Digital Commons Network^™

Elucidating The Role Of Mastermind-Like 1 In The Degradation Of Myocyte Enhancer Factor 2c, Azia S. Evans

Master's Theses

Mastermind-like 1 (MAML1) is well characterized for its involvement in the Notch signaling pathway where it functions as a transcriptional co-activator and facilitates the degradation of the Notch intracellular domain (NICD). MAML1 has recently been implicated as a multifunctional protein that interacts with a variety of other signaling pathways, including Wnt-β-catenin, NF-B, and MEF2C (myocyte enhancer factor 2C). MEF2C is a member of the family of transcription factors involved in muscle cell differentiation and proliferation. MAML1 has previously been shown to activate MEF2C transcription. Given that MAML1 is responsible for degradation of the NICD, we wanted to know if MAML1 …

Geochemical Modeling And Hydrothermal Experiments Used To Constrain The Conditions Of Illite Diagenesis In Sedimentary Basins, Michael Joseph Murphy

Master's Theses

Two hydrothermal experiments were performed using sandstone core material from

the Norwegian North Sea with synthetic brines reacted at approximately 150˚C and 450

bars, temperature and pressure calculated to simulate a depth of burial of approximately 4 km. The results of the experiments were analyzed with geochemical modeling and with

chemical and petrographic analyses. Geochemical modeling with several computer

programs indicated that the experimental fluid was undersaturated with respect to K-feldspar, kaolinite, and illite, but supersaturated with respect to muscovite. Chemical

analysis with inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry indicated that the fluid

reached saturation with respect to K-feldspar. Petrographic analysis with …

Evaluating Contradicting And Confirming Evidence: A Study On Beliefs And Motivated Reasoning, Zachary Alan Caddick

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine ideological, psychological, and demographic predictors of motivated reasoning. Three-hundred and seventy-seven participants from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk system completed written responses critically evaluating strengths and weaknesses in a vignette on the topic of anthropogenic climate change. The vignette has two fictional scientists present prototypical arguments for and against anthropogenic climate change that are constructed with equally flawed and conflicting reasoning from both view points. Written responses were coded by a team of trained and reliability assessed qualitative raters. Motivated reasoning is operationalized by providing supporting evidence for the congruent belief and counter evidence …

The Effects Of Repeated Global Self-Adapted Testing On Online Statistics Performance, Gita Sierra Hodell

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a computerized academic testing format. Centered on the motivating and stress-reducing aspects of personal control, a modified form of global self-adapted testing (GSAT) was explored to help students who are challenged by test anxiety or low academic motivation. Forty-two students completed multiple GSATs throughout one semester of college-level, online statistics. Of those students, 20 volunteered to complete an academic motivation questionnaire at the beginning of the semester. The relationships between scores on the motivation questionnaire, GSAT use characteristics, and statistics performance were analyzed. Students who used the GSATs correctly …

Sex-Specific Diet And Rockfish Consumption In California Sea Lions (Zalophus Californianus): Insights From Molecular Scatology, Keith Michael Hernandez

Master's Theses

Molecular diet analysis has the potential to overcome the limitations of traditional methods. I used prey hard parts and molecular methods to examine sex-specific diet trends and rockfish consumption of California sea lions (Zalophus californianus, CSL). Fresh scat samples (n=219) were collected from Año Nuevo Island, CA (ANI), during the summers of 2013 and 2014. Prey taxa were identified from fish otoliths and cephalopod beaks recovered from cleaned scats. Sex of the CSL depositing the scat was assigned via multiplex PCR of a CSL microsatellite and a carnivore Y chromosome marker. Prey species also were identified using multiple loci in …

Comparative Evaluation Of Malnutrition Screening In Oncology Patients In An Acute Care Hospital: A Pilot Study, Chandni Sen Sinha

Master's Theses

Malnutrition is associated with negative health consequences in the vulnerable cancer population, making it imperative for an efficient interdisciplinary approach to conduct nutritional screening using an appropriate scale. For the present study, a comparison between an existing malnutrition risk-screening questionnaire (EMR-SQ) and a comprehensive screening questionnaire (CMR-SQ) was performed on 37 cancer patients. The first stage of data collection required the nurses to electronically complete the EMR-SQ. In the second stage, the same patients’ data were assessed using the CMR-SQ, developed by the authors based on the guidelines of the PG-SGA and A.S.P.E.N. The CMR-SQ identified 32.4% at low, 37.8% …

The Moderating Role Of Perceived Organizational Support And Perceived Supervisor Support On The Relationship Between Teamwork Behaviors And Affective Commitment, Carlie Ann Stephens

Master's Theses

Researchers have identified employee affective commitment as a key indicator of variables that are of great interest to organizations (Mowday, Porter, & Steers, 1982). Teamwork behaviors have been identified as predictors of affective commitment (Meyer, Stanley, Herscovitch, & Topolnytsky, 2002). However, very few studies have examined the moderating effect organizational and supervisor support may have on these relationships. The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating effects of perceived organizational support and perceived supervisor support on the relationship between teamwork behaviors and affective commitment. Results of a survey administered to 3,926 employees in a medical device company revealed …

Zircon Geochemical And Isotopic Constraints On The Evolution Of The Mount Givens Pluton, Central Sierra Nevada Batholith, Callie Sendek

Master's Theses

The Late Cretaceous Mount Givens pluton, located in the central Sierra Nevada batholith, is noteworthy for its large size (~1400 km2) and relative compositional and textural homogeneity. The pluton is characterized by a 30 km wide, ellipse-shaped northern lobe (ca. 98-91 Ma) that connects with a long mass (ca. 95-91 Ma) about 15 km wide and extends 50 km SE. Zircon trace elements and d18O and eHf from a sample suite representative of the observable petrologic diversity of the pluton document significant heterogeneities. All zircons have high Ti-in-zircon model temperatures (850-1000 °C), pronounced negative Eu anomalies, and concave down MREE …

Sers Intensity Correlations To Lspr On Aggregated Au@Ag Systems, Caesar Alexander Munera

Master's Theses

The optimal surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) intensity was correlated to the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of individual and aggregated gold core/silver shell (Au@Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) in titrations involving the addition of both SERS label (e.g., rhodamine 6G, R6G) and the non-SERS active aggregant (chemical species that triggers the aggregation of NPs) potassium chloride (KCl). Titrating NP solutions with pure SERS label has often resulted in highly non-linear calibrations. In some cases, addition of non-SERS active aggregating agents such as KCl has also resulted in a large increase in SERS signals. An order of initial addition was followed in …

Change In Urban Fabric Through Space And Time At Differing Levels Of Automobility, Kristin A. Floberg

Master's Theses

For thousands of years cities have been centers for commerce, creativity, and livelihood, consisting of relatively unchanged characteristics such as walkable streets, diverse land-uses, and human-scaled buildings and streets. With the introduction of the automobile, this past century the desire for free-flowing traffic and convenient parking has drastically transformed the fabric of many cities. Transforming cities into places that accommodate automobiles has transformed downtowns into office parks rather than vibrant mixed-use environments and destroyed communities.

Investigation into reducing automobiles in cities has increasingly piqued the interest of stakeholders in the environmental, safety and economic development communities. This body of research …

The Acidic Sulfonimidation Of Aryl–Oxazolines And The Electrophilic Fluorination Of Aryl–Oxazolines, David Gutierrez

Master's Theses

Aryl oxazolines have been employed as directing groups for several different coupling reactions. In the exploration of using phenyl oxazoline as a directing group for electrophilic fluorination, it was discovered that acidic sulfonimide nucleophiles including dibenzenesulfonimide, o–benzenesulfonimide, dimethanesulfonimide, and N–(methylsulfonyl)–benzenesulfonamide are discovered to open a variety of alkyl, aryl and heteroaryl–2–oxazoline rings to provide the sulfonimidation products in refluxing 1,4–dioxane. The electron rich 2–oxazoline substrates worked well for the nucleophilic ring opening reactions while no reaction took place for the electron poor 2–oxazoline substrates. 4,4–dimethyl–2–phenyl–2–oxazoline was thus rationally designed inhibit sulfonimidation and to act as a removable ortho directing group …

Loss Of Identity, Radicalization, And Terrorism, Magdalena Martinez

Master's Theses

France and Belgium are two of the top countries in Europe with an increasing number of root fighters. Over the last two years, both countries have been primary targets of terrorism. This thesis investigates the repeated pattern of events and analyzes from a birds-eye view the cycle leading to the rise of terrorism in France and Belgium. This research disputes that anxiety causes discrimination and lack of integration in France and Belgium, which contributes an identity crisis. In essence, these factors trigger radicalization and lead to terrorism. Analyzing the patterns of terrorist activity and the path of radicalization is essential …

State Failure In Venezuela, Marcus Littman

Master's Theses

The role of the state is to provide political goods such as security and an environment conducive to economic growth. The Venezuelan state is failing to provide both security and conditions capable of producing economic growth. The government has exacerbated both by enacting failed policies. I measure the economic crisis in Venezuela based on the rates of inflation, falling foreign currency reserves, the food and medical supply shortage, falling government spending, and negative GDP growth. I measure the security crisis based on the escalating rate of kidnapping, human trafficking, drug sales, smuggling, theft, gun distribution, and homicide. In this thesis, …

Emigration, Repatriation And The Reality Of Returned Youth In El Salvador, Isabel C. Duarte Vasquez

Master's Theses

According to US Customs and Border Protection, over 59 thousand unaccompanied minors from the Northern Triangle (Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador) have been detained at the US border, of those 59 thousand, 17 thousand are from El Salvador. El Salvador is home to some of the most dangerous and ruthless gangs of the twenty-first century. Their ruthlessness comes from 1980s guerrilla warfare experience. In addition, El Salvador serves as a transshipment point for illicit substances from South America into Mexico. These dynamics fuel the homicide rate of the region as local gang members must protect their territory by any means …

“Mexico, Public Policy And Obesity In A Global Context”, Daniela Carina Bermudez

Master's Theses

Mexico has one of the most obese populations in the world. A country known for its diversity of rich flavorful food is drowning in low nutritional food products. This thesis examines Mexico’s obesity epidemic within the larger global context of international economic trade policies, public policies and Mexico’s health policies. The key research questions are 1) why is there an obesity epidemic in Mexico? and 2) what remedies should Mexico implement to control it? This thesis contributes to a viable policy strategy for the Mexican government to control and prevent the further increase of this obesity epidemic. Reviewing both the …

Islamophobia In The United States How American News Coverage And Social Media Perpetuate Fear & Hate Against Islam, Rida Kazmi

Master's Theses

In recent years, Islamophobia in the United States has risen to levels never seen before. While 2016 marks the 15-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, hatred and fear of Muslims and Islam has reached an all-time high instead of steadily decreasing. The rise in Islamophobia is due in large part to the news coverage that people are exposed to, with media stories on terrorist attacks often conflating Islam and violence in both subtle and other ways. Furthermore, we see that similar coverage of acts of violence committed by non-Muslims is often markedly different, both in tone and language. Through American …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Micro-Level Poverty Interventions In The Highlands Of Guatemala, Jacqueline A. Castro

Master's Theses

Despite immense efforts of poverty alleviation in the Western highlands of Guatemala, poverty is intense and widespread. Amidst an abundant array of poverty interventions, existing evidence on those interventions are not sufficient. Highlighting basic knowledge regarding impact evaluations, this paper aims to determine the most effective poverty intervention for the Western highland areas of Guatemala. Focusing on impact evaluations, this paper reviews 17 Latin American interventions, paying close attention to what may be applicable to this region. Using only the highest quality data from Latin America, it is clear that cash transfers and graduation programs are the most impactful interventions …

Plastic Oceans: A New Way In Solving Our Plastic Pollution, Dakota S. Floyd

Master's Theses

By 2050, the world’s oceans will have more plastic than fish with potentially catastrophic consequences on sea life and the health of the ocean. Economically, countries with coastal boundaries will be heavily impacted as plastic pollution has already generated a 13 billion dollars in monetary losses. Considering that this is an extreme problem that we are currently facing the current solution is not enough in curbing our plastic pollution. While, recycling programs have been beneficial in reclaiming some plastic our mass consumption of plastic has outpaced the capabilities of recycling efforts. If we are to find a solution in our …

Phylogenetics, Biogeography, And Climate Niche Variation Of South Pacific And Hawaiian Psychotria, Elaine Zhang

Master's Theses

Why do some species have broad geographic distributions, while other species are confined to a narrow distribution? Species age, ecological niche, or dispersal traits may help explain why some insular species are abundant and found on many islands, while others are rare and restricted to one island. In this study, I inferred a robust, time-calibrated phylogeny of the Hawaiian Psychotria, using two nuclear and eight chloroplast loci, sampling 67 individuals. I coupled my phylogenetic hypothesis with climatic data, ecological niche modeling, and morphological dispersal characteristics to explain the variation in number of islands occupied by each species. My inferred phylogeny …

The Inter- And Intra-Rater Reliability Of Athletic Trainers At Identifying Acl Injury Risk Factors Using The Cutting Screening Tool, Kelly Buckholz Smallbeck

Master's Theses

Background: ACL injuries are a frequently talked about injury in sports and have a multitude of negative side effects. A majority of injuries occur during single-leg cutting motions. Clinical screening tools are an effective way to identify those demonstrating more ACL injury risk factors. Recent research has created a variety of clinical screening tools to identify ACL injury risk factors, however none screen athletes during a single-leg cutting motion.

Hypothesis: A clinical screening tool using a single-leg cutting motion (the Cutting Screening Tool, or CST) will reliably identify ACL injury risk factors when used by athletic trainers.

Methods: Six currently …

Comprehensive Applications Of Rice Husk Biomass, Zichao Wei

Master's Theses

Rice husks (RHs) have recently attracted high attention due to their potential for many applications, including construction materials, composite materials, adsorption materials, chemical production, and power generation. RHs are an appealing alternative because of their low cost and high silica content. So far, most researchers mainly focus on the utilization of one component (such as silica) while ignoring others. Comprehensive utilization of RH biomass and diversified products are the key goals for this research field.

In this thesis, the two main components of RHs, silica and lignocellulose, were extracted from RH biomass. The high tempered calcination served as the extraction …

Addressing The Gender Workforce Gap In The Scientific Journal Editorial Hierarchy, Nishelli Ishti Ahmed

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Emotional Support And Health Related Self-Efficacy In Older Inmates, Deborah N. Steciak-Noujaim

Master's Theses

Inmates age 50 and older are the fastest growing segment of the prison population. Because the majority of inmates return to the community, adequate self-care is essential for managing their overall health. Studies among older community-living persons indicate that emotional support is associated with improved efficacy for managing one’s health (e.g., health related self-efficacy). Data collected from the “Physical Functioning and Mental Health of Older Prisoners” study were analyzed to determine if emotional support is associated with health-related self-efficacy among older inmates in Connecticut. Even after controlling for demographic, incarceration and clinical/behavioral factors, older inmates reporting lower levels of emotional …

Gaussian Kernel Based Medial Zone Computation, Weiling Li

Master's Theses

The medial zone of a 3-dimensional semi-analytic domain Ω, denoted as MZ(Ω), can be thought of as a ``thick'' version of the shape's skeleton with important applications in design, motion planning and geometric reasoning. The utility of the medial zones stems from the fact that they theoretically are homeomorphic to and have the same dimension as the original domain, so in this sense they capture the topology of the domain. However, the original approach to compute them involved a discrete Laplace estimation commonly used in edge detection algorithms, which was used to extract the points belonging to the medial zones. …

Novel Integration Of Conductive-Ink Circuitry With A Paper-Based Microfluidic Battery As An All-Printed Sensing Platform, Rishi A. Kripalani

Master's Theses

The addition of powered components for active assays into paper-based analytical devices opens new opportunities for medical and environmental analysis in resource-limited applications. Current battery designs within such devices have yet to adopt a ubiquitous circuitry material, necessitating investigation into printed circuitry for scalable platforms. In this study, a microfluidic battery was mated with silver-nanoparticle conductive ink to prototype an all-printed sensing platform. A multi-layer, two-cell device was fabricated, generating 200 μA of direct electrical current at 2.5 V sustained for 16 minutes with a power loss of less than 0.1% through the printed circuitry. Printed circuitry traces exhibited resistivity …

Circadian And Circatidal Rhythms Of Protein Abundance In The Intertidal Mussel Mytilus Californianus, Cory Elowe

Master's Theses

The intertidal zone is a dynamic environment that fluctuates with the 12.4-h tidal and 24-h light/dark cycle to predictably alter food availability, temperature, air exposure, wave action, oxygen partial pressure, and osmotic conditions. Intertidal sessile bivalves exhibit behavioral or physiological changes to minimize the persistent challenges of fluctuating environmental conditions, such as adjusting gaping behavior and heart rate. At the cellular level, transcriptomic studies on mussels’ baseline circadian and circatidal rhythms have determined that the circadian rhythm is the dominant transcriptional rhythm. However, as proteins reflect the basic molecular phenotype of an organism and their abundance may differ greatly from …

Integration And Qualification Of The P-Pods On The Vega Maiden Flight, Ryan Nugent

Master's Theses

On February 13, 2012, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo flew three Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployers (P-PODs), carrying seven European University CubeSats sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA), on the Vega Maiden Flight. This was the first time CubeSats shared a ride to space with other payloads on an ESA-owned launch opportunity. In order to meet launch requirements, it must be proven through proper documentation that the P-POD would operate properly and not interfere with the launch vehicle or other payloads on the mission. This thesis outlines the program flow, required documentation, and issues encountered during the launch campaign …

Torsional Stiffness And Natural Frequency Analysis Of A Formula Sae Vehicle Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Chassis Using Finite Element Analysis, Manuel Herrmann

Master's Theses

Finite element is used to predict the torsional stiffness and natural frequency response of a FSAE vehicle hybrid chassis, utilizing a carbon fiber reinforced polymer sandwich structure monocoque and a tubular steel spaceframe. To accurately model the stiffness response of the sandwich structure, a series of material tests for different fiber types has been performed and the material properties have been validated by modeling a simple three-point-bend test panel and comparing the results with a physical test. The torsional stiffness model of the chassis was validated with a physical test, too. The stiffness prediction matches the test results within 6%. …

Functional 3-D Cellulose And Nitrocellulose Paper-Based, Microfluidic Device Utilizing Elisa Technology For The Detection/Distinction Between Hemorrhagic And Ischemic Strokes, Alicia Leanne Holler

Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis project is to demonstrate and evaluate an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on a paper microfluidic device platform. The integration of ELISA technology onto paper microfluidic chips allows for a quantitative detection of stroke biomarkers, such as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Dye experiments were performed to confirm fluid connectivity throughout the 3D chips. Several chip and housing designs were fabricated to determine an optimal design for the microfluidic device. Once this design was finalized, development time testing was performed. The results confirmed that the paper microfluidic device could successfully route fluid throughout its channels at …

Compounding Fire Disturbance History Encourages Coast Redwood (Sequoia Sempervirens) Regeneration And Community Dominance, Matthew R. Brousil

Master's Theses

Disturbance is fundamental to forest ecosystem function and overall health, but climate change is likely to increase both disturbance frequency and intensity in the future. Forests subject to increasingly frequent and intense disturbances are more likely to experience compounding disturbance effects. Compounding disturbances may exert unpredicted, non-additive stresses on ecosystems, leading to novel conditions that may exceed the capacity for local species to survive and regenerate. I further hypothesize that compounding disturbances could create conditions misaligned with species’ adaptations by altering physical and chemical growing conditions in forest soils, affecting forest composition, structure, and, subsequently, function for many years following …