Digital Commons Network^™

A Study Of Osteocyte Apoptosis In Mechanically Loaded And Unloaded Murine Tibiae, Josiah Elihu Kessler

Master's Theses

Previous research has provided evidence in support of apoptotic osteocytes playing a role in the bone remodeling process. In this study, we examined the regional and quadrantal variations of apoptotic and viable osteocytes in cyclically loaded and unloaded samples. Left tibias of C57 Black 6 Taconic mice (C57Bl/6) were cyclically loaded for either 2 weeks or 5 weeks, with the right tibias being used as controls. After loading, tibias were resected, processed, and then stained using either a TUNEL stain, to show apoptotic osteocytes, or a 2.0% methyl green solution, to reveal viable cells. Cross-sectional images from each tibia were …

Optimization Of Rfid System Coverage In A Manufacturing Environment, Scott D. Malatesta

Master's Theses

This paper compiles existing ideas, theories, and experiments across multiple disciplines to provide guidance for a company looking to implement an optimal RFID system in their production facility. The desire is to maximize the information received by the system while minimizing the cost. Four potential layouts of RFID antennas, two with overlapping antenna coverage and two with non-overlapping layouts, are first analyzed to understand the special coverage and the number of antennas required. The value of information is then quantified to determine whether higher coverage layouts are worth the additional costs associated with the higher number of antennas required. It …

Building An Assessment-Focused Information Literacy Program For Agriculture And Related Disciplines: A Collaborative Approach, Katherine O'Clair

Library Scholarship

Students pursuing degrees in STEM fields, including agriculture and related sciences, need to develop discipline-specific information skills in order to be successful in their educational pursuits and to meet tomorrow’s challenges in their future work as agriculture professionals. Oftentimes, information literacy programs are situated in general education or liberal arts courses, leaving the discipline-specific courses to incorporate information literacy only when and where possible. As STEM librarians, we know this is not sufficient, but the challenge of building a STEM-specific information literacy program can be overwhelming, especially when instructors have little time to incorporate any additional content into their already-packed …

A Comparative Study Of The Flora And Soils Of Great Duck And Little Duck Islands, Maine, Usa, Luka Negoita, Matthew Dickinson, Glen H. Mittlehauser, N. Rajakaruna

Biological Sciences

Strong environmental gradients and varied land-use practices have generated a mosaic of habitats harboring distinct plant communities on islands on the coast of Maine. Botanical studies of Maine’s islands, however, are generally limited in number and scope. Baseline studies of Maine’s islands are necessary for assessing vegetation dynamics and changes in habitat conditions in relation to environmental impacts imposed by climate change, rising sea levels, invasive species, pests and pathogens, introduced herbivores, and human disturbance. We conducted a survey of the vascular plants and soils of forest, field, and ocean-side communities of Great Duck and Little Duck Islands, ME. These …

Executive Committee - Agenda, 4/19/2016, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Origin Myth In Austronesian Language Speaking Tribes Of Southeast Asia, Cooper Peltz

The Forum: Journal of History

No abstract provided.

The Forum, Vol. 8, Issue 1

The Forum: Journal of History

No abstract provided.

Predicting Changes To Source Code, Justin James Roll

Master's Theses

Organizations typically use issue tracking systems (ITS) such as Jira to plan software releases and assign requirements to developers. Organizations typically also use source control management (SCM) repositories such as Git to track historical changes to a code-base. These ITS and SCM repositories contain valuable data that remains largely untapped. As developers churn through an organization, it becomes expensive for developers to spend time determining which software artifact must be modified to implement a requirement. In this work we created, developed, tested and evaluated a tool called Class Change Predictor, otherwise known as CCP, for predicting which class will implement …

Effect Of Reduced Sodium Cheese On The Growth Of Pathogenic Bacteria And Inactivation Of Listeria Innocua Using Supercritical Fluid Extraction With Co2, Suyapa Padilla Antunez

Master's Theses

Listeria monocytogenes continues to challenge the dairy industry in causing post-process contamination of cheeses. To reduce risk of contamination, it is crucial to understand the growth and survival of pathogenic bacteria in cheese products and to develop post-process mitigation strategies. This study evaluated the fate of pathogens in reduced and regular sodium Mozzarella cheese, and the potential of Supercritical Fluid Extraction with CO₂ (SFE) to reduce Listeria innocua on Mozzarella and Queso Fresco. The survival of L. monocytogenes, Salmonella, and E.coli O157:H7 (2-3 log CFU/g) in reduced sodium Mozzarella (1.62%), compared to regular sodium Mozzarella cheese (2.15%) …

Animals And African Ethics, Luis Cordeiro-Rodrigues

Between the Species

This article is a book review of the book Animals and African Ethics by Kai Horsthemke. I argue this is a brilliant book that gives a clear overview of how Africans see animals. However, I also contend that Horsthemke could have had a more charitable approach to African ideas and explore how an African theory of animal rights can be built upon this.

Executive Committee - Meeting Minutes, 3/29/2016, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Executive Committee - Agenda, 3/29/2016, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

You Can’T Buy Your Way Out Of Veganism, Bob Fischer

Between the Species

Let’s make three assumptions. First, we shouldn’t support factory farms. Second, if animal-friendly agriculture lives up to its name—that is, if animals live good lives (largely free of pain, able to engage in species-specific behaviors, etc.) and are slaughtered in a way that minimizes suffering—then there is nothing intrinsically wrong with killing them for food. Third, animal-friendly agriculture does, in fact, live up to its name. Given these assumptions, it might seem difficult to criticize individuals who source their animal products from “animal-friendly agricultural operations. However, I argue that they should drastically reduce their support for animal-friendly agriculture because it …

Common Arguments For The Moral Acceptability Of Eating Meat: A Discussion For Students, Dan Lowe

Between the Species

This paper is a teaching tool which instructors of animal ethics may assign to students to help them evaluate those students’ most frequent arguments for the moral acceptability of eating meat. Specifically, the paper examines (and finds inadequate) the arguments that eating meat is morally acceptable because it is (1) historically widespread, (2) necessary, and (3) natural. The aim of discussing these arguments is to pave the way for a more fruitful and focused discussion of the canonical texts of the animal ethics literature.

Short Communication: Effect Of Storage Temperature On The Solubility Of Milk Protein Concentrate 80 (Mpc80) Treated With Nacl Or Kcl, V. Sikand, P.S. Tong, J. Walker, T. Wang, L.E. Rodriguez-Saona

Dairy Science

A previous study in our laboratory showed that addition of 150 mM NaCl or KCl into diafiltration water improved the solubility of freshly made milk protein concentrate 80 (MPC80). In the present study, the objectives were (1) to evaluate the solubility of NaCl- or KCl-treated MPC80 samples kept at varying temperatures and then stored for extensive periods at room temperature (21°C ± 1°C); and (2) to determine if MPC80 samples stored at different temperatures and protein conformation can be grouped or categorized together. Freshly manufactured MPC80 samples were untreated (control), processed with NaCl, or processed with KCl. One set …

Effects Of Tick Parasitism On Aggressive Behavior In Male Western Fence Lizards: Geographic Differences In Self-Assessment Capacity, Dylan M. Lanser

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

This grant supported research on the effect of western blacklegged ticks on their western fence lizard host’s behavior. Juvenile western blacklegged ticks, the vector of Lyme disease in California, commonly parasitize western fence lizards. Dozens of ticks may parasitize a single lizard, but what effect these ticks may exert on their host’s behavior has remained largely unexplored. This grant was applied towards this exploration, beginning with the construction of outdoor pens for housing captive lizards in suitable conditions prior to experimentation. Lizards needed to be held for several weeks to allow them to acclimate to a captive environment. Additionally, lizards …

Factors Influencing Hindgut Fermentation Characteristics Of The Leopard Tortoise (Stigmochelys Pardalis): Survey Of The Microbiome, Breanna P. Modica

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

Novel fecal microbiome identification of mature female leopard tortoises (Stigmochelys pardalis, n = 16) fed exclusively one of three, nutritionally complete, pelleted diets was evaluated in a blind, complete randomized design study. Two diets included insoluble fiber (powdered cellulose) consisting of either 2.0 mm or 0.2 mm length. There were no differences in diversity indices (J’ and H’) of total OTUs by diet, with and without unidentified sequences. Analysis of phyla similarity by diet revealed three distinct groups with > 92% similarity. Analysis of genera similarity revealed two distinct groups with > 80% similarity. At both phyla and genera levels, fecal microbiomes …

The Association Between Vitamin A Status Or Supplementation And Hiv/Aids, Mikaela Kathleen Curtis

Food Science and Nutrition

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has infected millions of people since the start of the epidemic in the early 1980s. HIV is the etiologic agent of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which has taken millions of lives. It is extremely difficult for particular populations to receive medication to treat HIV infection and prevent the progression of HIV to AIDS. Multiple studies have examined the effect of vitamin A on HIV infection, due to its immune stimulating effects. It is unclear whether an association exists between vitamin A and different aspects of HIV. This review examined the effect of vitamin A …

From The Berkeley Hills To Bishop Peak: Acquisition And Use Of Land At Cal Poly And Uc Berkeley, Paul J. Michaels

Cal Poly's History: Student Research Reports

From the initial 15 acres granted for what originally was supposed to be a normal school in San Luis Obispo to the now roughly 10,000 acres comprising vast agricultural and natural resources, the history of the land at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is as unique as the students who inhabit it. When high school students first begin to research which university to attend, they may come across a statistic that mentions the acreage of the university and that Cal Poly is “the second largest land-holding university in California, second only to UC Berkeley.” A logical progression of thought might …

Hollywood’S Vietnam: How Critics And Audiences Responded To The Vietnam War Genre, Jennifer Freilach

History

This four part essay takes a comprehensive look at articles published in the Los Angeles Times and New York Times to determine how and why critics reviewed essential films about the Vietnam War. It thereby highlights the trends that emerged in their reaction to them. The first section analyzes critics’ response to Coming Home (1978). As the first major film with direct reference to Vietnam, Coming Home posed a unique problem for film critics. The second section analyzes the second major film about Vietnam, The Deer Hunter (1978). The majority of newspaper critics defended Cimino’s epic against negative claims that …

Weathering And Withering Through The Great Depression: Mcphee's Early Years At The California Polytechnic School, Benjamin K. Aster

Cal Poly's History: Student Research Reports

In 2008 the United States experienced a financial downturn that shook the economic foundations of this country. Unsuspecting homeowners watched helplessly as their homes were lost through the plummeting housing market and consequential bank foreclosures. This economic crisis affected almost all groups of people, including the students and faculty of higher education. In fact, the California State University system narrowly agreed with the California Faculty Association union to a set of furloughs, which amounted to a 10% pay cut for faculty over the 2009 academic year.[1] However, economic depressions are not new to the administrations of colleges and universities.

[1] …

Coeds Come To The Cal Poly Campus: The Return Of Female Students To Cal Poly, Kaylin A. Embrey

Cal Poly's History: Student Research Reports

During the years between 1929 and 1956, women were banned from attending Cal Poly. Women were among the first classes of Cal Poly students, but the crisis that was the Great Depression led to financial strains on higher education; ultimately Cal Poly chose to resolve burdens by eliminating women from the student body. After more than a quarter century of an all-male student population, women were re-admitted in 1956. With such an abrupt reversal in policy, the now coeducational institution faced many challenges. How would the male students respond? What were the expectations of the women students, and did these …

Buddhism, Mindfulness, And Transformative Politics, Matthew J. Moore

Political Science

This article examines whether the American cultural phenomena of the practice of Buddhism or the Buddhism-derived technique of mindfulness are likely to be helpful to the political left. It summarizes the central teachings of the ancient Buddhist texts, with particular focus on the issues of mindfulness and politics. It also reviews the political history of Buddhist countries. The author argues that although modern Buddhism has shed its historical embrace of absolutist monarchy in favor of republicanism, and although there is some ideological overlap between Buddhism and the American Left, Buddhism in America is too small a movement for it to …

Teacher Internship Project - James C. Enochs High School, Michele Marie Schilperoort

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship and project report includes validation documents required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at James C. Enochs High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The internship includes the development of 30 raised garden beds for the Agriculture Department. The supporting material includes information to receive state and local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Enochs agriculture program and community

Graduate Internship Report - Thomas Downey High School, Michael Christian Schilperoort

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship/project report includes validation documents required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Thomas Downey High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The internship included the development of a garden area space to be utilized for Supervised Agriculture Experience projects.

Design And Validation Of A Fall Detection Application For Ios, Connor Lewis Mosley

Master's Theses

Despite significant preventative efforts, falls continue to be a major source of morbidity and mortality among the elderly. Additionally, the fear of falling can be a major obstacle to independent living for otherwise self-sufficient individuals. This fear is significantly heightened in individuals who have sustained a fall and often results in self-imposed restrictions on mobility and exercise, causing weakening in these individuals and further exacerbating the danger. Much time has been spent developing alert systems in an attempt to mitigate these problems. Unfortunately these systems typically involve dedicated monitoring centers and therefore often come with substantial upfront and recurring costs. …

Safe Street Design Recommendations For Downtown Los Angeles, Jayeonog Kim

City and Regional Planning

No abstract provided.

Design And Build Of An Automated Animal Feed Dispenser, Soroush Sedigh

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project discusses the design, construction, and evaluation of automated animal feed dispenser on a small-scale level. The system consists of three main components with various sub-components. Those three components are the outer-casing, the hardware and circuitry, and lastly the code to make sure the hardware operates properly.

System tests have indicated that the feed dispenser is able to provide one week’s worth of feed to the end user with no human interference

Urbanity, The Flâneur, And The Visual Qualities Of Urban Design: A Walk In Lisbon, Portugal, Vicente Del Rio

Focus

The concept of urbanity and the literary figure of the flâneur are a platform for del Rio’s exploration of the visual qualities of urban design in Lisbon’s historic core. Drawings are are used throughout this study since they are analyses in themselves and capture the essence of places more than a photo can do. All drawings in this article are by the author.

Avila Beach: From Funky To Fabulous, Amanda Ross

Focus

Among California’s coastal communities, Avila beach may be the one most defined by its history. Amanda Ross discusses the unique planning and redevelopment process there, starting with the cleanup of a decades-long crude oil spill that had contaminated the soil and led to the reconstruction of its beach and the entire historic downtown. This article reflects part of the activities for Professor Paul Wack’s Plan Implementation graduate class in 2015.