Digital Commons Network^™

Mapping Of Oceanography Research Productivity In India: A Scientometric Analysis, Ranganathan Chandrakasan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study examines Oceanography Research in India as revealed by the scholarly publication indexed in Aquatic Science and Fisheries Abstract (ASFA) data base for a period of fifteen years from 2008 to 2013. It was seen that the analyses included research growth, author productivity, authorship pattern, Geographical distribution of the literature, global publications’ share, of international collaborative papers and major collaborative partner countries and patterns of research communication in most productive journals. The study reveals that, most of the researchers preferred to publish their research results in journals; as such 61.78% of articles were published in journals, more numbers of …

Digital Vs. Print: Reading Comprehension And The Future Of The Book, M. Julee Tanner

School of Information Student Research Journal

The future of books and libraries is put into question by the increasing popularity of e-books and the use of computers as text platforms. In an effort to anticipate which reading platform—print, e-readers, or computers displays—will dominate in the coming years, recent research and experimental data on the suitability of each reading platform for reading comprehension will be considered, from the perspectives of optical issues, cognition, and metacognition. It will be shown that, while printed books are most conducive to learning from longer, more difficult texts, e-readers and computer displays offer convenience and some distinct advantages to readers in particular …

Spartan Daily, December 10, 2014, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 143, Issue 41

A Scientometric Assessment Of Indian Himalayan R&D Publications During 2004-13, Brij Mohan Gupta Dr, Ritu Gupta

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The paper analyses 9909 global and 4862 Indian Himalayan R&D publications, as covered in Scopus database during 2004-13. It compares the contribution, citation impact and international collaborative publications share of top 10 most productive countries, and the place of Indiaamong them. It mainly examines Indian output, with a focus its annual average growth rate (13.21%), citation impact per paper (1.86%), distribution of citations (with 62.40% publications received one or more citations), share of international collaborative papers (16.29%) and contribution of leading collaborative countries, distribution of output by broad subject areas, publication productivity and citation impact of thirty leading institutions and …

Access To Information And Implications For Healthy Ageing In Africa: Challenges And Strategies For Public Libraries, Ifeanyi J. Ezema, Richard N. Ugwuanyi Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The elderly people are of intrinsic value to societies. Their health is Africa’s wealth. Unfortunately, Africa has serious health burden raging from diseases, poverty ignorance that hardly support healthy ageing. Development indicators from World Health Organization and the World Bank provide glaring evidence that Africa countries are far behind other regions of the world in health conditions of the citizens. This paper discusses the benefits that accrue from having a healthy old age population. Such includes poverty reduction, stress free ageing, assisting in taking care of young ones. It examines the role of information in enhancing healthy ageing in Africa. …

Academic Affairs Division Newsletter, December 2014, San Jose State University

Academic Affairs Division Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Thermal Stress And Predation Risk Trigger Distinct Transcriptomic Responses In The Intertidal Snail Nucella Lapillus, Nathaniel D. Chu, Luke P. Miller, Stefan T. Kaluziak, Geoffrey C. Trussell, Steven V. Vollmer

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Thermal stress and predation risk have profound effects on rocky shore organisms, triggering changes in their feeding behaviour, morphology and metabolism. Studies of thermal stress have shown that underpinning such changes in several intertidal species are specific shifts in gene and protein expression (e.g. upregulation of heat-shock proteins). But relatively few studies have examined genetic responses to predation risk. Here, we use next-generation RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to examine the transcriptomic (mRNA) response of the snail Nucella lapillus to thermal stress and predation risk. We found that like other intertidal species, N. lapillus displays a pronounced genetic response to thermal stress …

Climate Change Enhances The Negative Effects Of Predation Risk On An Intermediate Consumer, Luke P. Miller, Catherine M. Matassa, Geoffrey C. Trussell

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Predators are a major source of stress in natural systems because their prey must balance the benefits of feeding with the risk of being eaten. Although this 'fear' of being eaten often drives the organization and dynamics of many natural systems, we know little about how such risk effects will be altered by climate change. Here, we examined the interactive consequences of predator avoidance and projected climate warming in a three-level rocky intertidal food chain. We found that both predation risk and increased air and sea temperatures suppressed the foraging of prey in the middle trophic level, suggesting that warming …

Simultaneous Conversion Of All Cell Wall Components By Oleaginous Fungus Without Chemi-Physical Pretreatment, Shangxian Xie, Xin Qin, Yanbing Cheng, Dhrubojyoti Laskar, Weichuan Qiao, Su Sun, Luis Reyes, Xin Wang, Susan Dai, Scott Sattler, Katy Kao, Bin Yang, Xiaoyu Zhang, Joshua Yuan

Faculty Publications

Lignin utilization during biomass conversion has been a major challenge for lignocellulosic biofuel. In particular, the conversion of lignin along with carbohydrate for fungible fuels and chemicals will both improve the overall carbon efficiency and reduce the need for chemical pretreatments. However, few biomass-converting microorganisms have the capacity to degrade all cell wall components including lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. We hereby evaluated a unique oleaginous fungus strain, Cunninghamella echinulata FR3, for its capacity to degrade lignin during biomass conversion to lipid, and the potential to carry out consolidated fermentation without chemical pretreatment, especially when combined with sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) bmr …

Sex-Specific Distributions Of Leopard Sharks (Triakis Semifasciata) In An Estuarine Environment, Andrea Lynn Launer

Master's Theses

Estuaries are used seasonally by many elasmobranchs for reproduction and as nurseries. The character, location, and availability of elasmobranch habitats in estuaries are often altered by anthropogenic activities and environmental changes. These habitat changes may have different effects on groups within a shark population because sex-specific segregations are common for many elasmobranchs. Leopard Sharks (Triakis semifasciata) are important estuarine predators in California and exhibit sexual segregations. Movements of 13 Leopard Sharks (male n=6, female n=7) tagged with coded acoustic transmitters were monitored from March 14, 2013 to March 9, 2014 using moored receivers in Elkhorn Slough, CA. Movement patterns were …

Lynn Hershman Leeson's Roberta Breitmore And The Art Of Becoming A Woman, Maayan Glaser-Koren

Master's Theses

Throughout the emergence of second-wave feminism in the 1970s, social and political activism inspired female artists to create powerful artworks that critiqued institutional discrimination and supported women's reproductive rights and workplace equality. Feminist artists raised the public's awareness of women's issues by making women the subject of their artwork. In California especially, these creators turned to performance art, often taking their creations to the streets.

This thesis focuses on Lynn Hershman Leeson's performance, Roberta Breitmore (1974-1978), and examines how, through the steps of the performance, the piece's fictitious title character became a living resident of San Francisco. It will explore …

Benthic Macroinvertebrates In Uvas Creek, California, Downstream Of A Reservoir, Carole Ann Foster

Master's Theses

I sampled macroinvertebrates in May, July, and October 2008 in Uvas Creek, a reservoir-regulated stream in south Santa Clara County, California, to assess what factors (including canopy closure, turbidity, and stream flow) downstream of the reservoir were related to food availability for rearing juvenile Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss). I found benthic and drifting macroinvertebrate biomass was considerably greater during most months in the more open-canopied two sites in the downstream reach as compared to the densely shaded, more turbid and silty two sites in the upstream reach. Abundance of important drifting aquatic invertebrates in May (chironomids, simuliids, and baetids) was proportional …

The Abc's Of Being A Fan: An Operant Analysis Of Sports Consumption Behavior, Sean Pradhan

Master's Theses

In the last 30 years, behavioral psychologists have begun to systematically apply the principles of operant theory to the analysis of consumer behavior. Two behavioral approaches that have been successfully employed in consumer behavior analysis are the Behavioral Perspective Model (BPM; Foxall, 1990) and the Behavioral Ecology of Consumption (BEC; Rajala & Hantula, 2000). However, neither of these models has been used to analyze sports consumption behavior. One purpose of the present study was to integrate consumer behavior models with other theoretical approaches to the investigation of sports consumption behavior. A second purpose was to examine the effects of three …

An Assessment Of Artificial Burrows For Burrowing Owls In Northern California, Sandra Menzel

Master's Theses

This study assesses artificial burrows as a management tool for burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) at two study sites in northern California. The results of t-tests showed that artificial burrows that received annual surface maintenance (n = 113) at one site were occupied for a significantly (p ≤ 0.003) greater number of years than non-maintained (n = 51) artificial burrows at the other site. Maintained burrows were occupied for a mean of 1.90 years (SD = 2.04), compared to a mean of 0.45 years (SD = 0.97) for non-maintained burrows. Even with maintenance, occupancy rates dropped from 31% during the first …

Effects Of Depth, Site, And Season On Phenotypic Variation Of The Geniculate Coralline, Calliarthron Tuberculosum Around The Monterey Peninsula, California, Jasmine Elena Ruvalcaba

Master's Theses

Coralline algae are ubiquitous in near-shore marine environments. In particular, geniculate corallines occur in intertidal and subtidal habitats with abundances typically higher at shallow depths. Due to the high abundance of Calliarthron tuberculosum in Monterey kelp beds, this species was chosen to study effects of depth, site, and season on morphology and physiology. To further understand this pattern, populations from 3 and 10 m depth were sampled at two sites to examine morphometric variables including total length, total width, and number of branch tips as well as, physiological variables including respiration, photosynthetic, and calcification rates. Growth rates were also quantified …

The Role Of Lithology In Glacial Valley Cross-Sectional Shape In Sierra Nevada, California, Kaai Jensen

Master's Theses

It is commonly inferred that alpine glaciers transform fluvial valleys from V to U-shaped. It has been suggested that, under certain circumstances, glaciers are unable to modify V-shaped valleys and that lithology may play an important role in a glacier's ability to effectively erode bedrock. To test this hypothesis, six glaciated valleys with both U and V-shaped cross sections were chosen in the Sierra Nevada (CA) to examine how lithological properties might affect patterns of glacial erosion: Tenaya Canyon, Tuolumne River, Little Yosemite Valley, the San Joaquin River, the north fork of the King River, and Deadman Canyon. Valley profiles …

Daily Activity Budgets Reveal A Quasi-Flightless Stage During Non-Breeding In Hawaiian Albatrosses, Sarah Gutowsky, Lee Gutowsky, Ian Jonsen, Marty Leonard, Maura Naughton, Marc Romano, Scott A. Shaffer

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Background Animals adjust activity budgets as competing demands for limited time and energy shift across life history phases. For far-ranging migrants and especially pelagic seabirds, activity during breeding and migration are generally well studied but the “overwinter” phase of non-breeding has received less attention. Yet this is a critical time for recovery from breeding, plumage replacement and gaining energy stores for return migration and the next breeding attempt. We aimed to identify patterns in daily activity budgets (i.e. time in flight, floating on the water’s surface and active foraging) and associated spatial distributions during overwinter for the laysan Phoebastria immutabilis …

Spartan Daily, November 18, 2014, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 143, Issue 33

Academic Affairs Division Newsletter, November 2014, San Jose State University

Academic Affairs Division Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Increasing Label-Free Stem Cell Sorting Capacity To Reach Transplantation-Scale Throughput, Melinda Simon, Ying Li, Janahan Arulmoli, Lisa Mcdonnell, Adnan Akil, Jamison Nourse, Abraham Lee, Lisa Flanagan

Faculty Publications

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) has proven an invaluable tool for the enrichment of populations of stem and progenitor cells owing to its ability to sort cells in a label-free manner and its biological safety. However, DEP separation devices have suffered from a low throughput preventing researchers from undertaking studies requiring large numbers of cells, such as needed for cell transplantation. We developed a microfluidic device designed for the enrichment of stem and progenitor cell populations that sorts cells at a rate of 150,000 cells/h, corresponding to an improvement in the throughput achieved with our previous device designs by over an order of …

Fourteenth Annual Garrett Morgan Sustainable Transportation Symposium, Mti Report S-14-01, Mineta Transportation Institute

Mineta Transportation Institute

On March 27, 2014, the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) continued its support of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Futures Program by conducting the Fourteenth Annual National Garrett Morgan Symposium and Videoconference on Sustainable Transportation. The ongoing mission of this national videoconference is to stimulate the minds of young people and to encourage them to pursue challenging academic programs including mathematics and science – an education course that will prepare students for tomorrow’s challenging transportation careers. Participating schools were: Cardozo Middle School, Washington DC; Findlay Middle School, North Las Vegas NV; Juan Crespi Middle School, …

Spartan Daily, October 21, 2014, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 143, Issue 23

The Scientist, Fall 2014, San Jose State University, College Of Science

The Scientist (College of Science)

No abstract provided.

Expressions, Fall 2014, San Jose State University, College Of The Humanities And The Arts

Expressions (College of Humanities and the Arts)

College of Humanities and the Arts Newsletter, Volume 4

Information And Communication Technologies And Igbo Studies In Tertiary Institutions In Nigeria: Issues And Challenges, Brendan Eze Asogwa, Martha Nkiruka Asogwa

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Purpose: This paper identifies ICT tools and programmes that are relevant to Igbo studies in tertiary institutions in the South East Nigeria; it examines the opportunities and challenges in applying these technologies in the enhancement and promotion of teaching and learning Igbo in Nigeria universities.

Methodology/Approach: Questionnaire, interviews, and observations were used in collecting data for this study. The population was 118, comprising 31 lecturers and 87 students randomly drawn from the Department of Igbo Studies in six selected tertiary institutions in the South East Nigeria.

Findings: Flash drive, video camera, electronic white board, cassette recorder and tapes, …

Spartan Daily, September 30, 2014, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 143, Issue 14

Indian Research Contributions In The Aquaculture Journal During 1972 – 2011: A Scientometric Study, Ramasamy Kumaresan, Ramasamy Ezhilrani, Krishnan Vinitha, Ramanujam Jayaraman

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The total number of publications contributed by the Indian authors in the Aquaculture journal was 374 during the study period 1972 – 2011. The highest numbers of papers were published during 2002 – 2006 with 103 contributions; especially in 2006 there were 47 contributions. The least number of papers was recorded during 1972 – 1976 with 9 contributions. The percentage of Indian contribution was 2.74. Overall, 1373 authors contributed 374 publications in the Aquaculture journal. Among these, two authored publications were 114 (30.48%), more than that of any other authorship pattern. The degree of collaborations was 0.98. A total of …

Dionysian Biopolitics: Karl Kerényi’S Concept Of Indestructible Life, Kristóf Fenyvesi

Comparative Philosophy

Scholar of religion Karl Kerényi’s last book, Dionysos, is a grand attempt at reinterpreting ζωη (zoe), the Greek concept of indestructible life, which he distinguishes from βίος (bios), finite life. In Kerényi’s view, the meaning and sensual experience of zoe was expressed in its richest form in the Cretan beginnings of the cult of Dionysos. The major characteristics of this cult, as Kerényi describes, were beyond the cultural, political, and sexual limits of the Christian interpretations of life and nature. Searching for modern analogies to zoe, Kerényi explains the idea in relation to molecular biology’s minimum definition of life. Despite …

Anti-Nature In Nature Itself, Ryōsuke Ōhashi

Comparative Philosophy

Nature and civilization are often regarded in opposition to each other. However, civilization employs technologies and is based on laws of nature. Also, the historical world is a result of the development of the natural world. An “anti-nature” must thus be contained somewhere within nature. The idea of “anti-nature” is neither alien to the Eastern nor to the Western traditional concepts of nature. The philosophy of Lao Zi never embraces mere naturalism. Lao Zi has observed that things in the world are not always “so on their own” but rather in the mode of anti-nature. Anti-nature in nature itself does …

An In Vitro Adult Mouse Muscle-Nerve Preparation For Studying The Firing Properties Of Muscle Afferents, Joy Franco, Heidi Kloefkorn, Shawn Hochman, Katherine Wilkinson

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Muscle sensory neurons innervating muscle spindles and Golgi tendon organs encode length and force changes essential to proprioception. Additional afferent fibers monitor other characteristics of the muscle environment, including metabolite buildup, temperature, and nociceptive stimuli. Overall, abnormal activation of sensory neurons can lead to movement disorders or chronic pain syndromes. We describe the isolation of the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle and nerve for in vitro study of stretch-evoked afferent responses in the adult mouse. Sensory activity is recorded from the nerve with a suction electrode and individual afferents can be analyzed using spike sorting software. In vitro preparations allow …