Digital Commons Network^™

Design And Performance Of Load Bearing Shear Walls Made From Composite Rice Straw Blocks, Kevin Robert Camann

Master's Theses

Although rice straw and other grains have been used in building since pre-history, in the past two decades, there has been a move to utilize this rapidly renewable, locally available, agricultural byproduct as part of the sustainable construction movement. Up to this point, this has been done by simply stacking up the full straw bales. Stak Block, invented by Oryzatech, Inc., is a modular, interlocking block made of a composite of rice straw and binding agent that serves as an evolution in straw construction. This study investigates the feasibility of using these Stak Blocks as a structural system. The report …

Outcomes Associated With Outward Bound And Nols Programs: A Means-End Study, Daniel Thomas Pronsolino

Master's Theses

Outward Bound and the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) are two of the United State’s largest providers of outdoor education and adventure recreation programs. While many studies have examined the outcomes of the different organizations individually, there is very little comparative research. This study compared the attributes, consequences, and values obtained by 510 participants of courses 14 days or longer in the Rocky Mountain region during the summer of 2006.

Means-end theory was used to analyze data obtained from participants through personal interviews. Means-end theory links the physical objects or services, the means, with the outcomes and the personal values …

No-Till Tomato Production, Bradley L. Booker

Master's Theses

Tillage increases erosion rates and diminishes the quality of soils but has traditionally been a way to manage weeds and prepare a seedbed. No-till vegetable production can ameliorate the ill-effects of tillage in an economically effective way but has not been studied much in California. The objective of this thesis was to determine the viability of no-till vegetable cropping on the Central Coast of California. Tomatoes were grown in no-till and conventionally tilled treatments. Total yield, fruit weight, weed emergence, soil bulk density, soil aggregate stability, and soil organic carbon content were measured and compared. Yields and soil tests in …

Implementation Of Sustainable Management Practices At Two California Central Coast Vineyards And Their Effects On Soil Fertility, Dawn M. Stimson

Master's Theses

Implementation of Sustainable Management Practices at Two California Central Coast Vineyards and Their Effects on Soil Fertility

Dawn Michelle Stimson

“Sustainable agriculture” has gained increased popularity in recent years. This study was conducted to determine the effects of sustainable management practices on soil fertility at two California Central Coast vineyards. The effects of cover crops (Erosion Control Mix - blando brome [Bromus hordeaceus], hykon rose clover [Trifolium hirtum All.], and zorro annual fescue [Vulpia mourns]), green waste compost (Forest Blend), and reduced tillage on soil fertility were investigated in San Luis Obispo, California on a clay and sandy loam soil. …

Sensor Integration For Low-Cost Crash Avoidance, Stephane M. Roussel

Master's Theses

This report is a summary of the development of sensor integration for low-cost crash avoidance for over-land commercial trucks. The goal of the project was to build and test a system composed of low-cost commercially available sensors arranged on a truck trailer to monitor the environment around the truck. The system combines the data from each sensor to increase the reliability of the sensor using a probabilistic data fusion approach. A combination of ultrasonic and magnetoresistive sensors was used in this study. In addition, Radar and digital imaging were investigated as reference signals and possible candidates for additional sensor integration. …

A Rapid Prototyping Method For Constructing A Complex Three-Dimensional Substrate, Kathryn Jacoba Hart

Master's Theses

Cell culturing on three-dimensional structures has increased the possibilities in tissue engineering and bioreactor research. These structures enable cells to differentiate, proliferate, mobilize, and function in a conformation that more accurately mimics in vivo conditions. Computer generated models aid in development and rapid alteration of three-dimensional cell substrates, defining their internal structure as well as their external morphology. The rapid transition from substrate design to a viable culture is imperative to quickly advance research in biomedical and tissue engineering applications.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the feasibility of a rapid prototyping process by selectively cross-linking and assembling …

The Effect Of All-Trans Retinoic Acid And Fatty Acids On Mcf-7 Breast Cancer Cell Progression, David A. Brown

Master's Theses

Vitamin A metabolites and retinoids may slow the progression of breast cancer and elicit anti-neoplastic properties similar to those of omega-3 fatty acids. Studies using animal models show a decrease in the incidence, growth and metastisis of mammary tumors in the presence of specific fatty acids. This effect is also seen with use of retinoids, specifically all-trans retinoic acid (AtRA). Thus, fatty acids may also alter retinoid homeostasis in mammary carcinoma cells (MCF-7s). The potential for inter/co dependency among fatty acids and retinoids is considerable, and here it has been hypothesized that a decrease in cancer progression will occur in …

Impact Of Dietary Arginine On Immunity In Broiler Chicks, Jennifer Lynn D'Amato

Master's Theses

Arginine (ARG) is an immunologic modulator due in part to its role as a substrate for leukocytes. Therefore, the objective of these studies was to evaluate the impact of dietary ARG on ARG utilization in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and thymocytes in broiler chicks as they provide a model that is not confounded by de novo ARG synthesis. Several experiments were performed to measure: 1) ARG transporters as markers of ARG utilization by leukocytes; 2) thymocyte proliferation; 3) PBMC phenotype, and 4) ARG’s impact on the acute phase response (APR). In experiment 1, chicks were fed diets containing 1.20% …

Regression Analysis Of Fracture Toughness For Secondary Osteons Located In Human Cortical Bone, Chase A. Fetzer

Master's Theses

An experiment was carried out in order to locate and quantify osteon types within a sample of cortical bone taken from a human tibia. This was done using a microscope-camera assembly and the BioQuant computer software. The results of this were correlated with a previous experiment’s results on fracture toughness so that an analysis could be run on the data in order to determine the factors that most affect the value of fracture toughness of this cortical bone. Results were examined closely and the analysis repeated until the author was satisfied that the best possible model for fracture toughness had …

Feasibility Of Ellipsometric Sensor Development For Use During Pecvd Siox Coated Polymer Product Manufacturing, Daniel Lynn Helms

Master's Theses

Polymeric materials have provided pathways to products that could not be manufactured otherwise. A new technology which merges the benefits of ceramics into these polymer products has created materials ideally suited to many different industries, like food packaging. Nano Scale Surface Systems, Inc. (NS3), a company which coats polymers with ceramic oxides like SiO2 through a process known as plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), was interested in the feasibility of an in line measurement system for monitoring the deposited films on various polymer products. This project examined two different coated polymer products, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) beverage containers and biaxially …

Sex And Microhabitat Influence The Allocation Of Mycosporine-Like Amino Acids To Tissues In The Purple Sea Urchin, Strongylocentrotus Purpuratus, Sarah A. Gravem

Master's Theses

Field surveys of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus demonstrated that concentrations of natural sunscreens, mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), were higher in females than males for both gonadal and epidermal tissues, increased in ovaries as spawning season approached, and were influenced by the sea urchins’ microhabitat. Sea urchins occupying burrows, or “pits”, had lower concentrations of MAAs than those outside pits, suggesting a trade-off between physical and UV protection. Overall, UV irradiance did not influence MAA accumulation in gonadal tissues. However, males increased their allocation of MAAs to epidermal tissues in the microhabitat with the highest irradiance. Relative concentrations of individual MAAs were similar …

Impact Of Weed Management Practices On Grapevine Growth, Yield Components, Plant And Arthropod Abundance, And Carabid Seed Predation In Paso Robles Vineyard, Paolo Sanguankeo

Master's Theses

In the Central Coast of California, USA, wine grape growers are making efforts to identify weed control practices that promote biodiversity in their vineyards while maintaining yields. A field study was conducted in Paso Robles, CA in 2006 and 2007 evaluating the effect on Zinfandel grape-vine growth and production, groundcover plant, and ground dwelling arthropod communities of five weed control practices: 1) flumioxazin, 2) simazine, 3) cultivation, 4) cover crop, and 5) untreated control.

The herbicide treatments had the lowest weed biomass followed by the cultivation, being approximately 10 and 2 times lower than the weed biomass of either the …

Assessment Of Electrospinning As An In-House Fabrication Technique For Blood Vessel Mimic Cellular Scaffolding, Colby M. James

Master's Theses

Intravascular devices, such as stents, must be rigorously tested before they can be approved by the FDA. This includes bench top in vitro testing to determine biocompatibility, and animal model testing to ensure safety and efficacy. As an intermediate step, a blood vessel mimic (BVM) testing method has been developed that mimics the three dimensional structure of blood vessels using a perfusion bioreactor system, human derived endothelial cells, and a biocompatible polymer scaffold used to support growth of the blood vessel cells. The focus of this thesis was to find an in-house fabrication method capable of making cellular scaffolding for …

Computational Model Of Alendronate Effects On Canine Rib Remodeling And Microdamage, Emily Huang

Master's Theses

Bisphosphonates are a class of drugs used to prevent and treat bone diseases by inhibiting the resorption of bone by osteoclasts and suppressing bone remodeling. Osteoporosis is a bone disease that develops when bone resorption exceeds bone formation which results in an increase in bone porosity and fracture risk. The risk for fractures can be reduced by increasing bone mass. Alendronate is type of bisphosphonate that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat postmenopausal osteoporosis by suppressing basic multicellular unit (BMU) remodeling and increasing bone mass. The long term effects of bisphosphonates are still unclear due …

Restoration Of A. Fasciculatum At Rocky Canyon Granite Quarry, San Luis Obispo, Ca, Catherine L. Roy

Master's Theses

The objective of this study was to assess the above-ground factors affecting the establishment and recovery of the dominant chaparral shrub Adenostoma fasciculatum (chamise) on the Rocky Canyon granite mine.

Attempts to restore the California chaparral have been challenging and few successful efforts have been documented. However, the California chaparral can fully recover from fire in as little as 10-15 years. Factors affecting chamise seedling establishment were tested by planting chamise seed in forty eight 1square meter plots managed to test the effects of interspecific competition with native postfire vegetation, post-mining volunteer vegetation, and intraspecific only competition. Plots were managed …

Effect Of Water On Micronutrient Content And Yield In Rice (Oryza Sativa L.), Sheila Lorraine Baker

Master's Theses

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is an important crop in many countries. According to the IRRI, more than 2 billion people globally depend on rice as a staple food (Dawe, et al. 2003). Studies on micronutrient content in rice and the effect of water in availability of the nutrients may aid in decreasing global nutrient deficiencies. Rice is grown under different water regimes such as AWD and intermittent flooding, sprinkler and furrow irrigation. A greenhouse pot experiment of rice utilizing a split plot design under different water regimes was conducted to assess the affect of water on (1) DTPA extractable soil …

Enhancement Plan For Downtown Cayucos, Ca, Rachelle Sarai Sneh Lopez

Master's Theses

An area can be torn by the competition between the preservation of its character and the desire for new development. Cayucos’ downtown area is recognized by both residents and visitors as a special place with a strong, small, coastal town feel. However, issues such as accessibility, public amenities, parking, maintenance, and general development needs have to be dealt with. This thesis deals with the issue of how to plan for change while maintaining the character of Cayucos, and presents an enhancement plan proposal for its downtown. The development of this plan was based on a research-based design methodology, which included …

Robert Munford & Mercy Otis Warren : How Gender, Geography, And Goals Affected Their Playwrighting, Kylie A. Horney

Master's Theses

This thesis analyzes the Revolutionary-era plays of Robert Munford and Mercy Otis Warren. Munford’s two comedies, The Candidates and The Patriots, are compared to Warren’s three earliest satires, The Adulateur, The Defeat, and The Group, in an effort to explain some of the differences between these two authors. The original printings of these plays from the Early American Imprints series, as well as more recent scholarship on Munford and Warren, are used to investigate the plays and lives of these playwrights. Munford’s and Warren’s backgrounds are explored to account for variations in their works. While the …

Looking Into The Mind Of The Mother : Pup Exposure And Reactivation Of Maternal Circuits, Tricia Lauren Norkunas

Master's Theses

The female rat, among other species, undergoes a fundamental brain re-modeling as a consequence of experiencing the normal and natural events of pregnancy and offspring stimulation. Compelling data show that maternal experiences produce neurobiological modifications in the female leading to specific maternal behaviors, affective states, and the basic underlying female neurobiology necessary to raise viable offspring. This study aims to evaluate the number, quality and selective activation of neurons that develop during the maternal experience. The study showed a trend toward supporting the hypothesis that a “maternal-circuit” is formed through the proliferation of neurons during late-motherhood and lactation, and is …

Exposure To Ultraviolet Radiation Causes Proteomic Changes In Embryos Of The Purple Sea Urchin, Strongylocentrotus Purpuratus, Joseph Paul Campanale

Master's Theses

The amount of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR, 290-400 nm) reaching Earth’s surface is increasing due to ozone depletion and global climate change. Embryos of the purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, provide an ideal system for examining how UVR affects developing marine organisms and cells in general. To model the protein-mediated cell cycle response to UV-irradiation, six batches of S. purpuratus embryos were exposed to UVR, monitored for delays in the first mitotic division and examined for global proteomic changes. Embryos from each batch were exposed to or protected from artificial UVR for 25 or 60 min. Embryos treated with …

Removal Of Boron From Produced Water By Co-Precipitation / Adsorption For Reverse Osmosis Concentrate, Imran Yusuf Rahman, Yarrow Nelson, Tryg Lundquist

Master's Theses

Co-precipitation and absorption methods were investigated for removal of boron from produced water, which is groundwater brought to the surface during oil and natural gas extraction. Boron can be toxic to many crops and often needs to be controlled to low levels in irrigation water. The present research focused on synthetic reverse osmosis (RO) concentrate modeled on concentrate expected from a future treatment facility at the Arroyo Grande Oil Field on the central coast of California. The produced water at this site is brackish with a boron concentration of 8 mg/L and an expected temperature of 80°C. The future overall …

Mechanisms For Temporal Change In Phytoplankton Composition In San Luis Obispo Bay California, Marc T. Tognazzini

Master's Theses

Coastal topography and more specifically, the impact of local hydrography can significantly influence phytoplankton dynamics along the California coast. In San Luis Obispo Bay California, the local hydrography is influenced by the presence of a lee and proposed upwelling shadow in the northwest corner of the bay. These conditions allow for periods of unperturbed phytoplankton growth creating phytoplankton incubation areas. Phytoplankton dynamics including accumulation, advection, and composition were examined in San Luis Obispo Bay California from January to June 2004 using all the primary techniques of ocean monitoring encompassed in the coastal module of the Global Ocean Observing System. These …

Feeding Phishers, Nicholas J. Lynch

Master's Theses

Phishing campaigns continue to deceive users into revealing their credentials, despite advancing spam filters, browser and toolbar warnings, and educational efforts. Recently, researchers have begun investigating how fake credentials --- or honeytokens --- can be used to detect phishing sites and protect users. BogusBiter, one such work, creates sets of honeytokens based on users' real credentials and sends them alongside real user submissions to phishing sites. In this paper, we present Phish Feeder, an anti-phishing tool which extends the BogusBiter honeytoken generation algorithm in order to create more realistic and authentic-looking credentials. Phish Feeder also employs a ``honeytoken repository'' which …

The Effect Of Particle Surface Area To Volume Ratio On Ion Release From Cocr Spheres, Darin J. Grandfield

Master's Theses

In 2005, over 200,000 Americans underwent a hip arthroplasty, the replacement of a hip joint with an artificial prosthesis. Of these arthroplasties, metal-on-metal type implants represent an increasing usage percentage. Metal-on-metal implants are selected largely for their low volumetric wear rate, durability, and resistance to corrosion. In spite of these advantages, little is known concerning the long-term consequences of heavy metal alloy use in the body, although early research indicates potentially carcinogenic results. This thesis is a preliminary investigation into these long term effects and their root causes.

An improved comprehension of the corrosion kinetics and the rate of ion …

Boundless Fluids Using The Lattice-Boltzmann Method, Kyle J. Haughey

Master's Theses

Computer-generated imagery is ubiquitous in today's society, appearing in advertisements, video games, and computer-animated movies among other places. Much of this imagery needs to be as realistic as possible, and animators have turned to techniques such as fluid simulation to create scenes involving substances like smoke, fire, and water. The Lattice-Boltzmann Method (LBM) is one fluid simulation technique that has gained recent popularity due to its relatively simple basic algorithm and the ease with which it can be distributed across multiple processors. Unfortunately, current LBM simulations also suffer from high memory usage and restrict free surface fluids to domains of …

Design Evaluation Of An Anaerobic Chamber Prototype, Anthony M. Kendig

Master's Theses

Within the field of microbiology there is a group of bacteria termed, anaerobic, because of their aversion to oxygen. Clinical and industrial interest in these bacteria has made the use of anaerobic systems necessary for widespread testing and research. The glove-less anaerobic chamber has become the premier method for successful cultivation of anaerobic isolates. A prototype anaerobic chamber design contains new features and different anaerobic techniques formed around additional specifications given by microbiologists. Through testing and discussion of the anaerobic systems of this prototype, the design is evaluated based on its anaerobic performance. The three chamber systems that maintain the …

Investigating The Roles Of Ndj1 And Tid1 In Distributive Segregation Using Non-Exchange Chromosomes, Jonathan V. Henzel

Master's Theses

Meiosis is a specialized cell division that leads to a reduction of ploidy in sexually reproducing organisms through segregation of homologous chromosomes at the first meiotic division. Improper segregation of chromosomes during meiosis results in anueploidy, which is usually fatal during embryonic development. The meiotic process is therefore tightly regulated. Typically, proper segregation of homologs at meiosis I requires pairing of homologous chromosomes, followed by crossover recombination between homologs. Crossovers enable proper chromosomal segregation during the first meiotic division in part by establishing tension in the meiotic spindle. However, in the absence of crossovers, some cells maintain the ability to …

Mount San Jacinto State Park Visitor Attributes, Preferences, And Perceptions, Katherine Elizabeth Wassenberg

Master's Theses

The purpose of the study was to assess Mount San Jacinto State Park visitor attributes, visit attributes, preferences, and perceptions. Visitor surveys were conducted at two predetermined points within Mount San Jacinto State Park Wilderness Area, the entrance to Long Valley and adjacent to the Long Valley Ranger Station, during summer 2008. Three hundred and seventy-eight subjects completed one of the two visitor surveys (97.68% response rate), 256 (67.7%) completed the Long Valley Survey and 122 (32.3%) completed the Wilderness Survey. The subjects were mostly male, married, from California, and White or Latino/Hispanic. The average age was 45 years old …

Acute Nitrate Exposure Causes Proteomic Changes Consistent With The Regulation Of Reactive Oxygen And Nitrogen Species, Lauren R. Hitt, Lars Tomanek

Master's Theses

Nitrate is the most common ionic form of nitrogen in aquatic ecosystems. Although nitrate is known to affect ecosystems at high levels through eutrophication, hypoxia and loss of biodiversity, it is considered to be physiologically inert to the individual aquatic organism. To test the physiological effects of nitrate on aquatic life, we exposed gill tissue of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, to nitrate and characterized changes in protein expression, using a gel-based proteomics approach. Of the 642 protein spots detected, we found that 24 proteins (15 identified) changed expression in response to a 6-hour exposure to nitrate concentrations ranging from …

Store And Forward Routing For Sparse Pico-Satellite Sensor Networks With Data-Mules, Trevor Joseph Koritza

Master's Theses

Satellites are playing an increasingly important role in collecting scientific information, providing communication services, and revolutionizing navigation. Until recently satellites were large and very expensive, creating a high barrier to entry that only large corporations and government agencies could overcome. In the past few years the CubeSat project at California Polytechnic University in San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) has worked to refine the design and launching of small, lightweight, and less expensive satellites called pico-satellites, opening space up to a wider audience. Now that Cal Poly has the launch logistics and hardware under control, a new problem has arisen. These …