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Hydric Physiology Of Lizards, Savannah Weaver

Master's Theses

Chapter 1: Animals can respond to extreme climate by behaviorally avoiding it, or by physiologically coping with it. We understand behavioral thermoregulation and physiological thermal tolerances, but water balance has largely been neglected. Climate change includes both global warming and changes in precipitation regimes, so improving our understanding of organismal water balance is increasingly urgent. We assessed the hydric physiology of endangered Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizards (Gambelia sila) by measuring cutaneous evaporative water loss (CEWL), plasma osmolality, body mass, and body condition throughout their active season. On average, G. sila had low CEWL that is likely desert-adaptive, and high …

Analyzing Robustness Of An Agent Based Model On Action Potentials In Cardiac Tissue, Marion Jon Zollinger Lara

Master's Theses

An agent based model (ABM) is a computational model with ``agents'' that interact with each other in an ``environment.'' This paper analyzes a particular ABM simulating individual ions in cardiac tissue, with the goal of modelling the strength and consistency of the electrical signals needed for a healthy heartbeat. We build several frameworks based on work by M. A. Yereniuk and S. D. Olson to demonstrate robustness of the original model. We conclude a moderate level of robustness using those frameworks, through a combination of proofs and empirical evidence.

Mmf-Drl: Multimodal Fusion-Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach With Domain-Specific Features For Classifying Time Series Data, Asmita Sharma

Master's Theses

This research focuses on addressing two pertinent problems in machine learning (ML) which are (a) the supervised classification of time series and (b) the need for large amounts of labeled images for training supervised classifiers. The novel contributions are two-fold. The first problem of time series classification is addressed by proposing to transform time series into domain-specific 2D features such as scalograms and recurrence plot (RP) images. The second problem which is the need for large amounts of labeled image data, is tackled by proposing a new way of using a reinforcement learning (RL) technique as a supervised classifier by …

Effects Of Intertidal Position On The Response To Oxygen And Desiccation Stress In The Common Acorn Barnacle, Balanus Glandula, Megan M. Dotterweich

Master's Theses

Sessile invertebrates in the rocky intertidal experience intermittent periods of air exposure due to tidal flux, presenting risks of temperature extremes, hypoxia, nutrient limitation, and most dangerously, desiccation. Microscale variation in severity and frequency of these risks is widely dependent on vertical position within the intertidal zone. Common acorn barnacles (Balanus glandula) have a wide vertical distribution in the intertidal, creating large differences in microhabitat between the highest and lowest individuals in the population. This study set out to explore whether tidal position dependent differences exist in the response to oxygen and desiccation stress in B. glandula. …

Development Of Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Knock Out Protocol For Drug Substance Assay Development, Julia C. Hanna

Master's Theses

Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome (WAS) is a rare X-linked primary immunodeficiency affecting approximately 1 in 100,000 live XY births in North America and is caused by a mutation to the WAS gene which is expressed across hematopoietic lineages. The WAS protein (WASp) plays a role in regulating actin polymerization. On a cellular level, there are a variety of effects of a lack of WASp or expression of a dysfunctional WASp protein for patients including issues with migration, adhesion, chemotactic response, phagocytosis, activation, and proliferation across different cell types in addition to reduced platelet size and output. This can lead to several systematic …

Documenting Tetranychus Urticae And Lygus Hesperus Resistance Status In California Strawberries, Kiley William Jensen

Master's Theses

The resistance status of Tetranychus urticae Koch and Lygus hesperus Knight sourced from California strawberry fields was evaluated in laboratory bioassay experiments. Adult female T. urticae sourced from a miticide naïve population were exposed to a range of miticide active ingredient concentrations mixed with acetone in contact bioassay experiments. LC₅₀ concentrations for the active ingredients fenpyroximate, abamectin, bifenazate, and spiromesifen as well as LC₉₀ concentrations for the active ingredients fenpyroximate, abamectin, and bifenazate were derived from this susceptible population. A total of ten field populations of T. urticae, five from the Santa Maria growing region and five …

​ Soilborne Pathogens Of Strawberry In The Central Coast Region Of California: ​ Survey And Cover Cropping With Wheat For Management Of Macrophomina Phaseolina, Mary Steele

Master's Theses

Surveys of the four major soilborne pathogens of strawberry (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae, Macrophomina phaseolina, Phytophthora spp., and Verticillium dahliae) to determine their relative prevalence were conducted in Watsonville-Salinas, CA in 2021 and in Santa Maria, CA in 2022. All four major pathogens were detected at relatively similar prevalence in Watsonville-Salinas, between 22% and 31% of sampled fields. In Santa Maria, M. phaseolina was far more prevalent at 52% of sampled fields, the other three falling between 14% and 17%. Additionally replicated greenhouse and field trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of wheat as …

Assessing The Resilience Of Mycorrhizal Networks Following Central Tree Removal, Deon Lillo

Master's Theses

Mycorrhizal networks (MNs), or the networks of fungal mycelia that connect plants to each other, are vital in contributing to the well-being of ecosystems. They not only assist in the transport of nutrients across an ecosystem, but also help protect an ecosystem from disease and adverse conditions. However, more research into these networks is needed and modelling these networks as graphs can help us achieve this. By applying centrality analysis and performing k-core partitioning on these networks, we are able to identify the trees that are most important and central to a MN and observe the effects of removing these …

Mending The Broken Bond: Exploring Human-Elephant Conflict In K. V. Dominic’S Poems, Ramya Kalaivani K, Raichel M. Sylus

Between the Species

Mountains are the immovable totem of the landscape which stand out from the surrounding environment as they are the elevated portion of the earth’s crust. In mountain regions, wildlife is one of the essential factors to be considered for developing a holistic environment. As a result of the rapid dwindling of resources for wildlife, the ecological balance is affected. It deteriorates the relationship and instigates conflict between human beings and animals. Mountains are home to various species. Among various animals, elephants are the significant animals seen in the mountain region. K.V. Dominic’s poems depict humans’ cruelty and brutal treatment towards …

Implementation Of Methods For Cell Therapy Research And Assessment Of The Impact Of Cryopreservation, Samantha Lynes

Master's Theses

Cell therapy is the administration of living cells into a patient to prevent or treat a variety of diseases and illnesses. The cell therapy industry is rapidly expanding, and continued research is necessary for manufacturing safe and effective therapies. Although cell therapy manufacturing generally involves cryopreservation processes for storage, there are limited standards for cryopreservation processes and assays required to evaluate cell therapies post-thaw, and limited understanding exists about how a recovery period post-thaw could impact cell health. The overall goal of this thesis was to evaluate the effect of cryopreservation and potential subsequent recovery time on cell viability.

Because …

Associations Between Technology Use, Responsive Feeding, And Child Temperament Among Prior Prenatal Intervention Participants, Alison K. Ventura, Chantelle N. Hart, Suzanne Phelan, Elissa Jelalian

Kinesiology and Public Health

Objectives: The primary objective was to examine associations between mothers’ television and mobile device (TV/MD) use and responsive feeding during an observed mother-toddler mealtime interaction. The secondary objective was to assess whether dimensions of child temperament were associated with mothers’ TV/MD use. Methods: Participants from a prenatal lifestyle intervention trial to prevent excess gestational weight gain among women with overweight and obesity (N 5 77) were observed during a dinnertime meal when their children were aged 19.4 6 0.9 months. Trained video coders used the Responsiveness to Child Feeding Cues Scale to rate child strength of early/subtle, positive active, and …

Analyzing Sport And Gender Issues: Reflective Thoughts Of A Cisgender, Heterosexual, White Male Student Majoring In Sports Management, Brendan W. Carter

Kinesiology and Public Health

The student author performed a follow-up analysis of an end-of-term reflection essay, in a course that discussed sport and gender, specifically on how sport relates to gender equity and inclusivity issues on micro and macro levels (2022 Fall Quarter, KINE 323: Sport & Gender, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo). The present submission is a subsequently revised, and improved-upon, write-up of the student author’s KINE 323 term paper (reflection essay), which was revised post-course during the 2023 Winter & Spring Quarters. Through this submission, the student reflects on what he has learned about the following topics covered in the course on …

Aged 539 Graduate Internship Report, Alana Grace Reeder

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This project report includes documentation required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. the documents are concurrently used for the Ag Incentive Grant review process at Livingston High School conducted by staff of the California Department of Education. The supporting documents include information to receive state and local funding and they outline the goals and objectives of the program. This document also provides an overview of operations of the Livingston High School Agriculture Department.

The Influence Of Myoblast Implantation On Arteriogenesis In Mice With Diet-Induced Obesity, Rayana Gutierrez

Biomedical Engineering

Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) is characterized by atherosclerosis, which is the buildup of plaque, consisting largely of cholesterol, in the arterial walls. This plaque accumulation eventually blocks blood flow to the limbs, causing symptoms such as intermittent claudication and tissue death in cases of critical limb ischemia. The body compensates for the reduced perfusion by enlarging pre-existing bypass arteries, known as collaterals, in a process called arteriogenesis. However, in many cases, collateral networks constructed through arteriogenesis fail to enlarge sufficiently or function effectively in patients. Therefore, the development of a therapeutic intervention specifically targeting this process would offer a …

Learning Documentary Film Production By Doing, Erin Lucille Grasty

Journalism

No abstract provided.

Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Project, Courtney Huitt, Cormack Williams

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Offshore wind is a developing industry in the Central Coast with the advent of the future offshore wind project planned off the north coast of San Luis Obispo County. This senior design project aligns with the recently leased wind energy project as a detailed study on the structural design, geotechnical design, and construction of a single 14 MW floating offshore wind turbine (FOWT) located 40 km NW of Morro Bay (NOAA buoy 46028). A preliminary design of a spar FOWT is presented in this project as a solution to the rapidly increasing water depth off the coast of Morro Bay, …

Application Of Deep Learning For Classification Of Intertidal Eelgrass From Drone-Acquired Imagery, Krti Tallam, Nam Nguyen, Jonathan Ventura, Andrew G. Fricker, Sadie Calhoun, Jennifer O’Leary, Mauriça Fitzgibbons, Ian C. Robbins, Ryan K. Walter

Physics

Shallow estuarine habitats are globally undergoing rapid changes due to climate change and anthropogenic influences, resulting in spatiotemporal shifts in distribution and habitat extent. Yet, scientists and managers do not always have rapidly available data to track habitat changes in real-time. In this study, we apply a novel and a state-of-the-art image segmentation machine learning technique (DeepLab) to two years of high-resolution drone-based imagery of a marine flowering plant species (eelgrass, a temperate seagrass). We apply the model to eelgrass (Zostera marina) meadows in the Morro Bay estuary, California, an estuary that has undergone large eelgrass declines and the subsequent …

Executive Committee - Agenda 4/4/2023, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Executive Committee - Minutes, 4/4/2023, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

H. Cole Aged 539 Project, Hannah M. Cole

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This project report includes documentation required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. the documents are concurrently used for the Ag Incentive Grant review process at Johansen High School conducted by staff of the California Department of Education. The supporting documents include information to receive state and local funding and they outline the goals and objectives of the program. This document also provides an overview of operations of the Johansen High School Agriculture Department.

Aged 539 - Internship In Agricultural Education, Juliana Sani

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This project report includes documentation required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. the documents are concurrently used for the Ag Incentive Grant review process at Minarets High School conducted by staff of the California Department of Education. The supporting documents include information to receive state and local funding and they outline the goals and objectives of the program. This document also provides an overview of operations of the Minarets High School Agriculture Department.

Waste Truck Fire Research And Training, Samuel A. Vigil, Christopher Pascual

WUI Fire Institute

Poster Presented at the Solid Waste Association of North America Western Region Symposium, Monterey, CA April 3 - 6, 2023

Recognizing Exploitation And Rejecting Analogy: An Analysis Of The Meat-Commodity, Teddy Duncan Jr.

Between the Species

This paper is a two-part project. First, I reject the analogous relationship between the Holocaust and slaughterhouses (found in the anti-meat novel The Lives of Animals) and cross-species analogical thinking entirely; instead, I opt for modes of analysis that can examine the specific circumstances of animals within slaughterhouses. Secondly, I assert that a socio-economic Marxist analysis is the best prism in which to recognize the suffering of pre-slaughter animals and the causation of their suffering (the ostensibly necessary circulation and production of the meat-commodity).

Academic Senate - Agenda, 3/14/2023, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Reflect To Connect, Sophia Rae Guzules

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

Engineering statics is an important course and a prerequisite for many subsequent courses for many engineering majors. It is often students’ first exposure to technical engineering sciences. Most statics concepts are addressed in ways disconnected from students’ prior experiences and interests. Utility Value Interventions (UVIs) have been employed in fields like biology and chemistry to help students connect concepts in class and their lives outside the classroom. However, UVI usage in engineering so far has been limited. In this Senior Project paper, I will describe the process that the team Critical Research in Engineering and Technology Education (CREATE) and I …

C. Monteiro Aged 539 Project, Craig Monteiro

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This report includes validation documents required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture in the State of California. The supporting material includes information to receive state and local funding, and provides an overview of the the goals and objectives of the program of instruction in agriculture at El Diamante High School in Visalia, CA.

Aged 539 Internship Program, Danielle Hyatt

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship and project report is a computation of documents required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture for Ripon High School.

Lichens Of Ultramafic Rocks: A Multidisciplinary Approach To Understanding The Ecology Of An Understudied Organism In A Well-Studied System, Michael Mulroy

Master's Theses

Lichens are among the most prominent and successful life forms of metal-rich habitats, including ultramafic rocks and soils; however, research on lichens of ultramafic habitats is limited, especially on the North American continent. A review of the published literature on lichens of ultramafic substrates in North America yielded a total of 437 lichen species reported from ultramafic rocks and soils. Lichen assemblages of ultramafic substrates vary in composition and are dominated by acidophytic (low pH preferring) taxa with a minor, but consistent, basiphytic (high pH preferring) component. Species lists from ultramafic habitats in different geographic regions varied widely, suggesting that …

Efficacy Of Biofungicides And Their Application Timing In Managing Botrytis Bunch Rot Of Wine Grape, Marco A. Fernandez

Master's Theses

Botrytis bunch rot (BBR), caused by Botrytis cinerea, leads to a severe reduction of quality and yield in wine grapes (Vitis vinifera). A field study to determine the best BBR management strategy was conducted in 2021 and 2022 in Santa Maria, CA using ‘Chardonnay’, a BBR susceptible wine grape cultivar. Three biofungicides were evaluated: Actinovate® AG, Regalia®, and Serenade® ASO. The efficacy of these three biofungicides was compared with fungicide programs composed of commonly used synthetic fungicide(s) or combinations of commonly used synthetic and biofungicides. For each biofungicide, three application timings were evaluated: 7-day interval, 14-day interval, and by an …

Aged 539 Graduate Internship Report - Golden West High School, Jessica Theisman

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship and project report includes documentation 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 Golden West High School, conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The supporting material includes information to receive state and local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Golden West High School, the agriculture program and the community.