Digital Commons Network^™

Sjsu Erfa News, Fall 2012, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association (ERFA) Newsletter

Volume 26, Number 1

Associated Students Annual Report 2011-2012, San Jose State University, Associated Students

Associated Students Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Predicting Risk For Deer-Vehicle Collisions Using A Social Media Based Geographic Information System, G. Kent Webb

Faculty Publications, Information Systems & Technology

As an experiment investigating social media as a data source for making management decisions, photo sharing websites were searched for data on deer sightings. Data about deer density and location are important factors in decisions related to herd management and transportation safety, but such data are often limited or not available. Results indicate that when combined with simple rules, data from photo sharing websites reliably predicted the location of road segments with high risk for deer-vehicle collisions as reported by volunteers to an internet site tracking roadkill. Use of Google Maps as the GIS platform was helpful in plotting and …

Silica As A Matrix For Encapsulating Proteins:Surface Effects On Protein Structure Assessed By Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy, Daryl K. Eggers, P. J. Calabretta, M. C. Chancellor, C. Torres, G. R. Abel Jr., C. Neihaus, N. J. Birtwhistle, N. M. Khouderchah, G. H. Zemede

Faculty Publications, Chemistry

The encapsulation of biomolecules in solid materials that retain the native properties of the molecule is a desired feature for the development of biosensors and biocatalysts. In the current study, protein entrapment in silica-based materials is explored using the sol-gel technique. This work surveys the effects of silica confinement on the structure of several model polypeptides, including apomyoglobin, copper-zinc superoxide dismutase, polyglutamine, polylysine, and type I antifreeze protein. Changes in the secondary structure of each protein following encapsulation are monitored by circular dichroism spectroscopy. In many cases, silica confinement reduces the fraction of properly-folded protein relative to solution, but addition …

Design Optimization Of Transistors Used For Neural Recording, E J. Basham, David W. Parent

Faculty Publications

Neurons cultured directly over open-gate field-effect transistors result in a hybrid device, the neuron-FET. Neuron-FET amplifier circuits reported in the literature employ the neuron-FET transducer as a current-mode device in conjunction with a transimpedance amplifier. In this configuration, the transducer does not provide any signal gain, and characterization of the transducer out of the amplification circuit is required. Furthermore, the circuit requires a complex biasing scheme that must be retuned to compensate for drift. Here we present an alternative strategy based on the design approach to optimize a single-stage common-source amplifier design. The design approach facilitates in circuit characterization of …

Mycorrhizal Colonization Of Hypericum Perforatum L. (Hypericaceae) On Adjacent Serpentine And Granite Outcrops On The Deer Isles, Maine, Usa, N Davoodian, J Bosworth, N Rajakaruna

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Given the paucity of literature on plant-fungal interactions on serpentine soils and limited investigation of serpentine geoecology in eastern North America, we examined mycorrhizal colonization of Hypericum perforatum from adjacent serpentine and granite outcrops on the Deer Isles, ME to determine whether plants were differentially colonized based on substrate. We coincided our sampling with three phenologic stages of H. perforatum (preflowering, flowering, postflowering) to determine possible differences in colonization based on plant phenology. The levels of mycorrhizal colonization in H. perforatum were not significantly different between serpentine and granite sites, while levels of colonization in postflowering plants were significantly higher …

Investigation Of The Importance Of Rock Chemistry For Saxicolous Lichen Communities Of The New Idria Serpentinite Mass, San Benito County, California, Usa, N Rajakaruna, K Knudsen, A Fryday, R E. O’Del, N Pope, F C. Olday, S Woolhouse

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Although several lichen inventories exist for European ultramafic sites, only four surveys of serpentine lichens for North America have been published to date. Of those, only one has been conducted in California. We conducted a survey of saxicolous lichens from ultramafic rocks (including nephrite, partially serpentinized peridotite, and serpentinite) and non-ultramafic rocks (including silica-carbonate, shale, and sandstone) at the New Idria serpentinite mass, San Benito County, California. X-ray Fluorescence Analysis of the rocks from which the lichens were collected revealed significant elemental differences between the ultramafic and non-ultramafic rocks for 26 of the 32 major and trace elements analyzed. We …

Little Evidence For Local Adaptation To Soils Or Microclimate In The Postfire Recruitment Of Three Californian Shrubs, A Bieger, N Rajakaruna, S P. Harrison

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Background: Seedling recruitment following fire is an infrequent yet critical demographic transition for woody plants in Mediterranean ecosystems. Aims: Here we examine whether post-fire seedling recruitment of three widespread Californian chaparral shrubs is affected by local adaptation within an edaphically and topographically complex landscape. Methods: We reciprocally transplanted 6-month-old seedlings of Adenostema fasciculatum, Ceanothus cuneatus and Eriodictyon californicum to serpentine and sandstone soils, and cool northerly and warm southerly slopes. Results: At the age of 2 years, none of the species manifested higher survival or growth on ‘home’ compared with ‘away’ soils or slopes, indicating an absence of local adaptation …

Edaphic Adaptation Maintains The Coexistence Of Two Cryptic Species On Serpentine Soil, J M. Yost, T Barry, K M. Kay, N Rajakaruna

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

• Premise of the study: Divergent edaphic adaptation can contribute to reproductive isolation and coexistence between closely related species, yet we know little about how small-scale continuous edaphic gradients contribute to this phenomenon. We investigated edaphic adaptation between two cryptic species of California wildflower, Lasthenia californica and L. gracilis (Asteraceae), which grow in close parapatry on serpentine soil. • Methods: We reciprocally transplanted both species into the center of each species’ habitat and the transition zone between species. We quantified multiple components of fitness and used aster models to predict fitness based on environmental variables. We sampled soil across the …

Direct Manipulation Tablet Apps For Education: How Should We Understand Them?, Rich Burkhard, Timothy Hill, Shailaja Venkatsubramanyan, Chang Kim

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

As the iPad and its competitors create a new product category – apps for mobile, multimedia tablets with touch and gesture interfaces – many are convinced that tablet apps will revolutionize education. For example, hand-controlled, direct manipulation features offer new ways to convey both spatial and abstract concepts, and progressive storylines can adapt to users in real-time. While the effectiveness of tablet apps for learning may seem obvious to new users, how and why particular apps might be effective is new research territory, and the relevance of existing learning theory is unknown. We describe a research program that will explore …

Climate-Related Floral And Vegetative Size Variation In Leptosiphon Androsaceus (Polemoniaceae), Aggie Morrow

Master's Theses

Phenotypic plasticity in plants is a vital adaptive response to changing environmental conditions. Floral and vegetative morphology often varies as biotic and abiotic factors vary. Variation is the basis of evolution, and natural selection, acting on trait variation, can lead to speciation. For this study, floral and vegetative character traits of false babystars (Leptosiphon androsaceus, Polemoniaceae) were analyzed within four populations at Henry W. Coe State Park in 2011. Traits were measured to assess changes in size along a moisture availability gradient. Stable carbon isotope ratio samples were collected to measure integrated water-use efficiency (WUE) as it related to precipitation …

An Exploratory Study On The Relationship Between Creativity, Religion, And Religiosity, Kim-Lien Thi Nguyen

Master's Theses

Religiosity and religion are often said to be negative influences on one's creativity level. Creativity and religiosity have been looked at as a single dimension, which is a simplistic view. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between creativity and religiosity using scales that measure each construct multidimensionally. Religiosity was measured by one's level of inclusion of transcendent reality and symbolic interpretation of religious content. Creativity was evaluated in terms of fluency, originality, elaboration, abstractness, and resistance to premature closure. It was predicted that participants who exhibit high inclusion of transcendence and literal interpretation of religious content …

Effects Of Tissue Nitrogen And Media Nitrate On Trace Metal Uptake And Trophic Transfer By Ulva Spp., Sonya Meenakshi Sankaran

Master's Theses

A general survey of trace metal content in Ulva spp. (Linnaeus) around Moss Landing, California was carried out. The next objective was to evaluate whether tissue nitrogen or media nitrate affects metal uptake (As, Pb, Mn, Zn) by Ulva spp. under eutrophic conditions. Additionally, the role of metal burden in the invertebrate Idotea resecata as a function of metal content in its diet was examined. Mean trace metal concentrations in Ulva differed significantly among sites in Moss Landing, California. Laboratory measurements using samples from 15 sites along the central California coast revealed a significant positive correlation between Ulva spp. tissue …

The Biology And Ecology Of Six Rare Plants From Plumas National Forest, Northern California, Usa, Suzie Woolhouse

Master's Theses

The majority of our knowledge about the natural world has come from the study and observation of common species, yet a significant portion of species in the world are rare. In this study, biological and ecological data was collected for six rare taxa from Plumas National Forest. The taxa were Monardella stebbinsii, Monardella follettii (Lamiaceae), Lewisia cantelovii (Montiaceae), Cypripedium californicum, Cypripedium fasciculatum (Orchidaceae) and Clarkia mildrediae subsp. mildrediae (Onagraceae). The two Monardella's and Cypripedium californicum are serpentine endemics, and the Lewisia is found growing both on and off serpentine. Five sites were visited per species, and soil samples …

Microsatellite And Mitochondrial Dna Analysis Of Dungeness Crab (Cancer Magister) From California To Northern British Columbia, Bryan Thomas Barney

Master's Theses

Genetic variation was assessed using mitochondrial DNA and microsatellite markers from Dungeness crab between Iceberg Bay, British Columbia and San Luis Obispo, California. We found little pattern in overall genetic variation between sites in both marker types, and no significant Isolation by Distance model was fit. Site-specific variation in mitochondrial DNA haplotype frequencies suggested the existence of three subpopulations associated with the Alaska Current, the Puget Sound, and the California Current, but microsatellite DNA evidence did not support it. The ratio between sampling size for microsatellite markers and fragment size polymorphisms was low, limiting the resolving power of microsatellite DNA …

A Morphological Study Of Eriogonum Nortonii (Polygonaceae) And Implications For Its Biogeography, Lisa Deree Morton

Master's Theses

Morphological characters, phenology, and abiotic parameters were measured to determine whether divergence has occurred between populations of Eriogonum nortonii E. Greene on the east and west sides of the Salinas Valley. Morphological variability was demonstrated across all populations but not between populations on opposite sides of the valley. Investigations into present and paleoenvironmental factors as well as dispersal factors suggest recent episodes of long distance dispersal were responsible for the disjunct distribution of E. nortonii populations.

Growing Greens And Soiled Soil: Trends In Heavy Metal Contamination In Vegetable Gardens Of San Francisco, Jennifer Gorospe

Master's Theses

As urban dwellers prioritize eating locally grown foods to reduce environmental impacts, benefit the local economy, and bring fresh produce to the table, urban gardening has emerged as a popular approach to improving food security. Researchers have shown previously that urban landscapes can accumulate environmental toxins at levels that may be unsafe for human health, with socioeconomically disadvantaged communities often shouldering an unequal burden of exposure. In order to identify and predict likely risk to gardeners, in this study, soil samples from 91 vegetable gardens in the city of San Francisco were analyzed for 16 heavy metals. A majority of …

Luminescence Studies Of Europium (Iii) - D-Glucosamine Complexes In Water, Triny Trinh Pham

Master's Theses

LUMINESCENCE STUDIES OF EUROPIUM(III) - D-GLUCOSAMINE

COMPLEXES IN WATER

by Triny Trinh Pham

Lanthanide complexation interactions measured by luminescence have become

interesting topic in recent years. Europium is a rare earth metal and the Eu(III) ion is a hard acid; when Eu(III) and a monosaccharide ligand are present, a complex may be formed. The goal is to determine the equilibrium constant KEuL between the europium ion and a D-glucosamine ligand. At 25oC and pH ~ 7.40, a physiologically important pH, adding D-glucosamine enhanced the luminescence of 0.0025 M Eu(III). As the concentration of ligand increased, the emission intensity was also …

Health Implications Of Mercury, Selenium, And A Red Pelage In Pacific Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina Richardii) Off Central California, Elizabeth Alexis Mchuron

Master's Theses

San Francisco Bay (SFB) is the largest estuary on the west coast of the United States. It provides habitat for many species, although is heavily urbanized with a history of selenium (Se) and mercury (Hg) contamination. Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are good indicators of the health of SFB because they are long–lived, upper–level trophic consumers, and present in the estuary year–round. The objective of this study was to examine the role of Se and Hg contamination on the health of harbor seals in this region, and the role of Se in the development of a red pelage. Between 2009 and …

Differential And Temporal Immunomodulation Of Alpha4 Integrins On Cd4+ Memory Cells By Bordetella Pertussis And Bordetella Parapertussis, Dipti Ravindra

Master's Theses

Pertussis, caused by Bordetella pertussis (B. pertussis), is reemerging worldwide due to vaccine inefficacy. The hallmarks of infection are extreme lymphocytosis and delayed recovery, which are partially associated with pertussis toxin. Lymphocytes migrate to infected tissues using trafficking receptors. Specific combinations of these lymphocyte trafficking receptors are identified for skin and gut but are not well established for lung.

This study focused on the effect of pertussis toxin on lung-associated trafficking receptors and tested the hypothesis that pertussis toxin alters dendritic cell imprinting of lung trafficking receptors on T cells, thus delaying resolution of the infection. B. pertussis-infected mice were …

Plasmablast Frequency And Trafficking Receptor Expression Are Altered In Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis, Nicole Jeanne Tarlton

Master's Theses

Background: The incidence of pediatric ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic autoinflammatory disease of the colon, is on the rise. Although an increased infiltration of B cells from the peripheral blood into the colon occurs in UC, B cell trafficking is understudied. We hypothesized that the frequency of circulating plasmablasts (PBs) and their trafficking receptor (TR) expression may be indicative of the location and degree of pathology in pediatric UC. Methods: We conducted multicolor flow cytometry analyses of circulating IgA+/- PBs and IgA+ memory B cells (MBCs) in pediatric UC patients with remission, mild, moderate, and severe disease (n=12) and healthy …

Feral Cat Management: Perceptions And Preferences (A Case Study), Rachel Lm Wilken

Master's Theses

Feral cat management is a highly debated topic. Trap, Neuter, and Return (TNR) programs have become increasingly popular as an alternative to eradication. Public preference about how to manage feral cats has been explored by previous authors, but no consensus has been reached. Public policy and best management practices depend in part upon public opinion on this topic. Wording of a feral cat management preference in surveys can play a role in respondent opinion. For this thesis, the researcher examined public opinion about feral cat control by surveying 298 Stanford University faculty and staff members using two different communication approaches. …

Coming From Sounds Of Blackness: Exploring The Effects Of Hip-Hop On Views Of Race, Eliezer Bercasio

Master's Theses

Does the individual's frequency of listening to hip-hop music have an effect on whether or not they believe in a color-blind ideology? Using data from a 25-item questionnaire given to 165 participants drawn for a sample from an urban California college, this study tested six hypotheses in order to determine if such a connection exists. Results revealed that individuals who frequently listened to misogynistic rap were less likely to believe that race is a convenient way to categorize individuals, controlling for race, sex, and income. Thus, individuals who had a higher frequency of listening to hip-hop were less likely to …

Analysis Of Sol-Gel Encapsulated Aggregate-Prone Peptides By Circular Dichroism, Nathan James Birtwhistle

Master's Theses

Protein aggregation has been linked to many debilitating neurological diseases. In each case, a specific protein is thought to have a region of intrinsically disordered structure that seeds the aggregation. Highly cooperative in nature, protein aggregation is difficult to investigate. The current study aims to characterize two aggregation-prone peptides involved in Huntington's disease, polyglutamine (polyQ, D₂Q₁₅K₂), and Alzheimer's disease, amyloid-beta (A&beta). A protocol was developed to encapsulate the peptides by the sol-gel technique. Generated from a liquid state, the silica matrix is presumed to isolate the soluble peptide, preventing aggregation. In addition, the porosity …

The Investigation Of The Unc-6/Netrin And Unc-40/Dcc-Mediated Synaptic Partner Recognition Pathway, Kelli Benedetti

Master's Theses

Organisms receive, process, and respond to environmental cues via intricate neural circuits that form during development. Proper development of neuronal circuits is therefore critical to brain function. To form these circuits, a neuron must first extend its axons to the appropriate target. After reaching this target region, it must recognize its correct synaptic partners from multiple incorrect partners and form appropriate synapses. It is well understood how axons reach their target regions, but little is known about how neurons select the correct partners once there, a process called synaptic partner

recognition (SPR). Our work aims to elucidate the genetic programs …

(Re)Defining < Marriage >: An Autohistoria Of An Ideograph, Robert Gutierrez

Master's Theses

This study explores as an ideograph in the law and everyday life through an analysis of private and public texts and embodied acts. The purpose of this study was to engage intersectionally as a power structure with wide-ranging influence over society to locate resistance. Utilizing rhetorical methods, this work examined archives and repertoires through an autohistoria of a queer Chicano male before the passage of Proposition 8, the California Constitutional Amendment that banned for LGBTQ couples. By exploring through metaphors and performative writing, this study constructs in the tradition of the shaman to present new possibilities for and queer theory.

Effects Of Stress And Co-Rumination On Creativity And Performance, Subha Govindarajan

Master's Theses

Stress is shown to have a negative impact on individuals, organizations, and society at large. Though research in industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology has examined the relationship between stress and various organizational outcomes, the effects of stress on creativity and performance have seldom been investigated. Furthermore, despite the well-reported buffering effects of social support on the negative outcomes of stress, the potential effects of one type of social support, co-rumination, on organizational outcomes have not been examined. Therefore, using 100 undergraduate students, the effects of stress and co-rumination on creativity and performance were examined. Results did not show that stress and co-rumination …

Maintenance Of Polish Language And Culture Among First Generation Polish Immigrants Living In The Southern San Francisco Bay Area, California., Dominika Bialek

Master's Theses

The focus of this thesis research is to investigate the extent to which first

generation Polish immigrants living in the southern San Francisco Bay Area in California maintain their native Polish language and culture. Qualitative data were collected in the form of interviews and survey questionnaires. The major findings show that in this small immigrant community (1) maintenance of Polish language and culture happens primarily at home; (2) females married to first generation Polish immigrants are more likely than others to maintain Polish language and culture; (3) the small size of the Polish community, knowledge of English at the time …

Habitat Use By Myotis Yumanensis And Tadarida Brasiliensis Mexicana In South San Francisco Bay Wetlands: An Acoustic Study, Theresa Brickley

Master's Theses

Research on bat habitat use within coastal estuaries is limited. The purposes of my study were to determine whether Yuma myotis (Myotis yumanensis) and Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana) differentiate between open water and marsh within saline and brackish habitats and to examine whether climatic factors are correlated with general activity and tidal height with foraging of the two species. I recorded echolocation sequences over 30 survey nights in Alviso, California. Two Anabat II^® detectors were randomly deployed each survey night in open salt water and salt marsh or open brackish water and brackish …

Consequences In Alcohol Use Portrayals On Emerging Adult Attitudes, Stephanie Jwo

Master's Theses

Many factors may contribute to forming attitudes towards alcohol, such as peer groups, family history, and media influences. This study focused on the inclusion of consequences in portrayals of alcohol-use and the possible influences on emerging adult attitudes towards alcohol. The emerging adult population represents a relatively newly defined developmental stage that roughly spans the ages of 18 to 25 years. Emerging adult attitudes towards alcohol were expected to vary positively or negatively after reading a vignette of alcohol-use that included a positive consequence, a negative consequence, or no consequence. Emerging adult attitudes did not vary by the alcohol-use consequences …