Digital Commons Network^™

A Comparison Of Meat Purchasing Attitudes Across Generations, Jamie M. Mickelson

Master's Theses

To identify the factors that influence different generations meat purchasing behaviors. The list of the features for respondents to report are desirable to them when they purchase meat. The results of features will provide the answer to meat purchasing attitudes across generations, which will help to analyze which features influence generations purchasing behaviors. There were 290 respondents to the survey. The target markets are split in to four groups – young Millennials, older Millennials, Generation Xers, and Baby Boomers. The highest desirability for respondents decisions to purchase meat is good value for the money and second is no hormones added. …

The Impact Of Local On Meat Purchasing Decisions, Steven Mclennan

Master's Theses

The research examines the target market for a meat product produced by the local university. Further, desirable attributes of meat and how consumers definition of “locally produced and/or raised” are identified. A total of 290 personal interviews were completed in San Luis Obispo County, California on the consumers’ willingness to purchase Cal Poly meat. Likely purchasers are found to be 31 percent of the San Luis Obispo population. The target buyer of Cal poly meat products are both male and females, who tend to be older, and make more than $60,000 a year. Local is defined by 31 percent of …

Effects Of Low Velocity Impact On The Flexural Strength Of Composite Sandwich Structures, Jeffrey Scott Carter

Master's Theses

The use of composite sandwich structures is rapidly increasing in the aerospace industry because of their increased strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight characteristics. The effects of low velocity impacts on these structures, however, are the main weakness that hinders further use of them in the industry because the damages from these loadings can often be catastrophic. Impact behavior of composite materials in general is a crucial consideration for a designer but can be difficult to describe theoretically. Because of this, experimental analysis is typically used to attempt to describe the behavior of composite sandwiches under impact loads. Experimental testing can still be …

Gene Expression Analysis Of Bovine Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells In Response To Adenovirus-Vectored Foot-And-Mouth Disease Vaccine, Frank Zappulla

Master's Theses

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) gives rise to a highly contagious and economically important disease of cloven-hooved animals. Vaccination reduces the economic impact by inducing serotype-specific protection. Recently, a replication-defective adenovirus-vectored foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) subunit vaccine was developed and licensed. Serum virus neutralization (SVN) titer ≥1.5 to FMDV is the best predictor of vaccine-induced protection. However, protection does not always correlate with the presence of neutralizing antibodies. For example, some animals with high SVN titer develop signs of disease, and conversely, some animals with negligible SVN titer are protected. Categorizing cattle on the parameters of seroconversion and protection status yields four …

The Effect Of Cyclophilin A On Vaccinia Virus Replication In Vitro, Kathryn Korhonen

Master's Theses

The host protein cyclophilin A (CypA) has been shown to be necessary for viral replication of several viruses, including human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus. Previous research done in the Geary laboratory, in collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, reported that cyclophilin A remains highly associated with vaccinia virus virions even after successive rounds of purification. The goal of this research is to further investigate how cyclophilin A affects vaccinia virus replication in vitro using primary tissues harvested from CypA (-/-) knockout mice to determine the difference in viral growth kinetics. Results showed different viral growth kinetics in …

Mother-Child Interactions And Emotion Regulation In Preschool Children, Courtney R. Lincoln

Master's Theses

Emotion regulation is a complex and dynamic process that begins in infancy and continues through toddlerhood and childhood with the support of parents, teachers, and other caregivers. Early caregiver-child interactions shape the way children learn to manage their emotions and the range of emotions that they express. The current study seeks to examine how maternal perceptions of preschool children’s emotion regulation and emotion lability are associated with mother-child interactions during free play. 30 mother-child dyads were recruited from two New England urban areas: one community sample and one sample recruited from Head Start locations. Dyads engaged in a free play …

Reduction Of Obesity-Associated Oxidative Stress By Low-Fat Yogurt Consumption, Diana M. Dimarco

Master's Theses

Excess macronutrient intake leads to an increase in formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This causes an imbalance between ROS generation and the ability of the body to neutralize these radicals, a state known as oxidative stress. Previous research suggests the ability of dairy products to attenuate the postprandial response, which may reduce ROS formation. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the impact of low-fat yogurt consumption on fasting and postprandial oxidative stress in obese women.

We hypothesized that co-consumption of low-fat yogurt and a high-calorie, high-fat meal would reduce postprandial elevations in oxidative stress in obese women. To test …

G9a Is Required For Normal Cerebral Cortical Development, Saranya Santhosh Kumar

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Manipulation Of Larval And Winter Habitat Reveals Potential Effects Of Urbanization And Climate Change On Wood Frogs In Connecticut, Jason H. O'Connor

Master's Theses

Human activity can result in both local and global changes in the environment which in turn can affect other organisms and may result in population declines and loss of biodiversity. At the local scale, human activity often causes changes in habitat quality. For example, development and agriculture increase water turbidity which can influence wetland communities. At a global scale, carbon emissions are altering Earth’s climate, leading to increasing air temperatures. Using Wood Frogs, Lithobates sylvaticus, a wide-ranging, pond breeding amphibian, I sought to determine how sediment input affects larval amphibians and to assess how predicted loss of snow cover …

Trophic Cascade Effects Of Deer Overabundance On Connecticut's Native Vegetation And Small Mammal Populations, Megan A. Floyd

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Conservation Of Bridle Shiner (Notropis Bifrenatus) In Connecticut: Issues In Detecting An Elusive Species, Kasey C. Pregler

Master's Theses

Bridle Shiner (Notropis bifrenatus) is apparently declining over most of its range and is currently listed as a species of concern in Connecticut. Using an occupancy modeling framework in program PRESENCE, my study compared seining and electrofishing backpack unit detection probabilities of Bridle Shiner. This research indicated the apparent decline of Bridle Shiner in the state was in part due to changes in sampling gear used for statewide surveys. Seining used 50 years ago was demonstrably more effective at capturing Bridle Shiner than the currently favored and more frequently used electrofishing gear. In light of this recent finding, …

Efficacy Of Optical Coherence Tomography In The Detection Of Potentially Malignant Oral Mucosal Lesions Of The Tongue: An Animal Model, Hugo Cesar Campos Jaramillo

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Investigating Hemodynamic Responses To Electrical Neurostimulation, Sean Youra

Master's Theses

Since the 1900s, the number of deaths attributable to cardiovascular disease has steadily risen. With the advent of antihypertensive drugs and non-invasive surgical procedures, such as intravascular stenting, these numbers have begun to level off. Despite this trend, the number of patients diagnosed with some form of cardiovascular disease has only increased. By 2030, prevalence of coronary heart disease is expected to increase approximately by 18% in the United States. By 2050, prevalence of peripheral arterial occlusive disease is expected to increase approximately by 98% in the U.S. No single drug or surgical intervention offers a complete solution to these …

Examining The Impacts Of State Route 101 On Wildlife Using Road Kill Surveys And Remote Cameras, Sara Ann Snyder

Master's Theses

Roads can negatively impact the survival of wildlife populations through additional mortality from road kill and population fragmentation caused by road avoidance behaviors. The 11.9 mile section of State Route 101 between the towns of San Luis Obispo and Atascadero, CA, USA, cross a mountain lion movement corridor and an area important to maintaining ecological connectivity between protected lands in the Los Padres National Forest to the north and south.

I examined the spatial patterns and landscape and roadway factors associated with road kill occurrence for six taxa; large mammals, mesocarnivores, squirrels, rabbits, birds and raptors. Between 1 May 2009 …

Design, Characterization And Application Of A Multiple Input Stethoscope Apparatus, Spencer Geng Wong

Master's Theses

For this project, the design, implementation, characterization, calibration and possible applications of a multiple transducer stethoscope apparatus were investigated. The multi-transducer sensor array design consists of five standard stethoscope diaphragms mounted to a rigid frame for a-priori knowledge of their relative spatial locations in the x-y plane, with compliant z-direction positioning to ensure good contact and pressure against the subject’s skin for reliable acoustic coupling. When this apparatus is properly placed on the body, it can digitally capture the same important body sounds investigated with standard acoustic stethoscopes; especially heart sounds. Acoustic signal inputs from each diaphragm are converted to …

Chromatographic Analysis Of Fatty Acids Using 9-Chloromethyl-Anthracene And 2-Bromomethyl-Anthraquinone, Jesus B. Tapia

Master's Theses

Fatty acids are carboxylic acids with long alkane or alkene chains and are important components of living organisms. The presence of the carboxylic acid is analytically very important since it allows for derivatization with fluorescence reagents such as 9-chloromethyl-anthracene (9-CMA) for HPLC analysis. A method for the analysis of fatty acids using 9-CMA and 2-bromomethyl-anthraquinone (MAQ-Br) was developed. The method utilizes a modified protocol previously used for the analysis of short-chain carboxylic acids with 9-CMA. The modified protocol was applied to medium- and long-chain fatty acids for analysis by HPLC with UV-visible and fluorescence detection. After successful derivatization and analysis …

The Relationship Between Mothers' Physical Self-Perceptions, Exercise Self-Regulation, Body Image Discrepancy And Sport-Specific Socialization Support For Their Daughters, Janelle K. Beilman

Master's Theses

Opportunities in youth sport are impacted by many socialization factors. In order to keepfemales engaged in sport, the study of additional factors that predict girls sport socialization is important. This study investigated the relationships among mothers’ physical self-perceptions, self-regulation of exercise, body image discrepancies (BID) and sport/activity socialization for their daughters. One hundred and four mothers (M= 44.932, SD= 5.8078) completed self-report questionnaires that assessed their physical self-perceptions, exercise self-regulation, body image discrepancy and support for their daughters’ participation in 20 different sports and physical activities. Results indicated that no significant correlations between the physical self-perception competence and most importance …

The Ontogeny Of Whistle Production In Infant Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) During The First Thirty Days Of Life, Brittany Leigh Jones

Master's Theses

The manner in which dolphin calves acquire their whistle repertoire is largely unknown. This paper focuses on whistle development in four bottlenose dolphin calves during the first thirty days of life in order to increase our understanding of the early emergence of whistles and whistle-like vocalizations. The acoustic parameters of whistle-type vocalizations (i.e., whistles and whistlesquawks) that coincided with a bubblestream emission from the focal calf and/or its mother were analyzed, as were the behavioral states of the mother-calf pair during the emission of such vocals. Mother and calf whistle rates are inversely related, with the mother whistling more often …

Selling Tradition: Impression Management And Draft Animal Agriculture Of A Mississippi Farmstead, Matthew Corbin Lance

Master's Theses

This thesis is a case study of a family of farmers in Mississippi’s Piney Woods who use horse-drawn equipment to grow crops. This practice is notable in the context of a larger agricultural system that prioritizes mechanization (particularly the use of tractors). The production style and their use of local direct selling via farmers markets allowed them to thrive economically because they were able to tap into a niche market of consumers desiring an alternative to the modern, conventional agricultural system.

Other literature on Alternative Food Networks (AFN) discusses the issues of alterity and appropriation—that is, whether AFN ventures are …

[Blip] And Other Noises, Jennifer Jacob Brown

Master's Theses

[Blip] and Other Noises is a collection of short stories that explores the illusory nature of identity, time, space, and our experience of reality. Its principal characters include a sea captain, an Elvis fanatic, a space alien, and some very confused children. Its principal settings include small town Mississippi, the Gulf of Mexico, the Indiana wilderness, and uncharted (by humans) outer space. This collection is accompanied by a critical introduction.

Because A Fire, A Lover's Quarrel: Poems, Clifton Clyde Ward

Master's Theses

This thesis comprises poems written and/or revised over the past two years. They mark the development of my aesthetic and writing ability thus far and are representative of the training and practice incited by my own efforts and those of my professors during my enrollment in the Master of Arts degree in English, Creative Writing emphasis. The majority of these poems are written in an open form, and all of them fall under three general categories: autobiographical, absurdist, or formal.

A Description Of Vocalizations And Their Association With Mouthing Behaviors And Social Context In Bottlenose Dolphins, Tursiops Truncatus, Christina Elyse Perazio

Master's Theses

Dolphin communication is multimodal and incorporates physical behaviors and vocalizations. Dolphins often exchange information with conspecifics using different types of vocalizations, and these vocalizations are sometimes associated with specific behaviors. However, the relationship of vocalization type and mouthing behavior type has not been investigated. This thesis examines simultaneous acoustic and visual recordings of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) to determine the relationship between type of mouthing behavior and type of vocalization (whistle, whistle-squawk, chirp, moan, burst-pulse type A, burst-pulse type B, and click trains). The role of the social context of a mouthing behavior is also evaluated. Data were obtained opportunistically …

The Effects Of The Nat Turner Slave Revolt On The Health And Welfare Of 19th-Century Slaves In Southeastern Virginia, Jeffrey Clifford Auerbach

Master's Theses

The Nat Turner Slave Revolt stands as a major turning point in the history of American slavery and represents a fundamental shift in the master slave relationship. This event shattered the previous paternalistic view and caused a fundamental reorganization of slave life. Included in this reorganization was a shift in the subsistence practice, moving away from morenutritious food grown by the slaves themselves to poor quality rations provided by the masters. This change in subsistence practices dealt a serious blow to the nutritional health of those living in the area surrounding the revolt.

By examining stature recorded in the County …

Nerve Fiber Diameter Measurements Using Hematoxylin And Eosin Staining And Brightfield Microscopy To Assess The Novel Method Of Characterizing Peripheral Nerve Fiber Distributions By Group Delay, Jorge Arturo Vazquez

Master's Theses

Peripheral neuropathies are a set of common diseases that affect the peripheral nervous system, causing damage to vital connections between various parts of the body and the brain and spinal cord. Different clinical conditions are known to selectively impact various size nerve fibers, which often makes it difficult to diagnose which peripheral neuropathy a patient might have. The nerve conduction velocity diagnostic test provides clinically useful information in the diagnosis of some peripheral neuropathies. This method is advantageous because it tends to be minimally invasive yet it provides valuable diagnostic information. However, this test does not determine characteristics of peripheral …

Treatment Of Nitrogen Oxides By Chlorella Vulgaris Algae In Photobioreactors, Steven Shihady

Master's Theses

The effectiveness of algae to treat NO₂and NO in simulated flue gas was tested using Chlorella vulgaris in photobioreactors (PBRs) using NO_xconcentrations between 30 ppm to 780 ppm. NO_xdissolved and reacted in water to form NO₃^-and NO₂^-in the PBR growth medium, providing a nitrogen source that the algae readily assimilated for cell synthesis. Three 20-L photobioreactors were inoculated with a pure culture of C. vulgaris prepared in Bristol growth medium and algae were grown in the PBRs at 25°C and pH of 7.0 in a modified Bristol medium …

Behavioral And Hormonal Flexibility Across Light Environments In Guppies (Poecilia Reticulata), Julia C. Walz

Master's Theses

Behavior may be dramatically influenced by changing environments, and differences in light intensity environments may have important behavioral consequences. One approach to understanding changes in behavior is by studying behavioral syndromes, suites of correlated behaviors reflecting between individual consistencies in behavior expressed within a behavioral situation (e.g., correlations between antipredator behaviors in different habitats), or across behavioral contexts (e.g., correlations among feeding, antipredator, or mating behavior) (Sih et al. 2004a). Guppies (Poecilia reticulata) provide a great model system to study behavior. Guppies are small, freshwater tropical fish that inhabit still pools in swift-flowing streams, and the backwaters of small rivers …

Delineating Wetlands In Serpentinitic Soils, Ariel Nikole Namm

Master's Theses

Wetlands serve an important ecological and functional role in the environment. In order to protect wetlands from degradation, the determination of wetland hydrology, hydrophytic vegetation, and hydric soils is necessary. Soils formed from serpentine parent material on hillside slump blocks do not meet any of the current morphological Field Indicators of Hydric Soils. Although these areas seem to be wetlands based on wetland hydrology and hydrophytic vegetation, there is no approved hydric soil indicator that includes the properties exhibited by serpentinitic soils on these landscapes. The objectives of this research were: (1) to examine soil chemical, physical, and morphological properties …

Effects Of Water Parameters On Container Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) Oviposition And Performance, Stephanie Sue Schelble

Master's Theses

Water body parameters have a considerable effect on the communities that develop within them. In small container habitats like tires, the depth, surface area, and volume effect the development and success of the mosquito communities. This study investigated the choices of the adult female mosquitoes, Aedes albopictus and Culex quinquefasciatus, between different depths and surface areas. In addition, larval performance was determined under differing depth and larvae densities. Oviposition studies showed that Ae. albopictus had a preference for deeper habitats (χ²= 14.2902, p= 0.0139) but did not prefer any surface areas (χ²= 7.2321, p= 0.0649) though …

Contrasting Leaf Shapes Vary In Extent Of Solar Tracking: Revisiting Darwin's "Service To The Plant", Kerri Mocko

Master's Theses

1. Solar tracking affects leaf temperature through the amount of direct light intercepting the lamina. However, leaf shape also affects leaf temperature due to heat transfer across boundary layers, and no studies have addressed the effect of leaf shape on solar tracking and leaf temperatures in the field.
2. We compare solar tracking, leaf temperatures, photosynthetic rates and leaf longevity in two co-occurring species with contrasting leaf morphologies: Pelargonium lobatum has a large, shallowly lobed leaf and P. triste has a highly dissected leaf composed of many small leaflets.
3. Pelargonium triste tracked the sun more closely than P. lobatum, although P. …

A Study To Determine Student Perceptions Of The Cal Poly Veterinary Clinic, Fallon Bliss Sheridan

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the important benefits of Cal Poly Veterinary Clinic (CPVC) and establish areas of interest for the students at the CPVC. The CPVC is a student run veterinary clinic that exposes students to teachable hands-on veterinary experiences by addressing the needs of animals on campus as well as animals in the San Luis Obispo.

This study thoroughly investigated the student who have taken or are currently taking any of the five courses taught at the CPVC. The research was accomplished through a survey questionnaire. The student questionnaire was conducted by the researcher at …