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A Girlhood Of Myth, Dreams, And Trauma: Redefining The Asian North American Female Bildungsroman, Danielle Brianna Crawford

Master's Theses

This thesis examines the use of myth, dreams, and historical trauma within the genre of the Asian North American female bildungsroman. In an attempt to redefine the contested genre of the ethnic bildungsroman, this study analyzes three novels by Asian American and Asian Canadian female authors: Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's When the Rainbow Goddess Wept (1991), Joy Kogawa's Obasan (1981), and Lan Cao's Monkey Bridge (1997). Each of these novels is an ethnic bildungsroman that highlights the identity formation of a female protagonist in the midst of historical trauma. This study focuses on the ways in which these texts resist the …

An Ecological Assessment Of Insect Diversity At Organic Central Coast Vegetable Farms On Two Spatial Scales, Emily Musgrave

Master's Theses

Modern industrial agriculture is the principal cause of anthropogenic land use changes for terrestrial ecosystems. Approximately 40% of the planet's land surface, or half of the habitable area, is now composed of agricultural landscapes. The simplification and industrialization of agriculture are the biggest drivers of global biodiversity loss, especially on Californian's Central Coast. Diversified organic agriculture, however, may offer some refuge for non-crop species. In this study we analyzed insect and plant biodiversity on and adjacent to organic vegetable farms on the Central Coast of California at two spatial scales, the landscape-scale and a smaller within-farm scale. At the landscape-scale, …

Farms On Campus: Strong Stakeholder Support For An Educational Garden At A Non-Land-Grant University, Gina M. Bacigalupi

Master's Theses

University farms and gardens are increasingly seen as effective tools for learning a variety of academic subjects and as resources that allow users to connect experientially to nature. Most existing university farms, however, are found at resource-rich land-grant universities. This research evaluated stakeholder interest and willingness-to-pay in money, time, and labor for a proposed educational farm at a public, urban, non-land-grant university through an online survey of over 400 members of the California State University East Bay, Concord Campus community. Overall, support for an educational farm at this site was high amongst all stakeholder groups. Students and stakeholders who hold …

Internalized Oppression: Latino Narratives On Educational Experience, Carolina Avalos

Master's Theses

A qualitative study investigated the lived experiences and impact of internalized oppression within educational contexts. Six Latino-identified people--ages 22-38--who are current or former college students were interviewed about their early and adult educational experiences. A constant comparative methodology was used to identify commonalities found in participant narratives. Interview transcripts and field notes were analyzed to organize data into themes. Emergent themes included: (a) identity formation, (b) experience of racial micro-aggression in school, and (c) the value of acquiring an occupation being valued higher, in the household, than educational attainment. Findings provided insight into participant experiences with internalized oppression and educational …

Intra-Annual Changes In Population Parameters As Indicators Of Humpback Whale (Megaptera Novaeangliae) Migratory Behavior, Casey Clark

Master's Theses

Many techniques used to study animal migrations rely on observations of specific animals, which provide valuable information about individuals studied but do not capture population variability. By examining changes in population parameters, researchers may gain a better understanding of migratory behaviors. In this study, intra-annual changes in population parameters were used to study migratory behaviors of humpback whales off central California in 2011/2012. Data were compared with a historic dataset from 2004/2005. Parameters measured included sex ratio, pregnancy rate, mitochondrial DNA haplotype frequencies and mean δ13C and δ15N values. Weighted moving averages of the sex ratio were moderately effective at …

Western Burrowing Owl Predation In An Urban Setting In California: Do California Ground Squirrel Calls Reduce Risk?, Lisa Anne Henderson

Master's Theses

Western burrowing owls are found in ground squirrel burrows throughout the urbanized landscape of the South San Francisco bay area, where they are threatened by habitat loss and degradation, prey limitation and predation. Previous research has characterized effects of habitat loss and prey-base limitations on owls, but the interplay between ground squirrels, owls and their predators has not yet been studied. The objective of this study was to assess the rate and types of predation interactions faced by Western burrowing owls and the extent to which California ground squirrels help burrowing owls reduce risk through alarm calling at Moffett Federal …

Effects Of Stretching On Jump Performance: A Systematic Review Of Literature, Vrashank Bhagirath Dave

Master's Theses

The purpose of this systematic review of literature was to agglomerate, summarize, and analyze the trial studies that investigate the effects of different types of stretching on the performance of different types of jumps. Only results of the studies examining the effects of stretching on jump performance were reported. The inclusion criteria were developed based on the systematic review guidelines and previous literature reviews. The search for the studies were conducted during late 2011 to early 2012 on databases such as SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, Academic Search Premier, and Medline. The studies testing the effects of the stretching on jump …

Amphibian Mortality On Roads: A Case Study In Santa Cruz Long-Toed Salamander Habitat, Michael Thomas Hobbs

Master's Theses

Amphibian populations have been declining at higher rates than bird and mammal populations. Agriculture, urbanization, including roads, and resource extraction continue to put pressure on all species. Roads in particular, are major sources of mortality. The Santa Cruz long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum croceum), one of the most critically endangered species in the US, is one amphibian that is declining as a result of anthropogenic impacts, especially habitat loss and fragmentation due to urban development. Migration across roads puts these salamanders at risk from road-related death. This thesis quantified the rate of road mortality to these salamanders and other common amphibians …

Boom And Whoosh: Verbs Of Explosion As A Change-Of-State Class, Antonio De Jesus Hernandez

Master's Theses

Much research has been done on various semantic verb classes, most notably on break-verbs. In this study, a new class of change-of-state verbs is proposed, namely verbs that encode an explode-event. The research presented here not only offers a new organization of certain change-of-state verbs, but also highlights the issues that are ever-present in the classification of verbs.

Eight verbs are investigated as possible members of this class: blast, blow up, burst, erupt, explode, detonate, go supernova, and pop. Using data from three corpora and survey results from 20 participants, this study …

Benthic Invertebrate Response To Habitat Complexity In South Bay Salt Ponds, Jessica Louise Murphey

Master's Theses

Wetlands are unique ecosystems that support specific flora, fauna, hydrology, and geology. These ecosystems increase groundwater availability, improve water quality, decrease flood water impacts, and help decrease shoreline erosion. In the south San Francisco Bay, the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project is restoring over 6,000 hectares of former salt ponds to tidal marshes and managed pond habitats. These habitats will support endangered species as well as migratory birds, diving ducks, invertebrates, and algal species. Benthic invertebrates are a vital piece of the South Bay food web as they provide the sustenance for other invertebrates, fish, shorebirds, and waterfowl. Improving …

Strain Measurement Validation Using 3d Photogrammetry Techniques, Tori Chinn

Master's Theses

This project was conducted to validate the measurement of static strain and dynamic frequency in an aluminum beam using 3D photogrammetry technology against analytic modeling and conventional strain measurements. A review of the 3D photogrammetry literature was conducted and a summary is presented here. Static load displacement and strain were compared between analytical calculations, photogrammetric data, strain gauges, experimental measurements, and an FEA model. First mode forced vibration was validated between analytical work, FEA, accelerometers, and photogrammetric measures. Results yielded positive and repeatable correlations between photogrammetric data and analytical computations with most reliable results for displacement.

Local Adaptation Of Two Cryptic Species, Lasthenia Californica And Lasthenia Gracilis, To Distinct Regions Within A Serpentine Outcrop, Teri Barry

Master's Theses

Intraspecific variation providing tolerance to specific edaphic conditions may contribute to population differentiation, speciation, and species coexistence. This process is often examined using reciprocal transplant experiments of closely related species in contrasting edaphic conditions. The two cryptic species Lasthenia californica and L. gracilis occur on a serpentine outcrop in parapatry at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. I hypothesized that each species would demonstrate greater fitness in its home range. A reciprocal transplant experiment was conducted in the field to determine home site advantage. Seedlings from each species were planted in both home ranges and in the transition zone where both species …

The Evolution Of An Image: An Analysis Of Defining Depictions Of Native Americans In Popular Cinema 1913-1970, Gerald Theodore Olson

Master's Theses

Native Americans have been depicted in the movies since the birth of the medium. In this thesis, the depiction of Native Americans in seven exemplary films is analyzed. The films chosen illustrate the evolution of Native American depiction from the silent era through the classic studio era of the 1930s and 1940s, the post WWII era, and the 1960s Civil Rights period to 1970 when the Native American Civil Rights movement was at its most public. Classic tropes such as the Indian Princess/Squaw, the Screaming Savage, and the Noble Savage/Vanishing American that were defined in 19th Century literature and by …

Foraging Behavior, Habitat, Health, And Survival Of Resident And Translocated Hawaiian Monk Seals At Nihoa Island, Hawaii, Tenaya A. Norris

Master's Theses

Translocations aimed at promoting population recovery for threatened and endangered species also can function as forced dispersals. To assess the efficacy of translocating Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi) and examine post-dispersal effects on monk seals, in 2008-2009, 12 weanling seals were translocated from French Frigate Shoals (FFS) to Nihoa Island (NIH). In addition, nine adult and eight weanling resident seals were captured at NIH. Satellite instrument attachment, biological sampling, and morphometry were conducted on seals at capture. Focal video camera drops also were conducted at 45 sites around NIH (< 100 m) in 2010-2011. Translocated and resident weanlings primarily dove to 40-60 m and used sandy-bottomed habitat < 13 km from NIH. In contrast, resident adults had greater variability in foraging behavior and habitat use. There also was a low prevalence of infectious disease in translocated and resident seals, excluding Chlamydophila abortus and enteric bacteria. First-year survival was greater for …

Basking Western Pond Turtle Response To Trail Use In Mountain View, California, Paul Eric Nyhof

Master's Theses

The western pond turtle (Emys marmorata) is the only native freshwater turtle in California, and it is listed as a California Species of Special Concern. One population near Moffett Naval Air Station in Northern California uses a highly altered water channel along a recently opened section of the Bay Trail, exposing western pond turtles (WPT) to high rates of human activity through recreational trail use. This research assessed whether human recreational trail use had a measurable effect on WPT basking behavior. WPTs were also trapped and marked to collect data on the structure and stability of the current population.

The …

Spatiotemporal Patterns In Diet And Habitat Use Of Black-Legged Kittiwakes (Rissa Tridactyla) And Thick-Billed Murres (Uria Lomvia) In The Bering Sea, Nathan M. Jones

Master's Theses

This study quantified the multi-trophic influence and spatial structure of a cross-shelf δ15N gradient in the Bering Sea and used it to contrast foraging patterns and seasonal changes in niche width between thick-billed murres and black-legged kittiwakes during July and August, 2008 and 2009. Gut contents of collected seabirds were characterized and stable isotope analyses (δ13C, δ15N) were conducted on whole prey tissues and seabird cheek feathers, pectoral muscle, and liver tissues. Gut contents of both seabird species were spatially auto correlated and varied with habitat type. Feather and muscle tissues indicated that murres underwent a trophic niche contraction with …

Big Shot, Annie Joy Heath

Master's Theses

There are many forms of child abuse. Some forms leave visible scars, and other forms leave invisible ones. Both forms, and especially a combination of the two, change the behaviors as well as the decision making of the person who has been abused, whether a child or an adult. And while an adult may choose not to have the abuser in her life, a child rarely has that choice. The child usually loves her parents unconditionally and cannot comprehend why she is being mistreated. As a teenager and then an adult, she often times looks for the same type of …

Relationship Between Cognitive Functions And Hormones, Daniel C. Miao

Master's Theses

Stress has been implicated by recent research to significantly contribute towards many cognitive and physiological deficiencies. One of the most popular topics of study is the effect of stress on inhibition, the all-or-none decision about an action or inaction. However, only recently have scientists begun investigating neuroendocrine molecules that link stress and inhibitory processing. Participants included San José State University undergraduates (27 male, 63 female, 1 unstated) who were exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test, an established stress task, and who were assessed before and after stress exposure for cortisol levels. Participants were also given a pre- and post-test …

The Genetic Diversity And Population Structure Of The Dugongs (Dugong Dugon) Of Thailand, Jessie Barr Bushell

Master's Theses

The dugong (Dugong dugon) is indigenous to the coastal waters of the Indo–Pacific Ocean and is vulnerable to extinction throughout its range due primarily to anthropogenic effects. In Thailand the population of dugongs is approximately 250 animals and is found in fragmented habitats along the Thai coast. Genetic studies were implemented in this study to assess regional genetic composition and determine if there is variation in the D–loop sequences or microsatellites consistent with philopatry to regions, by males or females, or indicating dispersal. Utilizing D–loop sequences, 27 haplotypes were found that grouped into three haplogroups that were not …

Ethnic Continuity And Change At Gezer, Philip Webb

Master's Theses

This project examines the issue of social identity, particularly ethnicity, in the ancient world. It focuses on one site, Gezer, and how ethnic identities there evolved between the Middle Bronze Age and the end of the Iron Age. Modern anthropological perspectives on ethnicity and methods used by archaeologists for identifying ethnicity archaeologically are examined. In light of these studies, the history of Gezer is inspected.

The site is chronologically divided into three periods, the Bronze Age, the Early Iron Age, and the Late Iron Age. Using both historical and archaeological sources, the occupational history of Gezer is outlined, highlighting ethnically …

Experiences Of Coping With Injury In Division I Athletes From Low-To-Middle Socioeconomic Status Backgrounds, Matthew Philip Bejar

Master's Theses

Injuries inevitably occur in any sport at any level. The integrated sport injury model is one of the most extensive frameworks to address the psychological responses to athletic injury. While this model posits that socioeconomic status (SES) influences how an athlete cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally responds to an injury, no research has substantiated this claim. Low SES individuals experience an exceptional amount of stress, which may complicate how they cope with a negative event. The coping strategies employed by an athlete can have major implications on rehabilitation adherence, recovery time, and psychosocial well-being. The purpose of this study was to …

Zazie De Louis Malle : Une Traduction Intersémiotique, Clara Elahe Varjavandi

Master's Theses

In his novel, Zazie dans le métro (1959), Raymond Queneau reinvents the French language while telling the story of a young girl, Zazie, visiting her uncle in Paris for the weekend. The absurdities of the world are examined through her eyes as well as the effort by French society to forget the atrocities of World War II.

Because of its intricate use of language, Queneau's masterpiece seemed impossible to adapt to film. Yet, already in 1960, Louis Malle took it upon himself to convert the renowned novel into a film.

This thesis approaches the film as an intersemiotic translation rather …

Predicting Slender False Brome (Brachypodium Sylvaticum) Invasion In The Santa Cruz Mountains, California, Janine Ellen Bird

Master's Theses

Early detection of an invasive species facilitates control and eradication. Slender false brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum) was first discovered in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Central California in 2003 as a non-native grass in redwood forests, competing with native vegetation. The current infestation in the Santa Cruz Mountains, estimated to be 300 acres, is concentrated in San Mateo County and could be eradicated. This study sought to determine most likely locations of slender false brome in the Santa Cruz Mountains by assessing environmental attributes of known presence locations using species distribution modeling and Maxent software. The study used 1,320 species presence …

Assessing The San José State University Simultaneous Polydrug Use Questionnaire -- Online (Sjsu Spuq -- Online) A Pilot Study, Joseph P. Hennessee

Master's Theses

Alcohol use is one of the most prevalent forms of drug use among college students. Because of the near ubiquity of college drinking, additional research is needed to determine whether such alcohol use is related to any cognitive impairment. Furthermore, many of those who use alcohol consume one or more additional drugs simultaneously, and little research has assessed whether such simultaneous polydrug use (SPU) has a further effect on cognitive functioning. This study was developed to bridge these two gaps in the literature and aid in the development of the SJSU SPUQ - Online.

Through the use of computerized tasks …

Designing Affordances On Embedded Interfaces, Gabriela Madalina Istan

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a user interface on users' performance during an online shopping checkout task. Two interfaces were developed using the principles of Rasmussen's SRK model: a high-affordance and a

low-affordance interface. Seventy undergraduate and graduate students performed a simulated online shopping task with the two interfaces. It was hypothesized that the high-affordance interface would require less time and fewer clicks to conduct the shopping task when compared to a low-affordance interface. In addition, it was predicted that participants would prefer the high-affordance interface. The findings revealed participants spent more time on …

The Prevalence Of The Uncultivated Bacterium Tm7a In Human Subgingival Plaque, Jamsheed Adrian Ghadiri

Master's Theses

Most bacteria are yet to be cultivated, and some uncultivated bacteria have been associated with human diseases. TM7, an uncultivated candidate division of bacteria, has been recently associated with periodontitis, a disease if left untreated causes tooth degradation and gum decay. A subgroup of TM7, known as TM7a, has been found in both human samples and activated wastewater. TM7a from these two locations are as high as 99.7% similar by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, leading researchers to believe both TM7a strains are very similar functionally. TM7a has been extensively studied in activated wastewater. However, little is known of its …

Response Of Waterbirds To Salt Pond Enhancements And Island Creation In The San Francisco Bay, Stacy M. Moskal

Master's Theses

Historically, San Francisco Bay supported the largest salt pond complex on the Pacific coast of North America, and these areas have been used by large numbers of migrating and wintering waterbirds for more than a century. In 2003, salt ponds in the South San Francisco Bay were purchased with a goal of restoring 50-90% of the 6100 ha of former salt ponds to replace lost tidal marsh habitats. However, a major challenge for the restoration project has been maintaining the abundance of non-breeding waterbirds in a smaller footprint of managed ponds. Thus, in 2009-2010, Pond SF2 was enhanced with 30 …

Mastermind-Like 1-Dependent Notch Target Gene Activation Requires A Sequence-Paired Site And A Tata Box, Cassandra Agbayani Ramos

Master's Theses

Notch signaling plays an important role in mammalian cellular proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. To activate target genes, the Notch intracellular domain (NICD) forms a complex with CBF1 and Mastermind-like protein (MAM). The Notch activation complex binds to a response element containing the consensus sequence RTGRGAR (R= purine) on target gene promoters. The promoter of one well characterized target gene, Hes1, contains four Notch response elements (NREs). Site-directed mutagenesis and reporter gene assays were used to examine the activation of Hes1 by mutating individual and combinations of NREs. Results indicated that NREs 2 and 4 are important for Hes1 activity, confirming …

Effects Of Compression On The Temperature Distribution Of A Tissue-Mimicking Material During High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (Hifu) Ablation, Austin Robbins Roth

Master's Theses

Local blood flow near a high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) target has been shown to decrease ablation effectiveness and predictability, creating a barrier to clinical use for breast cancer treatment. This study investigated the effects of compression on HIFU ablation of a perfused tissue-mimicking material. Gellan gum-based phantoms, with thermal and acoustic properties similar to those of soft tissue, were ablated with a 1.13 MHz HIFU transducer while being subjected to varying levels of external compression. Phantoms were designed with an embedded 6 mm diameter vessel meant to mimic a thermally significant blood vessel near a breast tumor. The internal temperature …

Usability Analysis Of Homepage Of Websites Of National Libraries In Asia, Paramjeet K. Walia, Monika Gupta

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper aims to study the usability features of selected national libraries’ websites of Asia with regard to their general features of website, URL, window title, date and time, navigation, content, search and graphic and animation. A usability evaluation checklist was designed on the basis of guidelines given by Neilson and NIC (National Informative Centre) which was grouped into eight major criteria. After evaluating the homepage of selected websites under study it was found that the National Library of Japan is at rank number one among 23 national libraries of Asia and National Library of Maldives at the bottom rank. …