip removal to form pure isolates so that fungal pathogens could be identified to genus. Colletotrichum, Phoma, Phomopsis, Nigrospora, and Cladosporium were identified from isolation tests and will be tested for pathogenicity.

23 (15) Implementation of facial recognition using OpenCV. Charles Jarquio*, Kunliang Xiao, and Yingfei Dong. Department of Electrical Engineering. Facial recognition is the ability in which a computer scans, stores and recognizes human faces in order to identify people. We have been working on implementing facial recognition using OpenCV, an open source computer vision and machine learning software library. We are using OpenCV to perform the basic tasks of facial recognition. We eventually plan to include other functions such as automatic navigation, geographic scanning, or automatic target searching and scanning. We have two milestones set for this project. The first objective is to successfully recognize a stable target with no variation of lighting, facial expressions, and facial details. The second is to recognize moving targets with given variations in timing, lighting, facial expressions, or facial details with acceptable accuracy. We are nearing completion of our first milestone, we have the recognizer software ready. Some testing still needs to be conducted in order to check the accuracy of the recognizer. Facial recognition has made a large impact on today's society. They are linked to an unmanned aerial system (UAS) which is used to transfer images to a base station. The base station then pull up the corresponding information of the target to perform recognition or other tasks.

(16) Investigation of mesh networking capabilities of picosatellites for mission flexibility. Bryan Fewell, Jonathan Kutsunai*, Kevin Sonoda, Chauncey Tom, and Wayne Shiroma. Department of Electrical Engineering. Satellite miniaturization has the advantages of lower cost, faster development time, and less risk to single-point catastrophic failures. Recently, a type of picosatellite known as a PocketQube has emerged, having a form factor of only 5 cm x 5 cm x 5 cm. The objective of this study is to develop a cluster of multiple PocketQubes working together toward a common goal, forming a distributed satellite architecture composed of many duplicates of the same design. A reliable system for creating a mesh network between multiple PocketQubes is currently being developed in a way that will take advantage of their size and quantity. Each PocketQube consists of four different subsystems: communications, command and data handling, electrical power, and mechanical structure. Each satellite contains a radio module interfaced with a microcontroller to form the mesh network. The entire system is designed to be modular to maximize flexibility, leading to the long-term goal of a flexible foundation for future missions.

24 (17) Radar Techniques for Identifying Subjects and Sensing Vital Signs. Alexander Lee*, Scott Clemens, Ryan Takamori, Quang Vo, Robert Nakata, Ashikur Rahman, Shuhei Yamada, and Victor Lubecke. Department of Electrical Engineering. The objective of this research project is to test the hypothesis that radar and radio frequency (RF) tags can be used to find and monitor a subject even when the radar platform is in motion. The research methods include the design, construction, and test of radar, RF tag devices, a robotic motion based test-bed, a data acquisition system and algorithms for digital signal processing. Methods for using radar, RF tags and other sensor data to compensate for platform motion have been explored. To characterize the radar sensor response from a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that is subject to drifting while over a target, a moving radar antenna was set up directly over an oscillating chest simulator to measure the signal at different radar positions above the target. Additionally, an experiment was performed to measure the target range using Doppler frequency shift keying (FSK) techniques. The results are assessed in terms of the radar/RF tag sensor system’s ability to compensate for simulated and field-test motion while measuring vital sign motion from a phantom mover target simulator. The impact may include the development of a new tool for search and rescue as well as scientific and industrial monitoring of humans and wildlife.

(18) Quasi-static tensile behavior of friction stir blind riveted dissimilar material joints. Kok T. Lim*, Wei-Ming Wang, Yingsen Tang, and Jingjing Li. Department of Mechanical Engineering. Joining of dissimilar materials receives great attentions to increase the implementation of lightweight components. Friction stir blind riveting (FSBR), as a newly invented method, shows potentials in joining different metals and thermoplastic composites. For this new joining method, it is crucial to understand the mechanical behavior of dissimilar material joints and in situ sense the damages during loading. In this research, acoustic emission (AE) was applied to sense the damage initiation and evolution of FSBR single lap-shear joints made by aluminum, magnesium and carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite in quasi-static tensile tests. The integration of AE signals and load-displacement curve gives insight toward the damage state. The corroded samples with various exposure times were also compared. By altering the material combination and corrosion exposure time, different failure mechanisms were achieved.

25 (19) Triboelectric sensors. Dewei Liu*, Joycelyn H. Ng, Olga Boric-Lubecke, and Bryson Padasdao. Department of Electrical Engineering, Leeward Community College. The triboelectric effect involves contact between two materials of different electron affinities, and the frictional heating allows electron transfer between the materials. The objective of the project was to investigate the factors which affect the charge output of various pairs of triboelectric materials. A mechanical torso attached to a linear stage was used to simulate movement. The “positive” material was attached to the torso while the “negative” material was fixed to a cinderblock. The linear stage was programmed with a sinusoidal motion with a total distance of 2 cm and a frequency of 0.3 Hz. Voltage output was measured between the “positive” and “negative” materials by a data acquisition system. Using the tapping motion, the frequency programmed to the linear stage was reflected in the voltage output. In general, the increased amplitude and frequency of the rubbing motion increased the power of the dominant frequency, possibly due to the increase in the velocity of motion. For the tapping motion trials, cotton paired with a PVC sheet yielded the highest power of the dominant frequency. Higher forces and using a smaller sheet of PVC as the “negative” material also increased the power of the dominant frequency.

(20) Hot water treatment as potential control of mites and scales on tea plants. Megan Manley* and Koon-Hui Wang. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. Hot water treatment by submerging potted plants, tropical plant propagules, and cut flowers in water bath or by showering plant materials in a chamber have been used to free plant materials from insect and other pests. A field trial was conducted to determine if hot water treatment by foliar spray on tea plants (Camellia sinensis) could be an effective non-chemical approach to mitigate spider mite (Tetranychus urticae), red mite (Dermanyssus gallinae) and scale insect (Coccoidea) infestation on tea. A portable water heater with spray nozzle was used to deliver hot water averaging of 46°C on 3-year old tea plant, ‘Yutaka Midori’, naturally infested with mites and scale . The same amount of cold water was delivered to the control plots. The experiment was conducted over an 18-m tea row, with 4 replications. Plants were sprayed at weekly interval over a 5-weeks period. Leaf samples were collected before and after treatment to quantify mite and scale reduction using leaf wash method. Hot water spray reduced 47.6% and 48.0% of mites on tea on week 2 (P < 0.01) and 3 (P < 0.05), respectively. Repeated measures over time showed that hot water treatment suppressed 58.5% of mites (P < 0.05). Hot water treatment reduced scales on week 1 (P < 0.01) and week 5 (P < 0.05). There was a trend that the mite suppressive effect from hot water treatment improved over time. Further studies are underway to improve the hot water coverage for more efficient insect pest mitigation. If this technique proves useful, it can be a robust tool for tea production in Hawaii especially for lower elevation to eliminate the need of insecticide spray on tea.

26 (21) The Study of Water’s Memory Effect Following the Impact Electric and Magnetic Fields Have on Supercooled Water. Nohelani Marple*, Soojin Jun. Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. Bringing water to a temperature below freezing without ice crystals forming is a process known as supercooling. Supercooling has applications in improving the overall quality of frozen foods. In frozen foods, the cells in the foods expand, which damages the structure and decreases the overall quality of the product. Supercooling has the potential to ensure food quality and freshness during storage, which would have an enormous impact on the food industry. The objectives of this research were to investigate (1) the effects of electric and magnetic fields during the supercooling process and (2) the memory effect of water after being successfully supercooled. Pulsed electric and magnetic fields were applied to increase water mobility and prevent the crystallization process from occurring below freezing temperature. Once the supercooling state had been reached and the magnetic and electric fields were no longer in effect, water’s memory effect was assessed. The memory effect of water is defined as waters ability to retain processes it has been exposed to under the actions of both electric and magnetic pulses. The occurrence of shock induced freezing after the treatment of electric and magnetic pulses on the water sample determined that water’s memory effect and field saturation is applicable. The significance of this investigation is to better understand the properties of supercooled water to utilize its characteristics and improve food storage and quality.

(22) Mechanical Papaya Seed Cleaner. Samira Fatemi, Laura Martinez* and Loren Gautz. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. The tropical weather and year-round growing season of Hawaii allows the production of some of the finest papayas in the world. Since papaya is a good source of nutrients, research to improve fruit quality and resistance to disease is essential to Hawaii and the world. Germination of papaya seeds is reduced by the presence of inhibitors in the seed coat and sarcotesta, a gel-like outer seed coat. To prepare for germination, freshly removed seeds must have the outer coat removed and then be dried to increase germination rates. Thus, a device to remove the inhibitor- containing sarcotesta is proposed. The device was designed to remove sarcotesta from the papaya seeds, with a yield of at least 75% of the processed seeds recovered. Two 400mm stainless steel rollers were designed 1mm apart from each other to remove sarcotesta via a pinching mechanism. The rollers were coated with 300mm length neoprene sleeves. This is the surface on which the seeds make contact and is the pinching site. A synchronous motor was selected to power the rollers, with a timing belt pulley system to rotate the rollers simultaneously. The device needs to successfully remove and separate the sarcotesta from the seed allowing for a more simplified and economical process. With the design, research on papaya seeds becomes more efficient as the germination rate increases. The ability to quickly pretreat seeds for germination with this device can greatly improve papaya-farming efficiency at a relatively low cost. It will directly benefit a small population of researchers and indirectly benefits society with production of a higher quality fruit.

27 (23) Effect of in vitro fermentation of Hawaiian feedstuffs on intestinal microbial communities of pigs. Sarah Mattus*, Courtney Bednarczyk, Utsav P. Tiwari, Alyssa Haygood, Kabi Neupane, and Rajesh Jha. Department of Math and Sciences, Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. To understand how fermentation of dietary fiber affects the gut microbiota, a study using in vitro pig model was performed using fecal sample from three healthy sows as inoculum on six local feedstuffs. The feedstuffs were Macadamia nut cake, Barley brewers grain, Wheat millrun, Okinawan sweet potato, Yam, and Taro Inulin and blank inoculum was used as positive and negative control, respectively and replicated six times per feedstuff. Fermented samples were used for genomic DNA isolation of the microbiome. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was done using universal primers for the 16S rRNA gene and tagged with a FAMK flurophore. The PCR product from each treatment was digested using a restriction enzyme MspI. The resulting fragments were analyzed using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP). The TRFLP fragments were compared to the MICA database to identify the microbes. Statistical analysis was done to compare the changes in microbial communities. There was significant (P<0.05) variation in the microbial species detected. The macadamia nut cake had the greatest diversity, while the barley brewers grain had the least. The Shannon index scores ranged from 3.1 to 3.3. Overall, the populations of microbes in the feedstuffs were 50% to 78% similar. Establishing the link between feedstuffs and gut microflora was important to understand how various feedstuffs affects the microbial community in the gut, thereby gut health and performance of pigs.

(24) Composting as a means to reduce the viability of Cyperus rotundus tubers. Nate Nicholson*, Koon-Hui Wang, and Theodore Radovich. Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, Department of Plant and Environmental Protections Sciences. Two experiments were conducted to examine if the tubers of purple nutsedge (C. rotundus) subjected to high composting temperatures would effectively reduce their viability. In Experiment 1, C. rotundus tubers were incubated at temperatures of 47, 53, 59, and 65° C in an oven for durations of 4, 8, 16, and 24 hours. In Experiment 2, tubers in plastic mesh bags were buried in two compost piles at 30 or 60-cm deep over 30 or 60 days. One of the compost piles was amended with N fertilizer at 55 kg N ha-1; the other was not amended and served as the Control pile. Temperatures of the compost at each depth were recorded hourly using Watchdog Data Loggers as well as weekly using a 91cm temperature probe, which resulted in temperatures ranging from 44 – 69°C (average 54°C) in the N amended pile and 47 - 64°C (average 57°C) in the non-amended pile over 60 days. Tubers from all treatments in both experiments were replicated three times. For both experiments at termination of each treatment, all tubers were harvested and examined for viability by planting in potting mix (perlite and peat moss) with proper irrigation for 30 days. Additional tubers without heat treatments were included as a control for both experiments. Tubers from the 30-day treatment of Experiment 2 were all unviable. Additionally the tubers composted for 60 days had visual signs of severe deterioration. Results from this study indicated that the combination of heat and activation of thermophilic microbial activities in both composting media effectively denatured the nutsedge tubers rendering them 100% unviable. Thus, organic farmers could recycle the nutrients stored in weeds such as C. rotundus by burying the weed propagules deep into compost piles without concern for weed germination after treatment if thermal standards are met.

28 (25) Omni-channel consumer decision processes with m-internet devices for apparel and electronics purchases. Su Lun Novikoff*, Caitlen Schmidt*, and Ju-Young M. Kang. Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. Due to the surge in smartphone and tablet purchases as well as increased engagement with user- generated content on social media platforms, omni-channel consumers simultaneously use all channels, brick-and-mortar store, web, mobile, and social media, during their purchases. The objective of this project is to examine omni-channel consumer decision processes with m- internet devices for apparel and electronics purchases. A theoretical framework of this project is the Nicosia model of consumer decision processes explaining firms’ attributes, consumers’ attributes, search for and evaluation of means ends, actual decision process, and the feedback of the consumer responses to the firm. A phenomenological research method in qualitative approaches was employed. A purposive sampling was used to recruit omni-channel consumers. They responded to open-ended questions via an online survey. Thirty-five complete responses from a U.S. consumer panel were obtained. The results showed that price promotions, brand reputation and reliability, and website interface were found to be firms’ attributes affecting their omni-channel shopping. They were likely to be price-, quality-, and brand-conscious. They were seldom novelty-and fashion-conscious. To search for product information, most of them were likely to do a Google search and browse retail websites before purchasing. Amazon is the most- used mobile app to check the prices and reviews among them. Pricing, quality, and product reviews were the important criteria for their decision-making purchases. Nearly half of them were lurkers, who are typically members of an online community but do not actively provide product reviews, as well as flip-floppers between lurking and posting depending on circumstances. They were reluctant to be posters because of privacy and time-related constraints.

(26) Open Platform for Weather Dataset Aggregation and Collaboration. Christie Obatake*, Kenny Luong, Ryan Walser, and Anthony Kuh. Department of Electrical Engineering. The amount of aggregated data has been growing at an exponential rate in recent years. Biology is an example of such a field that uses large amounts of aggregate data, with the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) storing over 20 petabytes of data. Although such data can presently be stored, there are large challenges with sharing, working with and analyzing that data. This project aims to create a platform for sharing, collaborating and managing weather data in an attempt to accelerate the development of smartgrid technologies for renewable energy. This project uses an open source universal streaming framework called “Dat”, which is backed by the US Open Data Institute, to create a custom web based platform. Currently, we have a small, experimental, and distributed weather sensor network which uses an early version of the Weather Dataset Aggregation and Collaboration (WDAC) platform. Taking advantage of some of the same mechanisms in social coding, the WDAC platform enables researchers to easily and effectively integrate and collaborate using big data toolsets such as NumPy, MATLAB and R into Weather datasets. The WDAC platform also enables entities such as public utilities, private contractors and universities to very easily input and share data by unifying the data pipeline for multiple database technologies. This significantly reduces the amount of data-working friction that researchers often have to deal with.

29 (27) Modelling wind-generated ocean waves on the coast of Kahoolawe, HI. Tatiana Oje*, Oceana Francis. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Storm intensity has been increasing throughout the higher and lower latitudes due to climate change in recent years. How will this increase in storm activity and intensity affect Hawaii’s coastal communities? A model will be created to demonstrate the effect of storms on wind- waves near the shoreline of Kahoolawe. This work can be used by coastal engineers and Kaho’olawe Island Reserve Commission (KIRC) planners to prepare and assess the short-term and long-term effects of ocean waves interacting with beaches and shorelines. To model wave heights, a finite element grid will be created around Kahoolawe using Surface-Water-Modelling- System (SMS). Model inputs will be: in situ wind data recorded by a Campbell Scientific UT10 Weather Station and bathymetry data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and United States Geological Survey (USGS). Various models can be run using this grid and wind input data to simulate wave height and direction, current profiles, and sediment transport. To validate model output, a Sentinel V Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) and SediMeter will be installed in the waters near the land based weather station. Results are expected to show that there is a strong linkage between wind, waves, and coastal erosion on Kahoolawe. This linkage between wind-generated waves and coastal erosion will contribute toward assessing the climate vulnerability on the Kahoolawe coastline and preparing adaptation measures for Kaho’olawe.

(28) Surface Winds for Coastal and Offshore Applications. Darren Ramos*, Tatiana Oje, Jeffrey Nielson, Carlos Torres Lua, and Oceana Francis. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. In situ wind measurements for coastal and offshore applications are sparse in many regions. Wind and wind-driven waves are the primary loads affecting coastal and offshore infrastructure. An ongoing effort to collect these wind measurements has already been performed but certain regions are still lacking measurements. By using in situ wind measurements which have been collected nearest the desired location and new in situ measurements proposed here, we will be able to create a wind hindcast in an area lacking in situ measurements, to help predict the loads which will affect the coastal and offshore infrastructure in that region.

30 (29) Nutritional value of macadamia nut cake for tilapia (Oreochromis honorum). Michelle Sakuda* and Rajesh Jha. Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. Hawaii’s aquaculture industry has been negatively affected by recent increases in feed and shipping costs. This industry could benefit by using locally available agricultural co-products such as macadamia nut cake (MNC), the resulting product from macadamia nut oil extraction. The objective of this study was to determine the nutrient profile of MNC and its effect on growth performance of tilapia. The MNC was found to contain 93.1% dry matter, 25.5% crude protein, 11.9% crude fat and 5581 Kcal/kg gross energy. A 12-week feeding trial was conducted to determine the effect of MNC inclusion on growth performance of tilapia. The five different levels of MNC (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40%) were included at the cost of basal ingredients. The diets were iso-caloric (4228 kcal/kg), iso-proteinaceous (32%) and balanced to meet the nutritional requirements of tilapia. The five dietary treatments were replicated in two tanks; each containing 20 juvenile (initial BW 7.56 g) tilapias. Bi-monthly wet-biomasses of the tilapia were measured and used to calculate daily feed allowances (1.5% of BW), average daily gain and feed conversion ratio. Water and health quality was monitored regularly. There was no difference (P > 0.05) in feed intake, average daily gain and feed conversion ratio among the dietary treatments. In conclusion, macadamia nut cake can serve as a potential feedstuff with inclusion up to 40% in tilapia diets without any adverse effect on growth performance when balanced for nutrient requirements.

(30) Development of a Fixed-Wing Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV): Electronics and Camera. Alexander Sanchez* and Mehrdad Ghasemi Nejhad. Department of Electrical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering. The goal of this project is to design and build a fully autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to survey and monitor a 4,000 acre macadamia nut farm on the Big Island of Hawaii. The UAV will record footage with a High Definition ‘GoPro’ Camera allowing the operator to determine current status of crops. The live aerial feed will allow the farmer to reduce labor costs, resulting in high efficiency farming. This blended body aircraft has a lightweight EPO foam core reinforced with fiberglass and carbon epoxy composites. The UAV will be capable of fully autonomous flight, following a GPS guided adjustable flight pattern, as well as manual RC control. The plane is also equipped with a real-time First-Person-View system.

31 (31) Design of Control System for an Autonomous Path-Following Space Mining Rover System. Holm Smidt and Peter Berkelman. Department of Mechanical Engineering. When considering Mars as a possible location for life in near future, it will be compulsory to collect surface samples in order to ascertain the feasibility of this goal, and utilize surface mining for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). Such purposes impose the need for robots that can perform such tasks as traversing, collecting, and depositing regolith. My research specifically considered the control of a wheeled mobile robot (WMR) capable of autonomously traversing unknown terrain. The nonholonomic differential-drive wheeled robot was composed of a fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) Unistrut chassis, an actuator controlled shovel-type collector, and pivoting depositing bin. Brushed DC motors were used as actuators on the rover. The dynamics and kinematics of the robotic system were modeled and simulated using MATLAB to develop feedback tracking control laws that allow the rover to either move to a given pose, or to follow a pre-determined path. Hardware-in-the-loop simulation was used in the development of the control algorithm. The control algorithm was physically implemented using a single-board microprocessor, the Beaglebone Black, interfaced to an Arduino microcontroller, and motion sensors. Accurate odometry was critical for closed-loop control as it was used to estimate the rover’s position from motion sensor data. Visual sensors were implemented for obstacle avoidance. The entire robotic system is expected to be tested at the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration System (PISCES) analogue test site on the Big Island, Hawaiʻi, at the 2015 annual PISCES Robotic International Space Mining competition.

(32) Characterization of Viral Resistance in Transgenic Orchid Brassolaeliocattleya Raye Holmes Expressing the Antisense RNA of Cymbidium Mosaic Virus Coat Protein Gene. Nyan Stillwell*, David Christopher, Hongwei Li, Ingelia White, Judy Zhu, Heather McCafferty. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, Windward Community College, Hawaii Agriculture Research Center. Cymbidium Mosaic Virus (CymMV) is the most prevalent virus that damages orchid production and has worldwide distribution. To develop virus-resistant orchids, the CymMV coat protein (CP) gene driven by a CaMV 35S promoter for expression of the antisense RNA has been introduced into young clones of a Brassolaeliocattleya (Blc.) variety using the Agrobacterium- mediated method. The transgene copy number in two transgenic lines, AS-2 and AS-5 is determined by Southern blot analysis and expression of transgene RNAs is analyzed by real time-PCR. Experimental virus challenge of the two transgenic lines has confirmed that antisense transgene of CymMV CP confers the resistance to CymMV. To further investigate the mechanism of the antisense RNA-mediated viral resistance, CymMV CP-specific small interfering RNAs are analyzed by Northern blot for detection of post-transcriptional gene silencing, a plant defense strategy against virus infection. This study establishes an effective model for providing viral resistance to orchid crops through the use of genetic engineering. This is significant to the orchid industry because a method of control for CymMV is needed.

32 (33) Effects of Supplementing Multi-Enzymes and Probiotics on Gut Microbiota of Broiler * * Chicken Fed High and Low Fiber Diets. Taylor Tashiro , Tyson Mendiola , Amit K. Singh, Alyssa Haygood, Kabi Neupane, and Rajesh Jha. Leeward Community College, Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. The gut microbiota of chickens plays an important role in inhibiting the establishment of intestinal pathogens, thereby affecting performance and health of the host. To understand how supplementation of multi-enzymes (xylanase, amylase and protease) and probiotics (3 strains of Bacillus spp.) affect the gut microbiota of broiler chicken fed low and high fiber diets, a study was conducted for 3 weeks. The study consisted of eight (2 fiber level × 4 supplements) treatments replicated four times. Sixty-four three-week old chickens (2 chicken per treatment per replication) were sacrificed and genomic DNA from the ileal and cecal microbiota were isolated. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to amplify 16S rRNA gene using the universal primers tagged with a FAMK flurophore. The resulting PCR products were digested with restriction enzyme MspI and analyzed using Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (T-RFLP). The T-RFLP fragments were compared to the MiCA3 Database to identify the microbes and used for calculation of Shannon diversity indices of the microbial communities. Treatment 1 and treatment 6 had the same average Shannon score (2.72) and showed the greatest diversity out of all the treatments while treatment 3 had the least amount of diversification (2.51). The Shannon index ranged from 2.51 to 2.72. Supplementation of enzymes and probiotics enhances the utilization of dietary fibers in chicken, and could trigger a change in the microbiota which may further affect the overall health and performance of chicken.

(34) Product Development and Evaluation of Gluten-free pizza crust. Amanda Tom*, Alvin Huang, and Alfred H. Chen. Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. In contemporary society, gluten-free foods has gained much popularity over the last decade. Gluten is a protein that can be found in wheat, rye, or barley. It is specifically known for its elasticity properties in dough by helping it to rise and maintain its shape making it an excellent component in baked foods. However, the presence of gluten in foods can induce negative side effects to individuals who are gluten intolerant such as malnutrition and abdominal discomfort. When gluten is removed, the macromolecules in a food’s structure, functions, and properties become altered which affects its appearance, texture, and flavor. To understand how gluten-free ingredients differentiate and interact, this research focuses on experimenting and manipulating different types of flours and ingredients to create an improved and better quality gluten-free pizza crust compared to a commercial brand mix. In this study, a combination of brown rice flour, white rice flour, tapioca starch, garbanzo bean flour, amaranth flour, cricket flour, and psyllium husk was utilized to formulate a gluten-free pizza crust that closely mimics the sensorial characteristics to a gluten pizza crust. The qualitative and quantitative aspects of three different pizzas was characterized and measured based on a triangle and hedonic rating test from 15 random voluntary consumers to compare and analyze how this product performs against a commercial brand mix. The primary objectives were focused on appearance, mouth feel, and textural characteristics while the secondary objectives were focused on flavor and crunch factor. The impact of this study would provide insight what mixes improves gluten-free dough quality.

33 (35) Analysis of Conus Striatus Milked Venom Profile. Tiffany-Heather T. Ulep* and Jon- Paul Bingham. Molecular Bioscience and Bioengineering. Conotoxins have been useful research tools in biotechnology, oncology, neurology, and psychology. These peptides have led to numerous advancements in molecular biotechnology techniques as well as pharmacological success as a biologic analgesics. Venom composition is essential in the investigation and discovery of novel peptides, as these peptides are highly specific and differentiate between closely related receptor subtypes. Quantitative analyses of the venom profiles were conducted by means of High Pressure/Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI). The venoms analyzed were milked from Conus Striatus’ kept on highly regulated diets. The goal of this project is to determine if there are any differences in venom composition between organisms with assigned diet restrictions and those on native-like diets and to determine the diet’s effect on the novelty of peptides produced within the venom profiles. The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Office of Undergraduate Education Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program funded part of this work.

(36) Designing a process for 3D printing polycaprolactone and collagen composite filament scaffolds for bone tissue implant applications. Jon Coloma, Michael Vo*, and Loren D. Gautz. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Three-dimensional (3D) printing (additive fabrication) is becoming increasingly mainstream and the field of application is growing to encompass specific fields such as medical implants. Developing a method to print biomaterials for use in 3D printer applications for the production of implantable scaffolds in bone treatment lead to a review of 3D printable materials. Selecting materials for a composite biomaterial with osteoconductive, osteoinductive, low melting temperature and bioresorbability characteristics resulted in the choice to use a composite of polycaprolactone (PCL), collagen, and hydroxyapatite. Mixtures of 0 to 20% wt/wt of collagen in bulk PCL were premixed and additional mixtures containing PCL, collagen, and hydroxyapatite are extruded using a motor driven plastic filament extruder designed for the purpose of producing custom composite filament for 3D printing through a specifically designed 3D print head. The success and the quality of the printed scaffold are determined by evaluating the tensile and compressive strength, porosity, and biodegradability of multiple composite filament compositions. The results of testing the printed scaffolds are compared to other implantable scaffolds for a baseline comparison of the effectiveness of the production process.

34 (37) How well do current select bakery products match NLEA food label servings? Ericka Yiu*, W. Jay Gibson, and Joannie Dobbs. Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. The objective of this study was to compare regular-sized bagel, muffin and scone weights found in local markets to current and proposed Nutritional Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) reference amounts customarily consumed (RACC). Availability of bagels, muffins and scones were inventoried from seven Honolulu markets. Items sold individually were weighed, whereas packaged bakery product weights were estimated using the weight listed on the package wrapper divided by the number of items within the package. Actual product weights were compared to the 55 gram RACC. Seven local markets were surveyed: three supermarkets (Safeway, Food Land, Times), three natural food markets (Down to Earth, Kokua, Whole Foods) and one “big box” store (Costco). Unique bakery products identified consisted of: 84 bagels, 23 muffins and 4 scones. Mean weights + SD for each product type exceeded the 55 g RACC: bagels by 1.7 + 0.1 times, muffins by 2.2 + 0.5 times and scones by 3.0 + 0.7 times the 55 g RACC. Bakery product weights were found to be different depending on store type. The greatest product weights were found at the “big box” store, followed by natural food markets and then supermarkets. Without an understanding of appropriate portions, these heavier bakery products will provide increased calories and carbohydrates that are especially not healthful for a more sedentary population. This could cause individuals counting calories and carbohydrates to underestimate intake and be a potential cause of weight gain, even in health conscious individuals. Better nutrition education is needed regarding appropriate portion size and food composition.

(38) Building an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle from Scratch. Joseph Yokoi*, Alexander Lee, and Yingfei Dong. Department of Electrical Engineering. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is a vehicle which has no onboard passengers and can be controlled autonomously or by radio control. UAV’s have a wide range applications, from obtaining Intel for military operations to recreation and aerial photography. Our main goal is to enhance the performance of the UAV, by enabling a 3D mapping capability. We will accomplish this goal by processing data from external sensors and a camera. We hope this opportunity will develop a sturdy foundation in “hands-on” electrical engineering, and will prepare us for real- world applications. Currently, our UAV is still in the process of completion. Once our UAV is fully functional, we will have enough data to present.

35 (39) UAV Platform for Sensor Research. Gavin Zhang*, Daylan Chock, Bryson Leong, Aaron-Matthew Lenchanko, Danielle Ferguson, Ashikur Rahman, Shuhei Yamada, Robert Nakata, and Victor Lubecke. Department of Electrical Engineering. The objective of this research project is to test the hypothesis that an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform can be developed that will allow the study and operation of navigation, environmental, and reconnaissance sensors. Such an airborne sensor platform could be used to find and monitor live subjects by sensing vital signs. The research methods include the design, modification, construction, and test of a UAV which supports various on-board sensors. This includes the selection of a suitable quad-copter base vehicle, structural design for mounting sensors, electrical/electronic interface for power and signal management, exploration of navigational control through sensor measurements, and wireless communications for data and control. Point-to-point and star communications devices based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard protocol have been successfully implemented for signal telemetry of various sensors using multiple wireless channels. The results are assessed in terms of the vehicles suitability for identifying a target and sensing vital signs. The impact may include the development of a new tool for search and rescue as well as scientific and industrial monitoring of humans and wildlife.

(40) Successful Cryopreservation of UH232 Dendrobium Jaquelyn Thomas ‘Uniwai Supreme’ using the droplet-vitrification method. Amanda Ackerman*, Michael Melzer, and Kenneth Leonhardt. Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences. Cryopreservation offers an effective means of maintaining orchid collections with minimal space and time requirements once materials are prepared and frozen. This is the first successful cryopreservation of the UH 232 Dendrobium Jaquelyn Thomas ‘Uniwai Supreme. Shoot tips 2-3 millimeters long were excised from in vitro plantlets of Uniwai Supreme and used for cryopreservation by droplet-vitrification. Excised shoot tips were precultured on a semi-solid 0.3M sucrose + half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) + 15% coconut water for 3 days (all subsequent solution were prepared with half-strength MS + 15% coconut water). Excised materials were then placed in a loading solution (0.4M sucrose + 2M glycerol) for 20 minutes and then subjected to plant vitrification solution 2 (PVS2) (0.4M sucrose + 30% glycerol + 15% ethylene glycol + 15% DMSO) for an additional 20 minutes at room temperature. Shoot tips were then suspended in PVS2 droplets on foil strips, plunged directly into liquid nitrogen, and held for 1 hour. After exposure to liquid nitrogen, foil strips containing shoot tips were transferred to an unloading solution (1.2M sucrose) for 40 minutes, transferred to semi-solid media in petri dishes (2% sucrose) and placed in the dark for 1 week, then moved to dim lighting for 1 week, and finally returned to normal lighting conditions. One month post-cryopreservation shoot tips were evaluated for regeneration with 7.5% of shoot tips showing regrowth. This work represents the potential for continued success in preserving ornamental orchids using the droplet- vitrification method.

36 (41) A survey of Steinernema on Maui and Oahu Islands. Justin Bisel*, Roxana Y. Myers, and Brent S. Sipes. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. A survey for the entomopathogenic (EPN) nematode species Steinernema was conducted on Oahu and Maui islands. Three site on Maui and 15 sites on Oahu were surveyed and a total of 35 samples were collected (3 samples and 30 samples respectively). Tenebrio molitor (meal worms) were used as bait, placed on 50 mL of soil saturated with water and left for 7 days. Morbid larva were recovered from 33 of 35 samples collected farther than 100 m of the ocean. EPN were positively identified in 3 samples from Maui and 30 samples on Oahu. EPNs are tentatively being identified as Steinernema sp. based on morphological characteristics. Species identification will be confirmed at a later time using molecular characterization. PCR will utilize general nematode primers targeting the ITS-F region. Samples in which bands appear will be sequenced, analyzed and compared against known nucleotide sequences from the National Center for Biotechnical Information (NCBI). Preliminary findings suggest that EPNs are not uncommon in environments on the islands of Maui and Oahu.

(42) Probiotic Bacteria Can Protect the Coral Montipora capitata from Infection by the Pathogen Vibrio coralillitycus Strain OCN008. Andrew Burger*, Blake Ushijima, Greta Aeby, Sean Callahan. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, Department of Microbiology, Hawaii Institute for Marine Biology. Incidences of coral disease caused by bacteria has been on the rise worldwide, driving the development of practical ways in which ecosystem managers can monitor and address the health of reef ecosystems. The microorganisms associated with the mucus layer of the coral animal have long been thought to play a role in coral health and resilience. It has been proposed that changing microbial communities allow the coral holobiont to adapt to changing environmental conditions and ultimately protect the coral from disease, spurring the need to understand the role that beneficial microbes play in coral health. Opportunistic pathogens are constituent residents of their host corals when the corals are healthy, and can only infect when changes occur to the coral holobiont, which allow for infection. One possible mechanism by which commensal bacteria could prevent infection from a bacterial pathogen is via the production of a compound(s) that inhibit pathogen growth, preventing the potential pathogen from reaching the cell density required to cause disease. Here, we describe three pigmented strains of Psuedoalteramonas spp., isolated from healthy fragments of Montipora capitata, which demonstrate probiotic properties: P. luteoviolacea strain OCN094, P. rubra strain OCN096, and P. citrea strain OCN110. All isolates colonize the coral M. capitata under laboratory conditions and inhibit the growth of the pathogens Vibrio owensii strain OCN002 and Vibrio coraliliilyticus strain OCN008. In addition, strains OCN094 and OCN096 prevent infection of Montipora capitata by strain OCN008 in in vivo infection trails. Taken together, these data represent the first direct evidence that microbial members of the coral holobiont can protect the coral animal from a known pathogen and contribute to overall coral health.

37 (43) Nutrient profile of leucaena and guinea grass and growth performance and carcass quality of beef cattle grazed on these pastures in Hawaii. Kayla Butler*, Glen K. Fukumoto, Yong-Soo Kim, and Rajesh Jha. Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. Leucaena (Leuc, Leucaena leucocephala), a tropical legume tree, is generally known to contain high protein content in its leaves, but very little is known about its nutritional value and potential in cattle grazing in Hawaii. The purpose of this study was to determine 1) the nutritional values of Leuc and guinea grass (GG, Megathyrsus maximus), a tropical grass widely available in Hawaii, and 2) growth performance and carcass quality of beef cattle grazed on these pastures. Fifty crossbred weaned steers weighing about 650 lb were randomly divided into two groups, and assigned either on Leuc+GG (mix of 60% GG and 40% Leuc) or GG grass pasture. were sacrificed when they reached to certain confirmation with similar body weight (about 1,390 lb), and growth performance, carcass quality and meat tenderness were evaluated. Leuc and GG samples at AM and PM were collected, and analyzed for nutrient profile using Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy. The Leuc has higher nutritional value than GG in general (P<0.05, CP 27.3 vs 18.8, ADF 27.0 vs 39.2, aNDFom 31.5 vs 51.5, Ash 12.3 vs 16.3, TDN 59.6 vs 52.4 %) with relative feed value of Leuc (200.5%) being almost double of GG (101.0%). Leuc incorporation in pasture improved (P<0.05) average daily gain (1.64 vs 1.18 lb), resulting in shortened (P<0.05) stay in pasture (432 vs 609 days). Carcasses of the Leuc+GG had significantly (P<0.05) higher marbling score, thicker backfat, bigger ribeye size than those of the GG. Shear force value of the Leuc+GG was greater (P<0.05) than that of the GG. In conclusion, cattle fed with Leuc+GG achieved a higher average daily gain than GG with better carcass quality, suggesting that Leuc incorporation in pasture can improve the efficiency of grass-fed beef production in Hawaii.

(44) Separation of Escherichia coli K12 From Contaminated Tap Water Using a Single Stage, Continuous Flow Dielectrophoresis (DEP) device. Jireh Cebricos* and Soojin Jun. Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. Water sanitation remains one of the most critical issues for many regions in the world. In the United States alone, an estimated 4-32 million cases of waterborne illness have been associated with public water systems. Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is a phenomenon that utilizes an electric field to induce a dipole moment in cells. By applying different fields of magnitude on each dipole, a DEP force is established that leads the cell towards a specific field gradient allowing separation of target cells from its liquid medium. The study explored the potential application of DEP to remove Escherichia coli K12 from tap water samples by finding the optimum combination between flow rate and field strength. A DEP device was constructed using Polydimethysiloxane (PDMS) as foundation and a 25x10x1mm titanium sheet and 0.2mm diameter wires as the electrodes. A continuous flow was achieved using a syringe pump that ensured a steady flow rate of the sample into the device. A non-linear relationship between voltage and separation was observed. An incremental increase in voltage did not result in a steady increase of separation. However, an increase in flow rate showed a significant improvement in the separation yield. A separation yield as high as 51% was achieved for the rate of 1 ml/min, suggesting that hydrodynamic force is influencing separation. With proper optimization of a scale up device, the data demonstrates DEP's potential to be an alternative to water chemical treatment.

38 (45) Risk Tolerance and Adoption of Conservation Agricultural Practices by Indian Tribal Farmers. K. Chan*, J. Halbrendt, B. Sipes, T. Masuda, and S.N. Mishra. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, and Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology. In Odisha, India, as in many developing regions, the adoption rate of innovative farm technology is low as the farmers are generally risk averse. In Odisha, traditional agricultural practices include multiple plowings, mono-cropping, and fallowing the land after two cropping seasons. This traditional farming system is not sustainable, particularly on hilly slopes, these practices result in soil erosion and sub-optimal production. Conservation Agriculture Production Systems (CAPS) have been proven to work in other countries with similar environments. CAPS is based on three principles: minimal tillage, year-round cover cropping, and optimal crop rotation. Finding early adopters to practice CAPS can influence other farmers to adopt. A survey for farmers in Rudhiapada and Badamahulidiha was developed to uncover socio-economic determinants of early adopters. Forty six tribal farmers were surveyed to determine whether the farmers adopted a previously-introduced high yielding maize cultivar technology and to assess these farmers’ profiles. Among these farmers, 37% adopted the maize variety technology. Using logistic model the significant determinats of these adopters are older, larger farm size and believe their actions will increase their yield. By knowing the determinants of these early adopters, decision makers and extension can target farmers as leaders and early practitioners of desirable practices such as CAPS.

(46) Assessment of Plastic Ingestion and Associated Organic Pollutants in Sea Turtles across the Pacific Ocean. Katharine E. Clukey*, Christopher Lepczyk, George Balazs, Thierry Work, and Jennifer M. Lynch. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. Plastic marine debris is a growing concern. The risk of toxic exposure through plastic ingestion is potentially dangerous to an organism’s health. One particular concern is that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can adhere to hydrophobic plastic fragments from the surrounding water. In this study, we assess if plastic debris is a potential source of POP exposure in threatened Pacific sea turtles incidentally captured in longline fisheries. The gastrointestinal (GI) tracts from 21 turtles were assessed for plastics. Adipose samples from each turtle were analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry for 83 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 20 organochlorine pesticides, 32 brominated flame-retardants and by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD). Plastic ranged from no plastic to 10.6% total gut contents wet mass. Total DDTs were the predominant POP with 14.7 ng/g mean wet mass concentrations, followed by total PCBs (4.25 ng/g), then total chlordanes (1.26 ng/g). The only detected HBCD isomer was α-HBCD with a mean wet mass concentration of 0.480 ng/g, slightly higher than mean total PBDEs (0.156 ng/g). Percent plastics in the GI was not correlated with total DDTs, PCBs, chlordanes, or PBDEs, but were significantly and positively correlated with α-HBCD (�! = 0.557). Additional samples from four turtles will be added to these preliminary results. Contaminant profiles will be used to estimate the source of POPs exposure in sea turtles (plastic vs. food). A risk assessment will attempt to predict toxic effects of the detected POPs to these species. Plastic ingestion is extremely common in sea turtles and effects of toxic chemicals could have detrimental effects on their health and survival.

39 (47) Investigating the epigenetic basis of elevated monocyte inflammation in adults at risk for cardiovascular disease. Christian Dye * and Alika Maunakea. Department of Molecular Bioscience and Bioengineering, JABSOM. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the largest single contributor to global mortality. Individuals infected with HIV exhibit a great incidence of CVD compared to the general population. Evidence indicates that inflammation attributable to monocytes contributes to the development of CVD. Thus, HIV-mediated immune activation in monocytes may play a role in the higher incidence of CVD in infected individuals. CVD risk factors have been linked with the modification of epigenetic markers; however, signatures of epigenetic dysregulation have yet to be assessed in monocytes of individuals at risk for CVD. We tested the hypothesis that a heightened inflammatory response elicited by monocytes confers an increased risk to CVD due to an epigenetic dysregulation of environmentally labile loci, including at inflammatory genes. We evaluated the inflammatory response and genome-wide DNA methylation profile of monocytes from HIV-infected individuals selected based on clinical parameters of CVD risk (n=28). Monocytes from HIV+ individuals with high risk for CVD were hyper-responsive to the inflammatory stimuli and produced higher levels of the inflammatory cytokines, IL-1B, compared to those low risk for CVD (FRS <10%). Genome-wide profiling of DNA methylation identified >400 CpG sites that were significantly differentially methylated between each group, which independently associated with risk phenotype. 70.8% of these sites were hypermethylated and 29.2% were hypomethylated in the high risk vs. the low risk group, suggesting that an increase in DNA methylation associates with high risk to CVD. Collectively, our unique database allowed us to identify novel potential biomarkers associated with CVD risk that may enable improved risk stratification strategies for cardiovascular disease.

(48) Preferences for Palm Oil in Urban Togo, Africa: A Consumer Perspective. Nicole Evans*, Catherine Chan, John Yanagida, Tomoaki Miura. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. The West African country of Togo is a fast growing economy. However it is facing natural resource allocation problems due to its rapid population growth and the population density. Palm oil a staple of the Togolese diet has been facing competitive imports thus hurting the farmers growing palm. Examining a consumer’s preference for domestic versus imported palm oil will aid local farmers in producing a more competitive, marketable product. In order to discover consumer preferences for product attitudes, A Conjoint Choice Experiment was chosen for urban consumers in Sokodé, Togo. Product attributes determined by interviews with stakeholders and literature review where consumers were asked to choose the most preferred product. The most important attributes identified were origin of oil, use, place of purchase, and price. The surveys were conducted over two weeks in Togo in June 2014 resulting in 300 surveys. The survey study population matches the census for the population over 18 years of age. Results showed that there were three distinctive classes of consumers. The classes were distinguished by the importance each group considers. Class 1 (69%) prefers lower price, local palm oil for cooking available at boutiques. These consumers purchase palm oil once a week and have been formally educated. Class 2 (28%) and Class 3 (3%) prefer local palm oil. The results will be presented to rural farmers in Togo in order to produce the best product for consumers, increasing local production and supporting the local economy.

40 (49) Genetic Diversity of Taro vein chlorosis virus (TaVCV) Affecting Taro (Colocasia esculenta) in Hawaii. Riten Gosai* and Michael Melzer. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. Taro vein chlorosis virus (TaVCV; family Rhabdoviridae, genus Nucleorhabdovirus) is present in 8 South Pacific Island countries namely; Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, New Caledonia, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Tuvalu and was first discovered in Hawaii in 2013. The virus causes feather-like, striping symptoms on taro leaves that condense into a network as the disease advances that may lead to plant death in severe cases. Sequencing of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) region of the TaVCV monopartite RNA genome of 20 samples from four Hawaiian Islands; Kauai, Maui, Hawaii and Oahu, revealed closest nucleotide similarity with the previously partially sequenced Molokai sample (97 – 99% GenBank accession #KF921086). Maximum similarity with the fully sequenced Fijian isolate (GenBank accession #AY674964) was only 79%. Deduced amino acid analysis again provided closest association with the Molokai sample (84 – 100%), followed by the Fijian isolate (80 – 95%). Similarity to Maize mosaic virus was 68 – 82%, 64 – 78% with Maize Iranian mosaic virus and 37 – 55% with Eggplant mottle dwarf virus. Neighbor-joined phylogenetic nucleotide and protein analysis both placed the Hawaiian isolates in 2 clades while the Fijian isolate formed a third clade on its own. The high genetic diversity provides evidence and further strengthens the case that TaVCV is not a recent introduction. This study will enable the design of robust RT- PCR and ELISA assays that are currently not available for this virus.

(50) A supply chain analysis of Hawaii’s nearshore fisheries. Shanna Grafeld*, and Kirsten Oleson. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. Fishing is pervasive in Hawaii, contributing to the economy, culture, and health of residents. Despite the fact that the nearshore fisher population is much larger than pelagic fishers, we know far more about the state and value of pelagic fisheries (particularly the tuna fishery). This research fills a critical knowledge gap by combining disparate data sets to examine the flow of reef-associated fishes through the commercial supply chain. Our study has revealed that unlike previous supply-chain studies, average price/lb does not increase linearly with increasing trophic level. We have also found evidence of exports of Hawaiian reef fish as well as imports of reef fish arriving from other Pacific islands. Our study sheds light on this socially important but poorly understood sector of Hawaii’s economy.

41 (51) Improving rooting success of cuttings and stock plant management for Acacia koa Gray. Erin Hickey*, Travis Idol, JB Friday, and Faith Inman-Narahari. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. Acacia koa Gray (koa) is a valuable species in Hawaii for both timber and native biodiversity [Baker et al, 2009; Pejchar and Press, 2006]. Past work has demonstrated that koa has clonal forestry potential, but low rooting success of vegetative propagules inhibits this from becoming commercially operational for timber and reforestation purposes. This first portion of the study aims to improve rooting success of koa cuttings through pre- severance treatments of stock plants by implementing different fertilization regimes (i.e. exponential, step-wise, and linear). The goal is to optimize nutritional content of seedling stock plants to increase root production for cuttings. Secondly, cuttings from wild populations will be observed for their response to post-severance rooting hormone and light level treatments. A 2:1, 1:4, or 1:1 hormone treatment will be applied to freshly severed cuttings. Each of these treatments will be divided between the 90% and 50% shade treatments with at least 12 cuttings from each hormone treatment per replicate. Optimizing these techniques is crucial for scaling up production of locally adapted and superior koa genotypes to achieve restoration and timber management goals.

(52) Photocatalytic Oxidation and Biodegradation of Antibiotics for Agricultural Reuse of Treated Wastewater. Donghee Hoh, Jihyun R. Kim, and Eunsung Kan. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. The agricultural reuse of treated wastewater has significant advantages, such as the recovery of water and nutrients, reduced fertilizer application and the disposal of effluent. However, the reuse of treated wastewater can pose serious risks to human health and the environment mainly from the occurrence of various emerging contaminants (i.e., pharmaceutical compounds) and microbial pathogens. This study suggests the photocatalytic oxidation and biodegradation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX), one of the widely used antibiotics, under solar and UV irradiation. The photocatalytic oxidation of SMX transformed these biocalcitrant contaminants into much more biodegradable products followed by complete oxidation of the oxidative products by the bacteria isolated from the soil in University of Hawaii. Recent results showed that the UV and solar photocatalytic oxidation of SMX showed the high removal of SMX and its intermediates/byproducts (i.e., 90-93% removal of SMX; 80-89% removal of its intermediates/byproducts) with 6-8 h irradiation. Besides, the following biodegradation resulted in further degradation of the oxidative products of SMX to achieve nearly complete mineralization of SMX in water. In addition, the biodegradation using the isolated bacteria resulted in 72-80% removal of SMX with less byproducts indicating high potential to treat SMX in wastewater and water. Based on these results, both solar photocatalytic oxidation and biodegradation could be a sustainable and cost-effective technology for the remediation of biocalcitrant and emerging contaminants in wastewater and water.

42 (53) Site-directed mutagenesis of rhizomimosinase, an enzyme required for mimosine degradation by Rhizobium, a nodulate of Leucaena leucocephala. Michael Honda*, Vishal Negi, and Dulal Borthakur. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Mimosine is a toxic non-protein amino acid that chelates divalent metallic ions, and also binds with pyridoxial-5`-phosphate (PLP) through covalent interactions. Previous studies conducted by Negi et al. have shown that rhizomimosinase, encoded by the midD gene in Rhizobium sp. strain TAL1145, is a PLP-dependent C-N lyase that degrades mimosine into 3-hydroxy-4- pyridone (3H4P), pyruvate, and ammonia. Recent X-ray crystallography work conducted by our collaborators (Dr. Kakuta, Japan) revealed the possible active site residues of this enzyme. To confirm the catalytic domain of the enzyme it is necessary to construct mutations in the possible active-site through site-directed mutagenesis. We have selected Lys-248, Arg-380, and Tyr-75 as the possible active site target residues for mutagenesis. We used oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis by PCR to construct substitution mutations in the midD gene encoding rhizomimosinase. A high fidelity DNA polymerase PCR reaction with mutagenic PCR primers containing the altered DNA codon, were used to mutate and amplify the midD gene. A total of five mutants, two for Lys-248, two for Arg-380 and one for Tyr-75, were isolated. The mutant genes were cloned in the T7 expression vector pET-14b, and then expressed in E. coli BL21. The mutant sequences were confirmed by sequencing. The recombinant mutant proteins were purified using the Promega HisLink™ protein purification kit. All five mutant recombinant proteins plus the non-mutant type were used in bioassays using mimosine as the substrate. HPLC analysis of each bioassay product indicated that the mutant derivatives of the enzyme lost the ability to degrade mimosine. These results establish the structure-function relationship of an important enzyme. This project was supported by a Hatch grant.

(54) Broadening the Genetic Base of Papaya through Inter-Generic Hybridization. Gregory Hoover* and Richard Manshardt. Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences. The genetic base for papaya breeding is narrow, but crop wild relatives can be useful resources for genetic improvement. Carica papaya is monospecific, so all crosses with wild relatives are inter-generic and yield sterile F1 hybrids. In this project, we attempt to generate inter-generic hybrids and restore fertility via chromosome doubling. Work completed includes the creation of hybrids between papaya and 1) Vasconcellea goudotiana, a species reported to possess resistance to the pathogen Phytophthora, 2) V. parviflora, a drought resistant relative, and 3) V. monoica, a monoecious species. Hybrid crosses were made in spring 2014 by pollinating C. papaya female flowers with pollen from Vasconcellea species, although one reciprocal cross, V. goudotiana x C. papaya, was also successful. Crossed ovules failed to develop endosperm, so the typically polyembryonic embryos were rescued using tissue culture medium containing Murashige-Skoog salts + organics, 10% liquid coconut endosperm, and 3% sucrose. The hybrids displayed consistent, but different, developmental characteristics in culture, depending on the cross. V. parviflora hybrids proliferated embryogenic callus, but embryos matured slowly and none have germinated normally. V. monoica hybrid embryos matured and germinated when transferred to MS medium without coconut endosperm, but subsequent development was chaotic and failed to produce plantlets with normal morphology. V. goudotiana hybrids grow relatively vigorously with normal morphology, leading to autotrophic plantlets rooted in MS medium without sucrose. The hybrid parentage of a C. papaya x V. goudotiana plant was confirmed by isozyme analysis.

43 (55) Evaluating the Impact of a Community-based Diabetes Intervention on Monocyte Epigenomes of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Peoples. Kelsea Hosoda*, Christian Dye, Michael Corley, Claire Townsend, and Alika Maunakea. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, Department of Native Hawaiian Health. Diabetes mellitus (DM) disproportionally affects Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. To reverse these disparities, the Partners in Care (PIC) community-based diabetes self-management intervention program was established to improve glycemic control. Little is known about how changes in lifestyle may influence glycemic control. The objective of this study was to understand how inflammatory states, and underlying epigenetic processes, of monocytes from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) respond to lifestyle changes implemented by the PIC. To test this hypothesis, PBMCs were isolated from whole blood samples that were collected from sixteen diabetic patients with HbA1c > 7% pre- and post-PIC intervention over three months. Monocytes were isolated and their inflammatory response characterized using flow cytometry. The Infinium HumanMethylation 450 BeadChip technology was applied to survey the DNA methylomes from monocytes and compared amongst pre- and post-intervention conditions. Results showed genome-wide differential DNA methylation patterns were observed in monocytes. These changes corresponded to a reduction of monocyte inflammatory response and improved HbA1c level. Differentially methylated loci correspond with inflammatory and glucose metabolism gene networks. Together, these results suggest that epigenetic processes that regulate the pro-inflammatory response of monocytes are linked to glycemic control and can be altered by lifestyle changes. The observed DNA methylated loci may be used to monitor an individual’s response to a diabetes self-management program and the potential long-lasting influences of the program on their overall health.

(56) Consumer Preference for Locally Produced Tea in Hawaii. Rebecca Ingram*, Jessie Chen, Amanda Knauf, Frankie Koethe, and Catherine Chan. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. The successful cultivation of tea as a commodity crop in Hawaii has been inhibited due to high costs of production and competitive market prices. The vast majority of tea purchased in the state is imported for this reason. As the popularity of tea continues to grow, however, the potential for a Hawaii-grown specialty tea market emerges. With the growing enthusiasm for locally produced goods, and alternative production methods (e.g. organic and sustainable), tea production in Hawaii may be viable. A choice-based conjoint analysis of consumer preference for tea was conducted at various locales in Oahu. The choice-based conjoint analysis study analyzed the attributes of: origin of tea, packaging (loose leaf/teabag), production method, and price. Surveys consisted of two parts, a 12-question tea product preference elicitation task, and a 10-question socio-demographic questionnaire. The surveys were taken over a two-week period in February 2015. The objectives of this study are as follows: 1) determine if the preference for the attributes of origin, packaging, production method, and price are significantly related to demographic characteristics 2) measure the willingness-to-pay for locally produced tea and 3) provide recommendations to producers and other stakeholders. Survey results were analyzed using the Latent Class Sawtooth Software. Preliminary results showed that of the four consumer classes, packaging was the most important criteria for two classes, specifically, loose leaf was preferred. For the other two classes, production method and price were the important attributes, respectively. These results suggest the local origin attribute is not important when consumers purchase tea.

44

(57) The next new superfood? Estimating the physiological effects of Dragon Fruit fiber. Jessie Kai* and Maria Stewart. Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. Dragon fruit belongs to the genus Hylocereus and is also referred to as “pitaya”. The fruit is typically consumed by eating the raw flesh. “Value-added” processed products such as dried dragon fruit slices and dragon fruit wine are now available to the consumer. Previous research investigating the physiological effects of the fruit is limited, although antioxidant and carbohydrate content are available. Researchers isolated the oligosaccharides raffinose, stachyose, and oligofructose in both the flesh and peel of the fruit, with the flesh containing more (Khalili et al., 2014). Human digestive enzymes are unable to degrade the chemical bonds in these carbohydrates, so all three are classified as dietary fiber. This study will quantify bacterial fermentation products using a model digestive system to estimate the potential health benefits of dragon fruit fiber. Freeze dried fruit was digested in vitro to remove digestible carbohydrates. The remaining residues were in vitro fermented using colonic bacteria from humans and in conditions mimicking the large intestines. In vitro digestion and fermentation is important in providing physiological relevant evidence of dietary fiber and its prebiotic effects. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), gas and acidity (assessed by the pH level) will be analyzed. Profiling the synthesis of SCFAs is crucial in understanding the health benefits of functional foods. These fatty acids, particularly acetate, propionate, and butyrate, reduce oxidative stress, inflammation and toxicity of the lumen, while increasing immune responses and satiety (Vong and Stewart, 2013). The present research is significant in identifying possible mechanisms the dragon fruit elicits to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and preserve the health of the digestive tract.

(58) Corrosion of 1018 Carbon Steel in Static Seawater/Diesel (Petrol and Renewable) Mixtures. Jan Kealoha*, Shengxi Li, Stuart Donachie, and L. H. Hihara. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Hawaii Corrosion Lab, Department of Microbiology. The effect of microbial activity on corrosion of 1018 mild carbon steel was investigated in environments simulating marine-vessel ballast tanks. Corrosion characteristics and microbial community composition on steel coupons submerged in static fuel/seawater mixtures under different conditions were determined periodically through one year. Conditions included aerobic and anaerobic, with natural and filtered seawater/fuel combinations (Pacific Ocean seawater, ASTM seawater, marine diesel F-76, Hydrotreated Renewable Diesel-76 (HRD-76), 50% F-76:50% HRD-76 diesel mixture). Abiotic controls comprised 0.22 µm filtered seawater and each of the three diesel fuels; controls were established to investigate the electrochemical effects on corrosion of 1018 steel and to enable comparisons with unfiltered, ‘natural’, trials. Culture-dependent and independent methods were used to determine which microbes were present, while corrosion characteristics were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Microbes cultivated on general and selective media from the fuel/seawater interface layer were tentatively identified through 16S/18S rRNA gene sequencing. Community composition at the fuel/seawater interface layer, from set-up to 1 year post-incubation, was investigated by Illumina 16S and ITS Next Generation Sequencing. Our corrosion and sequencing data may reveal environmental conditions that enhance or inhibit corrosion, which in turn may be attributed to a specific microbe or community.

45 (59) Comparison of Capsaicinoid Content in Capsicum frutescens Cultivated in Aquaponics. Mahrukh Khawaja*, J.P. Bingham, Theodore Radovich, Bradley Fox, and Clyde Tamaru. Department of Molecular Bioscience and Bioengineering. The effective use of land for maximal food production is a forever-increasing worry to islands in the south pacific, which have experienced rapid population growth. To address this we examine linked fish and vegetable production using a recirculating water system. This system is designed to achieve a high degree of efficiency of water use for food production without soil. Twenty-four systems were used, in which each system contained 1.5-kg tilapia species (Oreochromis aureus and Oreochromis hornorum) grown in 400-L freshwater tanks associated with two 25-L bio- filters (cinder rocks). Capsicum frutescens (Hawaiian chili) was cultivated in aquaponics and analyzed for capsaicin content. The purpose of this investigation was to: 1) remediate pH for ammonia bio-filtration and pepper yield in recirculating aquaponic system in order to compare buffering capacity, 2) incorporate integrated pest management to attract beneficial organisms, and 3) quantify and compare capsaicinoid concentration between treatments using Rapid-HPLC for quality analysis. This work helps address the need for combined approaches to complex agricultural research questions and food sustainability. Horimasa Project and NIFA in part funded this work.

(60) Effects of soil nutrient availability on competitive dynamics between non-native invasive and native species in Hawaiian dry forests. Amanda Knauf*, Creighton Litton, Rebecca Cole, Christian Giardina, Jed Sparks. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, USDA Forest Service, Cornell University. Hawaiian native ecosystems face constant pressure from nonnative, invasive plants that are often competitively superior. In a variety of ecosystems globally, evidence exists that nonnative plants typically outcompete natives under conditions of high resource availability. Therefore, one potential restoration method for favoring native species over nonnatives is to decrease soil nutrient availability (e.g., via carbon amendments). This is a particularly appealing concept in Hawaii where native species often have conservative growth strategies. However, this idea has received very little attention in Hawaii. In this study, we evaluated survival, growth, and ecophysiology of three native and one nonnative, invasive species from Hawaiian dry forests in a greenhouse competition experiment. The density of plants was held constant and native species were grown by themselves and together with the invasive species in each of five soil nutrient treatments (control, high and low nutrient addition via fertilizer, and high and low nutrient reduction via carbon amendments). Results show that the relative growth rate of the invasive species was ~ 91% and ~80% higher than the native species in the high and low nutrient addition treatments, respectively. In turn, the relative growth rates across all native species was ~26% and ~53% higher than the invasive species in the high and low nutrient reduction treatments, respectively. These results suggest that reducing soil nutrient availability may be a useful tool for restoring Hawaiian dry forest ecosystems where nutrient availability is high and invasive species are problematic.

46 (61) Plant-parasitic nematodes associated with breadfruit on Kauai and Maui. Jin-Wah Lau*, Sharadchandra P. Marahatta, and Brent S. Sipes. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is rapidly becoming a popular landscaping and food crop in Hawaii. In Jamaica, breadfruit root-inhabiting nematodes included Pratylenchus, Helicotylenchus, and Meliodogyne. Meloidogyne has also been observed in galls on breadfruit in Venezuela. A survey determining which plant-parasitic nematodes are associated with breadfruit in Hawaii was conducted on the islands of Kauai and Maui. In total, ten locations were sampled: six locations from Kauai and four from Maui. Per location, four soil samples were collected for analysis. Nematodes were extracted from soil using the Baermann Funnel Technique, then identified to genera. Helicotylenchus spp. was dominant in all of the samples collected. Rotylenchulus spp. and Paratylenchus spp. occurred in smaller numbers but were also present in all soil samples. Other plant-parasitic nematode genera in the breadfruit-associated soils in Hawaii included Scutellonema, Pratylenchus, Mesocriconema, and Meloidogyne. The population density and genera of plant-parasitic nematodes found in Hawaiian breadfruit soils could indicate damage to the crop and aid in developing a specific management approach for local growers and farmers of breadfruit. In addition to expanding the locations, collection and extraction from breadfruit roots would help elucidate which nematodes infect and parasitize breadfruit in Hawaii.

(62) Optimization of Baseline Soil Carbon Mapping across the Hawaiian Islands. Michelle Lazaro*, Susan Crow, Cynthia Stiles, Creighton M. Litton, and Christian Giardina. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, USDA-NRCS Pacific Region Soil Survey Office, USDA Forest Service Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry. The ability to predict terrestrial ecosystem carbon (C) response to future climate and land use change depends, to a large degree, on establishing accurate baseline assessments and better understanding of the underlying mechanisms controlling C storage. Here, two approaches to spatial projection of statewide soil C storage were compared for Hawaii. A difference of 317.7% was found between the models, highlighting the importance of accurate assessment, especially in areas like Hawaii characterized by highly diverse soils and landscapes. Areas with the largest discrepancies between approaches occurred in regions with differences in land use. For example, along the Hamakua coast, similar soils (i.e., all Hydruands) are managed under three different primary land uses: native forest, pasture, and Eucalyptus plantation. Shifts in land management practices can affect soil properties such as bulk density, a value often used to calculate C stock in large regional assessments. Among these land uses, bulk density ranged from 0.23-0.46 g cm-3. Within a 1000 ha area of study, 0.72 Tg C was stored under native forest, 0.47 Tg C within managed pasture, and 0.60 Tg C in Eucalyptus plantation. These volcanic ash soils have properties that make them readily compacted, but also have the capacity to store large quantities of C and resist decomposition under climate change compared to other soils. Thus, it is important that we correctly assess and incorporate the mechanisms controlling soil C sequestration into baseline and future projections to better guide policy and land management decisions.

47 (63) Examining Hawaii Resident Consumer Preference for Ahi Poke: A Latent Class Analysis. Gwendolen Lentes*, Nanea Lindsey, Michelle Lazaro, Jon Wells, and Catherine Chan. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. The tuna fishery is one of the most dynamic and complex sectors of the world’s seafood industry. Concerns over the health of current tuna populations and resource sustainability are being debated globally. Fish consumption is an intrinsic component of modern culture in Hawaii, with tuna being one of the leading species. As pressures on commercial tuna fisheries continue to increase with diminishing wild populations, alternative source options such as open ocean aquaculture become more desirable as a solution to growing demand. Supplementing wild-catch with local farm-raised tuna is a resource efficient way to provide a consistent and stable supply of fish into the market, while alleviating some of the pressure on wild stocks. This study was carried out to identify Hawaii resident consumer preference of the following attributes for ahi poke: origin, source, treatment, and price. Conjoint choice analysis method was used in questionnaire design and implementation and 200 Hawaii resident consumers participated in this study. Latent class analysis revealed three distinct classes of respondents, all showing a significant preference for local and lower priced ahi poke. Within the largest class (43.4%), there was a strong preference for farm-raised, local, competitively priced ahi poke. The importance of price as an attribute in this study indicates a possible market for farmed ahi in Hawaii, considering local aquaculture can achieve competitive pricing with wild caught ahi fisheries.

(64) Probiotic potential of lactic acid bacteria isolated from fermented taro skins. Qianting Li*, C.N. Lee, Michael A. Dunn, and Yong Li. Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. Taro is a staple of the native Hawaiian diet and an important part of Polynesian culture. Piglets recover faster from gastrointestinal illness when fed fermented taro skins. Our previous work showed that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) dominate the microbial population of the taro skins. It was hypothesized that LAB are responsible for the enhanced recovery of ill piglets. The current study aimed to determine the physiological characteristics and potential health benefits of LAB in the taro skins. Cooked taro skins were obtained from major poi manufacturers in Hawaii. The sample was fermented at 21ºC for 36 h. Dilutions of the sample were plated on selective MRS agar to isolate LAB. Selected isolates were identified by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. Representative LAB isolates were evaluated for their ability to survive harsh conditions in the digestive tract such as low pH and high bile concentration. The bactericidal properties of the isolates were determined against pathogenic Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes. Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactococcus lactis, Lactococcus chungangenesis, and Weissella soli were identified in fermented taro skins. These LAB isolates showed different antimicrobial effects on the tested pathogens. S. Typhimurium died in culture supernatants of L. mesenteroides and W. soli within 2 h; L. monocytogenes died in culture supernatants of L. mesenteroides within 8 h. Compared with controls, the supernatants still showed antimicrobial effects after being neutralized with NaOH. Proteinase treatment reduced the inhibition zone of the supernatants against the tested pathogens. We postulate that both organic acids and bacteriocin-like compounds may account for the antimicrobial activity of LAB isolated from fermented taro skins. These isolates could potentially be used as probiotics to fight bacterial infections.

48 (65) Effects of fibers with varying viscosity and solubility on obesity related physiological parameters of mice. Chelsea Liu*, Amit Singh, Maria Stewart, and Rajesh Jha. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. Obesity, a metabolic disease resulting from an imbalance between caloric intake and expenditure, is a global concern. This study aimed to investigate the effect of fibers (glucomannan, GM and oat β-glucan, OBG) with varying viscosity and solubility on obesity related variables, like body and liver growth performance, blood parameters, and fatty liver (steatosis) in a mice model. Eighty-four diet-induced obese mice (male, C57BL/6) were fed with one of 7 diets (control, GM or OBG with inclusion levels of 1.25%, 2.5%, or 5% each) for 12 weeks. The GM diets reduced body weight gain during the first two months and for the entire study (P < 0.05). In addition, the relative liver weight and serum insulin concentrations were affected by the interaction between fibers and their inclusion levels (P < 0.05). The OBG diets had a lower serum triglyceride concentration in comparison to the GM diets (P < 0.05). In conclusion, glucomannan and oat β- glucan at some specific inclusion levels exert significant effects on relative liver weight, serum insulin, and serum triglycerides with obesity symptoms in mice model. Thus, supplementing a diet with an adequate amount of specific dietary fiber may improve the obesity related health issue.

(66) Fire on the Mountain: Forest / Grassland Interactions across Environmental Gradients in Hawaiian Post-fire Novel Ecosystems. Matthew Lucas* and Clay Trauernicht. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. The synergistic relationships of wildfire and introduced grasses are driving conversion of forest to grassland in Hawaii and other ecosystems worldwide. Dubbed the grass fire-cycle (GFC) from case studies in Hawaii, rapid colonization of invasive grasses into burned areas increase fire frequency, intensity and landscape flammability, ultimately suppressing woody plant regrowth. Human ignitions exacerbate this problem as large scale grasslands steer fire into adjacent remaining forests that are important for biodiversity and watershed protection. Many studies in Hawaii have documented the detrimental effects of the GFC on native ecosystems, but little is known about novel forest species recruitment over time and across Hawaii’s diverse climates. An unconfirmed assumption is that in Hawaii post fire vegetation perpetually results in grassland establishment, thus permanently transitioning burned areas away from forest cover. However global evidence of invasive plant introductions suggest two contrasting effects: invasive grasses can increase rates of flammability, and introduced trees can decrease fine fuel load and fire spread. Large areas in Hawaii are dominated by introduced grasses and trees, often bordering each other and/or native forest. What will final long-term post fire vegetation outcomes be within Hawaii’s novel ecosystems? We propose to spatially examine generalized vegetation, and climatology within burned areas to characterize trends in wildfire occurrence statewide. Furthermore we will present preliminary methods for ecologically modeling rates of woody vegetation recovery within burned areas and across various climatic zones as a means of predicting post fire wood/grass outcomes.

49 (67) Using Controlled Exposure Trials to Assess Predation and Parasitism of The Kamehameha Butterfly (Nymphalidae: Vanessa tameamea). Colby Maeda*, William Haines, and Cynthia King. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, Department of Land and Natural Resources-Division of Forestry and Wildlife. The Kamehameha butterfly (Nymphalidae: Vanessa tameamea) is Hawaii’s official state insect and is one of only two native . Unfortunately, the once common butterfly is rarely seen today, and in some areas where it has been documented in the past, it is now absent. The reason behind its decline is uncertain, but it is likely due to impacts by non-native insects, parasitoids, and birds, in addition to host plant declines. To quantify impacts of predators and parasitoids, we deployed eggs and caterpillars under different exclusion treatments: birds excluded, ants excluded, and completely exposed. After three days, parasitism and predation was assessed. Sites varied in predation rates and so far parasitism rates have been minimal. Trials are being conducted at five sites on Oahu using laboratory reared colonies. At the end of this study, it is hoped that insight into the decline of V. tameamea can be gained, and efforts to repopulate this species will be initiated to prevent further decline of this iconic insect.

(68) Conjoint Choice Analysis of Faculty of Housing Preference at the University of Hawai’i. Jonathan Marshall*, Joey Lecky, Wanda Sowa, and Catherine Chan-Halbrendt. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. Faculty housing is an important service that the University of Hawai‘i provides to faculty. There is concern that the current housing situation does not adequately address faculty needs across the University and may be contributing to faculty turnover. The purpose of this project is to evaluate faculty preference for different housing attributes in relation to price, in order to make housing more attractive to new faculty and viable for existing residents. This study used a Conjoint Choice Experiment to analyze the attributes of: location, amenities, duration of allowed stay, and the price of rent. Our conjoint choice analysis survey methodology involved distributing our survey versions through an online survey website to current faculty with publicly available email addresses. Latent class analysis reveals four significantly different classes of respondents. All four classes prefer lower price and have statistically significant preferences for which location they prefer. While communal amenities are generally preferred by all classes, it is not the most important attribute for any class of respondents. The largest proportion of respondents fall in class 4 (57%), for whom the most important attribute is price. They also prefer longer durations of stay and dislike the absence of a communal amenity. Willingness to pay for various housing attributes were also calculated. These results will be valuable to the Faculty Housing Tenants Association, and will aid in future planning for faculty housing at UH Manoa.

50 (69) Brucella suis in Hunting Dogs. Britt S. McNeill*, Halina M. Zaleski, Ashley M. Stokes, and Rajesh Jha. Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. Due to increasing feral swine populations across the US, the transmission of swine-related diseases to other animals and humans is becoming increasingly probable. Brucella suis, a bacterium, is commonly found in feral swine, and may be passed to non-native hosts which have sufficient contact with infected swine or infected animal byproducts. The bacterium is difficult to treat and the most effective control is euthanasia of the infected animal. This study examines the prevalence of Brucella suis in hunting dogs that have had extensive physical contact with feral swine. Testing for Brucella suis specific antibodies is done on blood serum collected from hunting dogs on the islands of Hawaii and Oahu by cooperating veterinary clinics. Data on hunting locations is collected in a questionnaire to determine possible “hot spots”. Areas sampled to date include Koolau Mountain Range and Kaneohe Bay on Oahu. The results of the study are important in determining prevalence rates in hunting dogs and the potential risk of transmission to people.

(70) Cyclization and Derivatization of the Potassium Channel Antagonist Tertiapin (TPNQ). Vinay Menon* and JP Bingham. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Tertiapin is a peptide toxin isolated from the venom of the European honey (Apis mellifera). It is 21 amino acids in length and has been found to inhibit the renal outer medullary potassium channel (ROMK1) and one of the isoforms of the G protein-coupled inward-rectifying potassium channel (GIRK1/4) with nanomolar affinities (Kd ≈ 1.3nM and 13.3nM, respectively). The proposed research aims to synthesize 3 N-to-C cyclic variants of this peptide using Fmoc solid phase peptide synthesis and purify them with Reverse-Phase High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC). Each of the variants will differ by one amino added to the linker sequence between the N and C termini. Once the most bioactive cyclic molecule is determined, TPNQ will be resynthesized using an Fmoc-Lysine-Azide contained within the linker sequence. Post-synthesis, a fluorophore will be conjugated to this azide, which will facilitate its use as a molecular probe. USDA TSTAR (# 2009-34135-20067); HATCH (HAW00595-R) in part sponsored this work.

51 (71) Linking global warming potential and economics to the sustainability of biochar use in Hawaiian agriculture. Jabez Meulemans*, Susan E. Crow, John Yanagida, and Jonathan Deenik. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences. Amendment of agricultural soils with biochar may have potential to sequester atmospheric carbon (C), decrease soil greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and enhance crop yields by improving soil fertility and water holding capacity. In the tropics, the effect of biochar on net global warming potential (GWP) and economic feasibility of agricultural systems is of high research priority and possesses significant local relevance in Hawai‘i. To assess the sustainability of biochar use in Hawaiian agriculture, field trials of biochar amendment to two distinct cropping systems across two contrasting soil types on O‘ahu were carried out for joint assessment of GWP and economic feasibility. In a highly fertile Mollisol and an infertile Oxisol, biochar amendment was investigated in no-till management of bioenergy feedstock (napier grass, var. bana) and conventional tillage of food crops (sweet corn and cowpea rotation). Assessment of GWP includes measurements of soil GHG flux, plant and soil C and nitrogen dynamics, and leachate flux. Economic assessment includes benefit-cost analysis of system inputs and outputs, using full-cost accounting to include valuation of GWP. Initial data suggests that the immediate, short- term effects of biochar on crop yield and GWP do not recover the cost of biochar purchase from a commercial supplier within the first growing season. However, medium- to long-term viability is not yet certain and depends largely upon future improvements in crop yields and GWP mitigation. It is hypothesized that the feasibility of biochar use will improve over the next several growing seasons.

(72) Examine the potential of vermicompost tea to induce host plant resistance against root-knot nematode infection. Shova Mishra*, and K.H. Wang. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. Effects of drenching vermicompost tea (VCT) on suppressing plant-parasitic nematodes are inconsistent in the literatures. This research team has determined that VCT prepared from uncured vermicompost (VC) would suppress infection of root-knot nematodes (RKN), Meloidogyne incognita, more efficiently. A greenhouse split-root experiment was conducted to examining the induction of host-plant resistance against RKN (Meloidogyne incognita) on cucumber (Cucumis sativus). One side of the split root was drenched with VCT or water, while the other side was inoculated with RKN. Experiment was arranged in completely randomized design with 3 replications. Nematode penetration was significantly lower on VCT drenched plants (P < 0.05), supporting the theory that VCT from uncured VC could induce host plant resistance against RKN infection. However, preliminary studies indicated that this induction of host plant resistance did not last more than a month. Therefore, an experiment was conducted in RKN infested field to determine the frequency of VCT drenching to sustain the expression of host plant resistance towards the end of a field grown cucumber crops. Cucumber plants were drenched with VCT from uncured VC at 1, 2, or 4 weeks interval and compared the RKN infection rate to plants drenched with water. Experiment was arranged in randomized complete block design with 8 replications. Population densities of RKN were monitored monthly.

52 (73) Liquid-metal tunable high frequency devices. Matthew R. Moorefield*, Michael Dubiel, Aaron T. Ohta, and Wayne A. Shiroma. Department of Electrical Engineering Miniaturization of electronic devices has led to a need for increased versatility in ever-smaller spaces. Two devices were designed to demonstrate the use of liquid metal in diverse applications. The first device was a slot-loaded microstrip patch antenna with liquid-metal-actuated frequency tuning. The electrical length of a defected ground structure (DGS) located beneath the resonating patch was altered by filling and evacuating liquid metal from fluidic channels mounted on the ground plane. The DGS reactively loads the antenna, altering the resonant frequency as its length was changed. The frequency-tunable range of this device was 1.84 GHz to 2.08 GHz, corresponding to a 12.3% effective bandwidth, while maintaining a 1% or less actual bandwidth at tuning states. This device combines the frequency exclusion of a narrowband antenna with a relatively broad tuning range, reducing the need for additional signal filtering. The second device was a varactor (variable capacitor). The contact area of an electrode within the varactor was changed using electro-wetting on dielectric (EWOD) actuation. The tunable capacitance range of the device was from 384 pF to 498 pF. This device was intended to create a varactor with a very low series resistance, leading to a high quality factor (Q-factor). These two devices demonstrate promising methods of using liquid metal to physically alter structures for tunability in electronic circuits.

(74) The distribution of Solenopsis papuana in the Waianae and Koolau Mountains. Cassandra S. Ogura-Yamada* and Paul D. Krushelnycky. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. Solenopsis papuana, the Papuan thief ant, was first recorded in Hawaii in 1967, and now appears to be widespread. However, there is little information about its ecological interactions. The overall goal of this study is to determine the effects of S. papuana on communities of O’ahu, and one objective is to provide additional information on its distribution in natural areas. Previously, Gillespie and Reimer (1993) recorded S. papuana at elevations between 300 m to 1200 m in the state, and also suggested that it is the most successful ant to invade wet forests. To date, we have surveyed for ants using peanut butter baits in six locations in the Waianae Mountains and one in the Koolau Mountains. S. papuana was found at 52% of all survey points, with its incidence exceeding 70% at a few locations, indicating that it can reach high densities in montane forests of Oahu.

53 (75) Valuation of Climate Change Impact on Ecosystem Goods and Services of Forests and Grazing Lands in Nepal. Botir Okhunjanov*, Catherine Chan, Bikash Paudel, and Katherine Wilson. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Department of Economics. This study evaluates the changes in the value of ecosystem goods and services due to climate change impacts on livestock grazing in five villages in the mid-hills of Nepal. This study compares the changes in value of ecosystem goods and services of forests and rangelands between 2014 and 15 years ago. Applying a cluster sampling method to select 197 respondents from five villages, data was gathered through face-to-face surveys and focus group discussions in June 2014. Beyond household and livestock data, the survey included information on provisional, regulatory, and cultural services from forests and rangelands. Data was analyzed using a combination of direct and indirect economic estimation methods such as contingent valuation. The results indicate that there is a drastic reduction in the number of animals (53%) in addition to a drop in area of grazing lands (27%), and household labor (6%). Willingness to accept per household estimates for not grazing, or collecting fodder, fruits, and bedding is about $1,500 annually. The monetary value to revert soil erosion, invasive species, and water supply to the level of 15 years ago, was $8,084 and to revert cultural services was $14,351 in total. Given the GDP per capita in Nepal is $743, this study shows that ecosystem goods and services are vital and highly valuable to the economic livelihoods of farmers. With this information, policy makers can devise programs to maintain ecosystem services and mitigate negative impacts of climate change on livestock grazing livelihoods.

(76) Molecular Detection and Identification of Emara-like Viruses Associated with Ti Ringspot Disease of Cordyline fruticosa (L.) in Hawai’i. Adam Park* and Michael Melzer. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. An emerging virus-like disease on Cordyline fruticosa is spreading quickly throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Foliar disease symptoms include chlorotic lesions constricted by secondary veins or circular ring-spots that can coalesce into amorphous lesions. Tissue samples were collected from ten symptomatic plants growing in five different locations across Hawaii and RNA was extracted. Degenerate RT-PCR primers targeting the polymerase gene of known emaraviruses amplified a ~400 bp product from the RNA of symptomatic plants. The RT-PCR products were sequenced and found to be >97.5% identical, indicating they represent a single virus species. When translated into amino acid sequences, this virus was found to be 70% identical to Raspberry leaf blotch virus, 55% to European mountain ash ringspot-associated virus, 53% to Redbud yellow ringspot virus, 50% to Rose rosette virus, 49% to Fig mosaic virus, and 46% to Pigeon pea sterility mosaic virus. However, when the sequence samples were compared to those obtained at Kahalu’u in 2009 during a previous experiment, comparison results showed only a 60.2% identical. These findings suggest two species of emara-like viruses is the symptomatic agents of the ringspot disease.

54 (77) Effect of tillage practices on performance of maize in Bàrué and Nhamatanda districts of Mozambique. António J. Rocha*, Russell Yost, Joseph Keter, and Joseph M. Ndutu. Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Science, University of Nairobi, Department of Land Resource Management and Agriculture Technology. Due to inadequate use of agricultural technologies, maize grain yields are extremely low in Mozambique, averaging only 0.9t/ha. Adoption by farmers of conservation agriculture techniques that limit tilling has the potential to increase yields significantly by retaining nutrients and organic matter. To evaluate the effect of tillage practices and maize varieties, we constructed a split block design where the main factor was tillage practices (conservation, conventional) and the secondary factor was the varieties of maize. The conservation tillage practice used jab-planter and basins. Five hybrid varieties were tested, ZM309, ZM401, ZM523 and ZM625 from CIMMYT and one local variety called Matuba. All treatments received fertilizer levels of 100 kg/ha N-P-K as 12-24-12 at planting and 100 kg/ha of urea applied as top-dressing fertilizer. The experiment was conducted during two cropping periods from 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 at two sites in the Bàrué and Nhamatanda districts of Mozambique that differed in rainfall. We used ANOVA to evaluate both the tillage practices and maize varieties effects on dry matter yield, grain yield, number of plants and number of cobs. The maize varieties differed significantly in both dry matter yield and plant density, with the ZM625 variety producing 6.3 t/ha and 66.000 plants/ha at Bàrué in 2011 – 2012 season. Significant increases occurred due to basin tillage practices and hybrid varieties. The highest grain yield, plant density and dry matter yield occurred with the ZM625 variety under conservation tillage practices at Bàrué. We recommend that farmers use ZM625 under conservation tillage practice at both Bàrué and Nhamatanda districts.

(78) Spatial Tracking Analysis of Herbicide Ballistic Technology Operations Characterizing Performance of Target Treatment. Roberto Rodriguez III*, Daniel M. Jenkins, James J. K. Leary, and Brooke V. Mahnken. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering.

Since 2012, the Herbicide Ballistic Technology (HBT) platform, deployed from a Hughes 500D helicopter, has been utilized in a focused approach to treat nascent patches of Miconia calvescens (Miconia) in areas of the East Maui Watershed (Hawaii, USA). The HBT platform has the capability to treat individual plant targets with encapsulated herbicide from long range (~30m), which allows for simultaneous treatment of weed targets while conducting low-level aerial surveillance of heterogeneous landscapes in remote watersheds. GIS analyses of operational GPS data provides performance statistics related to the searched area and plant targets treated. Recently, the development of novel tracking sensors, attached to the electro-pneumatic applicator (i.e., paintball marker), has resulted in collection of additional information related to target treatment. The HBT logger detects the discharge of projectiles, providing an exact account of dose to target. Tracking the orientation of the marker (i.e., tilt and azimuth) relative to the applicator position coupled with laser based distance measurements provides a mechanism to determine the target location. We highlight the capabilities for building operational intelligence relevant to landscape scale invasive species management. We also address the challenges of this analytical approach related to inaccuracies of the GPS (e.g., horizontal and spherical) as well as the terrain models (10m DEM and available LiDAR) providing limited analytical reliability while demonstrating progressive improvements from the current data management process.

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(79) Effects of Fermented Noni Juice on Systemic and Adipose Inflammation in High-Fat Diet-Fed Mice. Erik Saksa* and Pratibha V. Nerurkar. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. The age-adjusted prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) among Native Hawaiians is the highest reported for any Polynesian population in the world. T2D-associated mortality rates among Native Hawaiians are more than twice as high as Caucasians. In Hawaii, Morinda citrifolia (noni) has been traditionally used to treat diabetes and other chronic ailments. We have previously demonstrated that fermented noni juice (fNJ) reduced body weights and improved glucose metabolism in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. However, early effects of fNJ on glucose metabolism remain unknown. The objective of this study was to identify early effects of fNJ on glucose metabolism and associated mechanisms. C57BL/6 male mice were fed 1) control diet with 4% fat, 2) fNJ at physiological relevant concentrations of 1·5 µl/g body weight, 3) HFD with 60% fat and 4) HFD + fNJ for four weeks. fNJ significantly improved glucose metabolism as early as two weeks. Since HFD-induced systemic and adipose inflammation play a critical role in the etiology of T2D, we will test the hypothesis that fNJ- associated improvement in systemic and adipose inflammation is an early event in regulating glucose metabolism. Systemic and adipose inflammation will be analyzed using dot blot protein arrays in mice fed HFD with and without fNJ. Significance: Such studies may lead to novel, low cost affordable complementary treatments for T2D and associated inflammatory diseases. Supported by NIFA, USDA (HAW05023-R, HAW00598-H) and NIH (R21AT003719, G12RR003061, P20MD000173) grants.

(80) The Prevalence of Deformed Wing Virus in Hymenoptera across the Hawaiian Isles. Jessika Santamaria*, Ethel Villalobos, Scott Nikaido, and Jason Graham. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. The sudden decline of Hawaii’s honeybees in 2006 brought attention and, subsequently, research on bee pathogens. A particularly deadly strain of the Deformed Wing virus (DWV), along with its vector and amplifier, the varroa mite, have been implicated in large scale honeybee colony losses. DWV however, is a hymenopteran virus, which is known to affect wild Hymenopteran populations. This project examines the distribution and prevalence of DWV on ants, paper wasps, and solitary bees, all of which have frequent contact with honeybees, albeit in different ways. The small carpenter bee smaragdula () and the golden paper wasp Polistes aurifer (Vespidae), share floral resources with honeybees, and may be exposed to viruses while foraging, In addition, paper wasps and ants (Formicidae) can also intrude and consume hive materials and possibly be exposed in this manner. The Hawaiian Islands are a perfect natural laboratory to study bee viruses because varroa mites are only found on 2 islands (Oahu, and the Big Island of Hawaii). Using RT-PCR we have documented that samples of C. smaragdula from Maui, a varroa free island, are indeed all negative for DWV. This work is part of an ongoing project looking at viral spillover.

56 (81) Management of Fungal Diseases on Native Endemic Mint within Protected Lands in Hawaii. Gabriel Schierman*, Janice Uchida, Chris Kadooka, and Clifford Smith. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. The Hawaiian Islands is an isolated oceanic archipelago with numerous climate zones, and abundant microclimates. Habitats within these isolated environments contain species that have evolved with unparalleled diversity. Because of Hawaii’s remarkable adaptable radiation, approximately 90% plants are endemic. This has led to the development of a rich ecology; however this pristine framework has been disrupted due to the introduction of invasive species and many native species now face extinction. A native Hawaiian mint (Phyllostegia) which once grew naturally at high elevations above the gulches of Hawaii’s mountain ranges, is now only remains within protected forestry plots, and re-establish possibly due to infection by powdery mildew and attack from other pests. Disease control is difficult as there are few fungicides which are approved within natural forested areas. Furthermore, we do not want to introduce such compounds into relatively intact natural areas. Powdery mildew is highly prevalent in wild populations and has the ability to overwhelm its host at early stages of plant growth. Additional fungal plant pathogens such as Fusarium have been isolated from dying mint, and these may pose an even greater threat to wild populations. Beneficial fungi, such as Trichoderma have also been isolated and cultured. In laboratory tests, Trichoderma has provided enhanced vigor to propagated plants, and has the potential to hasten plant development during highly susceptible stages. Systemic fungicides may also provide sufficient benefits when applied during seasonal conditions, which commonly trigger abundant infestations of powdery mildew.

(82) Relating PRSV prevalence to distribution of GE and non-GE papayas in Honolulu. David Shepard*, Scot Nelson, and Richard Manshardt. Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences. Papaya cultivar ‘Rainbow’ with genetically engineered (GE) resistance to Papaya ringspot virus (PRSV) was released in 1998 and was quickly adopted by commercial growers to control the disease. Anecdotal evidence suggests that prevalence of PRSV has also declined subsequently in urban Honolulu, in spite of limited availability of GE papaya seeds to home gardeners. This project aims to answer two questions: 1) how common is PRSV in the residential and urban environment of Honolulu, and 2) is the incidence and distribution of PRSV being influenced by the presence of PRSV-resistant GE escapes from commercial fields in the urban landscape? To help collect field data on papaya locations and PRSV distribution, a phone app called Pic-A- Papaya was developed. Pic-A-Papaya allows “citizen scientists” to send photos of papaya plants with GPS coordinates to a TPSS e-mail account where photos can be evaluated to determine presence or absence of PRSV symptoms. GPS coordinates allow diseased and healthy plants to be plotted on a map accessible to all Pic-A-Papaya users. In addition, Pic-a-Papaya users are encouraged through an offer of free papaya seed to provide leaf samples for free assays of GE status. Results so far include 1) Pic-a-Papaya users are interested in the PRSV status of their plants, but are not sufficiently motivated to provide leaf samples for GE assays, 2) preliminary data indicate that about 50% of surveyed plants are GE, and 3) papayas with PRSV infections still exist among the plants surveyed in Honolulu.

57 (83) Biochemical analysis of the antimicrobial resveratrol glucoside in transgenic papaya calli differentially expressing the stilbene synthase gene controlled by three native papaya promoters. Rick Shimshock*, Luzminda Carlos-Hilario, and David A. Christopher. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Phytophthora palmivora is a devastating oomycete pathogen affecting diverse host plants, including the important tropical crop papaya (Carica papaya, L). To develop resistance against P. palmivora, transgenic papaya lines were engineered to express the enzyme stilbene synthase (Vst1, from grape), which catalyzes the biosynthesis of the anti-pathogen phytoalexin, trans- 3,5,4’ trihydroxystilbene, commonly known as resveratrol. Expression from the native grape Vst1 promoter was sub-optimal in papaya, therefore three new pathogen-induced native papaya promoters expressed in roots and stems were used to modulate Vst1 expression for resveratrol synthesis. These promoters were previously isolated from the genes encoding peroxidase (Cp9), ferulate-5-hydroxylase and hypersensitive-induced response protein (Cp45), and were fused to the Vst1 gene. Vst1 expression was analyzed for resveratrol glucoside (piceid) synthesis in the transgenic papaya lines. The constitutive CaMV35S promoter-Vst1 construct served as a positive control. Piceid accumulation in the transgenic calli was quantified by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography and the chemical species was identified using mass spectrometry. Piceid concentrations differed as follows: CaMV35S (25.50 µg/g fresh weight), Cp45 (11.90 µg/gfw), Cp35 (2.76 µg/gfw) and Cp9 (2.49 µg/gfw). The media requirements for somatic embryo maturation and plantlet regeneration from calli are being optimized. Based on previous research, stilbenoid compounds exhibited greater antimicrobial properties at higher concentrations in the tissues (roots, stems) targeted by the pathogen. Therefore, transgenic calli containing higher piceid concentrations are optimal starting material for further propagation and study.

(84) Cone Snail Diet Manipulation. Nicholas N. Sinclair* and Jon-Paul Bingham. Department of Molecular Bioscience and Bioengineering. The genus Conus has long been used for helping to understand and learn more about how venoms can have effects on various systems. The potential amount of venom peptides is dependent on several factors such as species, environment, food type and prey type. In our laboratory we have been studying how diet manipulation can affect the individual peptide composition of the venom. The original dietary manipulation study used a multivitamin and this was intended to show that there were potential differences in venom composition due to variation in diet. In present experiments, we show the specific differences between a diet containing excessive amounts of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and a diet that is “normal” for a long-term captive cone snail. Other recent developments regarding modification of cone snail venom have gone different directions such as behaviorally. In analysis the majority of the data collected on the venom sequence and potential post-translational modifications is done using both a High Pressure/Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) procedure and also Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI) procedure. Here we qualify the changes that occur in expression and peptide concentrations. The Hawaiian Malacological Society and the USDA HATCH (HAW00595-R) funded part of this work.

58 (85) Evaluation of mollusks as dietary sources of iron: heme and non-heme iron content of clams and oysters consumed in the Asia-Pacific region. C. Taniguchi*, J.C. Dobbs, M.A. Dunn. Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. Iron deficiency is the most prevalent nutrient deficiency in the world, afflicting more than 2 billion people. Iron deficiency is characterized by low levels of iron in the body resulting in physiological dysfunction and numerous deficiency symptoms ultimately leading to iron deficiency anemia. Dietary iron exists in two forms, heme iron and non-heme iron. Incorporating foods high in heme iron can increase iron absorption since heme iron is more bioavailable than non-heme iron and is less susceptible to absorptive inhibitors. Mollusks have been purported to be excellent sources of heme iron from sources ranging from Web MD to the New York Times. However, there is limited data on iron composition between species, and it is not certain if all mollusks have the same heme iron content. The objective of this study was to perform heme, non-heme and total iron analysis on a selection of mollusks to update food composition databases and determine if there are variations in iron composition between species. Fresh Manila clams and Pacific oysters were assayed in both the purged and unpurged states. Canned, fried and seasoned blood clams, canned and seasoned akagai, and blanched frozen blood clams were also assayed. Results showed that heme iron ranged from 0.4 ± 0.1 to 3.2 ± 0.3 mg/56g serving in Manila clams and blanched frozen bloods clams. Non-heme iron ranged from 2.1 ± 0.7 to 5.5 ± 0.5 mg/56g serving in Manila clams and canned blood clams. These findings demonstrate significant variation in iron composition between species of mollusks and that not all mollusks are good sources of heme iron. A more in depth analysis of other species is needed to strengthen food composition databases and dietary recommendations for iron in shellfish.

(86) A Discrete Choice Analysis of Consumer Preference for Koa Bowls in Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. Emily Cadiz, Catherine Chan, J.B. Friday, Ryan Peʻa, William Weaver*, and Katherine Wilson. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. The native Hawaiian koa tree is invaluable as a figure of natural heritage to Hawaiʻi. Its’ highly sought after wood is prized by fine woodworkers and collectors across the globe. Koa is the subject of much attention in the realm of forestry restoration and silviculture for sustainable use. It has been assumed that the consumer preference for koa products is for dark colored wood harvested from old growth trees. However, this has not been statistically proven. The objective of this project is to run a discrete choice analysis of consumer preference and willingness to pay for koa bowls in Hawaiʻi. The current status of koa in Hawaiʻi and the utilization of koa production as a key industry in Hawaiʻi’s economy is discussed. The issue of conservation of koa within the context of koa production is also addressed. To employ the discrete choice analysis method, surveys were conducted on Oʻahu with the attributes of price per bowl, wood color, and wood figure (curly vs. non-curly). In addition, a latent class analysis approach was used and determined four different classes of consumers in the surveyed population. Three of these classes found wood color as the most important attribute, while the other class found price of bowl as the most important. Of the three classes that found wood color the most important, only one class (23.4%) preferred dark color wood. This discrete choice analysis provides implications on silviculture and the current adaptive management of koa and how best management practices can be implemented or adjusted to sustain koa for the future.

59 (87) Conventional sugarcane to sustainable biofuel feedstocks: optimizing C4 grass feedstock selection. Jon Wells*, Susan E. Crow, Richard Ogoshi, Brian Turano, Andrew Hashimoto, Jim Kiniry. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Science, Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, USDA Agricultural Research Service. Terrestrial carbon (C) plays an important role in the global C cycle. Implementing agricultural practices that increase C fixation, into both above and below ground pools, will play an important role in mitigating global warming through atmospheric C sequestration. Though current agricultural practices tend to be optimized for production efficiency and not for environmental sustainability, the two need not be mutually exclusive. This study discusses the initial selection process of potential tropical C4 feedstocks and implementation of sustainable management practices at Hawaii Commercial & Sugar (HC&S) on Maui. Preliminary lignin analysis of 25 varieties of potential C4 grass feedstocks, through the use of the copper oxide (CuO) oxidation extraction method, showed that lignin composition is variable between similar species and also varies based on environmental conditions. Thus, lignin changes driven by environmental factors could affect conversion efficiency and further emphasizes the importance of location in biofuel feedstock production. Below ground C storage was also found to differ between species. In three years under sustainable management practices, measured soil C stocks of napiergrass showed a substantial and sustained 29% increase in C compared to baseline. This C increase is expected to improve soil health, increase agricultural productivity, decrease water use, and create a net reduction in soil C emissions from feedstock production.

(88) Ay caramba! Advanced chemical analysis of chili peppers and tomatoes. Jason Wen*, Archana Pant, Theodore Radovich, Koon-Hui Wang, and Jon-Paul Bingham. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. To perform rapid and efficient chemical analysis of large sample sets of chili pepper and tomato samples, novel methods were developed for the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) quantification of nutritional values. For chili peppers, necessary standards were established to enable precise and rapid quantification of Vitamin C, Capsaicin, and carbohydrates within 30 Capsicum variants. For tomatoes, standards were also established for the rapid quantification of Vitamin C, Lycopene, and carbohydrate levels within tomatoes grown locally using three different methods. HPLC analysis methods were developed using advance Phenomenex C18 Kinetic Column Chemistry, incorporating the use of fully automated and precise Waters 2695 integrated HPLC systems interfaced with 996 Photodiode Array Detectors. These activities have cut typical solvent running costs and increased processing abilities – we are presently developing the same technology for analysis of various carotenoids to be used in this project. These novel techniques will continue to provide rapid and cost effect means for the analysis of nutritional values of food sources. The State Dept. of Agriculture, Hawaii, in part funded this work.

60 (89) Characterization of Novel Conotoxins Derived from Milked Venom of Conus obscurus. Rui-Yang Zhang* and Jon-Paul Bingham. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Cone snail venoms provide a largely untapped source of novel peptide drug leads. The venom peptides from the piscivorous cone snail, Conus obscurus, have not been studied in depth since it size and rarity. The chromatographic and mass spectrometric studies of milked venoms from Conus obscurus was undertaken to enhance the discovery phase however arouses a question - is the sequencing interpretation from mass spectrometry reliable? Individual snails were found to lack a consistent set of described conopeptides, but instead demonstrated the ability to change venom expression, composition and post-translational modification incorporation, therefore it was a challenge to dig out the natural conopeptide sequences for further studies even though there were about 6000 peptide sequences published on ConoServer. In this study, we are interested in questioning whether the misinterpreted conopeptides share the same bioactivity as the natural ones because they obey the same cysteine framework. This study would reveal that how trustworthy the mass spectrometry sequencing are in approaches of conopeptide drug lead discovery programs. USDA HATCH (HAW00595-R) in part sponsored this work.

(90) Pan-cancer analysis reveals a panel of clinically relevant lincRNAs. Travers Ching*, Lana X Garmire et al. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Advancement of RNA-Seq technology has recently identified thousands of non-spurious long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNA). Our goals are two-fold: to identify additional biomarkers as potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets and to systematically assess the emerging roles of lincRNAs in cancer biology. From The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) RNA- Seq aligned reads files, we selected 1240 RNA-Seq samples from 12 different cancers and quantify lincRNA expression. We systematically identify six lincRNA pan-cancer biomarkers. These six lincRNAs are significantly upregulated or downregulated in the each of the cancer datasets. We show that these lincRNAs can accurately identify cancer tissue (AUC = 0.95). We then validate these results in four RNA-Seq datasets, including a breast cancer dataset from the University of Hawaii Cancer Center. Additionally, we validate the lincRNA expressions using qPCR in pooled tumor and normal samples as well as the MCF-7 cell line. We further investigate patient survival in breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA), lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and Ovarian Serous Cystadenocarcinoma (OV). We build multivariate cox regression models for these cancers and find overall model significance for each dataset (p = 0.012, 0.0.041, 0.0.013 and 0.010 respectively). By taking a systematic approach to lincRNA biomarker discover, we highlights the emerging roles of lincRNAs in cancer and their potential as diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers.

61 (91) Determining the role of hydroxyproline to the phyla selectivity of the alpha conotoxin TxIC. Michael J. Espiritu* and Jon-Paul Bingham. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Conopeptides isolated from the venoms of conesnails are widely studied due to their potential to enhance the field of biopharmaceuticals and their ability to produce biochemical probes due to their wide ranging activity, strong potency, and high selectivity. Conus textile, a molluscivore, has reportedly produced alpha conotoxins that are highly mollusk specific. Previously we have determined that this level of specificity was achieved largely in part by its inclusion of post translationally modified amino acids, namely trans 4-hydroxyproline and γ-carboxyglutamic acid. The purpose of this study is to determine the specific effects of trans 4-hydroxyproline on the folding and bioactivity of TxIC. By systematically mutating the two hydroxyprolines in the sequence we aim to uncover their contribution to the structure activity relationships (SARs) of the peptide with its most potently acted on nAchRs and by doing so we aim to increase our understanding of the impact of hydroxyproline addition alone to the SARs of TxIC and provide a potential avenue for the reengineering of peptide selectivity within alpha and mollusk specific conotoxins.

(92) Improving Head Start teacher health status and behaviors for enhanced wellness policy intervention effect of the environment for child health. Monica K Esquivel*, Fenfang Li, and Rachel Novotny. Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences Head Start (HS) teachers are a potential leverage point for childhood obesity prevention in classrooms, as they are primarily responsible for policy compliance. This study aimed to test the moderating role of HS teachers’ improvements in their health status and behaviors on the effect of a policy intervention on the HS classroom environment. A 7 month policy intervention included employee wellness activities, a health curriculum, and changes to foods and beverages served. HS classroom environments were assessed pre and post with the Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation (EPAO) tool and teachers’ changes in health status and behaviors were assessed monthly throughout the intervention. A series of linear regression models were used to test the moderating effect. Eleven HS classrooms made up the intervention group and 12 were control. There was a significant relationship between intervention effect on EPAO scores and teacher reported health behaviors and status (p<0.05). An employee wellness intervention component supported HS teachers’ improvements in health status and behaviors and demonstrated a strengthening relationship on the effect of the policy intervention on the HS classroom environment. Future HS policy should include components aimed at improving teacher health behaviors and status to improve effectiveness of policy interventions to improve children’s environment for health. Grant # 2011-68001-30335 United States Department of Agriculture.

62 (93) A comparison of rapid Cardy meter sap test and ICP spectrometry of dry tissue for measuring potassium (K+) concentrations in pak choi (Brassica rapa Chinensis group). Chandrappa Gangaiah*, Amjad Ahmad, and Theodore J. K. Radovich. Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences. Nutritional status of vegetable crops is often monitored by analysis of dried plant tissues, which is costly and often causes a delay between sampling and analysis. Two Greenhouse (GH) trials were conducted at the University of Hawaii at Manoa to examine the accuracy of portable Cardy ion meter (CIM) in determining K+ content in fresh petiole sap of pak choi compared with dry tissue analyzed using standard laboratory methods. In the first GH trial, three algae species (Gracilaria salicornia, Kappaphycus alvarezii, Eucheuma denticulatum) were applied to supply 5 rates of K (0, 84, 168, 252 and 336 kg/ha) to pak choi grown in peat moss based media pots. In the 2nd GH trial, K+ was provided through algae (Eucheuma denticulatum) and potassium nitrate (KNO3) at 5 rates (112, 168, 224, 280 and 336 kg/ha) to pak choi grown in peat and soil media pots. In both experiments, K+ content in fresh petiole sap were analyzed immediately after the harvest with CIM and the dried samples were analyzed at the ADSC laboratory for tissue K+ content. The results from both the methods showed increase in K+ concentrations at higher rates and reaching maximum at 252-280 kg/ha with measurements of 4500–5300 mg/L for sap K+ and 8-9% for tissue K+. There was a highly significant correlation between cardy meter and the ADSC analysis with (r2 = 0.94 and 0.69) from 1st and 2nd GH results, respectively. The data also supports previous research identification of 4500-5000 ppm for fresh petiole sap and 7.5% tissue as critical levels for K content in Pak Choi. The results suggest that the Cardy meter may be used for rapid monitoring of relative potassium status among plants in a population.

(94) The Role of HIF-1α in the regulation of TERT expression in cancer cells. Lauren H. Gardner*, Philip M.C. Davy, and Richard Allsopp. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Tumor hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation in tumor cells due to rapid cell growth, is a common occurrence in cancers. Hypoxia has been found in several cancer types to increase the overexpression of HIF-1, a heterodimer made up of HIF-1α and HIF-1β that is responsible for increased angiogenesis, cell survival, glycolysis, cell invasion, and metastasis. HIF-1α especially is tightly regulated by the hypoxic environment and plays an important role in regulating the stress response of cells to hypoxia. Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), the catalytic component of telomerase, has been found to be overexpressed in 90% of cancers, causing increased proliferation and survival. Previously our group has identified HIF-1α as an important regulator of TERT expression in mouse embryonic stem cells. In this study, we are beginning to elucidate the role that HIF-1α plays in regulating TERT expression in cancer cells and if HIF-1α could be a potential therapeutic target to decrease angiogenesis, cell survival, cell invasion, proliferation, and metastasis in cancer cells.

63 (95) Novel roles of Gαi1 and Gαi3 proteins in colitis-associated colorectal cancer. Ting Gong* and Wen-Ming Chu. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Colorectal cancer is a feared complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Patients with IBD have an increased risk for colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC), but the mechanisms are still poorly understood. In our experiment, we employed a well-established azoxymethane (AOM) and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced CAC mouse model. Unexpectedly, compared to wild-type (WT) controls, Gi1/3 DKO mice challenged with AOM and DSS exhibited increased colonic tumor multiplicity, cell proliferation, Notch1 and p53 expression, NF-κB and STAT3 activation, and increased pro-inflammatory cytokine GM-CSF, IL-6, IL-12 and TNF-α levels. We anticipate that Gαi1 and Gαi3 proteins will act as novel tumor suppressor-like proteins for colon cancer, and that their tumor suppressive effects are mediated by important tumor suppressors and initiators, as well as the novel signaling pathways. We believe that our study will produce breakthrough findings and advance our understanding of the pathogenesis of CAC, thus moving the field forward. Our study will demonstrate that Gαi proteins can act as new biomarkers for human colon cancer. Moreover, new molecules identified from our study might be the therapeutic targets for colon cancer.

(96) Portable Concentration of Agricultural Rinsate Using Electrolysis to Aid in the Detection of Pathogen Contaminations. Eli Horwitz*, Roberto Rodriguez, Ryo Kubota, Trent Robertson, Daniel Jenkins. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, Department of Electrical Engineering. Prevention of potential agricultural pathogen outbreaks is extremely time dependent, forcing modern quality control practices to shift from off-site to on-site testing. This research focuses on the development of a portable pathogen concentrator designed to lower the limit of detection for E. Coli and Salmonella contaminations. The pathogen concentrator uses the gas bubbles generated by electrolysis to both concentrate and expel aqueous samples for rapid testing. The device incorporates a concentric tube design in which the sample in the inner tube is enriched by electrolysis-generated bubbles that float potential pathogens to the top of the inner tube. Displacement caused by built up pressure from electrolysis in the outer tube drives the enriched sample from a hole at the tope of the inner tube and into a collection vessel for testing. The device is controlled using a custom control board linked by Bluetooth® to an Android® application.

64 (97) Hydrogen Sulfide Removal using Biochar. Jarupat Kanjanarong* and Samir Kumar Khanal. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) produced during anaerobic digestion sulfate-rich feedstocks is a highly toxic gas, which reduces the quality of biogas as an energy resource. Biochar, which is the byproduct of pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass, has a potential in environmental remediation due to its large surface area, small diffusion distance and ion exchange capacity. In this study, the H2S removal efficacy was investigated using 1-m tall PVC column packed with biochar. The biogas rich in H2S produced from a continuous-stirred tank reactor fed with synthetic wastewater and sulfate (0.1-0.5 g/L) was passed from the bottom of biochar column with constant empty bed retention time of 80 seconds. The outlet gas from the column was recirculated to the bottom of reactor. The biogas composition was analyzed using GC-TCD and H2S was estimated based on Henry's law. The H2S removal efficiency was greater than 95% with the outlet sulfide concentration of 10-15 ppmv. The H2S removal efficiency decreased rapidly after one hour and remained fairly constant thereafter. Thus, biochar was found to be very effective in sulfide removal.

(98) A Flow-type junction biosensor functionalized with single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) for rapid detection of Escherichia coli K-12. Inae Lee* and Soojin Jun. Department of Molecular Bioscience and Bioengineering, Department of Human Nutrition, Food, and Animal Sciences. Continuous monitoring of foodborne pathogens in food that provides real-time results is ideal for food manufacturers to prevent foodborne outbreaks. A bio-nano combinational junction sensor with functionalized single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) has shown the potential for high- performance biosensing to detect foodborne pathogens. In this study, SWCNT-based junction biosensor was evaluated for continuous detection of Escherichia coli K-12 in a macrofluidic channel and the performance of the flow-type junction biosensor was compared with the static junction biosensor, which has sample-holding platform. Gold tungsten wires were coated with polyethylenimine and SWCNTs, and were fixed a crossbar junction form onto the connector pads with tension to withstand flow pressure. Streptavidin and biotinylated antibody were functionalized at junction for enhanced specificity. Then, the flow-type biosensor was placed between polypropylene tubes, perpendicular to the flow direction. Serial diluted samples of E. coli K-12 in peptone water were continuously pumped at 10 ml/s into the detection zone. Electrical current (I) measurements in response to target binding events at the junction were monitored to evaluate the sensor’s performance for continuous detection. The measured current values dropped down with stepwise junction modification and linearly decreased as the concentrations of E. coli increased (102-105 CFU/mL, R2 = 0.97). These results followed the similar trend seen in the static junction sensor system. Therefore, the flow-type SWCNT-based junction sensor shows the availability for continuous and real-time detection system of foodborne pathogens.

65 (99) Oxidation reduction potential (ORP)-based microaeration system for anaerobic digestion. Duc Nguyen* and Samir K. Khanal. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. The anaerobic digestion (AD) technology shows an immense promise for recovering energy from waste materials, e.g food wastes, agricultural residues, and energy crops. The AD process however, is susceptible to process upset due to the accumulation of short chain organic acids known as volatile fatty acids (VFAs). In this research, an oxidation reduction potential (ORP)– based microaeration system is proposed to scavenge excess VFAs. The performance of the AD reactor fed with Napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum) is compared between anaerobic and microaeration condition. Methane yield and total VFAs to alkalinity ratio are employed as main performance parameters. This study shows that microaeration could act as a potential novel control strategy for anaerobic processes.

(100) Optimization of climate smart conservation agriculture practices in tribal communities of Mahaldiha and Rudhiapada, Odisha, India. Stephanie O’Connor* and Catherine Chan. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. The tribal communities of Mahaldiha and Rudhiapada in Odisha, India are heavily dependent on traditional rain-fed agriculture for their livelihood. Climate change, population increases and unsustainable agriculture practices have resulted in a decline in agriculture productivity for these tribal communities, and will continue to do so if certain conservation practices are not introduced. Conservation Agriculture Production Systems (CAPS) in the form of crop rotation, minimum soil disturbance, and year-round organic soil cover has been proven to help farm communities worldwide increase sustainable crop yields, increase income and conserve the environment. The introduction of these CAPS practices needs empirical evidence so that improvements to the farm communities and livelihood conditions can be supported. The aim of the optimization analysis is to provide information on the potential efficiency of the CAPS relative to traditional agriculture practices. Using a multi objective linear programming model, the economic potential and efficiency of the traditional practices were evaluated taking into account production constraints such as soil loss. Initial results indicate that the communities are operating inefficiently and are only earning a maximum return of around US$400 per annum per household. Model results will indicate a mix of CAPS and traditional practices will be needed in the near term however, practicing CAPS in the long term will bring sustainable economic livelihoods to the study farm communities.

66 (101) Novel regulation of pro-migratory genes by nuclear Src in pancreatic cancer cells. David Paladino* and J. Turkson. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Pancreatic cancer is an exceptionally lethal malignancy with a poor prognosis, and there is little known about the molecular mechanisms that lead to the disease and its progression. Several reports have implicated dysregulated Src tyrosine kinase function in pancreatic tumorigenesis and progression. However, except for the classic role of Src in promoting events that contribute to invasiveness, not much is known of how the tyrosine kinase supports pancreatic cancer progression and the poor response of the disease to therapy. In previous reports, we showed that Src is present in the nucleus of pancreatic cancer cells in association with gene promoter sequences. Mass spectrometry analysis of Src co-immune complex from nuclear lysate preparations from pancreatic cancer cells identified p300 as a novel Src-interacting protein. Chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled to human promoter microarray (ChIP-chip) analysis showed that nuclear Src is associated with the promoters of SMYD3 and HMGA2 in pancreatic cancer cells. Inhibition of Src tyrosine kinase or p300 lysine acetyltransferase activity decreased the expression of SMYD3 and HMGA2 mRNA and protein levels in pancreatic cancer cells in a time-dependent manner and blocked pancreatic cancer cell migration. Current data altogether show that Src in nuclear compartment is physically associated with and regulates the expression of SMYD3 and HMGA2, through interaction with p300. The studies identify a novel Src function through epigenetic regulation of pro-metastatic genes and provide additional potential avenues for developing new treatment strategies for metastatic pancreatic cancer.

(102) Enhanced volatile fatty acids production with micro-oxygenation during anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass. Chayanon Sawatdeenarunat* and Samir K. Khanal. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs) are organic acids with carbons C2-C5 produced during the acidogenic stage of anaerobic digestion (AD). These VFAs are precursors for many high value bio-based chemicals and bioenergy. Micro-oxygenation is an alternative approach that facilitates the biodegradability of lignocellulosic biomass. In this study, series of batch experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of micro-oxygenation on VFAs production from lignocellulosic biomass under mesophilic conditions. Napier grass was used as the substrate and oxygen was injected to the mixture of biomass and inoculum at different dosages of 0 (R1), 7 (R2), 14 (R3), 21 (R4), and 27 mlO2/gVSadded (R5) just before the start of the experiment. The results showed enhanced VFAs production with increasing O2 dosage. R4 showed the highest VFAs production; but it was not significantly different than that from R3. With respect to control (R1), there was nearly 80% increase in VFAs production. This could be associated to an increase in the population of facultative microorganisms and the enhanced hydrolytic extracellular enzymes production during micro-oxygenation. Methane production showed a decreasing trend with increasing O2 dosing. This phenomenon could be from the increase of VFAs concentration in the liquid phase, which would have inhibited methanogens. Therefore, micro-oxygenation is an alternative method that can be applied to increase the production of VFAs from AD of lignocellulosic biomass.

67 (103) Growth performance and economics of raising pastured broiler chicken fed with diet based on local feedstuffs in Hawaii. Amit K. Singh*, Michael W. DuPonte, and Rajesh Jha. Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. Pastured broiler chickens are raised in a portable, floorless cage called chicken tractors which is provided with grain feeders and can be moved over a fresh pasture as required. This farming system helps in raising chicken in a natural and bird’s welfare-friendly way that adds value to the product. The finished birds are marketed as “Pasture-raised chicken” at a higher price due to very high consumer demand for better texture and flavor of the meat. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of substituting the commercial poultry feed with locally-made feed based on alternative ingredients in pastured chicken production system. Altogether 96 broiler birds were randomly allocated to one of two treatments equally with four replicate cages assigned to each treatment. The treatments consisted of commercial pellet feed and locally-made mash feed based on wheat millrun and fish-meat-bone meal. The local feed was balanced with other ingredients to meet the nutritional requirements of broilers. All the cages were considered to be stocked on the similar pasture condition and birds were raised on it for 6 weeks. The local feed was produced at almost half the price of the commercial feed ($0.62 vs $1.21/ kg feed). The local feed decreased (P < 0.005) the per unit chicken production feed cost by 39% in comparison to the commercial feed ($1.85 vs $3.01/ kg live weight) while the feed conversion ratio remained higher in the local feed (P < 0.005) in 6 weeks study period. The results from this study suggest that the locally available feed ingredients can be used to make chicken feed and replace the commercial feed, which will support sustainable and cost-effective chicken production in Hawaii. Further research will help to optimize feed formulation and production, thus efficient daily gain and improved feed conversion in chicken can be achieved.

(104) Supplemental multi-enzymes affect growth performance of broilers fed low and high fiber diets. Amit K. Singh*, Julio F. Diaz Berrocoso, Yueming Dersjant-Li, Ajay Awati, and Rajesh Jha. Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, Danisco Animal Nutrition, UK. This experiment evaluated the effects of multi-enzymes (xylanase, amylase and protease) supplementation at two levels of fibers on overall growth performance based on average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) in Cobb 500 broilers. In total 256 birds were randomly allocated among 4 treatments with 8 replicates each in a 2×2 factorial design. The treatments included 2 fiber levels: low fiber diets based on corn and SBM, and high fiber diets with addition of wheat, wheat middling, canola meal and DDGS. Each diet contained 500 FTU/kg phytase and was supplemented with or without the combination of multi-enzymes, and pelleted for 3 weeks feeding of broilers. The ADG was variable among the weeks while the high fiber increased the ADFI and FCR (feed/gain) after first week to overall study period (P < 0.05). The multi-enzymes combination improved the FCR and increased the ADG in all three weeks and in overall study period compared to control (P < 0.005) while the ADFI was variable. In overall study period, an interaction (P < 0.005) between fiber and additives was found for ADFI and FCR. The multi-enzymes combination improved ADFI (P < 0.005) in low fiber diets and reduced FCR (P < 0.005) in high fiber diets. The results imply that the inclusion of multi-enzymes can assist in optimal nutrient utilization even from high fiber containing coproduct based diet leading to a better growth of chickens while keeping the feed price low.

68 (105) Bioconversion of Food Wastes to Biodiesel and Animal Feed through Insect Farming. K.C. Surendra*, Robert Olivier, Jeffery K. Tomberlin, and Samir K. Khanal. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, Prota Culture LLC, Texas A&M University. With the rapid population growth, urbanization, and industrialization, wastes (solid and liquid) management has become a major challenge both in developed and developing world. Among different waste streams, organic wastes (e.g., food waste and organic fraction of municipal solid wastes, agri-processing wastes, and animal manures) management has become challenging because of its high moisture content and rapid decay under ambient conditions. The farming of black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens) (BSF) on such organic wastes to produce a high-fat (~35% crude lipid) and protein (~40% crude protein) containing BSF larvae could be a novel strategy for efficient bioremediation of such organic waste with concurrent resource recovery. BSF is not a pest for people or associated companion animals. BSF larvae typically consume moist organic substrates and have a short larval life cycle of 14 to 21 days. The lipid content in the harvested larvae can be easily extracted and converted into biodiesel through conventional (trans)esterification reactions. Under optimal feed conditions, 300 to 400 kg of BSF larvae could possibly be produced per metric ton (wet weight) of organic waste with a potential biodiesel yield of 30 to 35 gallon. The larval press cake, following fat recovery, is rich in protein and has a potential to serve as a protein-rich meal for animal feed application given regulatory approval as an animal feed additive. Thus, the bioconversion of organic waste into BSF larvae has significant potential in generating high-value biofuel and protein rich animal feed from negative-value organic wastes with simultaneous waste valorization.

(106) Nutritional value of agro-industrial co-products in swine. Utsav P. Tiwari*, Halina M. Zaleski, and Rajesh Jha. Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. Demand for conventional feedstuffs has increased, not only for human food, but also for bio-fuel and feed for other livestock. This has caused high variation in price and market availability of these feedstuffs. Therefore alternative feedstuffs must be explored and their use in pig diets must be optimized by characterization of their nutrient profiles and digestibility. Three agro-industrial co-products, barley brewers grain (BBG), okara and wheat millrun (WMR), were analyzed for basic nutrients, fiber and gross energy (GE) content. In vitro digestibility was determined using a 3-step enzymatic assay (which simulates the digestion occurring in the gastrointestinal tract of swine) with 4 replicates of each sample digested over 2 batches. All replicates were used to determine dry matter (DM) digestibility while two replicates from each batch of each feedstuff were used to determine GE digestibility. On DM basis, GE ranged from 4824 (okara) to 4073 Kcal/kg (BBG), crude protein ranged from 22.7 (okara) to 11.7 % (BBG), NDF from 42.0 (BBG) to 31.0% (okara). The DM digestibility of okara (74.1%) was higher (P˂0.05) than BBG (61.3%). Similarly, GE digestibility of okara (66.2%) was higher (P˂0.05) than BBG (43%); WMR results were intermediate for most of the profile studied. In conclusion, agro-industrial co-products can be used as a partial substitute for common ingredients used as a source of energy in pig diets, especially for small farms where these coproducts are widely available.

69 (107) Acculturation and Childhood overweight and obesity in American Samoa: Results from the Children’s Healthy Living (CHL) Program. Aifili J. Tufa*, Eric Hurwitz, Rachel Novotny, Marie K. Fialkowski, Fenfang Li, and Aufa’i Apulu Ropeti Areta. Department of Public Health Sciences, Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, American Samoa Community College. American Samoan children are disproportionately affected by obesity, compared to their counterparts in the US. The role of acculturation in childhood obesity in American Samoa is unstudied. This study examines the association between childhood overweight and obesity and caregiver acculturation in American Samoan children. Data from the Children’s Healthy Living (CHL) Program were analyzed for 757 children. Data included demographic, anthropometric, and culture. Acculturation was assessed using an eight-item cultural affiliation questionnaire. Associations between caregiver acculturation Traditional/Marginalized (TM) and Integrated/Assimilated (IA)) and child weight status (Not Overweight/Obese (Not OB/OW), Overweight (OW), Obese(OB)) were examined. Logistic regression, comparing ‘Not OB/OW’ vs ‘OW’ and ‘Not OB/OW’ vs ‘OB’, was used to calculate crude and adjusted odds ratios. In the crude model, where weight status was ‘Not OW/OB’ vs ‘OW’, children of caregivers who were ‘IA’ had lower odds of being overweight compared to ‘TM’ (OR = 0.859, 95% CI = (0..594, 1.243). Comparing ‘Not OW/OB’ to ‘OB’, the protective effect of being ‘IA’ was strengthened (OR = 0.664, 95% CI = (0.462, 0.955). Results were attenuated when controlling for education; however, children whose caregivers were ‘IA’ still had lower odds of ‘OW’(vs ‘Not OW/OB’) than those who were ‘TM’(OR = 0.847, 95% CI (0.6, 1.196)), as did those who were ‘OB’ (vs ‘Not OW/OB’) (OR = 0.707, 95% CI = (0.503, 0.994)). Results were consistent with other studies on acculturation and obesity. Results are important to help guide further research on acculturation and childhood obesity in Am Samoa.

(108) Recombinant myostatin prodomain in treating Age-Associated Sarcopenia. Arthur Wong*, SangBeum Lee, Donghyuck Choi, and Yong Soo Kim. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. Sarcopenia, the degenerative loss of skeletal muscle mass and function due to aging, is a main cause for increased frailty and disability of the elderly, inflicting a high economic healthcare burden. No effective treatment is currently available for sarcopenia. It was thus hypothesized that inhibition of myostatin, a potent negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth, would be a potential new strategy to treat sarcopenia. A study was designed to investigate whether the administration of anti-myostatin agents (recombinant myostatin prodomain, MSTNPro) prevent or ameliorate sarcopenia in a murine model. A recombinant murine prodomain lacking the native BMP-1 protease cleavage site was cloned into a pMAL-c5x expression vector and expressed in E. coli as a maltose binding protein (MBP) fused protein. Affinity-purified MBP-MSTNPro demonstrated its myostatin-inhibitory capacity in an in vitro assay. MBP-MSTNPro was injected twice a week into aged mice (20 months of age) for 3 months. Body weight tended to decrease following MBP-MSTNPro treatment. Grip strength of the control group appeared to be slowly decreasing, while the treatment group maintained grip strength during the experimental period. The percentage muscle mass relative to body mass of the treatment group tended to be greater than that of the control, supporting the improved grip-strength of the treatment group. In conclusion, muscle weights and grip strength results indicate that treatment with the MBP- MSTNPro has good potential for the treatment of sarcopenia. (Grant Provided by the Hawaii Community Foundation – Geist Foundation)

70 (109) Inflammatory bowel disease and IκBα. Can Xin*, Chi Ma, and Wen-ming Chu. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBDs) involves chronic inflammation of the colon and small intestine, and mainly includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Patients with IBDs have symptoms of chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain and fatigue, and are at high risk of colorectal cancer. In the United States, it is currently estimated that about 1 –1.3 million people suffer from IBDs. The cause of IBDs is unknown, however recent studies have suggested that malfunction of innate and adaptive immunity plays a center role in the development of IBDs. The nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) is the central regulation of intestinal immune homeostasis, and it is activated by IκBα kinase (IKKβ subunit). Our goal aims to elucidate how the intestinal immune system is deregulated leading to IBDs by IKKβ. IKKβ deletion was achieved by injection of polyinosinic: polycytidylic acid into IKKβf/f Mx1 mice. Those mice failed to gain weight. Their body size and the size of small intestine were significantly shorter than that of Wild Type controls. Histological examination showed that the small intestine was heavily inflamed with a marked infiltration of immune cells indicating small intestine inflammation. IKKβ deleted mice exhibited extremely high levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the small intestine. Innate lymph cells (ILCs), neutrophils and dendritic cells were found to mainly contribute to the high level cytokines. Based on our preliminary data, we concluded that IKKβdeficiency leads to high counts of IBD essential cytokine producing cells and these cells contribute to the development of chronic small intestine inflammation. Our study may have an important impact on current clinical practice or trails in which IKKβbe a treatment target for IBDs patients.

(110) Development and analysis of a tropical probiotic beverage using water kefir grains. Elyse Bowman*, Qianting Li, C.N. Lee, and Yong Li. Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. Growing consumer dietary needs and preferences for health foods and drinks call for research and development of probiotic products. Water kefir is a fermented beverage made by symbiotic bacteria and yeast. It has mild flavor and is gluten, lactose, and caffeine free. This study aimed to: a) develop a tropical probiotic beverage, b) quantify microbial populations, and c) identify fermentative lactic acid bacteria (LAB) present in water kefir. Dehydrated kefir grains were purchased from two sources, A and B. After hydrating the grains for 5 days, a primary fermentation was completed using turbinado /white cane sugar solution at room temperature for 48 h. With the grains removed, a secondary fermentation was conducted at 4°C for 48 h. The pH of water kefir was measured before and after fermentation. Serial dilutions of water kefir were plated on appropriate agar media to determine total microbial, yeast, and LAB counts. Selected LAB isolates were identified by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. The pH of water kefir reduced from 7.2 to 3.7 during primary fermentation. Sample A had total microbial, yeast, and LAB counts of 7.3, 6.4, and 7.29 log CFU/ml, respectively. Sample B with 7.3, 6.0, and 7.4 log CFU/ml, respectively. Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Streptococcus salivarius were identified in sample A; Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides and Leuconostoc mesenteroides were identified in sample B. In summary, LAB dominated the microbial population of water kefir and produced organic acids during primary fermentation. Previous research suggests LAB species identified in the current study may have probiotic potential. Ongoing efforts are centered on tropical flavor incorporation, sensory evaluation, and shelf life analysis. The tropical water kefir could provide an alternative to other health beverages.

71 (111) Heterologous expression of Rhizobium pydA and pydB genes for degradation of 3- hydroxy-4-pyridone (3H4P) in Escherichia coli. James Carrillo*, Vishal S. Negi, and Dulal Borthakur. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. 3-hydroxy-4-pyridone (3H4P) is an intermediate in the bacterial degradation of mimosine, which is a toxic non-protein amino acid present in the foliage of the tree legume Leucaena leucocephala. Previous research in our lab has shown that 3H4P, which is also a toxic aromatic compound, is degraded completely to pyruvate, formate and ammonia by a dioxygenase and a hydrolase encoded by Rhizobium pydA and pydB genes. The overall goal of this project is to determine the kinetic properties of recombinant PydA and PydB enzymes made in E. coli. The specific objectives of current research were to (i) produce recombinant PydA and PydB enzymes in E. coli and (ii) use them for degradation of 3H4P. The Rhizobium pydA and pydB genes were cloned in the expression vector pET14b to obtain the expression plasmids pET-pydA and pET- pydB, respectively, and these were then expressed in E. coli BL21. SDS-PAGE analysis showed a 37-kDa and a 29-kDa protein bands, which corresponded to the expected sizes of PydA and PydB enzymes. These recombinant enzymes were purified by using the Promega HisLinkTM Spin Protein Purification System. The purified enzymes will be used in bioassays with 3H4P as the substrate. This will allow us to determine the kinetic properties of the enzymes. This research was supported by a CTAHR HATCH grant.

(112) Perceptions of Biotechnology in the Hawaiian Islands. Cassandra Ferguson*, Ania Wieczorek, Mark Wright, and M’Randa Sandlin. Department of Biology, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. The objectives of this study were to assess Hawaii residents’ knowledge of, and general perceptions toward transgenic genetically modified organisms (GMOs), as well as to explore differences in perceptions of applications of GMOs within demographic populations between islands. A public opinion survey was conducted in the Spring of 2014 featuring 16 questions that asked about opinions and favorability regarding GMOs. Descriptive statistics and ANOVA tests were used for analysis of opinion data. Of the 700 survey participants, 32% had read or heard “a lot of information about biotechnology.” Thirty percent of participants said that biotechnology meant “unnatural/altered/modified” to them, and 19% reported that it meant “bad/negative for health.” Respondents from Maui and Kauai significantly differed in mean favorability scores when considering plant applications of GMOs. Kauai significantly differed from Hawaii and Oahu when considering the application GMOs to lower the cost of food. On Hawaii, life-long residents were more favorable toward the application of GMOs to lower the cost of food than those who had lived on the island for 20+ years. On Kauai, males were more favorable toward the application of GMOs to lower the cost of food than females surveyed. Regarding the use of GMO technology to lower the cost of food, life-long residents of Kauai and those who had lived on the island for 10-15 years were more favorable than the remaining residence brackets. On Kauai, females, the typical caretakers of the family, had less favorable dispositions to GMOs, because typically they are primarily concerned for the wellbeing of their family. The importance of this study lies within agricultural education efforts in Hawaii and the general understanding of how various populations perceive controversial topics, such as genetic modification. This knowledge will allow for the development of more targeted and efficient programing that will advance the understanding and future of agriculture.

72 (113) Development of Novel Fluorophore Azide Cyclized Peptide Tx2005 as a Basis for Exploring Biopesticides, Oral Analgesics, and Diagnostics Tools. Theodore Fitch* and J.P. Bingham. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Conotoxin research has yielded numerous innovative research method advancements, molecular tools, and novel peptide analgesic medicines. This project seeks to further this research by synthesizing and determining the bioactivity of several variations of a novel peptide, Tx2005, a conotoxin derived from Conus textile, a molluscivorous organism found in Hawai'i. These Tx2005 peptide variations will have two disulfide cysteine bridges, a fluorophore utilizing several different sizes of linkers, and a cyclized backbone – representing a combined molecular bioengineering feat. This last modification gives these peptides increased resistance to gastrointestinal degradation, thus allowing the opportunity to explore oral delivery mechanisms. It is expected that the differing linker length variants will induce varying levels of bioactivity to occur when tested using an enzyme degradation assay or in vivo animal studies; but, how the bioactivity will manifest itself is yet unknown. The retention of bioactivity could yield an orally active analgesic, an effective molecular tissue probe, or a biopesticide. Laboratory work will begin June 2015 and end in May 2016. All Tx2005 variations will be synthesized via Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis, they will be tested at multiple steps to ensure the correct products are being formed using a Ninhydrin test, High Performance Liquid Chromatography, and ElectroSpray Ionization Mass Spectrometry, and their bioactivity will be tested by checking resistivity to gastrointestinal enzyme activity, selectivity towards particular ion channels, and lethal dose 50 (LD50) on snails, fish, and worms to determine phyla selectivity and potency for a pesticidal model.

(114) Importance of Biochar Ash in Relation to Plant Growth. William M. Thompson* and Jonathan Deenik. Department of Tropical Plants and Soil Sciences. Biochar is a renewable material that can be used to improve soil fertility and productivity, but due to its complex nature its performance is difficult to predict. The ash component of biochar has been proposed as the primary source of nutrients for plant growth and liming to correct soil acidity. The primary research question addressed was the importance of ash contributions to plant growth. To evaluate this we looked at removing the ash component and comparing deashed biochars effect on plant growth to untreated biochar additions. For this experiment 5 biochars with varying ash amounts were chosen; eucalyptus flash carbonization (1.5%), wood chip (2.3%), eucalyptus kiln (2.9%), anaerobic digester (14.2%), and sewage sludge (61.2%). To deash the biochars we used two methods; hot water and acid/base extraction. Using hot water extraction, biochars were submerged in water at 95⁰C for 24 hours. In the acid/base extraction biochars were treated first with NaOH followed by HCl and HNO3. Comparing the two methods of extraction we found that treating the biochars with an acid/base removed ash more effectively than hot water with 31% to 91% more ash being removed. To test the effect of deashing on plant growth, a greenhouse bioassay was installed with untreated and deashed biochars (five treatments each) with and without a fertilizer application. Biochar additions were made on a 2% wt/wt basis to an acidic, infertile Oxisol with 4 replicates per treatment, for a total of 136 experimental units. Corn seedlings were directly sowed and allowed to grow for 4 weeks. Results are presented on the effects of biochar type and ash treatment on corn growth and soil fertility including pH and extractable nutrients.

73 (115) Design and Fabrication of a New Electrostatic Time Resolving Spore Trap. Raymond Hoptowit*, Kelli Katayama, and Loren Gautz. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Historically fungal diseases have been responsible for most of the plant epidemics throughout the world. Estimated to cause a 13.3% crop loss annually which translates to an economic loss of $13.3 billion worldwide. Fungi are ubiquitous throughout nature and are present in the air as spores – a reproductive dispersal vessel that can be an early indication of a fungal disease. For this reason, constant monitoring of fungal spores dispersion is of utmost importance. A streamlined spore detection device was designed and fabricated to help researchers better understand the relationship between weather (wind speed, humidity, temperature, and leaf wetness) and fungal spore dispersion. The designed and fabricated time resolving spore trap incorporating electrostatic particle charging was tested and compared to traditional trapping methods. The size of the spore trap was minimized and constructed entirely of conductive material to prevent wall and electrostatic particle loss. Two interchangeable inlet designs were made to accommodate particles sizes ranging from 1um-10um to 10um-110um. A maximum wind speed of 40 m/s with 6kV applied across the electrodes was maintained to minimize spore damage upon impaction with collection media. The particles were trapped upon common double- sided sticky tape and data logging of weather conditions was done in tandem. Data suggests electrostatic particle trapping at high flow rates to be a viable alternative to traditional spore trapping methods.

(116) Street Fashion Styles in Honolulu and Beijing Influenced by Chinese Culture. Li King* and Shu Hwa lin. Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. More than two hundreds images were collected from trips, blogs, social media, and published images in websites. Culturally influenced images were selected to compare similarities and differences in two metropolitan cities. Fashion design is about utilizing inspiration to provoke thought and to create new trends. This process also incorporates media, music, life style, magazines, fashion forecasts, and street-fashion. In fashion showcases, garment prints with a Hawaiian influence are often seen in high-end fashion designs. Honolulu is a very desirable tourist destination, and is also a gateway to integrated fashion trends between the Western and Asian worlds. As the number of Chinese visitors to Hawaii increases, Chinese traditional designs increasingly influence motifs and garment styles in Honolulu; this will inevitably influence Honolulu street-fashion. This research study helps to verifying and identifying the difference between culture influence by print, fabrication, color, silhouette, length, embellishments, and motifs in usage. It also helps us to avoid mistake and to offend the people by using impropriated design. Currently, the Chinese people are among the largest high-end consumers in the world. China is also exporting a large quantity of mass-produced clothing internationally. China maintains its own culture, yet is certainly influenced by the outside world. This could cause instability for the monopoly leadership of the fashion industry.

74 (117) Control of microrobots using laser technology. Caralyn King*, Sammy Khamis, Leanne King, Edward Nerad, Derrik Trang, Kelsie Yamakawa, Brent Kim, Matthew Savella, Dexter James Barit, Christian Josh Liwang, Gavin Nakai, Brendan Pascua, Reed Villanueva, Bryan Yagi, Mychal Yagi, and Aaron Ohta. Department of Electrical Engineering. The University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM) Microrobotics team will participate in the 2015 Mobile Microrobotics Challenge (MMC). For this challenge, a microscopic bubble no bigger than 500 um in diameter will be used to complete two tasks. The first task requires the robot to autonomously traverse a triangular, circular, and rectangular path over a 3-mm field, and performance is judged based on speed and precision over a set amount of trials. The second task requires the team to manually control their microrobot to move micro triangles from one end of the field to the other end, and assemble the triangles next to one another or the walls. The UHM MMC team utilizes a laser and scanning mirrors to generate the microrobot as well as control its movement. The laser heats up a specific area within the chamber, which creates a heated spot in silicone oil, generating a bubble (the microrobot). The microrobot is attracted to the heat generated by the laser and this attraction is what allows the control of the microrobot.

(118) Trunk injection of systemic insecticides, a viable approach to manage stem and leaf gall wasps, Josephiella species (Agaonidae, Hymenoptera) on Ficus microcarpa in Hawai’i. Bishnu P. Bhandari* and Zhiqiang Cheng. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. This research is being conducted on UH Manoa Campus to investigate the efficacy and longevity of systemic insecticides to control host-specific invasive insect pest species belonging to family Agaonidae (Chalcidoidea: Hymenoptera), leaf gall wasp, Josephiella microcarpae, and stem gall wasp, Josephiella species (first discovered on Oahu in 2012, and currently being described) on Chinese banyan tree, Ficus microcarpa (Moraceae). Chinese banyans are one of the widely grown landscape trees on Hawaiian Islands. Infestations by Josephiella gall wasps result in gall formation on young leaves and shoots, premature leaf drop, shoot death, poor tree health and eventually death of tree. Systemic insecticides imidacloprid and emamectin benzoate, with or without phosphorus acids, delivered via trunk injection were treatments, and 45 Chinese banyan trees were included in this study. Infestations were evaluated monthly till one year and, every other month after one year after treatments. Results up to 18 months post treatments showed that although both of the systemic insecticides are effective against leaf gall wasp, only emamectin benzoate was effective against stem gall wasp. We did not observe any benefit of phosphorous acid amendment to the overall health of trees.

75 (119) Economic Feasibility of Producing Oysters Using a Small-Scale Hawaiian Fishpond Model. Jessie Chen*, Maria Haws, Quentin Fong, PingSun Leung. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center (PACRC), University of Alaska Fairbanks. While studies have long examined the economic viability of oyster industries along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the mainland United States, Hawaiʻi has had no industry to speak of in modern times. With the recent unveiling of a long-absent water quality monitoring program required to classify shellfish growing areas, however, the first oyster farms have been established in traditional fishponds known as loko iʻa. Hawaiʻi stands to become home to a new, both locally-grown and branded oyster product. Considering the absence of any relevant literature on such a product, an analysis is necessary to understand the return to risk, capital, and management due to the unique qualities of growing oysters in this Pacific island state. The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health for example, requires that oysters undergo a 48-hour depuration. The artificial seawater required for this final safety treatment factors into a large percentage of operational costs. Primary data was collected from a small-scale oyster grower and a spreadsheet model has been developed for analyzing the economic viability of such an operation. Results show that net return is near the breakeven point, and is highly dependent on the optimal levels of three key variables: oyster mortality rate, market price, and quantity of seed planted. The proposed three-fold expansion of the current operation has costs reflected primarily in materials and supply expenses. Total costs did not increase three-fold, as a linear relationship would imply, thereby suggesting some economy of scale is present.

(120) Effects of oyster mushroom compost waste on soil and plant health in plant-parasitic nematode infested soils. S. Ching * and K.H. Wang. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. Mushroom compost amendment could suppress root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne sp.) in the laboratory when sufficient organic matter was supplemented. Two basil (Ocimum basilicum) field trials were conducted at Poamoho and Magoon to evaluate the effectiveness of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) compost on suppressing plant-parasitic nematodes, and improving soil and plant health. Basil seedlings with transplant media amended or not amended with mushroom compost 50% (w/w) were transplanted into field plots previously planted or not planted with buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum). These basil plants were then either drenched or not drenched with mushroom compost water extract every 2 months for 6 months. Thus, this is a 2×2×2 split-split plot experiment with 6 replications. A similar experiment was established at Magoon except that yard waste compost (YWC) was used instead of buckwheat. Basil yield was increased by mushroom amendment at Poamoho but was only increased at Magoon if applied along with YWC. Although mushroom amendment and drenching did not suppress plant- parasitic nematodes in both trials, they enriched soil nutrients as indicated by an increased abundance of bacterivorous nematodes at Poamoho. Mushroom amendment along with YWC improved soil food web structure at Magoon as signified by increased % omnivorous nematodes and nematode richness. While field applications of mushroom compost need to be improved to suppress plant-parasitic nematodes, this research confirmed that mushroom compost improves plant and soil health in a basil cropping system.

76 (121) The evaluation of biochar effects at the field and laboratory scale; increases in soil carbon, shifts in microbial community composition and decline in methane efflux. Lauren M. Deem*, Susan E. Crow, Jonathan Deenik, Ryan Penton, and Julian Yu. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Department of Tropical Plants and Soil Science, Arizona State University. The use of biochar, a recalcitrant and carbonaceous material that is produced when organic matter undergoes pyrolysis, to ameliorate soil may increase soil pH, ability to exchange nutrients and improve water holding capacity over time. However, the benefits of increased soil carbon (C) and decreased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions may be more immediate. After year one of a field trial growing sweet corn and Napier grass in a Mollisol and an Oxisol, there was no change in soil pH, moisture content, cation exchange capacity, or crop yield in response to biochar (α=0.05). Soil C was higher in the biochar plots (2.15 and 1.88%) compared to the control plots (1.45 and 1.41%) for the Mollisol and Oxisol, respectively (p<0.001 for both). Further, diversity indices obtained by Illumina 16s sequencing showed that soil bacterial community composition shifted as a result of biochar amendment (PERMANOVA p=0.043). This response of natural bacterial communities may be why a laboratory incubation experiment examining the GHG emissions of biochar amended soils at three temperatures (10, 26, and 37°C), found that biochar may act as a carbon dioxide source in soils but also facilitate increased methane uptake. Another incubation experiment indicated that biochar may be protecting organic matter thus inhibiting the loss of labile soil C. While there are little significant changes occurring due to biochar in the field after one year, there may be benefits due to increased soil C and changes in bacterial communities and nutrient cycling, which may be seen in the field trials on a longer time scale.

(122) Effects of Gamma Irradiation on Phytophthora palmivora. Mark Dragich*, Janice Uchida, Chris Kadooka, Lyle Wong, and Kenneth Kamiya. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, Pa’ina Hawaii, LLC., Kamiya Gold, Inc. Phytophthora palmivora is an Oomycete pathogen that causes fruit rot of papaya both in the field and during post-harvest. A post-harvest treatment that retains fruit qualities for looks, taste and texture that controls fruit rot would reduce post-harvest losses and risk at market. Two types of irradiation experiments were conducted: one measuring spore germination and mycelial growth in perti dishes, and another measuring pathogen growth on mature green papaya fruits. Various doses were applied to P. palmivora in petri dishes, as well as inoculated fruit. 700 gry was shown to be the minimum dose which arrested spore germination and eliminated mycelial growth in petri dishes. This rate on papaya fruit also prevented lesion development. 400 gry doses on papaya fruit also drastically reduced development, and we were unable to re-isolate P. palmivora from fruit treated at 400 gry. For the purpose of extended shelf life, 400 gry treatments have eliminated lesion development for 6 days post treatment. Currently 400 gry is the appropriate dose for purposes of complete elimination of papaya fruit rot caused by P. palmivora, based on three repeated tests, with ten fruit per treatment.

77 (123) Functional characterization of putative extracellular cystatins in Phytophthora palmivora pathogenicity on papaya. Rebecca Gumtow*, Mark Dragich, Janice Uchida, Sebastian Schornack, and Miaoying Tian. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, Sainsbury Laboratory, University of Cambridge. Phytophthora palmivora is an economically important oomycete pathogen that causes root rot, stem canker, fruit rot, and damping off of papaya. Fruit lesions produce milky latex, which contains large amounts of cysteine proteases, including papain. In addition, latex from papaya stems and leaves is also rich in papain. Proteolysis of non-self proteins has been established as an important aspect of host defense. Due to the high abundance of papain in papaya latex and its broad specificity in protein degradation, it is likely that P. palmivora has developed ways to interact with and inhibit papain to facilitate infection. Four putative cystatin-like extracellular protease inhibitors (PpmEPICs) were identified from P. palmivora raw sequence data. PpmEPICs transcripts were detected during infection of papaya fruit tissue, though no significant upregulation was observed. One of these proteins, PpmEPIC-G4, inhibited papain hydrolysis of casein substrate in a dose dependent manner. These results demonstrate that PpmEPICs are expressed during infection of papaya fruit and that PpmEPIC-G4 is a functional cystatin capable of arresting papain enzyme activity. We are currently testing whether PpmEPIC-G4 plays a role in virulence by gene silencing and overexpression.

(124) Potential Impact of Deformed Wing Virus on Honeybee Larval Development. S. Nikaido*, C. Higashi, D. Downey, and E. Villalobos. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. A major factor that has been implicated in honeybee colony losses is the ectoparasite mite, Varroa destructor, which is known to facilitate the replication and spread of a deadly honeybee virus, the deformed wing virus (DWV). Mite levels are known to be correlated with higher levels of viral disease and adult bee deaths, but colony losses at larval stages are frequently ignored. The goal of this study was to compare the levels of DWV with measurements of honey bee brood survivability. A total of ten colonies and approximately 1151 honeybee eggs and larvae were monitored for two weeks. Development of eggs and larvae to the pupal stage were monitored using close up digital photography. The relative levels of DWV in managed colonies were examined using RT-qPCR. Survivorship of eggs developing to the pupal stage was high (+87%, 93% ave.) in half of the colonies and low (<86%, 74% ave.) in the other half. Relative levels of DWV was higher (dCt = 3.99) in colonies with low survivorship vs colonies with high survivorship (dCt = 0.164). There was no DWV level difference in eggs between high (dCt = -4.14) and low (dCt = -3.63) surviving colonies. Results in this study indicate that there is a higher percentage of bee larval mortality in colonies with an overall higher level of DWV.

78 (125) Natural Whole-cell Oil Microcapsules as Innovative Enrichment Diets for Aquatic Live Feeds. Alexander Park*, Zhi Yong Ju, Zhenlin Han, Dong-Fang Deng, and Wei-Wen Su. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, Oceanic Institute. The challenge of food security is pertinent with an ever expanding population. With seafood playing a role in feeding the world, and limited wild catch, aquaculture has been relied upon more and more to meet this demand. One obstacle to finfish aquaculture is that many finfish larvae require a dietary source of the essential fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). To develop a live feed enriched in EPA and DHA, use of an oleaginous yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica, was investigated. A non-genetically modified method was utilized to promote this yeast's natural ability to uptake and store lipid. The factors of carbon- nitrogen ratios, temperature, oxygen levels, and hydrolysis of source lipids, were studied. Identification and quantification of EPA and DHA, via high performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography, revealed that hydrolysis of source lipids and high carbon-nitrogen ratio were key factors in EPA and DHA levels. The method was able to achieve 8.66% EPA and 6.41% DHA of total fatty acids, with lipid up to 27.7% of total yeast dry weight. This may provide a way to produce yeast cells enriched in EPA and DHA that can be utilized in feed for finfish larvae to promote healthy development, and provide a sustainable food source. This research is funded a grant from USDA CTSA.

(126) Naturally Occurring Host Resistance to Banana Bunchy Top Virus (BBTV). Gabriel Sachter-Smith*, H.C. Bittenbender, Scot Nelson, John Hu, and Richard Manshardt. Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) is the most serious disease of banana in Hawaii today. It is vectored by the banana aphid Pentalonia nigronervosa, and both of Hawaii’s main commercial banana cultivars, the Cavendish clone ‘Williams’ and the Pome clone ‘Santa Catarina Prata’, are susceptible. Our objectives were to screen a diverse collection of banana germplasm 1) in the field to determine whether differences in onset or severity of symptoms can be indentified, and 2) in the greenhouse using manual inoculations to determine whether truly resistant genotypes exist. A collection of 43 genotypes was assembled, representing the major genomic groups of edible bananas, as well as related wild species. Six replicates of each were planted at Waimanalo, Oahu, in March 2012. From its installation, the planting was exposed to natural populations of virus-vectoring aphids, and symptom development was recorded from August 2012 until November 2014. Four edible cultivars, ‘Kayinja’, ‘NPV’, ‘Highgate’ and ‘Cocos’, and one wild species, Musa acuminata subsp. malaccensis, displayed low incidence of BBTV over the course of field observation, and have favorable agronomic or breeding characteristics. These five most desirable field clones were also manually inoculated with viruliferous aphids in the greenhouse and observed for a period of three months. All plants were evaluated for disease symptoms, and presence or absence of virus was confirmed by PCR assays. The top performing cultivars have a higher degree of BBTV resistance than ‘Williams’ or ‘Santa Catarina Prata’, and may be useful additions to the diversity of bananas grown in Hawaii to maintain production in the presence of BBTV.

79 (127) Social networks and coupled outcomes in a marine social-ecological system. Michele Barnes-Mauthe*, Kolter Kalberg, John Lynham, Minling Pan, and PingSun Leung. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. Effectively managing the current and unprecedented level of anthropogenic impacts on the marine environment requires a clear understanding of the components of natural resource systems and their interrelationships. Yet we lack essential information on the social behavior of resource users, and how this behavior may scale up to influence system-level outcomes. To understand these relationships, we linked information on fisher’s cooperative information sharing networks to detailed data on catch and effort and economic cost-earnings in Hawaii’s longline fishery. First, we examined network-level effects of homophily – the tendency for actors interact solely with similar others – on rates of shark bycatch, a significant global environmental issue. Second, we examine the role of social capital, measured from a network perspective, on fisher’s economic productivity. We find that patterns of information sharing mediated by ethnic diversity and social exclusion are strongly related to rates of shark bycatch, providing novel empirical evidence that homophily may impede the diffusion of sustainable behaviors among resource users. Our results also indicate that prominent fishers firmly embedded within ethnic groups are significantly more productive than others, while fishers that broker between ethnic groups have a measurable economic disadvantage. Taken together, this research uncovers potential tensions driven by the social organization of resource users between achieving both ecological sustainability and economic productivity, having important implications for management and policy.

(128) Developing a decision support framework to assess soil erosion in leeward Hawaiian islands. Kim Falinski*, Kirsten Oleson, Johnathan Stock. Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Science, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Department of Geography, United States Geological Survey. In West Maui, Hawaii, Wahikuli and Honokowai are watersheds in transition. Many hectares of former sugarcane and pineapple land are currently fallow, and an additional 7,000 homes are slated to be built in the next 15 years. The NOAA-prioritized reef ecosystem at the base of these watersheds is threatened by land-based sources of pollution, including sediments and nutrients. Managers are actively seeking ridge-to-reef solutions to control the erosion that leads to sediment-covered coral reefs. However, there is little data available in west Maui to use traditional methods of modeling that require significant inputs to perform accurately. We evaluated three different approaches to spatial models appropriate for guiding watershed- scale management decisions in Hawaii: watershed empirical models, field geomorphological surveys and remote sensing. We compared four spatially explicit watershed-scale models (InVEST, SWAT, N-SPECT, GSSHA) for use in west Maui. The models were first calibrated using data provided by the USGS for Kawela, Molokai. Field geomorphological surveys were conducted in July and August 2014. We used the site visits to validate modified geologic maps, and created a simple budget using lowering rates available in the literature to construct a sediment budget for the watersheds. Lastly, we used remote sensing to categorize World View 2 data for bare land and impervious surfaces. Although management efforts are usually focused on reducing erosion from hillslopes, our field studies indicate that channel erosion and legacy sedimentation are key sources in the west Maui.

80 (129) Dynamic visualization of microstructural changes in a biocompatible hydrogel with MRI. Bradley Hann* and Kevin Bennett. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, Department of Biology. The utility of biocompatible hydrogels in preclinical research and clinical practice has grown exponentially for the last decade or more. Applications of biocompatible, composite hydrogels include drug delivery, increasing survival of implanted cells, and forming templates for engineered tissues. Typically, chemical techniques are used to measure hydrogel degradation rate, however chemical techniques are invasive/destructive, difficult to perform on multi-component systems, and only detect mass loss from the hydrogel as opposed to structural changes. In this work, we have developed a technique to monitor microstructural changes during the enzymatic or cellular degradation of hyaluronic acid/collagen composite hydrogels that were doped with biocompatible superparamagnetic ferritin nanoparticles. The MRI longitudinal relaxation time (T2) is dependent on many factors, including the aggregation state of the embedded nanoparticles. As the hydrogel fibrils were digested and rearranged, so to were the nanoparticles, causing a change in the magnetic microenvironment that was detectable by T2 weighted MRI. We coupled this non-destructive, real-time data to a model of enzyme diffusion and degradation to estimate the rate of enzyme penetration into the hydrogel and hydrogel degradation rate. We compared the T2 measurements to SEM images of the hydrogel in order to understand the structural changes that were occurring during degradation. Because this technique is non-invasive, it may be useful for longitudinal studies of implanted materials. It may also be useful for tracking the mobility and survival of implanted stem cells or model tumor cells. Currently, we are developing hydrogels that can be heated above the least colloidally stable temperature using RF. The structural collapse releases a hydrophobic drug as temperature increases, allowing simultaneous targeted drug release therapy and monitoring of the therapy.

(130) Identification of genes involved in disease resistance in Acacia koa. Kazue Ishihara*, Eric Lee, and Dulal Borthakur. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering Acacia koa (koa) is a leguminous timber wood tree endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Koa forests have been suffering from a devastating wilt disease caused by the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. koae. To protect the existing and future koa forests from the disease, it is crucial to identify genetic and environmental factors affecting disease susceptibility and resistance. The specific objectives of this study were to identify genes related to disease resistance and also to identify environmental factors that influence expression of those genes. In this study, Illumina-based transcriptome sequencing and Trinity de novo assembly yielded 85,533 unigenes with an average length of 641 bp. Using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database, we identified complete coding sequences of 8 key genes involved in the plant-pathogen interaction pathways and 13 genes involved in the phenylpropanoid pathway, which is known to be associated with disease resistance. To further investigate links between those genes and disease resistance, we inoculated koa seedlings by F. oxysporum and are currently confirming if the genes are induced by the fugal infection and if there are any differential gene expressions among resistant and susceptible koa through nCounter and qPCR analyses. Also, we are currently testing if the key genes are upregulated in response to mechanical stress since our results show that stressed seedlings are more resistant to F. oxysporum than unstressed seedlings with the survival rates of 47% and 18%, respectively. Exposure to wind during early development may induce resistance. The genes isolated in this study may also be used as potential molecular markers for selecting disease resistant koa, and it will contribute to genetic improvement programs for koa. This research is supported by the McIntire-Stennis Cooperative Forestry Program and a Monsanto Graduate Fellowship.

81 (131) Income determinants of out-of-school youth in an agrarian conflict region: the case of Mindanao, Philippines. C. Lai*, C. Chan, D. Dentoni, E. Neyra, J. Yanagida. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Wageningen University, and Southern Christian College. In 2014, the International Labor Organization declared the Philippines to have the highest unemployment rate in the ASEAN countries despite its economic growth rate of 7.2 percent in 2013. Out-of-school youth (OSY), comprising 20 percent of the population, are vulnerable to higher unemployment rates mainly due to their lack of stable employment history and limited employable skills. To achieve sustainable growth and development, OSY employability and competitiveness are essential. International aid organizations are training standard business and soft skills to increase individual opportunities to be employed and self-employed. In conflict regions such as Mindanao, where civil conflicts, natural disasters, and unequal access to limited capital persist for OSY, existing training programs must be customized to be context-specific in order to maximize outcomes. This study uses a Mindanao context in a conflict region, Region XII, to identify the important drivers that influence the OSY (18 – 24 years) decision-making in maximizing their income. 332 respondents from six cities participated. A logistic regression model evaluated individual income as a function of personality traits (need for achievement, innovativeness, risk-taking propensity and independent autonomy) and context-specific factors (gender, training, and loan accessibility), of which independent autonomy, loans and gender were significant for income generation. Results suggest that training programs in Mindanao should reinforce the OSY’s independent autonomy, aim for training environment that is gender balanced and focus on increasing individual capacity to access loans. This study may be applied to training program implementers in conflict regions to improve program design and effectiveness.

(132) Optimization of Waltheria indica seed dormancy relief methods and seed storage parameters. Scott Lukas* and Joseph DeFrank. Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences. Seed dormancy is an ecological adaptation to temporally distribute germination to aid in seedling success. From a crop establishment viewpoint, seeds that exhibit dormancy present a challenge due to low and unreliable germination rates. The characterization of the type of dormancy present and the methods of dormancy relief are necessary to increase production for agriculture or restoration purposes using seeds. In Hawaii, the native shrub Waltheria indica has been identified for expanded usage as a candidate for seed production. It has been determined that physical dormancy is present in W. indica seeds. Methods to relive dormancy consist of hand scarification, dry heat exposure, hot water exposure and mechanical abrasion in an electric drum scarifier. Along with dormancy relief treatments, storage parameters for scarified and non- scarified seeds were evaluated to determine optimal storage conditions and to assess if storage conditions over time relieves dormancy. Results indicate that the greatest dormancy relief (most germination) was achieved with the mechanical electric drum scarifier lined with 80 grit sandpaper for a duration of 30 seconds. Dormancy relief was achieved through the other methods tested, but were inferior to the drum scarifier. Seeds in storage (5C) were not affected by equilibration to 12% or 50% relative humidity over the duration of the trials. Non-scarified seeds exhibited minimal viability decrease over ten months of storage compared to the decline of viability in the scarified seeds. Non-scarified seeds of W. Indica represents the best life form stage for viability retention for long term storage.

82 (133) A Suitability Assessment of Edaphic and Environmental Factors Influencing the Achievability of the Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP) Targets in the Philippines. Rusyan Jill Mamiit*, John Yanagida, and Tomoaki Miura. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. In support of the Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP) with a target to increase rice staples from 15.77 million metric tons in 2010 to 22.73 million metric tons in 2016, this study conducted a land suitability assessment to identify current and potential areas with biophysical and environmental characteristics capable of supporting rice production. This study also estimated the range of production yield that potentially suitable rice land can sustain to support the target. The amount of water supply that potentially suitable rice areas may require is also estimated as well as the possible by-products that can be generated from the suitable lands. The suitability analysis showed that the Philippines has about 2.06 million hectares of land that can be allocated to rice expansion. With this potential for expansion, the necessary yield per hectare to attain the FSSP target is between 3.54 to 4.53 metric tons. Assessed against two most viable alternatives, results show that the opportunity cost of not converting the areas to other non-agricultural uses amounts to as much as PhP 128 billion. In terms of spillover effects, around 56,800 million cubic meters of water will be necessary to support the FSSP target. This suggests that with business as usual (BAU) scenarios with water supply and withdrawal curves, about 93 percent of the water used for the agricultural sector will be devoted to rice production alone if the potential expansion continues. The renewable energy rice by-products, at the maximum, can produce 279 megawatts of power, which can also be equivalent to 1,170 million liters of oil.

(134) Food-related cultural beliefs in adolescent girls ages 9-13 and their caregivers on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. Michelle A. Mosley*, Treena Delormier, and Jinan Banna. Department of Human Nutrition, Food, and Animal Sciences. Both dietary and non-dietary factors are associated with obesity in youth. Cultural factors are among those that have an important impact on weight status, but information on how cultural beliefs relate to adolescent dietary and lifestyle behaviors is limited. This study explored the cultural beliefs that may influence food intake and physical activity in 20 dyads of early adolescent girls aged 9 to 13 years and their mothers on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. We conducted semi-structured individual interviews, which focused on food purchasing, portion control strategies, consumption of school lunch, body size perception, and participation in physical activity. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and examined using NVivo qualitative data analysis software for content analysis. In terms of cultural beliefs, understood to be the guiding framework behind a population’s conscious and unconscious actions, we found that beliefs regarding qualities of food, ideal body size, and school lunch were shared among mothers and daughters. However, while mothers expressed concern for thinness and overweight in describing ideal body size, daughters did not share these same concerns. Participation in physical activity was influenced by family tradition, daughters’ interests, and mothers’ beliefs about what would keep their daughters healthy and active. These findings provide insight to how cultural beliefs influence the daily food- and activity-related practices in adolescent girls. Future studies may seek to further investigate the role these factors may play in determining weight status in adolescents in Hawaiʻi, with findings to be used to inform health promotion programs.

83 (135) College life crossing paths with contaminated technology. Krista Ann Lee*, Q.T. Li, A. Keliikuli, Y. Li, and C.N. Lee. Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. Computers are a necessary tool in a college student’s everyday life. Practically every student owns one. They are available in labs and libraries across campus. Some places allow food, while others provide hand sanitizer. The objectives of the study were: a.) to survey the bacteria population between keyboards and mouse devices; b.) to identify the species of bacteria found. Swabs of a computer’s keyboard and mouse were taken from four computer labs (n = 24). These samples were then cultured on Plate Count Agar (PCA), Baird Parker Agar (BPA), and MacConkey Agar. Bacteria in the samples were enumerated from the three plates via plate count at 48 hours. Growth of the bacterial cultures were found mainly on the BPA and PCA which were then subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing. The bacteria found were Staphylococcus lugdunensis, Micrococcus luteus, and Brevundimonas diminuta. These bacteria have the potential to be harmful due to their resistance to antibiotics.

(136) Active Computing Interface. Kenny Luong*, Kainalu Matthews, and Aaron Ohta. Department of Electrical Engineering. Extended periods of sitting or standing through the course of a day can be detrimental to a person’s health. The Active Computing Interface (ACI) is the solution to this problem. The ACI intelligently schedules exercises and stretches through the course of a day, and provides encouraging feedback to the end user. The ACI system is implemented as follows: the end user has a mobile device (usually a phone), this device can interact via wifi or bluetooth to a computer, and then both the computer or mobile device can communicate to the main server through the internet. Research was conducted for the necessary stretches, and a list of 12 effective stretches was compiled. Currently, two stretches and exercises have been implemented in the ACI system, with feedback provided on the mobile device. These results show that the ACI can intelligently schedule exercises and stretches to potentially provide feedback to the user on a daily basis.

84 (137) Ethnicity and consumer buying behaviors: apparel product country-of-origin preferences among Caucasians and Asians in Hawaii. Asia Joan Mateo*, Hailey Pedersen, and Loriena Yancura. Department of Family and Consumer Science. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of ethnicity on consumer preference for goods based on where they were produced. Using Stayman and Deshpandé’s (1989) framework of ethnic self-awareness, it was hypothesized that consumer’s ethnicity would effect product of origin preferences. Data on consumer preference were obtained via printed and web based survey questionnaires with 13 items referring to purchasing preferences. Participants in this study were 113 Asian and Caucasian college students from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa with an age range of 18 to 24 years. Although price and other factors influence consumer decision-making, the results of this study showed that Asians students are more likely to choose Asian made apparel over U.S. made apparel, while Caucasians qre more likely to choose U.S made apparel products. The findings of this study will help manufacturers market their products to ethnic niche markets.

(138) Regulation of sphingosine kinase 1 and adipose inflammation by Momordica charantia (bitter melon) in high-fat diet-fed mice. Daniella Orias* and Pratibha V. Nerurkar. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. In Hawaii, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders have the highest rates of obesity as compared to Caucasians. Lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise form the cornerstone of obesity therapies. We have demonstrated that tropical functional foods such as Momordica charantia (bitter melon) reduced weight gain and improved glucose metabolism in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Studies indicate that sphingosine kinase 1 (SPK1) is an intracellular regulator of adipose inflammation that precedes systemic inflammation. Since our published data indicated that BM juice (BMJ) improved systemic inflammation in HFD-fed mice, we tested the hypothesis that BMJ will reduce adipose inflammation by regulating SPK1. Male C57BL/6 mice were randomized to four groups: 1) control diet (10% kCal fat), 2) BMJ (1.5% lyophilized juice, w/w), 3) HFD (60% kCal fat) and 4) HFD + BMJ. Body weights were measured three times a week for 16 weeks. Our preliminary results indicate that BMJ significantly reduced weight gain, adipose tissue weights and adipose inflammation in HFD-fed mice. Interestingly, BMJ-associated reduction in adipose inflammation was not associated with SPK1 regulation in HFD-fed mice. Future studies will identify alternate BMJ-associated mechanisms involved in ameliorating HFD- induced adipose inflammation. Significance: Mechanistic studies of functional foods are expected to offer cost-effective treatment strategies to alleviate obesity and associated disorders. Supported in parts by NIFA, USDA (HAW05023-R, HAW00598-H) and NIH (R21AT003719, G12RR003061 and P20MD000173) grants.

85 (139) Visualizing the tissues in which the protein disulfide isomerase genes, PDI9 and PDI10, are expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana plants. Tyler G. Smith*, Brad W. Porter, Chris Y. L. Yuen, and David A. Christopher. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Protein disulfide isomerases (PDIs) are essential enzymes that reside in the endoplasmic reticulum, where they fold and stabilize newly made secretory proteins. PDIs act by catalyzing the rearrangement and formation of disulfide bonds between cysteines in the target proteins. Two PDIs, 9 and 10, are unique in that their two catalytic domains are closely spaced. The objective of this research was to determine the tissues in which the PDI9 and PDI10 genes are expressed in the model plant species A. thaliana. To monitor gene activity, the PDI gene promoters were fused to the reporter gene encoding β-glucuronidase (GUS). The resulting GUS expression was visualized in plant tissues by blue staining and light microscopy. The PDI9 and PDI10 genes were dynamically expressed in specific structures during plant development. In cotyledons of 7- day old plants, both promoters were highly active in stomata (pores) guard cells. Staining was also observed at the base of trichomes in developing leaves of 7 and 14-day old plants. At these younger stages, the PDI9 and PDI10 promoters were expressed in the leaf vasculature, hydathodes, and stipules. In 4-week old plants, promoter activity dramatically shifted to reproductive structures, especially anthers and pollen. Staining in cotyledon guard cells suggests that PDI9 and 10 may function in transpiration during early development. Promoter activity in the secretory structures, such as the hydathodes and trichomes, links PDI 9 and 10 functions to extracellular secretion. In conclusion, this research provided key preliminary evidence about PDI localization and function. In particular, PDI9 and 10 may contribute to agronomically important processes such as the regulation of transpiration, secretion of extracellular proteins, and pollen development.

(140) Increasing Biosecurity from recirculating or biofloc technology systems. Rebecca Barone, Alec Sodetani*, Michael Field, and Harry Ako. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. The disease known as Early Mortality Syndrome is wreaking havoc in the shrimp industry in Southeast Asia. A strategy to combat this disease could be to decrease the spread of disease caused by mixing effluent water with influent water from the ocean. Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) use nitrifying and other bioremediation bacteria growing on biofilters to detoxify water (and prevent high ammonia and nitrite). Biofloc systems use the same bacteria with carbohydrate supplementation to capture waste nitrogen. Target species feed off the bacteria. Biofloc systems claim to require less feed and produce a higher growth. In our laboratory, RAS were compared to biofloc systems. In the first test, biofloc systems used carbohydrate levels that were 25% of feed levels. Feed consumption dropeed and biofloc was consumed by test animals (tilapia). However, simple economic projections prediction about a 1/3 drop in revenue due to a 2/3 drop in growth rate in BFT. Feeding was altered so that biofloc was supplemented with carbohydrate level of 12% of feed. In this case projected profits were relatively the same. It can be concluded that biofloc systems can be made to work without harsh economic penalty. We saw no economic advantages.

86 (141) Gene Expression during Papaya Fruit Ripening: An RNA-seq Transcriptome Analysis. James Green*, Nancy Chen, Ching Man Wai, and Robert E. Paull. Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences. A further understanding of papaya fruit ripening is possible through analysis of RNA-seq transcriptome data. Preliminary data from RNA extracted at six stages of fruit ripening development is being analyzed. The stages were Stage 1: Mature Green, Stage 2: Color Break, Stage 3: 25% Yellow, Stage 4: 50% Yellow, Stage 5: 75% Yellow, Stage 6: 100% Yellow. The gene expression patterns of the 24,782 predicted genes were divided into those genes that showed little changes in expression, genes that increased and those that declined during ripening. A focus of the analysis was those genes that showed the greatest changes during the period when papaya fruit show significant changes in softening.

(142) Breadfruit Corer and Peeler. Alex Yang*, Ryan Ringuette, and Loren D. Gautz. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Breadfruit (or ulu) used to be a staple food in the Pacific due to its high caloric content and large, dependable yields. However, breadfruit has disappeared from island diets due to its short shelf life relative to competing starches. The Pacific Region Breadfruit Initiative in conjunction with the UH business school is trying to bring back certain varieties of breadfruit by producing a gluten free flour from breadfruit. Large-scale commercialization of the flour is inhibited by the time requirement to pre-process the breadfruit (peel and core). We were asked to develop a prototype that would make breadfruit (specifically the Ma'afala variety) pre-processing to alleviate this situation. To provide design guidance, we determined Ma'afala variety is on average an ellipsoid of 14cm x 11cm with an average core size of 9cm x 3cm and is known for its lack of seeds. We tested three breadfruit for peel shear (53N ± 3N) using a Warner-Bratzler shear blade, top puncture force (386N ± 85N) and bottom puncture force (407N ± 90N) using a Magness-Taylor firmness test. The user will stick the breadfruit on the rotating base of the machine; then push a button to initiate the pre-processing sequence. A motor will rotate a threaded rod to move the peeling blade and corer simultaneously. Once the machine has completed peeling and coring, the user would remove the breadfruit and insert another one in its place. This prototype was designed to core and peel one breadfruit at a time; however, it can be adapted to process larger quantities of breadfruit or at a faster rate. The expected peel thickness is 2.5mm and should completely pre- process a breadfruit in 71s. We have calculated this breadfruit peeler and corer prototype will reduce the time taken to pre-process breadfruit and meet the current FDA food code.

87 (143) Extension of supercooled state in beef steak using pulsed electric fields and oscillating magnetic fields as a novel preservation technique. Tim Shafel* and Soojin Jun. Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. Freezing is one of the most popular preservation techniques for a variety of foods because of its ability to inhibit spoilage agents while maintaining the majority of the fresh food product’s organoleptic qualities. Although, due to ice crystal formation and growth during storage at sub- zero temperatures, quality deviations from fresh products are inevitable. Therefore the control of ice crystal formation, or growth, in foods stored at below freezing temperatures is paramount to minimize or eliminate such deviations. In this study, a combination of pulsed electric field (PEF) and oscillating magnetic field (OMF) was used to achieve an extension of the supercooled state in beef steak with an internal temperature of -4°C for up to one week. Because of the metastable nature of supercooled materials, shock-induced freezing would occur in materials while in the supercooled state; however, shock-induced freezing was not observed after the intentional administration of external physical stress to the treated samples. Drip loss, cook loss, texture analysis, pH, color analysis, and lipid oxidation (TBARS) for supercooled beef steak samples were evaluated after 1, 3, and 7 days of treatment and were compared to those of refrigerated and frozen beef steaks held for the same length of time. It was found that the 50% decrease in redness after 7 day storage observed in the refrigerated sample did not occur when the beef was supercooled. Also, the major drip loss due to cell damage which occurred during the freezing process was not seen in the supercooled sample. Thus, the PEF and OMF supercooling procedure was found to maintain fresh beef steak qualities for up to one week, suggesting this novel preservation technique may be utilized to extend the shelf-life and better preserve the organoleptic qualities of fresh meats.

(144) Anaerobic digestion of lignocellulosic biomass using rumen content as inoculum for enhanced biogas production. Shilva Shrestha*, Xavier Fonoll, Joan Mata-Alvarez, Lutgarde Raskin and Samir Khanal. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Barcelona, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan. Lignocellulosic biomass is an attractive and sustainable feedstock for biogas production via anaerobic digestion. However, the refractory property of lignocellulosic components is one of the bottlenecks for their efficient utilization. Since the microbial community in the rumen of ruminants facilitates the degradation of lignocellulosic compounds in animal feed, the use of rumen content as an inoculum could be a potential strategy to enhance biogas generation from lignocellulosic feedstocks. Three anaerobic bioreactors (R1, R2, and R3) were operated to evaluate this strategy for the co-digestion of Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) and cow manure. The changes in the microbial community structure during start-up phase was also studied. R1 was inoculated with rumen content, R3 with a conventional anaerobic digestion inoculum, and R2 with a mixture of both inocula. R2 exhibited the highest archaea/bacteria diversity including hydrolytic rumen bacteria, syntrophic bacteria capable of propionate degradation, as well as methanogens. This is consistent with the rapid start-up and the highest degradation of cellulose (54%), hemicellulose (41%), and lignin (15%) in R2. Thus, the combination of rumen content and conventional inoculum can enhance the biodegradation of lignocellulosic biomass, however, the start-up period should be closely monitored and the use of a co-substrate with high buffering capacity is highly recommended for the efficient digestion of Napier grass.

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(145) Characterization of Conus obscurus Venom: The Search for Novel Bioactive Leads. Christopher Sugai* and J.P. Bingham. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Members of the genus Conus express diverse peptide profiles in excreted venoms used to incapacitate prey. Venom constituents are highly selective in the physiological channels and receptors they act upon, attracting pharmaceutical companies and academic scientists alike in pursuit of new drugs, physiological probes, or chimeric peptide experimentation. Conus obscurus venom has not been thoroughly studied due to the rarity and size of the snail. The purpose of this study is to characterize peptides observed from milked venom and mine for possible novel peptide sequences for further pharmacological, agricultural, and academic studies. Results include sequences generated de novo via Peaks6 from nLC-MaXis MS/MS spectra, data from MALDI TOF/TOF, and folding simulations of sequences from PEP-FOLD.

(146) West Nile Virus NS2B recruits NS3 Helicase to Virus-Induced Replication Organelles to Initiate Viral RNA Synthesis. Alanna Tseng*, Vivek R. Nerurkar and Pakieli H. Kaufusi. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology and Pharmacology, Pacific Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases. West Nile Virus (WNV) remodels the ER membranes of infected cells, resulting in the generation of viral replication organelles (RO). RO comprise the viral non-structural (NS) proteins (NS1, NS2A, NS2B, NS3, NS4A, NS4B, and NS5) for efficient virus replication. The NS3 protein is particularly crucial for WNV replication because it possesses two key enzymes: the helicase that unwinds the double-stranded RNA during viral RNA synthesis and the viral protease, when it is associated with its cofactor, NS2B. The aim of this study is to examine how NS3 is recruited to the RO. To establish whether viral proteins are involved, we constructed plasmids expressing each of the NS proteins tagged with GFP or V5 epitope and co-expressed NS3 with each NS protein in HEK293T cells. Using confocal microscopy assay, we analyzed the colocalization patterns of each pair of NS proteins to indirectly reveal any protein-protein interactions. When NS3 was expressed alone, it was distributed throughout the cytoplasm. When NS3 was co-expressed with other NS proteins, NS3 completely colocalized with NS5 and partially colocalized with NS2B at the ER as distinct fluorescent aggregates (FA), which depict the RO. However, NS3 did not colocalize with NS1, NS2A, NS4A or NS4B. Results from this study suggest that NS2B may play a central role in the recruitment of NS3 to the ER-associated RO. The formation of FAs only when both NS2B and NS3 are present also indicates that the association of NS2B with NS3 may contribute to RO formation. Future studies will explore the direct role of NS2B-NS3 complex in RO formation and ultimately screen for inhibitors that disrupt the NS2B-NS3 complex formation as novel antiviral drug therapy.

89 (147) The effect of spirotetramat against reniform nematode, Rotylenchulus reniformis, on pineapple, Ananas comosus, and tomato, Solanum lycopersicon. Philip Waisen* and Brent Sipes. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. Reniform nematode, Rotylenchulus reniformis is a major pest of pineapple and many vegetable crops in Hawaii reducing yields by 26.8-50%. Damage thresholds are low (300-1000 nematodes/250 cm3 soil) and host resistance is lacking. Management of reniform nematode depends on other tactics. Spirotetramat is a systemic phloem-and-xylem translocated pesticide which acts as a lipid biosynthesis inhibitor. Lipids play a significant physiological role in molting and embryogenesis in plant-parasitic nematodes hence spirotetramant may provide a critical management tool. The objective was to determine if spirotetramat is active against reniform nematode. Greenhouse assays were conducted in which 4-month-old potted-pineapple plants were treated with different rates of spirotetramat 1 month post-inoculation (pi) and terminated at 4 months post-treatment (pt) or 5 months pi to assess plant growth and nematode population. Tomato plants were treated 14 days pi and terminated at 14 days pt or 28 days pi to assess penetration. In vitro assays were also conducted where reniform nematode eggs were subjected to the same spirotetramat rates in vitro to assess hatching. At 200 g a.i/ha, pineapple shoot biomass increased 34.27% and root growth increased 43.05% while reducing the nematode population by 92.65% compared to the untreated control. Nematode penetration at 50 g a.i/ha was reduced 100% compared to the untreated control. Nematode hatch was comparable in all treatments. Among all the spirotetramat rates, 200 g a.i/ha significantly reduced the nematode population (P<0.05) and enhanced the above ground biomass (P=0.05). The lack of effect on hatching implies that spirotetramat is only active through ingestion. Spirotetramat holds potential for management of reniform nematode in pineapple and vegetable crops.

(148) Utilization of carbonic anhydrase-displaying Escherichia coli in the foam bioreactor to capture and sequester carbon dioxide. Stuart Watson*, Zhenlin Han, Wei Wen Su, and Eunsung Kan. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering In recent years, global warming as the result of greenhouse gas emissions has become of great concern. Many technologies have been proposed and employed to capture post-combustion CO2. Conventional methods have the problems of regeneration of spent media requiring additional energy input and expensive operating costs. For these reasons, the carbonic anhydrase enzyme (CA), which quickly catalyzes the conversion of CO2 into bicarbonate ion and a proton, has been studied for use in carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies. This process would solve the limitations of current CCS technologies because it readily converts CO2 into environmentally friendly products at mild conditions. The major goals of this project are to employ genetically modified E. coli to continuously produce and display CA on their cell membranes and to use these bacteria in the foam bioreactor for CCS. The bacteria showed successful growth and enzyme expression as well as high activity and foaming ability in the foam bioreactor. Under pH control and an inlet stream of 0.5-2% CO2 at 1 L/min, the foam bioreactor showed very high removal rates and elimination capacities (up to 93% and 9570 g 3 -1 -1 CO2 per m bioreactor h , at 24 s gas retention time, 4 gdw L and 4% inlet CO2). These performances are superior to earlier reports of experimental bioreactors using CA for CCS. Since the accumulated bicarbonate significantly inhibited CA activity, cyclic removal of bicarbonate in the foam bioreactor was implemented and resulted in sustained high removal of CO2. Overall, the foam bioreactor with E. coli displaying CA has potential as an alternative CCS technology at short gas contact time and mild operating conditions.

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(149) Evaluating the Publics Aesthetic Value for old and new Growth Acacia koa Forests. Katherine Wilson*, Catherine Chan, and J.B. Friday. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. Old-growth forests have always fascinated people and their beauty is often incomparable. In Hawai‘i, eight percent of forested land cover is comprised of Acacia koa (koa) forests. Koa forests are often preserved to protect the habitat for some of Hawai‘i’s rare and endangered species. However, an overlooked additional reason to preserve koa forests, particularly old- growth, is because of their beauty and aesthetically pleasing aspects. To determine the public’s aesthetic value of old-growth koa forests, a contingent valuation survey was designed and administered on O‘ahu to 107 visitors and 310 residents of Hawai‘i between December 2014 and February 2015. The survey asked respondents how much they would be willing to pay to look at an older koa forest rather than a younger koa forest. On average, 89% thought the older koa forest was more aesthetically pleasing and would pay $28.47 and $13.82 while driving or hiking, respectively, to look at the older over the younger forest. A regression analysis determined that respondents who have donated to an environmental organization before, have a higher income, or often take walks in forests had a significantly higher willingness to pay. The results of this survey demonstrate that koa forest conservation can be driven by their aesthetic benefits because people are willing to pay for them. As forests increase in age, biodiversity and beauty often increase simultaneously. The estimated monetary value can be used as justification to invest in old-growth koa conservation that will preserve biodiversity as well. This study’s findings on public’s preferences and values can also be illustrated to forestry landowners and managers and prompt thinking about the aesthetic benefits of an old-growth koa forest.

(150) N- to C-Terminal Cyclization and Fluorophore Bioconjugation – A Novel Approach to Stable Traceable Peptides. Peter Yu* and Jon-Paul Bingham. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. In-situ peptide degradation is a major hurdle to overcome in the development of traceable/visually detectable peptides. The reason being is that peptides quickly loose conformation – by cleavage at various amino acid moieties – rendering it non-functional. Enhancing the stability of the peptide may therefore reduce degradation significantly, allowing it to retain its executive functionality longer. This project aims to stabilize peptides via the introduction of N- to C-terminal cyclization – i.e. the formation of a covalent bond between the amino- and carboxy-terminals. In order to investigate stability, four structurally related but biologically different peptides are synthesized: i) Tx2005 – 18 amino acid peptide found in Conus textile; ii) Tx2005-L – the introduction of a 7 amino acid linker to Tx2005; iii) Tx2005-CL – the cyclic version of Tx2005- L; and iv) Tx2005-FCL – with a flurophore bioconjugated to the linker sequence of Tx2005-CL. The peptides are synthesized via Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis (SPPS) and purified via RP- HPLC. Backbone cyclization is carried out exploring both Fmoc and Boc chemistry. Fluorophore linkage is attained via azide ‘Click’ chemistry. This project is today at the final stage in which all four peptides have successfully been synthesized. Preliminary digestion assay data indicate a significant increase in stability among cyclic peptides. This work in part is funded by USDA NIFA (# 2011-37610-31182).

91 (151) Busy bees: forager traffic and honeybee colony health on Oahu. Zhening Zhang*, Ethel Villalobos, and Scott Nikaido. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. Honeybees were introduced to Hawaii in the 1850's and had been relatively free of pest and diseases, which are common in other parts of the world. However, after the discovery and spread of the small hive beetle and the varroa mite on the islands, the frequency of colony failure significantly increased. Beekeepers responded to this new threat by implementing pest controls methods used on the mainland but colony losses in Hawaii still continue to threaten local honeybees. One aspect of honeybees that remains largely unexplored and may influence the survival of a colony is diet. The pollen collecting efforts of a honeybee colony have effects on individual bee health and also impact brood production. Video footage of worker bees entering and leaving the colony provides data on the seasonal colony strength; reflected in bee traffic, number of pollen foragers, and can be correlated to brood production levels. Bee traffic can be used as a proxy for colony strength and may help provide a quick but reliable indication of possible colony developmental problems. Data on forager bee traffic from 10 managed bee colonies located at the Waimanalo Research Station indicate distinct proportions of foragers involved in pollen collecting by individual hives, which may impact bee brood productivity and colony survival.

(152) Economic potential of conservation agriculture systems for smallholder farmers in the hill region of Nepal. B. Paudel*, C. Chan, J. Halbrendt, S. Crow, T.J.K. Radovich, and G. Norton. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Conservation agriculture (CA) has been promoted as a system to increase crop yields and improve soil quality in Africa and Asia. However, the economic potential of CA systems on subsistence farming systems is still highly debated. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate economic potential of CA systems for smallholder, subsistence farmers in the hill region of Nepal. Due to conflicting farmer’s objectives for maximizing profits and soil conservation, this study used a multiobjective linear programming model for a 3- and 20-year period to determine the optimal acreage of land that should be allocated to different CA systems, namely, CA1 (full tillage maize followed by millet), CA2 (full tillage maize followed by legume) and, CA3 (strip tillage maize followed by millet and legume intercropping) to traditional system (full tillage maize followed by millet). The results show that the most desirable CA (CA3) is feasible for farm types with small (<0.5 ha) to medium land holding (0.5-1 ha) and reliable labor supply. Similarly, longer planning horizon and lower discount rate are associated with higher amount of land allocation to CA3. The potential economic gain by switching to CA3 varies by villages, ranging from 45 to 266% at lower (3%) discount rate and 31 to 225% at higher (10%) discount rate. Finally, it is concluded that government interventions are necessary for encouraging farmers to adopt CA by providing food and input subsidies in initial years to offset the initial lack of economic gain.

92 (153) Impacts of conservation agriculture production system (CAPS) on soil organic carbon fractions. Aliza Pradhan*, Susan E. Crow, and Travis Idol. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. Changes in agricultural management potentially increase the accumulation of soil organic carbon (SOC), thereby improving soil quality and crop productivity. However, it is difficult to detect the changes in total SOC in the short-term because of the large background of stable pools as soil is recognized to consist of multiple organic pools varying in degrees of decomposition, protection, and turnover rate. This study evaluated the effect of conservation agriculture production systems (CAPS) on SOC pools in a maize-based (Zea mays) system incorporating minimum tillage, intercropping with cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), and crop residue management with cover cropping at a research station in the Keonjhar district of Odisha, India for 3 years. A variety of methods was used to isolate carbon pools associated specifically with short-term improvements in soil quality including microbially-active SOC measured during incubation and the light particulate organic matter (POM) isolated by physical fractionation through a combination of size and density. In the 0-10 cm soil depth, regardless of the tillage and cropping system, the presence of a cover crop and residue retention significantly increased the microbially-active SOC. Minimum tillage in combination with intercropping followed by mustard as a cover crop had nearly twice the amount of light POM compared to conventional tillage combined with maize with no residue retention (current practice). The results suggest the potential for improved soil quality and sustained crop productivity in small-holder agricultural systems of India.

(154) Supplemental multi-enzymes and probiotics enhance nutrient digestibility in broilers fed low and high fiber diets. Amit K. Singh*, Julio F. Diaz Berrocoso, Yueming Dersjant-Li, Ajay Awati, and Rajesh Jha. Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, Danisco Animal Nutrition, UK. This study evaluated the effects of multi-enzymes (xylanase, amylase and protease) and probiotics (3 Bacillus spp) supplementation at two levels of fibers on apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients in Cobb 500 broilers. A total of 384 birds were randomly allocated among 8 treatments with 8 replicates each. The treatments included low fiber diet based on corn and SBM, and high fiber diet with addition of wheat, wheat middling, canola meal and DDGS. Each diet contained 500 FTU/kg phytase and was supplemented with: 1) none (control, NC), 2) multi-enzymes, 3) probiotics, or 4) the combination of multi-enzymes and probiotics, and pelleted for 3 weeks feeding. The high fiber diets decreased AID and ATTD of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), gross energy (GE) and apparent metabolizable energy (AME) compared to low fiber diets (P < 0.05). The high fiber also decreased AID and ATTD of all amino acids except AID of tryptophan (P < 0.005). The combination supplement increased the AID of GE and CP, and AME (P < 0.05) compared to NC diet, while separately their effects was intermediate. Significant (P < 0.001) fiber × additive interaction was found on ATTD of starch and AME, showing higher effect on starch digestibility with low fiber diet and higher increase in AME in high fiber diet. The combination of supplements increased the AID and ATTD of several amino acids including AID and ATTD of cysteine, threonine and ATTD of lysine (P < 0.05). The results infer that the combination of enzymes and probiotics can effectively optimize the nutrient digestibility in chickens.

93 (155) Evaluating governance outcomes of marine protected areas along the US west coast. Jutha Supholdhavanij* and Kirsten L.L. Oleson. Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management. The West Coast of the US has the highest number of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the country, which aim to protect marine and cultural resources for decades. To be successful, research suggests that MPAs need to have positive ecological, social, and governance results. While ecological and social outcomes have been documented relatively well, how to assess governance success/failure is a relatively new and uncharted area of research. One particular gap in the governance literature relates to conflict management, and its feedback to ecological and social outcomes. This research aims to evaluate governance outcomes from the implementation of MPAs along the US west coast, with a specific focus on conflicts between marine resource users. Data will be collected using social surveys, participant observation, and interviews with diverse stakeholders, including fishing communities, tourism entrepreneurs, policy makers, etc. Data collected will include management and legal structures and strategies, metrics of participation and representation, and management plan compliance by resource users. This research will identify metrics for assessing governance outcomes, and thus add to the growing literature on MPA effectiveness. It will identify linkages and feedbacks between ecological, social, and governance outcomes. Finally, the research will help to understand and resolve conflicts for common pool resource uses in MPAs and other kinds of managed areas.

(156) Bioengineering of peptide from conesnail to explore its potential as a drug scaffold and bio-conjugation tool. Parashar Thapa*, Zachary Bergeron, Peter Yu, and Jon-Paul Bingham. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Conotoxins are disulfide rich peptides found in the venom of conesnails. Conotoxins are typically about 10-40 amino acids in length, but exhibit many secondary motifs such as α-helices and β-sheets that are normally found in larger proteins. Their high level of selectivity, potency and structural integrity make them prime candidates for drug scaffolds and bio-conjugation tools. Here we isolate and characterize TxIC an 18 amino acid peptide found in the venom of Conus textile, a mollusc hunting conesnail. This peptide is highly post-transnationally modified therefore we explore the implication of PTMs on phyla selectivity and bioactivity by chemically synthesizing the native peptide and its non-PTM variant through Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis. Furthermore we aim to conjugate this peptide with fluorophore without diminishing its bioactivity using Staudinger Ligation to develop an analytical tool that will enable us visualize ion-channels in live cells. Finally we aim to cyclize TxIC to improve the stability of this bioactive peptide and explore its potential as drug scaffold or bio-conjugation tool.

94 (157) Nutritional value of macadamia nut cake for swine. Utsav P. Tiwari*and Rajesh Jha. Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences. Hawaii imports large quantities of compound swine feed as conventional grain based feed are not produced locally. It is therefore imperative to explore an alternative feeding system based on local feedstuffs to ensure sustainability of swine industry. Macadamia nut cake (MNC), a byproduct after oil extraction of macadamia nuts, seems to be a potential feedstuff for partly replacing costly imported feed ingredients. But limited or no information on nutritional value limits its use in swine diets. The MNC was analyzed for its nutrient profile (including fibers, fatty acids and amino acids). In vitro digestibility was determined using a 3-step enzymatic assay (which mimics the digestion occurring in the gastrointestinal tract of swine) with 4 replicates of sample digested over 2 batches. The MNC sample contained 93.1% dry matter (DM). On DM basis, ash, crude protein, crude fat, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, lignin, and gross energy were found to be 3.7%, 25.5%, 11.9%, 35.8%, 28.0%, 16.0% and 5581 kcal/kg, respectively. In vitro DM and gross energy digestibility were found to be 76.7% and 71.4%, respectively. Linoleic and linolenic acid content were 2.5% and 0.2%, respectively. The concentration of lysine, the first limiting amino acid in swine, was found to be 0.7%. Although high fiber content and anti-nutritional factors might be some limitation in the use of MNC in swine diet, its potentiality cannot be ignored due to comparable nutrient profile to conventional feedstuffs. In conclusion, macadamia nut cake is not merely a good source of protein but also of energy with fairly high digestibility in swine. Hence, it can partially substitute some conventional source of protein and energy used in swine diets.

(158) Efficacy of A. tumida traps in Hawaii's honeybee colonies. Jason Wong*, Ethel Villalobos, Scott Nikaido. Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences. The small hive beetle (SHB) is a pest of honeybees, which feeds on bee brood, honey, pollen, and dead bees. SHB populations are relatively high in Hawaii compared to the mainland US and severe infestations can destroy colonies already weakened by other factors, e.g. diseases, varroa mites, etc. SHB control methods can be broadly divided into 2 categories: chemical, which involves pesticide applications, and biomechanical, which includes traps filled with cooking oil, which are considered organic treatments. The potential down-sides of chemical use are the development of resistance by the beetle, possible exposure of bees to the pesticide, and/or contamination of hive products. Alternative non-chemical control methods rely on the natural defensive behavior of the bees, which chase the beetles into the traps. Consequently, the effectiveness of the traps is likely to be influenced by colony strength and by the hive configuration (how many boxes are placed by a beekeeper). Hive configuration influences the space available for the beetles to hide and can cause a decrease in bee-beetle control. SHB population densities were quantified weekly via in- hive traps at the UH Honeybee Project Research Apiary on Oahu and trap efficacy was calculated by comparing the number of beetles in the trap in relation to the number of beetles found outside the trap during colony inspections. Trap efficacy values (% beetles in the trap/total beetles in the hive) were examined in relation to measurements of colony strength, bee traffic (as proxy for bee density) and hive configuration. An increase in in-hive space appeared to correspond with a decrease in trap efficacy. These experiments represent important steps in understanding the complex relationship between SHB and honeybees in a tropical climate.

95 (159) Nitrogen transformations in floating-raft aquaponic system. Sumeth Wongkiew*, and Samir Khanal. Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering. Nitrogen species are considered to be the most important indicator to maintain the balance between vegetable and fish production in aquaponic systems. The understanding of nitrogen transformations is essential to maintain the water quality within the system. In this work, nitrogen transformations were studied on a steady state basis. Pak choi (Brassica rapa, sub. chinensis) and tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) were selected as growing species. Nitrogen transformations and vegetable yields were studied with 4 hydraulic loading rates (HLR of 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 m/d) and 2 levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) in fish tanks (low DO and high DO). Results showed that nitrate nitrogen was continuously accumulated during steady state operation. Moreover, results indicated that a HLR of 1.5 m/d (or higher than 1.5 m/d) significantly produced the largest yield of Pak choi after 37 days of growing within the aquaponic system. These results can be attributed to a sufficient amount of DO in grow beds; providing effective nitrification around the vegetable’s root surface area. Result also showed that nitrogen loss (N2 loss by more than 80% of N input) was relatively high compared with other outputs such as organic nitrogen in whole vegetable biomass, suspended solids accumulated in biofilter and nitrate accumulated in the recirculated aquaponic water. The high loss of nitrogen was attributed to high chemical oxygen demand (COD) in the water, which can lead to heterotrophic denitrifier bacteria and anoxic conditions (low DO) in biofilter. High nitrogen isotopic composition (d15N) of nitrate in recirculating water supports the occurrence of high denitrification in the aquaponic systems. To reduce the nitrogen loss in aquaponic system, higher rate of sludge draining and higher plant-to-fish ratio are recommended.

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