Digital Commons Network^™

Academic Gateway, Winter 2011, San Jose State University Library

Library Gateway

No abstract provided.

Mothers And Infants In The Prehistoric Santa Clara Valley: What Stable Isotopes Tell Us About Ancestral Ohlone Weaning Practices, Alan M. Leventhal, Karen S. Gardner, Rosemary Cambra, Eric J. Bartelink, Antoinette Martinez

Faculty Publications, Anthropology

Breast-feeding and weaning are a part of childhood in all human populations, but the exact timing of these milestones varies between groups. As infants incorporate the nutrients from breast milk into their growing bones, chemical evidence is captured in the form of higher stable nitrogen (δ15N) isotope values. This study interprets δ15N values in the bone collagen of children (n = 24) buried at the Yukisma Mound (CA-SCL-38), in Santa Clara County, California. Radiocarbon dates for this site span 2200-250 B.P., but primarily fall during the Late period (740-230 B.P.). In the one probable mother-infant pair available for study, a …

Innovate Magazine / Annual Review 2010-2011, San Jose State University

Innovate Magazine (School of Information)

No abstract provided.

A Bulk Water-Dependent Desolvation Energy Model For Analyzing The Effects Of Secondary Solutes On Biological Equilibria, Daryl K. Eggers

Faculty Publications, Chemistry

A new phenomenological model for interpreting the effects of solutes on biological equilibria is presented. The model attributes changes in equilibria to differences in the desolvation energy of the reacting species that, in turn, reflect changes in the free energy of the bulk water upon addition of secondary solutes. The desolvation approach differs notably from that of other solute models by treating the free energy of bulk water as a variable and by not ascribing the observed shifts in reaction equilibria to accumulation or depletion of solutes next to the surfaces of the reacting species. On the contrary, the partitioning …

Novel Application Of Query-Based Qualitative Predictors For Characterization Of Solvent Accessible Residues In Conjunction With Protein Sequence Homology. Proceedings Of The 22nd International Workshop On Database And Expert Systems Applications, D Rose, R Nepal, S Gholizadeh, R Mishra, R Lau, Brooke Lustig

Faculty Publications, Chemistry

No abstract provided.

A Conserved Juxtacrine Signal Regulates Synaptic Partner Recognition In C. Elegans, J R. Park, P L. Knezevich, W Wung, S N. O'Hanlon, A Goyal, K L. Benedetti, B J. Barsi-Rhyne, M Raman, N Mock, M Bremer, Miri Vanhoven

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Forming synaptic connections of the appropriate strength between specific neurons is crucial for constructing neural circuits to control behavior. A recent paper in Neural Development describes the use of a synapse-specific label in Caenorhabditis elegans to implicate local UNC-6/netrin signaling in this developmental process. Thus, as well as their well known roles in cell migration and axon guidance, UNC-6/netrin signals distinguish an appropriate synaptic partner from other potential targets.

A Preliminary Study Of The Vegetation Of Vernal Pools Of Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island, B Ciccotelli, T B. Harris, B Connery, N Rajakaruna

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

We conducted a preliminary floristic study of six vernal pools in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Maine. Plant species were recorded on three sampling dates from April to October, 2008. Sixty-five vascular plant species from 26 families were recorded. Of these, 27 are considered occasional or uncommon in Acadia National Park. Thirteen species are new reports for vernal pools in the northeastern United States. This represents the first published study of the vernal pool flora of Acadia National Park

Lichens Of Callahan Mine, A Copper And Zinc-Enriched Superfund Site In Brooksville, Maine, U.S.A., N Rajakaruna, T B. Harris, S Clayden, A Dibble, F S. Olday

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Metal-enriched habitats often harbor physiologically distinct biotas able to tolerate and accumulate toxic metals. Plants and lichens that accumulate metals have served as effective indicators of ecosystem pollution. Whereas the diversity of metal-tolerant lichens has been well documented globally, the literature of metal-tolerant lichen communities for eastern North America is limited. We examined the lichen flora of the Callahan Mine, a Cu-, Pb-, and Zn-enriched superfund site in Brooksville, Hancock County, Maine, U.S.A. Through collections along transects across metal-contaminated areas of the mine, we documented 76 species of lichens and related fungi. Fifty species were saxicolous, 26 were terricolous. Forty-three …

Contemporary And Historical Separation Of Transequatorial Migration Between Genetically Distinct Seabird Populations, M J. Rayner, M E. Hauber, T E. Steeves, H A. Lawrence, D R. Thompson, P M. Sagar, S J. Bury, R A. Phillips, T J. Landers, L Ranjard, Scott A. Shaffer

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Pelagic seabirds are highly mobile, reducing the likelihood of allopatric speciation where disruption of gene flow between populations is caused by physically insurmountable, extrinsic barriers. Spatial segregation during the non-breeding season appears to provide an intrinsic barrier to gene flow among seabird populations that otherwise occupy nearby or overlapping regions during breeding, but how this is achieved remains unclear. Here we show that the two genetically distinct populations of Cook's petrel (Pterodroma cookii) exhibit transequatorial separation of non-breeding ranges at contemporary (ca. 2–3 yrs) and historical (ca. 100 yrs) time scales. Segregation during the non-breeding season per se appears as …

Commentary: Selecting Synaptic Partners: Grasping The Role Of Unc- 6/Netrin, Q L. Ch'ng

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Forming synaptic connections of the appropriate strength between specific neurons is crucial for constructing neural circuits to control behavior. A recent paper in Neural Development describes the use of a synapse-specific label in Caenorhabditis elegans to implicate local UNC-6/netrin signaling in this developmental process. Thus, as well as their well known roles in cell migration and axon guidance, UNC-6/netrin signals distinguish an appropriate synaptic partner from other potential targets.

Speciation, Luminescence, And Alkaline Fluorescence Quenching Of 4-(2-Methylbutyl)Aminodipicolinic Acid (H2mebadpa), Gilles Muller, A. J. Ingram, A. G. Dunpal, R. Dipietro

Faculty Publications, Chemistry

4-(2-Methylbutyl)aminodipicolinic acid (H2MEBADPA) has been synthesized and fully characterized in terms of aqueous phase protonation constants (pKa's) and photophysical measurements. The pKa's were determined by spectrophotometric titrations, utilizing a fully sealed titration system. Photophysical measurements consisted of room temperature fluorescence and frozen solution phosphorescence as well as quantum yield determinations at various pH, which showed that only fully deprotonated MEBADPA2– is appreciably emissive. The fluorescence of MEBADPA2– has been determined to be quenched by hydroxide and methoxide anions, most likely through base-catalyzed excited-state tautomerism or proton transfer. This quenching phenomenon has been quantitatively explored through steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements. …

Food Habits Of Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina Richardii) In San Francisco Bay, California, Corinne Michele Gibble

Master's Theses

The diet of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) in San Francisco Bay (SFB) in California was examined from July 2007 to July 2008 via scat analysis. Scats were collected from five major haul-out sites; 22 species of fish and one species of crustacean were identified from 422 scats. The reliance of a non-native invasive species, Yellowfin Goby (Acanthogobius flavimanus), increased in importance in the diet. Additionally, another non-native invasive fish species, Chameleon Goby (Tridentiger trigonocephalus), was found for the first time in the diet of harbor seals in SFB. Harbor seal diet was compared between seasons, locations, and years using …

Differences In Eubacterial And Archaeal Soil Communities Along A Precipitation Transect In The Mojave Desert, Elaine Pressly Bryant

Master's Theses

Deserts occupy one third of the total land mass of Earth, yet little is known about microbial soil communities under conditions of low precipitation and humidity. The Mojave Desert of the Southwestern United States provides an opportunity to observe microbial communities along a precipitation transect. The diversity of these communities can elucidate which specific groups of Eubacteria and Archaea are best adapted to limited liquid water.

Two methods were utilized to determine patterns and trends of the microbial soil communities under varying precipitation levels. Viable plate counts allowed comparison of culturable microorganisms over a four-year period. Molecular techniques distinguished unculturable …

Synthesis Of Hybrid Inositol Glycan Analogues, Smita Fulzele

Master's Theses

Inositol glycans (IGs) are small oligosaccharides exhibiting insulin-like metabolic activities in insulin-sensitive cells. The signal transduction pathways activated by IGs in these cells are still under study, but it is known that there is cross talk between the IG-signaling pathway and the insulin-signaling pathway downstream of the insulin receptor. Therefore, IGs may have potential for use in the treatment of type II diabetes mellitus. However, natural IGs are heterogeneous and difficult to isolate. Hence, synthetic IGs and their analogues have been chemically synthesized and evaluated for insulin-mimetic properties by various research groups. Unfortunately, the most biologically active IG analogues are …

Teaching And Learning Of Proof In The College Curriculum, Maja Derek

Master's Theses

Mathematical proof, as an essential part of mathematics,

is as difficult to learn as it is to teach. In this thesis, we

provide a short overview of how mathematical proof is understood

by students in K-16. Furthermore, we answer questions about

mistakes students usually make in the transition period from high

school to college in understanding mathematics and mathematical

proof. Through a case study, we learned that deduction mistakes

characteristic for early mathematical education, such as arguing

from an example, can be abandoned very easily as students begin to

understand the inadequacy of one, or finitely many, examples when

arguing …

Social Support And Gender Effects On Academic Confidence In Foster Youth, Carolyn Suzanne Gillard

Master's Theses

Finding the predictors for academic success is critical for foster youth to become productive citizens as adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of social support in the academic confidence of transitional foster youth. Because the literature suggests men and women benefit from social support differentially, I also examined gender as the moderating variable for social support and academic confidence. A sample of 82 foster youth (15-18 years old) from San Joaquin County's Human Service Agency volunteered to participate. Participants were given the Student Perceived Availability of Social Support Questionnaire (SPASSQ) to assess their perceptions of …

Million Dollar Red, Jennifer Marie Ghastin

Master's Theses

The novel Million Dollar Red connects the lives of six women in Eastside San Jose in pursuit of a common set of desires to be beautiful, happy, and something other than what they were when they walked into Quynh's Nail Salon. The third person limited point of view shifts protagonists every time a character comes into contact with a certain shade of red nail polish, Million Dollar Red. According to Quynh, the owner of the salon, the polish has the magical power to give women what they need but not what they want. Once the six women have encountered the …

Problem Solving With Geographic Networks In The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Steven Hong

Master's Theses

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) serves as the crossroads for many geographic networks that crisscross California. These include a conveyance network for drinking water, a biological network for delta smelt, and a transportation network for roads. As a result, local Delta issues concerning flooding and endangered fish hold implications for the entire state. This thesis explores these underlying network structures that pass through the Delta as a means for solving subsets of these most difficult challenges.

Recognition of these larger networks enable the transformation of the Delta's convoluted maze of waterways and islands into a series of nodes and segments. …

The Environmental Impact Of The Retail Photoprocessing Industry In Santa Clara County: 1996 Vs. 2006, Benoit Delaveau

Master's Theses

Consumer digital cameras appeared on the market in 1994. Consequently, the photoprocessing industry experienced a downturn beginning in 2000, with a sudden drop in activity. This study focuses on the evolution of the retail photoprocessing industry between 1996 and 2006 and evaluates its four major environmental impacts: (1) energy use, (2) associated greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), (3) silver discharge, and (4) water consumption. The main method used for data analysis is based on the ISO 14040 standard for Life Cycle Assessment. The study utilizes data from: (a) impact quantification for two photoprocessing labs in Santa Clara County, and (b) a …

Dangerous Decor: Consumer Knowledge Of Health Risks Within Interior Spaces, Kaitlin Keith

Master's Theses

Interior décor is an ever-present part of people's daily lives. The furnishings and finishes with which people surround themselves are part of their personal expression, but these components in people's homes and work spaces can negatively affect their health. Products such as furniture and paints can contain harmful chemicals, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) so toxic they are pollutants regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. With the rise in the "green" movement, healthy and environmentally safe alternatives such as low or zero-VOC paints are becoming more available. This study assessed how aware consumers and design professionals are of environmentally …

Reducing Disturbances To Marine Mammals By Kayakers In The Monterey Bay, Megan Maye Gunvalson

Master's Theses

Team OCEAN is a kayaker-outreach program located in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary under the direction of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, whose goal is to reduce disturbances to marine mammals by kayakers. This study documented the interactions between kayakers and resting harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) and southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis) at Team OCEAN's two outreach sites, Cannery Row and Elkhorn Slough, to determine if outreach was effective in reducing disturbances to harbor seals and sea otters.

No difference was observed in the percentage of kayaks causing disturbances to resting harbor seals when comparing days Team OCEAN …

Post-Fire Analysis Of Sequoia Sempervirens Forests On The Central Coast Of California, Rachel Anne Lazzeri-Aerts

Master's Theses

The public perception of wildfire is that it destroys forests and that all fires should be quickly extinguished. However, fire plays a central role in determining structure, composition, and recruitment in many forest types. In coast redwood forests, the role of fire is not well understood, particularly in the southern part of the range. Observational data suggest that redwoods are relatively unaffected by fire. The sites of three 2008 and 2009 fires were sampled for this study: the Martin Fire in Bonny Doon, California, the Whitehurst Fire near Gilroy, California, and the Lockheed Fire near Swanton, California. Randomly selected ten-meter …

Surface Nitriding And Oxidation Of Nitinol, Edin Bazochaharbakhsh

Master's Theses

Nitinol has been widely employed in biomedical devices due to its unique mechanical properties such as superelasticity, shape memory, and good biocompatibility. However, nickel ion release from the surface of the Nitinol is an issue. Surface nitriding and oxidation was performed on the Nitinol specimens to develop a nickel-free oxide layer on the surface. Nitinol specimens were nitrided in nitrogen + 4% hydrogen at 800 - 1000oC for 10 - 30 min and further nitrided in nitrogen + 5% ammonia at 500 - 675oC for 0 - 30 min. The thickness and chemical composition, specifically the nickel content of the …

The Synthesis And Characterization Of Endcapped Silica Hydride Stationary Phase, Prema Gangadhara

Master's Theses

The silanization/hydrosilation process was developed to overcome some of the drawbacks associated with the use of organosilane reagents for the synthesis of high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) stationary phases. The first step is called silanization, in which silica or other oxides react with triethoxysilane (TES), resulting in the formation of a silica hydride surface. Endcapping the stationary phase using trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) and hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) eliminates the unreacted and accessible silanols on the silica hydride intermediate.

This research employed the modification of bare silica to silica hydride via silanization. Endcapping after silanization eliminated accessible and unreacted silanols. Endcapping was confirmed by …

Diet Of The Gopher Rockfish (Sebastes Carnatus) Inside And Outside Of Marine Protected Areas In Central California, Erin Kimberly Loury

Master's Theses

Marine protected areas (MPAs) can potentially impact food web dynamics by increasing the density of predatory fishes within their borders. Such increases in density can cause shifts in the prey use of generalist predators. This study investigated the effects of increased conspecific density on the diet of Gopher Rockfish (Sebastes carnatus) at a 35-year-old MPA at Point Lobos and four newly established central California MPAs at Año Nuevo, Point Lobos, Piedras Blancas, and Point Buchon. Analysis of 710 stomachs collected in 2007-2009 indicated the most important overall prey were crabs, especially of the family Pisidae and the genus Cancer, as …

Can The Fear Of Death Inspire Creativity?, Michelle Murphy

Master's Theses

The current study examined whether participant's creative performance changed after they became aware of their mortality. The main hypotheses predicted that (1) participants who have highly creative personalities would show an increase in creative performance following mortality salience, (2) participants with less creative personalities would show a decrease in creative performance following mortality salience. Highly creative individuals were distinguished from less creative individuals based on their personality composition. The Consequences Test (Guilford, 1970) was used to measure creative performance. To examine whether creative performance changed after mortality salience, participants completed Form 1A of the Consequences Test, a mortality salience manipulation, …

Distribution, Growth, And Disturbance Of Catalina Island Rhodoliths, Paul Anthony Tompkins

Master's Theses

Rhodoliths are free-living coralline algae (Rhodophyta) that form large beds on the seafloor. Rhodolith beds are globally widespread and biologically diverse shallow marine habitats. Beds are ecologically sensitive, disturbed by humans, and in Europe are protected by law. While rhodolith beds have been found in California waters at Catalina Island, no literature exists regarding their distribution or ecological significance. This study sought to (1) map the distribution and characterize the rhodolith beds around Catalina, (2) determine the seasonal growth rates, and (3) investigate the effect of common sources of disturbance. A systematic search of shallow subtidal (0-40 meters) areas revealed …

Nearshore Fish Assemblage Patterns With Respect To Landscape-Scale Habitats In Central California, Kristin Irene Hunter-Thomson

Master's Theses

In most ecosystems, the distribution of species across a landscape is greatly influenced by the type, amount, and spatial configuration of habitats. Studies in terrestrial environments have shown that species diversity, density, and length frequency often positively correlate with the size of a habitat patch, patch shape, and proximity to a patch edge. These patterns, however, have not been conclusively shown in temperate sub-tidal marine studies. Data from visual strip–transects collected from the Delta submersible were used to characterize fish assemblages with respect to rocky bank habitat patches. Specifically, the density, diversity, and length frequency of nearshore fishes were examined …

Performing Asexuality Through Narratives Of Sexual Identity, Janet Sundrud

Master's Theses

This thesis explores the social construction of asexual identities through everyday narrative performances and critically examines the marginalizing effects of heteronormative discourses. This thesis posits narrative performance as a framework for understanding asexual identities within a heteronormative society. Drawing upon oral history and ethnographic methodologies, this thesis examines the narrative performances of three self-identified asexuals and explores four themes within each narrative: 1) the breach of heteronormative expectations, 2) the creation of commonality among individuals within the asexual community, 3) the negotiation of heteronormative discourses within the family, and 4) the construction of future-oriented liminoid narratives of asexuality. This thesis …

The Relationship Between Diversity And Performance In Major League Baseball Teams: Conflict's Mediating Effect, Michelle Maureen Campion

Master's Theses

Diversity in the workplace is a growing reality around the world as the globalizing economy has prompted the growth of work teams comprised of individuals from diverse backgrounds with different values, experiences, knowledge, and skills. Researchers have been investigating the way diversity impacts organizational outcomes, including performance. However, it is not clearly understood how diversity impacts performance. Using data from 30 Major League Baseball teams over a two-year period, this research proposed that conflict might mediate the relationship between diversity and performance. Both diversity and performance were measured using multiple indicators. Although results did not indicate that conflict mediated the …