Digital Commons Network^™

Behavioral And Hormonal Flexibility Across Light Environments In Guppies (Poecilia Reticulata), Julia C. Walz

Master's Theses

Behavior may be dramatically influenced by changing environments, and differences in light intensity environments may have important behavioral consequences. One approach to understanding changes in behavior is by studying behavioral syndromes, suites of correlated behaviors reflecting between individual consistencies in behavior expressed within a behavioral situation (e.g., correlations between antipredator behaviors in different habitats), or across behavioral contexts (e.g., correlations among feeding, antipredator, or mating behavior) (Sih et al. 2004a). Guppies (Poecilia reticulata) provide a great model system to study behavior. Guppies are small, freshwater tropical fish that inhabit still pools in swift-flowing streams, and the backwaters of small rivers …

Delineating Wetlands In Serpentinitic Soils, Ariel Nikole Namm

Master's Theses

Wetlands serve an important ecological and functional role in the environment. In order to protect wetlands from degradation, the determination of wetland hydrology, hydrophytic vegetation, and hydric soils is necessary. Soils formed from serpentine parent material on hillside slump blocks do not meet any of the current morphological Field Indicators of Hydric Soils. Although these areas seem to be wetlands based on wetland hydrology and hydrophytic vegetation, there is no approved hydric soil indicator that includes the properties exhibited by serpentinitic soils on these landscapes. The objectives of this research were: (1) to examine soil chemical, physical, and morphological properties …

Assessment Of Microbial Biodegradation Of Mixed Soil Contaminants At The Santa Susan Field Laboratory Using Trflp, Qpcr, And Culturing, Kenny William Croyle

Master's Theses

The potential for biodegradation of contaminants in soil was assessed using an array of molecular methods, including terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP), quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and traditional culturing techniques combined with sequencing of the 16S or ITS regions of the cultured bacteria and fungi. Soil was collected from the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL), which was the site of numerous liquid-propulsion rocket engine tests as well as nuclear energy research and development, which led to contamination of the soil with a wide variety of constituents. The contaminants of interest (COIs) at this site include polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), …

A Multicultural Nutrition And Culinary Intervention For Middle School Students: Pink And Dude Chefs, Phase 2, Jaime Lynn Lockhart

Master's Theses

The prevalence of adolescent obesity in the United States has more than quadrupled in the past 30 years, growing from 5% to nearly 21% in 12-19 year olds. Although obesity has many interrelated causes, a lack of knowledge and practical skill to prepare healthy food from scratch is an important factor. Research indicates that nutrition and culinary interventions based on behavioral change theories may improve mediators of healthful eating in adolescents.

Pink and Dude Chefs, Phase 2, an eight-week after-school nutrition and culinary intervention targeted towards middle school students in a predominantly low-income, Hispanic community, was developed and evaluated. The …

A Comparison Of Fatigue During Cardiocerebral Resuscitation With Different Compression Rates Among Layperson And Professional Rescuers, Christopher Cassidy

Master's Theses

Quality chest compressions during Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) are vital to maintaining adequate perfusion of oxygenated blood to the organs of the body to sustain life. Over the years, the compression rate recommended in Basic Life Support (BLS)/ Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) protocols for the best possible outcome has risen, and with that increase there are questions regarding rescuer fatigue and the effectiveness of compressions. Layperson and professional rescuers, answering to an emergency, both maintain continuous chest compressions until advanced life support arrives. Depending on the location, this arrival time would most likely be longer than the two minute standard …

A Spatial Analysis Of Changes In Recreational Fishing Pressure On The Central Coast Of California Subsequent To Mpa Implementation, Morgan Ivens-Duran

Master's Theses

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are implemented to address a variety of management concerns, including conservation and restoration of fisheries, but few studies assess how MPAs affect regional fishing patterns. Previous research suggests effort will intensify at MPA edges, but few datasets include sufficient pre-implementation data to quantify how MPAs alter fishing effort. We used recreational fisheries data collected by scientific observers aboard Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessels that target nearshore fish species, primarily rockfish. We assessed shifts in the spatial distribution of fishing effort over a 10-year period that includes pre- and post-implementation observations of the California MPA network along the …

July 30, 2014 Cal Poly Report, Public Affairs Office

Cal Poly Report

No abstract provided.

Cal Poly Magazine, Summer 2014

Cal Poly Magazine

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Public Education Website: Building Bridges Over Water, Angelina Mckee

Agricultural Education and Communication

Website created by Angelina McKee to educate the public about water resource issues. Water is the basic unit of life, water resources are the basis for what societies and ecosystems are founded upon. Water shortages and droughts are more prevalent in our ever-changing world. It is no shock that there are discrepancies between various stockholders on either sides of the dry riverbed. This senior project resulted in the development of a website that addresses global water resources, water use in California, water conservation, and water allocation. The website informs the public on water resources and related issues and will hopefully …

The Role Of Carotenoid Cleavage Dioxygenase 4 In Flower Color Of The Allopolyploid Brassica Napus, Leanne Denice Fogg

Master's Theses

Allopolyploids are formed by interspecific hybridization and whole genome duplication, with the resulting organism contains multiple distinct subgenomes in one nucleus. Subgenomic interactions result in massive genetic and epigenetic reconstruction, contributing to variable phenotypic traits noted in newly formed allopolyploids. To better understand these mechanisms in the context of molecular biology, evolution, and plant breeding, plant biologists study the model organism Brassica napus (farmed as canola or oilseed rape). With white-flowering and yellow-flowering progenitors, flower color phenotype of B. napus presents an opportunity to examine subgenomic interactions. CAROTENOID CLEAVAGE DIOXYGENASE 4 (CCD4) is known to play a major …

Proliferation, Migration, And Survival Of Cells In The Telencephalon Of The Ball Python, Python Regius, Thomas B. Bales

Master's Theses

Reptiles exhibit neurogenesis throughout the brain during adulthood. However, very few studies have quantified telencephalon-wide neurogenesis in adulthood, and no studies have performed these investigations in snakes. Quantifying neurogenesis in the adult snake is essential to understanding class-wide adult neurogenesis and providing insight into the evolution of this trait. The thymidine analog 5-bromo-2’-deoxyuridine (BrdU) was used to quantify cell proliferation, migration, and survival in the ball python (Python regius). First, to determine the proper dose of BrdU for injection we subcutaneously injected 50mg/kg, 100mg/kg, and 250mg/kg into 15 adult male P. regius. We found the 250mg/kg dose …

Traversing Swanton Road, 16th Ed., James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

Situated at the northwest end of Santa Cruz County and occupying circa 30 square miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+ years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area for +60 years. This is an early edition of an extensive document by James A. West. Please visit the …

Dreams And Learning, Cody Mebane Gibbons

Symposium

Project Summary: This study is being done to test one aspect of how paying attention to one’s dreams may influence our waking lives. The idea was inspired by research linking the brain processes involved in long-term memory storage to qualities of dreaming, as well as the potential for learning in lucid dreams. It is hypothesized that the more conscious one is of one’s dreams and dream world, the better one will be at learning. In order to test this, the dreaming ability of 300 Cal Poly students will be analyzed via dream questionnaires with the purpose of seeing if any …

Characterizing The Response Of Multidrug-Resistant Klebsiella Pneumoniae Species To The Application Of A Phage Cocktail, Steven Liu

Symposium

Project Summary: The application of bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections is known as phage therapy, which takes advantage of bacteriophage’s natural ability to infect and lyse bacterial hosts. Phages have been shaped by billions of years of evolution to be highly specialized deliverers of bactericidal agents to the cytoplasm of their target bacteria. Ever since discovery of bacteriophages in 1915, phage therapy was recognized as a potentially powerful tool for eliminating bacterial infections. The effectiveness of phage therapy can be increased by creating a mixture of multiple phages to target a wider variety of bacterial strains. Furthermore, phage therapy has …

Interaction Among Gustation, Olfaction, And Vision In Flavor Identification, Michael J. Lauth

Symposium

Even though the senses of taste, smell, and sight are distinct, there is a significant overlap among them in our perceptions of objects that helps us understand and differentiate the world. Everyone has experienced, when his or her nose gets congested, that his or her sense of taste changes as well. Many individuals do not equally understand the top-down processing with taste when someone sees objects they are about to eat. In the replicated study by our principle investigator, a random convenience sample of young adults (n=162) were recruited and tested to determine if they could taste four Jelly Belly …

Connecting Wind-Driven Upwelling And Offshore Stratification To Nearshore Internal Bores And Oxygen Variability, Ryan K. Walter, C. Brock Woodson, Paul R. Leary, Stephen G. Monismith

Physics

This study utilizes field observations in southern Monterey Bay, CA, to examine how regional-scale upwelling and changing offshore (shelf) conditions influence nearshore internal bores. We show that the low-frequency wind forcing (e.g., upwelling/relaxation time scales) modifies the offshore stratification and thermocline depth. This in turn alters the strength and structure of observed internal bores in the near-shore. An internal bore strength index is defined using the high-pass filtered potential energy density anomaly in the nearshore. During weak upwelling favorable conditions and wind relaxations, the offshore thermocline deepens. In this case, both the amplitude of the offshore internal tide and the …

June 4, 2014 Cal Poly Report, Public Affairs Office

Cal Poly Report

No abstract provided.

Cal Poly's 2014 'Great Grads' Make Their Mark On The World, Public Affairs Office

Press Releases

No abstract provided.

Cal Poly Biology Student Wins National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, Public Affairs Office

Press Releases

No abstract provided.

Estimating Uncertainty In Fishing Effort Estimates Using Bootstrapping With A Two-Stage Model, Samantha Nicole Dellinger

Statistics

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Surfactants On Ornamental Roses, Delores K. Rowlee

Horticulture and Crop Science

Rosa x hybrida (rose) is very popular, is a very valuable crop, and requires a great deal of moisture, nutrients, and disease/pest controls. To conserve water resources, the use of surfactants may be an effective method of wetting the growing media. In this study, four varieties of ornamental roses ‘All American Magic’ ™, ‘Passionate Kisses’, ‘Eyeconic’® Lychee Lemonade, and ‘Red Drift’® were evaluated for the use of surfactants to enhance post-harvest plant quality. After months of evaluation, it was determined that ‘All American Magic’ ™ and ‘Red Drift’® had very favorable responses to the use of the liquid surfactant, whereas …

Investigating Meter Scale Topographic Variation As A Factor Of Monterey Pine (Pinus Radiata) Growing Conditions At Kenneth Norris Rancho Marino Reserve, Cambria, Ca, William J. Meyst

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Endemic Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) is limited to three locations in California due to its unique ecological requirements. This project was conducted to investigate spatial growth patterns ofMonterey pine over complex ground surfaces. The coastal hills of Rancho Marino Reserve, Cambria, were surveyed using four 150-m transects to quantify and record ground surface features and growing conditions ofMonterey pine. Changes in elevation of each transect were measured using an Abney level. Linear ground surfaces were found at 86% (344 of 400) of survey nodes. Convex ground surfaces were found at 10.5% of survey nodes (42 of 400). Of …

Biodiversity: A Guide To Agricultural Wildlife, Rebecca Ozeran, Elaina Cromer

Animal Science

We have compiled a list of the birds and mammals that we documented at selected locations on campus. Through this document we aim to offer an easily accessible resource that students, faculty, and visitors can utilize to not just satisfy their curiosity but also spark further contemplation. For each species and for each location, we have also summarized the possible implications of our observations from a holistic perspective. The purpose of this is to get people to think about the way land is managed and what may indicate that it is being mismanaged or that the certain aspects of current …

Developent Of A Phospholipid Encapsulation Process For Quantum Dots To Be Used In Biologic Applications, Logan Grimes

Master's Theses

The American Cancer Society predicts that 1,665,540 people will be diagnosed with cancer, and 585,720 people will die from cancer in 2014. One of the most common types of cancer in the United States is skin cancer. Melanoma alone is predicted to account for 10,000 of the cancer related deaths in 2014. As a highly mobile and aggressive form of cancer, melanoma is difficult to fight once it has metastasized through the body. Early detection in such varieties of cancer is critical in improving survival rates in afflicted patients. Present methods of detection rely on visual examination of suspicious regions …

Optical Properties Of De Vries Liquid Crystals And A Look At Ultra Thin Freely Suspended Smectic Films, Joshua P. Fankhauser

Physics

Liquid crystals exist as a fourth state of matter. They are anisotropic and due to this order, they affect light that passes through them, making them ideal candidates for optical study. By employing a basic technique for measuring a liquid crystal's birefringence and tilt angle, one is able to study a number of other properties such as the electroclinic effect. In addition, smectic liquid crystals have been studied intently because of their ability to create stable ultra-thin films of quantized layer thickness. These thin films have been studied due to the fact that they are an ideal system for investigating …

Fabrication And Testing Of Arabinan Cellulose Nanocomposites, Ross Johnson, Austin Rosso, Nick Semansky

Materials Engineering

Inspired by the structure and composition of cactus spines found in nature, arabinan-cellulose nanocomposites were fabricated into thin films and tested for mechanical stiffness. The composites consisted of varying amounts of nanocrystalline cellulose reinforcement suspended in an arabinan matrix. Both materials are polysaccharides and are known to be biodegradable and food safe. The thin film samples were tensile tested using a dynamic mechanical analysis machine both as-cast and after a heat-treatment. The heat treatment of the arabinan itself resulted in an order of magnitude increase in stiffness, while the cellulose reinforced composites increased roughly six fold. The arabinan-50 wt% cellulose …

Agriview, Summer 2014

AGRIVIEW

No abstract provided.

Manufacture And Mechanical Testing Of Thin Film Composites Composed Of Poly-Lactic Acid And Nanocrystalline Cellulose, Catherine E. Mohan

Materials Engineering

Society’s overuse of petroleum-based plastic products has created a waste problem that is threatening environments around the world. New efforts have been made to find a suitable replacement derived from a renewable source. Poly-lactic acid has become one of the front-runners in this search. It is derived from starches found in potatoes, corn, and other grains. There are many factors that make Poly-lactic acid-based polymers a suitable replacement for petroleum-based ones, but it still suffers from low mechanical strength due to low crystallinity percentages. Doping the polymer with nanocrystalline cellulose provides more nucleation sites for the crystallization of the polymer …

Micro-Irrigation Design For Avocado Orchard In California, Michael C. Meyer

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This project encompasses the design and recommendations for a micro-irrigation system on an avocado orchard owned by Underwood Family Farms in Somis, California. The main objective of this report is to improve the existing irrigation system’s efficiency and uniformity with the new design and recommendations. The analysis includes information about good irrigation practices, irrigation system design and all the processes herein. Although there are many opinions on growing, irrigating and maintaining an avocado orchard, all of the methods, procedures and suggestions must be based on accurate data to provide reliable information to the grower. Evaluating the irrigation system and suggesting …

Sustainability: An Examination Of Trends In The Floral Industry, Emily Gaul

Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration

Sustainability in the floral industry is a constantly changing subject. As more products are created for florists to use in their designs, sustainability will evolve and be redefined. The purpose of this study was to examine the sustainable trends in growing, designing, and marketing within the floral industry. As seen in the companies analyzed, each business plan constitutes a different set of practices that are utilized for the benefit of that company. An applied best practices analysis was conducted on the floral industry’s trends in sustainability. In the floral industry, businesses are shifting away from importing and focusing on local …