Digital Commons Network^™

The Intergenerational Transmission Of Attitudes On Divorce And Marriage, Rebecca Elizabeth Bivona-Guttadauro

Master's Theses

The present study shed light on the process of intergenerational transmission of attitudes as it occurs for women from divorced and intact families. Taking into account how women from divorced and intact homes view their parents' relationship, this study examined how attitudes of marriage and divorce are transmitted from parents to children. This study utilized quantitative survey methods including surveys to gather data and nested multiple linear regression to analyze the data to determine how the process of intergenerational transmission of attitudes was occurring, if at all, for the women in the sample. Utilizing sample data from a large public …

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 …

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 …

Application Of Query-Based Qualitative Descriptors In Conjunction With Protein Sequence Homology For Prediction Of Residue Solvent Accessibility, Reecha Nepal

Master's Theses

Characterization of relative solvent accessibility (RSA) plays a major role in classifying a given protein residue as being on the surface or buried. This information is useful for studying protein structure and protein-protein interactions, and it is usually the first approach applied in the prediction of 3-dimensional (3D) protein structures.

Various complicated and time-consuming methods, such as machine learning, have been applied in solvent-accessibility predictions. In this thesis, we presented a simple application of linear regression methods using various sequence homology values for each residue as well as query residue qualitative predictors corresponding to each of the 20 amino acids. …

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 …

Ncaa Division I Coaches And Athletic Trainers: An Examination Of Professional Relationships And Knowledge Of The Athletic Training Profession, Laura Alexander

Master's Theses

The goal of this study was to explore coaches' experience with athletic trainers (ATs) and knowledge of their roles and responsibilities at the NCAA Division I level. The data collection involved a questionnaire and follow-up phone interviews. The survey was sent out to all 144 official head coaches of NCAA Division I universities in the Bay Area region of California, as defined by the California Department of Social Services in 2002, and there was a 22% (n=31) return rate. Nearly 60% (n=18) of coaches said they communicated with their athletic trainer over five times per week. Another ~60% (n=20-n=28) of …

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 …

Effect Of Nanodroplet Ink Concentration On Image Contrast For Reverse-Emulsion Electrophoretic Displays, Winston Kuantung Wang

Master's Theses

Reverse-emulsion electrophoretic display technology is based on an electro-responsive ink comprised of self-assembled nanodroplets dispersed in a non-polar liquid. The dye-containing nanodroplets are selectively driven toward or away from the viewing plane of a display by electric fields. The hypothesis of this study is that image contrast in a nanodroplet electrophoretic display is governed by concentration and steric effects that limit the intensity of the dark state. Simultaneously, steric effects as well as electrostatic screening can diminish whiteness in the light state. This hypothesis has been tested by multiphysics simulation of dilute species in electrostatic fields and experimental measurements of …

Embedded Cloud System For Ann-Cod Analysis Using Uv Spectroscopy, Kaushik Patra

Master's Theses

One of the many parameters indicating water quality is chemical oxygen demand (COD), which is an indirect measurement of the amount of organic compound material in water. There have been many studies, in both academia and the industry, to analyze the COD content of water using spectral analysis. The proposal of this thesis was to study, analyze, and identify methods to determine the presence of COD using UV spectroscopy data and an artificial neural network (ANN) in a cloud-connected embedded system. The system was implemented using an ARM11 board and a portable spectrometer. Light in the UV range was used …

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 …

A Study Of Genetic Variability In Larval And Adult Populations Of Dungeness Crab (Cancer Magister), Cairbre Fanslow

Master's Theses

Spatial and temporal genetic variation was assessed using mitochondrial DNA from adult and megalopae of Dungeness crabs, Cancer magister, from Fraser Delta in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. Megalopae were continuously sampled using light traps in one location, Coos Bay, Oregon, and compared with adults sampled across the species' range. While small-scale spatial and temporal variation were evident, there was no significant fit to the Isolation-by-Distance model when considering adult and larvae populations sampled over a coastal length of ~1700 km (Mantel r = 0.059, p = 0.289). Smaller bays showed higher genetic diversity than larger bays, contrary to …

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 …

Women In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Fields: The Importance Of The Need To Belong And Self-Esteem On The Intention To Leave A Job, Jung Eun Lee

Master's Theses

The purpose of the study was to predict individual intentions to leave science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field jobs. Psychological predictors were gender, the need to belong, self-esteem, perceived personal discrimination, and perceived group discrimination. We used the Amazon Mechanical Turk to recruit participants and Survey Monkey to conduct an online survey. Participants were 174 men and women who worked or studied in STEM fields. Two-step hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to analyze the data. As a result, we found that all predictors mentioned above accounted for the variance in the intention to leave a job. Self-esteem and …

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 …

Use Of Dna Sequences To Identify Forensically Important Fly Species In The Coastal Region Of Central California (Santa Clara County), Angela T. Nakano

Master's Theses

Forensic entomology has gained prominence in recent years, as improvements in DNA technology and molecular methods have allowed insect and other arthropod evidence to become increasingly useful in criminal and civil investigations. However, comprehensive faunal inventories are still needed, including cataloguing local DNA sequences for forensically significant Diptera. This multi-year fly-trapping study was built upon and expanded a previous survey of these flies in Santa Clara County, including the addition of genetic barcoding data from collected species of flies.

Flies from the families Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, and Muscidae were trapped in meat-baited traps set in a variety of locations throughout the …

Scientometric Dimension Of Research Productivity Of A Leading Private University In India, Dillip K. Swain, Dr. Bijayalaxmi Rautaray, Dr. Chandrakanta Swain

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study examines the research productivity of KIIT University, Odisha, India in regard to 361 papers indexed in Scopus from the year 2000 to till February, 2013. The study attempts to measure authorship pattern, degree of collaboration, Year wise distribution of articles and corresponding citations, domain wise distribution of articles, ranking of authors, ranking of highly cited papers, collaborating countries and such other parameters. The study finds that the major chunk of research is contributed by three joint authors and the trend of collaborative research is rightly at its peak. The study further reveals that authors of this University have …

Problems Associated With Newspaper Management In A Ghanaian University Library, Afia Densi Asare-Kyire, Edward Mensah Borteye Mr., Victor Teye Mr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The paper examined the collection, storage, preservation and other management practices of newspapers at the Serials Department of the KNUST Library. The study was based on the subscription statistics from April 2000 to April 2012, a period of thirteen years available at the Department.Observation was also made to augment data gathered from the newspaper statistics and analyzed descriptively. It was revealed by the statistics that newspapers are subscribed, received and collected on a daily basis (i.e. six days a week) thus creating a huge collection. It was further revealed that the newspapers are bound annually which makes it bulky and …

An Assessment Of The Information Dissemination Channels Used By The Zimbabwe Women’S Resource Centre And Network In The Provision Of Hiv/Aids Information To Women., Nancy Nhendodzashe, Collen Nhendo

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

In light of a high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate among women in Zimbabwe, this study sought to assess the extent to which the Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre and Network (ZWRCN) was effective in disseminating HIV/AIDS information to combat the pandemic among women. Literature reviewed that in as much as information was crucial in the fight against HIV/AIDS; there are other strategies that should be employed in combating HIV/AIDS to complement information dissemination activities such as economic empowerment of women and promotion of gender equality. The evaluation research design was used to accomplish the research objectives. The population of the study consisted …

Brief Communication: Evolution Of A Specific O Allele (O1vg542a) Supports Unique Ancestry Of Native Americans, Fernando A. Villanea, Deborah A. Bolnick, Cara Monroe, Rosita Worl, Rosemary Cambra, Alan M. Leventhal, Brian M. Kemp

Faculty Publications, Urban and Regional Planning

In this study, we explore the geographic and temporal distribution of a unique variant of the O blood group allele called O1vG542A, which has been shown to be shared among Native Americans but is rare in other populations. O1vG542A was previously reported in Native American populations in Mesoamerica and South America, and has been proposed as an ancestry informative marker. We investigated whether this allele is also found in the Tlingit and Haida, two contemporary indigenous populations from Alaska, and a pre-Columbian population from California. If O1vG542A is present in Na-Dene speakers (i.e., Tlingits), it would indicate that Na-Dene speaking …

Restoring Native Plants Following Invasive Malephora Crocea (Coppery Iceplant, Aizoaceae) Eradication On Anacapa Island, Nathan William Hale

Master's Theses

To avoid unintended complications of invasive species eradication, it is important to understand the potential implications of the techniques used in species eradication efforts. This study aimed to compare how different methods of removing Malephora crocea affect the survivorship of planted seedlings of native perennial plants on Anacapa Island. Employing a randomized complete block design in an M. crocea stand, three removal treatments were tested: 1) hand-pull; 2) spray with herbicide and leave skeletons; and 3) spray and then remove skeletons after 2.5 months. In each treatment, seedlings of three species (Leptosyne gigantea, Frankenia salina, and Grindelia …

The Effects Of Indoor Climbing Route Rating Manipulation On Participant Climbing Self-Efficacy, Phillip James Sandlin

Master's Theses

This quantitative study utilized a classical experiment design to explore the

effects of manipulation of indoor climbing route ratings on the climbing self-efficacy of 90 indoor rock climbers. Controversy surrounding the accuracy of the assigned ratings of indoor climbing routes is commonplace at indoor climbing facilities. For indoor rock climbers to accurately assess their abilities, set appropriate goals, and monitor their progress, they must be able to choose climbs that accurately represent their desired level of challenge. Statistical analysis of the data did not support a relationship between manipulation of climbing route ratings and any changes in participant climbing self-efficacy. …

The Effect Of Dietary Methylmercury On Na+, K+, -Atpase Activity And Growth In Fall-Run Chinook Salmon (O. Tshawytscha), John Negrey

Master's Theses

Hatchery reared Chinook salmon from California's Central Valley were fed for 67 days (Apr-Jun, 2008) on fish pellets mixed with either 0, 1, 3, or 5 µg*g-1 methylmercury hydroxide. Weight, fork length, condition factor, and Na+,K+- ATPase measurements were determined every two weeks and a 96-h seawater challenge was conducted at the conclusion of the experiment.

Results from two-way ANOVA, with treatment and date as independent variables, indicated no significant differences for weight (F3, 32 = 1.38; P = 0.280), length (F3, 32 = 0.986; P = 0.412) and condition factor (F3, 32 = 0.239; P = 0.869). Post-hoc analysis …

Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry For The Study Of Methanol-Induced Conformational Transitions In Ubiquitin, Steven Raul Rocha

Master's Theses

In aqueous solutions with high concentrations of methanol at low pH, the global conformation of ubiquitin denatures to a structure of increased helical character at 50% methanol to a highly helical denatured structure at 90% methanol. Circular dichroism analysis and hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry experiments have been reported for the monitoring of alcohol-induced conformational transitions of ubiquitin upon exposure to increasing concentrations of methanol. A bottom-up analysis of deuterium labeled ubiquitin was used in this study to examine the local conformational transitions of ubiquitin upon exposure to solutions of varying concentrations of methanol. Analysis of ubiquitin and nine peptide fragments, …

Mechanical Properties Of Human Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells Using Nanoindentation, Ashkan Aryaei, Ambalangodage Jayasuriya

Faculty Publications

The aim of this study was to obtain nanomechanical properties of living cells focusing on human amniotic fluid stem (hAFS) cell using nanoindentation techniques. We modified the conventional method of atomic force microscopy (AFM) in aqueous environment for cell imaging and indentation to avoid inherent difficulties. Moreover, we determined the elastic modulus of murine osteoblast (OB6) cells and hAFS cells at the nucleus and cytoskeleton using force–displacement curves and Hertz theory. Since OB6 cell line has been widely used, it was selected to validate and compare the obtained results with the previous research studies. As a result, we were able …