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Thesis advisor: Donald Fishman / During the first decade of the millennium, the world was truly able to see the characteristics of the Millennial Generation. From having to react to September 11th to being active with the election of Barack Obama, the "Awful Aughts" was a time of growth for Millennials. They were able to shape that decade, but conversely, the years 2000 to 2009 will also have a lasting impact on them. This thesis contains their thoughts on their relationship to the "Decade from Hell." / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: College Honors Program. / Discipline: Communication.

Entre os problemas fitossanitários da maçã (Malus spp) estão o superbrotamento e o lenho mole, doenças associadas a fitoplasma. Para o caso do lenho mole, ainda não é totalmente aceito que um fitoplasma seja o agente causal. No entanto, vários trabalhos, usando microscopia eletrônica e enxertia de tecidos, têm apontado para a natureza fitoplasmática da doença. Mais recentemente, um fitoplasma do grupo 16SrI foi detectado em plantas de maçã cultivadas no Canadá e na República Checa. No Brasil, o lenho mole ocorre em vários estados do sul do país, sendo que pesquisas conduzidas com microscopia eletrônica e testes biológicos de transmissão por enxertia também têm evidenciado um possível fitoplasma associado à doença. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi contribuir para o conhecimento da etiologia destas doenças. Para isto, três plantas de maçã com sintomas de lenho mole, cultivadas em pomar instalado na região de Vacaria/RS, foram amostradas visando a detecção de fitoplasma, bem como a sua identificação e posterior classificação. Para detecção, foi empregada a técnica de PCR duplo com os oligonucleotídeos R16mF2/mR1 e R16F2n/R2. A identificação foi através de PCR com os oligonucleotídeos R16(III) F2/R1 e da técnica de RFLP com as enzimas de restrição AluI, HhaI, KpnI, HinfI, HpaII, MseI, RsaI e Sau3AI. Os resultados mostraram a presença de fitoplasma em 29 das 54 amostras coletadas durante o ano de 2000. As amostras de ramos e raízes coletadas no período de janeiro - abril e setembro - outubro apresentaram consistentemente fitoplasma em seus tecidos. Nas amostras colhidas em junho - agosto não houve detecção do microrganismo. A identificação molecular revelou que o fitoplasma presente em plantas sintomáticas pertencia ao grupo 16SrIII, sendo os resultados de PCR confirmados pela aplicação de RFLP. As análises de RFLP permitiram também determinar que este fitoplasma é, possivelmente, um membro do sub-grupo B. A constatação de um fitoplasma de grupo 16SrIII associado ao lenho mole em plantas de maçã cultivadas no Brasil, reforça as evidências relatadas em outros trabalhos, de que um fitoplasma seja o agente causal da doença. O fato de um fitoplasma diverso do grupo 16SrI estar associado ao lenho mole no Brasil pode ser justificado pela diversidade destes molicutes, em função da região geográfica e da variedade do hospedeiro. / The proliferation and rubbery wood diseases which are associated with phytoplasma are some of the diseases that occur in apple trees (Malus spp). In the case of rubbery wood disease, phytoplasm is not totally accepted as its causal agent. However, several researches by using electron microscopy and tissue grafting, have been able to show the phytoplasma associated with that disease. Recently, a phytoplasma from group 16SrI was detected in apple plants grown in Canada and Czech Republic. In Brazil, rubbery wood occurs in several states of the south region. Results obtained through electron microscopy and transmission biological tests using grafiting have shown a possible phytoplasma associated to the disease. The purpose of the present work was to contribute for the knowledge of that disease aetiology. Thus tissue samples from three apple plants exhibiting rubbery wood symptoms, grown at an orchard installed in the region of Vacaria/RS, were obtaind for phytoplasma detection, identification and classification. Nested PCR technique with R16mF2/mR1 and R16F2n/R2 primers was emploed to detect phytoplasma. PCR with R16(III) F2/R1 primers and RFLP technique with the restriction enzymes Alu I, Hha I, Kpn I, Hinf I, Hpa II, Mse I, Rsa I and Sau 3AI were used to phytoplasma indentification. The results showed that phytoplasma occurred in 29 of the 54 samples collected in the year of 2000. Branches and root samples obtained from January to April and from September to October exhibited phytoplasma in their tissues. In tissue samples collected from June to August, the microorganism has not been detected. The molecular identification revealed that the phytoplasm from symptomatic plants belonged to the group 16SrIII and the PCR results were confirmed by RFLP technique. Based upon the RFLP analyses it can be suggested that this phyoplasma is a member of the sub-group B. The occurrence of a phytoplasm of group 16SrIII associated to rubbery wood in apple plants grown in Brazil, reinforces the evidences related in other works, that a phytoplasm is the causal agent of that disease. The fact that a phytoplasm diferent from 16SrI group is associated to rubbery wood diseases in Brazil can be justified for the diversity of these mollicutes, due to geographical area and host.

Orientador: Rogério Lopes Vieites / Banca: Erica Fujita / Banca: Erica Regina Daiuto Bastos / Resumo: O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar as modificações na qualidade de maçãs cv. Eva orgânica submetida ao tratamento pós-colheita com cloreto de cálcio. O experimento dói conduzido com maçãs produzidas no município de Botucatu -SP. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizados, em esquema fatorial 5x5 com 3 repetições por dia de análise. Os frutos foram imersos por 15 minutos em CaCl2, constituindo assim os tratamentos: Controle (imersão em água); CaCl2 à 1%; CaCl2 à 1,5%; CaCl2 à 2%; CaCl2 à 2,5%. Posteriormente, os frutos foram acondicionados em bandejas e armazenados em BOD. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizados, em esquema fatorial 5x5 com 3 repetições por dia de análise e comparados pelo teste de Tukey a 5%. Os frutos foram analisados no dia zero e a cada cinco dias até o 20° dia de armazenamento. Foram analisados quanto a perda de massa e a taxa de respiração, Coloração da casca e da polpa, pH, Acidez tiutlável (AT), sólidos solúveis, índice de maturação, atividade antioxidante pelo método DPPH, compostos fenólicos totais e vida de prateleira. Os tratamentos com cloreto de cálcio não influenciaram nos teores de sólidos solúveis, pH ,acidez total titulável, no índice de maturação, cloração da casca e da polpa, compostos fenólicos. Os frutos imersos em cloreto de cálcio apresentaram uma menor perda de massa e taxa respiratória que o tratamento controle. A imersão dos frutos em cloreto de cálcio aumentou o período de conservação / Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of calcium chloride (CaCl2) applied in the apple cv. Eva on postharvest .The experiment was conducted with apples, produced in the city of Botucatu - SP- Brazil. The experiment consisted of the immersion of the fruits in different concentrations of CaCl2 (1,0%, 1,5%, 2,0%) for 15 minutes and one control (dipping in water). Whole fruits after the treatments were placed in polystyrene trays, stored in B.O.D. for 20 days. The experimental design was completely randomized factorial. In Experiment, we used 5 x 5 (treatments x days of storage), by comparing the means with Tukey test in a ratio of 5% probability. Analyses were performed with an interval of 5 days on the following parameters: color, regarding fresh mass loss, soluble solids, total titratable acidity, pH, respiratory activity, 'Ratio', antioxidant activity (DPPH) and phenolic compounds. The immersion in calcium chloride of apple fruit obtained a least loss of fresh and provided better preservation of apple fruits without interfering in the quality characteristics / Mestre

The goal of this Project was to monitor and measure ongoing changes in the geomorphology of one reach of The Desert Knolls Wash (DKW), an unstable ephemeral stream channel in Apple Valley, California. The DKW flows into the Mojave River just upstream of the Upper Mojave Narrows, a historic site that has been the focus of recorded human activity in the region since 1776. Two surveyed cross-sections were established for three periods of time between November 2012 and November 2014 which were to be re-measured after significant flows. However, owing to the persistent drought in the location, there were no significant changes observed. Aerial photos from 1938 to 2005 and historic photos from 1919 covering the DKW were studied to note the increase in urban density. The project has established baseline field measurements to document the magnitude and timing of the ongoing channel changes as well as predict what will happen over the next two decades if measures are not taken to stabilize the channel permanently.

Speciation is the process by which life diversifies into discrete forms, and understanding its underlying mechanisms remains a primary focus for biologists. Increasingly, empirical studies are helping explain the role of ecology in generating biodiversity. Adaptive radiations are often propelled by selective fitness tradeoffs experienced by individuals that invade new habitats, resulting in reproductive isolation from ancestral conspecifics and potentially cladogenesis. Host specialist insects are among the most speciose organisms known and serve as highly useful models for studying adaptive radiations. We are just beginning to understand the pace and degree with which these insects diversify. The apple maggot, Rhagoletis pomonella, is a well-studied insect whose eastern and southern populations are models for ecological speciation. Recently (40–65 ya), the fly has invaded the Pacific Northwestern United States through human-transported apples infested with larvae. There, populations of R. pomonella have rapidly colonized two novel hawthorn hosts whose fruiting times bracket apple’s (early-season native Crataegus douglasii and introduced C. monogyna, which fruits late in the season). The recent introduction might initiate host shifts, providing opportunities to examine the pace and mechanistic means with which host races (an evolutionary stage preceding speciation) become established. Here, I demonstrate that host-associated populations at a site in southwest Washington are partially allochronically isolated from one another, and life cycles temporally match with natal host fruit ripening times in sympatry. If spatially widespread, these temporal barriers could result in reproductive isolation and possibly cladogenesis. Implications of these findings reach beyond academic import, as R. pomonella is expanding not only its host range, but its geographic range is encroaching upon central Washington, the site of a multi-billion dollar per year apple-growing industry.