Digital Commons Network^™

Metabarcoding Analysis Of Prey Composition Of The Copepod Calanus Finmarchicus In Regions Of The North Atlantic Ocean, Heidi Yeh

Master's Theses

The copepod Calanus finmarchicus occupies a pivotal position in the pelagic food web of the North Atlantic Ocean. Prey choice and predator-prey dynamics at this trophic level can influence energy transfer through the ecosystem. To examine the copepod prey composition and test the hypothesis that C. finmarchicus exhibit spatial variation in diet across four basins of the North Atlantic, this study used metabarcoding analysis (high throughput sequencing of orthologous gene regions) to analyze the gut contents of C. finmarchicus. Zooplankton net samples were collected during a 2013 cruise of the R/V GO Sars in the Norwegian, Icelandic, Irminger, and Labrador …

The Effects Of Spinal Cord Injury On Expression Of Pain-Relevant Genes In The Colon, Noelle Mckearney

Master's Theses

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in varying degrees of paralysis, loss of normal sensory function and, oftentimes, chronic pain originating below the level of injury. Post-SCI pain tends to be resistant to traditional analgesic therapies and has been shown to impair recovery of function, making it a significant healthcare concern. Approximately one third of SCI patients report abdominal pain as a primary and severe symptom with marked similarity to other functional gastrointestinal pain disorders (e.g. irritable bowel). The etiology of this intense pain phenotype is unclear given that visceral organs are left uninjured in SCI. Here we examine changes in …

Evaluation Of Post-Graduate Endodontic Program Clinical Experiences: A Web-Based Survey, Jonathan David Blacher

Master's Theses

Endodontic residency programs vary in exposure to procedures, protocols and equipment across the United States. Available resources for clarifying the clinical experiences of current endodontic residents are lacking. Following Institutional Review Board approval, a survey regarding the clinical experiences of current endodontic residents was electronically distributed to all current endodontic residents that maintained an email address listed in the 2016/2017 AAE Membership Directory. The number of endodontic procedures, techniques employed, and products utilized were evaluated and described. The results of the survey included a 30% completion rate (133/437). The majority of respondents indicated completing between: 150-250 non-surgical root canals (NS-RCT), …

Comparison Of The Effect Of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate And Bioceramics Root Repair Material On Odontoblast Differentiation In Vitro, Saleh Ashkanani

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Oral Colonization Of Malassezia Species, Anibal Cardenas

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Destoning And Enzymatic Pretreatments On The Biofuel Production From Olive Cake, Patrick Tai

Master's Theses

More than 16,000 tons of olive cake was produced in the United States in 2017. Olive cake is a by-product of olive oil extraction, which has limited animal feed potential, and poses an environmental threat when landfilled due to its high organic load and polyphenol content. This residue has potential for biofuel (bioethanol and biomethane) production because it is rich in polysaccharides such as pectin, hemicellulose, and cellulose. Yet, olive cake contains olive stones that can impede its conversion to biofuel. Therefore, two methods of destoning, centrifugation and screening by horizontal screw press, were first compared. Both methods removed an …

Relationship Between Aerobic Capacity And Episodic Memory In Older Adults, Nicole Henderson

Master's Theses

The goal of this research was to examine the relationship between aerobic capacity and memory in older adults. Prior research demonstrated an age-related decline in episodic memory (memory for episodes and events), which may be partially due to a decreasing ability to engage in pattern separation – the ability to form new memories that are sufficiently distinct from prior memories. Studies in rodents suggested that aerobic exercise may improve pattern separation abilities in older animals, but similar research in humans is lacking. Here, I investigated whether individual differences on a memory test that taxes pattern separation were associated with differences …

Big Data Quality Modeling And Validation, Khushali Yashodhar Desai

Master's Theses

The chief purpose of this study is to characterize various big data quality models and to validate each with an example. As the volume of data is increasing at an exponential speed in the era of the broadband Internet, the success of a product or decision largely depends upon selecting the highest quality raw materials, or data, to be used in production. However, working with data in high volumes, fast velocities, and various formats can be fraught with problems. Therefore, software industries need a quality check, especially for data being generated by either software or a sensor. This study explores …

Evaluation Of The Fragility Of East Bay Municipal Utility District (Ebmud) Mokelumne Aqueduct, Sara Chalian

Master's Theses

The East Bay Municipal Utility District provides water to the eastern region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Water is delivered through the Mokelumne Aqueduct, which consists of three large diameter steel pipelines. Approximately 15 miles of the aqueducts cross the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. A stability analysis has been conducted to evaluate how resilient the elevated aqueduct is in the Delta. Subsidence in the Delta considerably reduces the lateral support of piles. Based on previous studies, and available survey and LiDAR data, the amount of subsidence in the Delta has been predicted over time. In addition, site-specific seismic studies …

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Of 2013 Boston Marathoners' Experience Of Running A Subsequent Boston Marathon, Allison Grace

Master's Theses

While trauma experiences have been explored in several sport-related research studies, there is a lack of research on athletes’ experiences of a terror attack in sport. The present study qualitatively explored the meanings that 2013 Boston Marathoners ascribed to their experience of returning to the Boston Marathon to compete. Eight participants took part in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were analyzed via interpretative phenomenological analysis. Eight themes emerged and were organized temporally around pre-2013 Boston Marathon experience, 2013 Boston Marathon experience, and post-2013 Boston Marathon experience. Results suggest participants initially had difficulty processing their 2013 experience, but ultimately, several participants had a …

Effects Of A Preschool Arts Curriculum On Social And Emotional Competence, Sarah Rose Henderson

Master's Theses

This study investigated the extent to which low-income preschool children’s social, emotional, and behavioral competence improved after engaging in a six-week-long arts program. Participants included 46 students of three, four, and five years of age in two low-income, state-funded classrooms in the San Francisco Bay Area. Analyses of children’s scores on SCBE-80 measures of Social Competence and Egotistic-Prosocial showed statistically significant change from the pretest to the posttest. Teacher survey report of students’ frequency in social adaptation and enjoyment of the arts suggested that teachers observed social improvements in the classroom that were consistent with SCBE-80 results in Social Competence. …

Our Homes, Our Stores: Aging In Place For Lgbtq Communities In The San Francisco Bay Area, Simon Dean Jarrar

Master's Theses

The objective of this research was to investigate the impact of gentrification on the social networks and communities of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) elderly people living in the San Francisco Bay Area. The expectation was that, due to the rising cost of living, people in elderly LGBTQ communities would be relocating; this would result in the fragmentation of support networks and community spaces. I used a two-part interviewing process. In the first interview, I asked participants to tell me about themselves and their lives, as well as what they consider to be important aspects of their lives in …

Nonpoint Source Bacterial Pollution In The Coyote Creek Watershed, Elisabeth Wilkinson

Master's Theses

Nonpoint source pollution is a global challenge affecting streams and rivers. Due to the highly dispersed nature of nonpoint sources, they are difficult to track and manage. The goal of this study was to assess the extent of bacterial pollution along Coyote Creek in Northern California and to provide insight on microwatershed characteristics and their potential correlation to bacteria loads. Samples were collected and analyzed for fecal indicator bacteria concentrations at 21 geographic locations from within the creek and its stormwater outfalls. E. coli levels within Coyote Creek and stormwater entering the creek exceeded recreational water quality standards. Stormwater outfall …

Migration, Individualism And Dependency: Experiences Of Skilled Women From The Former Soviet Union In Silicon Valley, Ievgeniia Zasoba

Master's Theses

An academic dialog concerning the intersectionality of national origin, economic class and gender, as mutually constitutive elements of migration, set the context for my inquiry into the experiences of wives who are barred from paid labor by their restricted visa status. Guided by grounded theory, I conducted seventeen semi-structured qualitative interviews to examine ways in which a move to Silicon Valley under a restricted visa class changes the self-image of women, and how they evaluate this change. I found that the ambiguous agency construct of women socialized in the Soviet and post-Soviet eras facilitated their choice to migrate despite the …

Patients’ Satisfaction With Existing Dry Mouth Therapies And Willingness To Pay For An Artificial Salivary Gland, Akanksha Srivastava

Master's Theses

Objectives: 1) To evaluate the effect of xerostomia and satisfaction with xerostomia therapies on patients’ oral health related quality of life (OHQoL); 2) To evaluate patients’ willingness-to-adopt and willingness-to-pay for an artificial implantable salivary gland.

Methods: A survey was conducted to obtain patients’ satisfaction with current xerostomia management strategies, effect of Xerostomia on their oral and general health, willingness to adopt an artificial salivary gland pump, and willingness-to-pay for the implantable device.

Results: A total of 107 individuals responded through either a paper-based questionnaire or online survey. Individuals with Sjögren’s syndrome and Radiation-related xerostomia had significantly poorer OHQoL compared …

A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Outcomes Of Open-Versus Closed-Surgical Exposure Of Palatally Impacted Maxillary Canines: A Pilot Study, Suha Alghamdi

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Biomarkers Of Orthodontic Tooth Movement With Fixed Appliances And Vibration Appliance Therapy: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Stacey M. Reiss

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Perceived Gayness Of Prep: The Influence Of Masculinity Ideology On Black Men Who Have Sex With Men's Interest In Prep, Ladectric Driver

Master's Theses

Black men who have sex with men (BMSM) experience higher HIV incidence rates than any other U.S. population subgroup. The development of a bio-behavioral strategy using anti-retroviral therapy, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), provides a new alternative for HIV prevention; however, interest and uptake among BMSM remains poor. Gender-based perceptions and roles may be a factor in PrEP interest among BMSM. The present study examined the relationship between avoidance of femininity, heterosexual self-presentation, PrEP stigma and PrEP interest among BMSM. A self-administered questionnaire assessing aspects of traditional masculinity ideology, stigmatized beliefs that PrEP use will out one as gay, and PrEP interest …

Analysis Of Potential Vermicompost Market In California, Jason Alan Thomas

Master's Theses

Vermicompost transforms agricultural waste into a high quality soil amendment, though market acceptance remains in its infancy. This study examines how growers’ willingness to pay for vermicompost is affected by grower’s crop, region, income per acre, knowledge level of vermicompost and compost, previous use of compost, and the willingness to pay for compost. The survey results pulled together 223 responses from California growers. It was discovered growers’ had less knowledge of vermicompost than compost but were willing to pay more for vermicompost. There was statistical difference amongst the responses. It was shown the market value per ton of vermicompost lies …

Anaerobic Digestion Of Wastewater-Grown Algae Biomass With Optimized Biogas Yields And Nutrient Solubilzation, Tiffany A. Racz

Master's Theses

Whole-cell algae biomass grown on nutrient-rich wastewater can be anaerobically digested to produce renewable heat and power, and to solubilize nutrients to grow additional algae biomass in a biorefinery system. In this study, algae biomass was grown on clarified primary wastewater in 33-m² ponds at a 4-day residence time with sedimentation harvesting of the biomass. Lab digesters were used to test biogas yields and nutrient solubilization from the anaerobic digestion of algal biomass with and without mixing and with sonication as a pretreatment. Additionally, algae were fed to unheated and unmixed 1135-L pilot digesters to determine the effects of …

Software Requirements Classification Using Word Embeddings And Convolutional Neural Networks, Vivian Lin Fong

Master's Theses

Software requirements classification, the practice of categorizing requirements by their type or purpose, can improve organization and transparency in the requirements engineering process and thus promote requirement fulfillment and software project completion. Requirements classification automation is a prominent area of research as automation can alleviate the tediousness of manual labeling and loosen its necessity for domain-expertise.

This thesis explores the application of deep learning techniques on software requirements classification, specifically the use of word embeddings for document representation when training a convolutional neural network (CNN). As past research endeavors mainly utilize information retrieval and traditional machine learning techniques, we entertain …

Towards A Strawberry Harvest Prediction System Using Computer Vision And Pattern Recognition, Andreas M. Apitz

Master's Theses

Farmers require advance notice when a harvest is approaching, so they can allocate resources and hire workers as efficiently as possible. Existing methods are subjective and labor intensive, and require the expertise of a professional forecaster. Cal Poly’s EE department has been collaborating with the Cal Poly Strawberry Center to investigate the potential in using digital imaging processing to predict harvests more reliably. This paper shows the progress of that ongoing project, as well as what aspects could still be improved. Three main blocks comprise this system: data acquisition, which obtains and catalogues images of the strawberry plants; computer vision, …

Design, Simulation, And Hardware Construction Of A 600 W Solid State Dc Circuit Breaker For The Dc House Project, Calin Matthew Bukur

Master's Theses

DC circuit breakers must be able to arrest overcurrent conditions to prevent electrical equipment and wiring from causing building fires or other hazards from occurring. With more DC renewable sourced structures such as Cal Poly’s DC House, an inexpensive and reliable protection system is necessary to ensure safe energy transfer to the loads. One method of protecting a system is preventing excessive amounts of current to be drawn by the load when the surrounding components are rated at a lesser value. DC circuit breakers act as a monitoring system and barely presents an effect on the voltage or power. With …

Analyzing Global Cyber Attack Correlates Through An Open Database, Brady Benjamin Aiello

Master's Theses

As humanity becomes more reliant on digital storage and communication for every aspect of life, cyber attacks pose a growing threat. However, cyber attacks are generally understood as individual incidents reported in technological circles, sometimes tied to a particular vulnerability. They are not generally understood through the macroscopic lens of statistical analysis spanning years over several countries and sectors, leaving researchers largely ignorant of the larger trends and correlates between attacks. This is large part due to the lack of a coherent and open database of prominent attacks. Most data about cyber attacks has been captured using a repository of …

Effect Of Aquaponic Vs. Hydroponic Nutrient Solution, Led Light Intensity And Photoperiod On Indoor Plant Growth Of Butterhead, Romaine And Kale (L. Sativa, B. Oleracea), Sean M. Foster

Master's Theses

Vertical farming has been proposed as a solution for providing food security for an increasing, urbanized human population. Light-emitting diode (LED) technology has become increasingly affordable and efficient, making it an ideal choice as artificial lighting for indoor farms. Still largely undiscovered parameters are the optimal plant varieties and types of production systems for plant growth, profit, and human nutrition. Aquaponics may be able to provide sustainable animal protein for vertical farms, increasing their ability to provide more substantial nutrition to consumers. This research aimed to better understand vertical farming as a food production system, and to determine if aquaponics …

Detection Method Of Subclinical Atherosclerosis Of The Carotid Artery With A Hemodynamics Modeling Approach, Marisa Peressini

Master's Theses

Subclinical atherosclerosis is an important area of research to evaluate stroke risk and predict localization of plaque. The current methods for detecting atherosclerosis risk are insufficient because it is based on The Framingham Risk Score and carotid intima media thickness, therefore an engineering detection model based on quantifiable data is needed. Laminar and turbulent flow, dictated by Reynolds number and relative roughness, was modeled through the carotid artery bifurcation to compare shear stress and shear rate. Computer-aided design and fluid flow software were used to model hemodynamics through the carotid artery. Data from the model was derived from governing equations …

Characterization And Removal Efficiency Comparison Of Bioretention Soil Media Mixtures, Nathan T. Hanson

Master's Theses

Bioretention cells have become a commonly used green infrastructure technique to help infiltrate and remove contaminants from stormwater runoff. Bioretention cells are constructed from a layered or heterogeneous soil mixture designed to optimize their ability to infiltrate influent stormwater and remove contaminants carried by the water as it filters through the soil media. The soil mixture, composition, and planting vary depending the local regulatory agencies. As urbanization occurs across the United States, more natural land is converted from pervious surfaces, such as grasslands and forests, to impervious surfaces such as asphalt and concrete, to help reduce the impact of the …

Coaching Styles And The Basic Psychological Need Fulfillment Of College Athletes, Kelsey Louise Byrd

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent a coach’s coaching style is associated with the athlete’s basic psychological needs fulfillment of autonomy, competence and relatedness. A survey was distributed to 204 varsity student-athletes at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo representing 13 teams. The data were used to determine the impact of coaching style on the athlete’s fulfillment of autonomy, competence and relatedness. An authoritative head coaching style was found to have a positive impact on an athlete’s fulfillment of autonomy, competence and relatedness. A similar result was found for assistant coaches. Overall, these findings can help …

Foraging Ecology Of Parrotfishes In The Greater Caribbean: Impacts Of Specialization And Dietary Preferences On Marine Benthic Communities, Madelyn V. Roycroft

Master's Theses

Coral reefs are one of the world’s most diverse yet heavily impacted marine ecosystems. As a result of many direct and indirect stressors, coral reefs have experienced major degradation over the last several decades. Declines in coral reefs in the Caribbean have been particularly acute and generally associated with the loss of key herbivores and an increase in algae. Herbivorous fishes such as parrotfishes can positively impact coral reefs by removing algae that compete with corals for light and space. However, many parrotfishes are also important coral predators. Predation on corals, known as corallivory, can adversely affect coral growth, reproduction …

Human Knee Fea Model For Transtibial Amputee Tibial Cartilage Pressure In Gait And Cycling, Gregory Lane

Master's Theses

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating disease affecting roughly 31 million Americans. The incidence of OA is significantly higher for persons who have suffered a transtibial amputation. Abnormal cartilage stress can cause higher OA risk, however it is unknown if there is a connection between exercise type and cartilage stress. To help answer this, a tibiofemoral FEA model was created. Utilizing linear elastic isotropic materials and non-linear springs, the model was validated to experimental cadaveric data. In a previous study, 6 control and 6 amputee subjects underwent gait and cycling experiments. The resultant knee loads were analyzed to find the maximum …