Digital Commons Network^™

Novel Antivirals Unveiled Against Acute And Persistent Coxsackievirus B3 Infection Via Rapid Screening, Maria Del Mar Villanueva Guzman

Master's Theses

Enteroviruses cause 10 to 15 million infections annually in the United States, and Coxsackievirus B3 is one of the most commonly reported. Coxsackieviruses may become persistent, characterized as a viral infection that is not cleared from host cells and that generates a continuous infection. Patients who develop persistent CVB3 infection may not respond to the same antivirals as an acute infection, which may be detrimental. Therefore, there is a need for broad-range antiviral drugs to combat acute and persistent CVB3 infection, as there is no well-accepted treatment available. We developed a model system to study persistent CVB3 using a pancreatic …

Characterization And Evaluation Of Bacteriophages Φpa-C And Φpa-Tc Infecting Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Joanne Harrison

Master's Theses

Pseudomonas aeruginosa are prevalent opportunistic bacterial pathogens that cause nosocomial infections in at-risk individuals. The rise of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa poses an immense threat to hospitals. Additionally, P. aeruginosa are common food spoilage organisms that contribute to food waste. Alternative effective treatment methods are needed to improve public health and reduce food waste. Recent studies have shown that bacteriophages, viruses that only kill host-specific bacteria, are promising alternatives. This study characterizes two lytic P. aeruginosa phages, ΦPa-C and ΦPa-Tc, and evaluates their efficacy against P. aeruginosa in two model food systems. The morphology, genome, structural proteins, host range, growth kinetics, …

Characterization And Evaluation Of Bacteriophages Φpa-C And Φpa-Tc Infecting Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Joanne Harrison

Master's Theses

Pseudomonas aeruginosa are prevalent opportunistic bacterial pathogens that cause nosocomial infections in at-risk individuals. The rise of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa poses an immense threat to hospitals. Additionally, P. aeruginosa are common food spoilage organisms that contribute to food waste. Alternative effective treatment methods are needed to improve public health and reduce food waste. Recent studies have shown that bacteriophages, viruses that only kill host-specific bacteria, are promising alternatives. This study characterizes two lytic P. aeruginosa phages, ΦPa-C and ΦPa-Tc, and evaluates their efficacy against P. aeruginosa in two model food systems. The morphology, genome, structural proteins, host range, growth kinetics, …

Loverboy Rules: A Transtheoretical Exploration Of Andy Bernard's Failed Masculinity, Jessie Marta Olstad

Master's Theses

NBC's U.S adaptation of The Office is one of the most well-known sitcoms to come out of modern television, surpassing its original British counterpart’s two seasons with its own nine. It is a representation, as well, of the time it aired (2005-2013), reflecting on the modern American workplace and the everyday person. Within it, The Office also reflected how society was constructed at the time with its humor surrounding gender, homosexuality, and race – as a tolerant but not welcoming atmosphere to people who were not white, heterosexual, men. More specifically, The Office presents multiple adaptations of masculinity to teach …

Looking For Love: Motivations Of Dating App Usage In Millennials, Mel Ekins

Master's Theses

Dating applications (apps) have become a popular method for young adults to make romantic connections. The apps themselves are easy to use and sometimes are created to be “game-like” to entice people to want to utilize them. People can “match” with other users and strike up conversations. Extensive research has been conducted on motivations for dating and using the dating app Tinder. This study looks at users’ reasons for using Bumble, where little research has been done. This study focuses on millennials aged 26-42, whereas most other studies have focused on college students under 23. This study uses a mixed …

Digimindready: Enhancing Military Readiness Through Edge Ai-Driven Wellness, Education, And Digital Discipline Via Privacy-First Mhealth Innovation, Md Mehedi Hasan

Master's Theses

Military personnel often find themselves in intense situations that require high focus. Successfully engaging in these dangerous missions means they must efficiently control cognitive load, manage overwhelming stress, and stay focused through distractions to perform at their best. Military training significantly focuses on human performance, which benefits military readiness. The 21st century has introduced unanticipated challenges to all, such as the adverse effects of excessive screen time, external distractions, and over-reliance on technology without being aware of digital discipline. Militaries are no exception. These challenges have become an emerging threat to military personnel's cognitive, emotional, and physical well-being. On top …

Neuroinflammation And Gut Barrier Function Post Traumatic Brain Injury, Anne Sullivan

Master's Theses

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality that afflicts millions of people in the United States annually. TBI mice had significantly increased expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines and decreased expression of tight junction proteins CLDN5, CLDN12, and OCLD in brain lesion tissue. TBI mice exhibited a significant accumulation of FITC in the middle and distal part of the small intestine compared to sham mice. TBI mice exhibited an increase in pathogenic bacteria Enterobacteriaceae and a decrease in beneficial bacteria lactobacillus. TBI mice exhibited a trend toward an increase in permeability compared to no treatment. These …

Fleeing Towards Healing: How Cam Can Heal Refugee Communities, Sarah B. Shaalan

Master's Theses

Alternative methods of healing can be found across the globe and are used by all kinds of people including refugees. This thesis will explore the potential benefits of Complementary and Alternative Medicine otherwise known as “CAM” as a supplementary strategy for helping refugees to deal with stress, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other harmful effects sustained on their journey and lives as displaced peoples. I will do so by first situating my project in the literature on Eurocentrism in healing practices and the emergence of CAM as an alternative. Then, using extensive primary and secondary sources, supplemented by an …

Engineering An Injectable Hydrogel With Self-Assembling 3d Vasculature, Kendyl Cohn

Master's Theses

This research developed methods for culturing self-assembling capillaries in an injectable gel as a potential method for vascularizing tissue-on-a-chip models to mimic physiological drug delivery. Additionally, a mathematical model was developed as a tool for understanding nutrient delivery and comparison of potential delivery systems. Organs-on-a-chip provide novel platforms for studying biology and physiology in 3D, allow exploration of tissue engineering on a manageable scale, and serve as models for drug screening and drug-delivery testing.

Methods were first developed for co-culture of endothelial cells and fibroblasts (3T3s or HDFs) in 2D, evaluating culture time, seeding density and ratio of HUVECs and …

Thermal Preconditioning Effects On Perforation Propensity Of Transvenous Implantable Cardiac Leads Used For Pacing And Defibrillation, Diane Muff

Master's Theses

Thermal preconditioning to simulate shipping, handling and storage conditions did not affect distal tip stiffness values for permanently implantable cardiac leads used for pacing and defibrillation. Leads that were subjected to extreme temperatures and temperature cycling did not show changes in buckle force values compared with control specimens which were maintained at ambient room conditions. Absolute differences between all measurements were small, generally under 0.05 N and were attributable to measurement variability.

Buckle force values are used to assess the propensity of leads to perforate the heart, a rare but potentially serious complication of implantable pacing and defibrillation systems. Since …

Sustaining Sustainable Farming: An Evaluation Of The Reasoned Action And Comprehensive Action Determination Frameworks For Persistence, Jet J. Tan

Master's Theses

This paper investigates the persistence of agricultural practices funded by the California Department of Food and Agriculture's Office of Environmental Farming and Innovation (CDFA OEFI). The central inquiry revolves around determining the most effective behavior model for analyzing persistence, comparing the Reasoned Action Approach (RAA), Comprehensive Action Determination Model (CADM), and CADM augmented with structural variables. The study's methodology integrates literature review, analysis of OEFI-funded practices, and statistical modeling to assess persistence levels. Contrary to existing literature, our findings reveal significantly higher levels of persistence than anticipated. Moreover, through model comparison, CADM augmented with political economic variables emerges as the …

An Investigation Into Teaching Sports Analytics, Josh Havstad

Master's Theses

Sports analytics arrived in the mainstream media through the novel and film Moneyball. However, its origins date back to operations researchers following World War II. Often considered a subdiscipline of statistics, sports analytics draws from statistics but also includes concepts from data science, communication, and marketing. As a passionate fan of sports, I have pursued statistics in my undergraduate and graduate education with the dream of working in sports for my career. However, educational opportunities in sports analytics are limited nationwide, and more specifically, there is no educational opportunity at my university, California Polytechnic State University in San Luis …

Filter: Framework For Integrated Legislative Transparency And Exploratory Research, Kenny Lau

Master's Theses

Digital Democracy, established at Cal Poly's Institute for Advanced Technology and Public Policy, initially provided users access to a distinctive dataset, including state legislative committee hearings, transcripts, videos, and more. However, the discontinuation of funding ended operations for the project and emphasized the need for a streamlined application independent of third-party dependencies and capable of offering real-time and organized access to the invaluable Digital Democracy dataset. We introduce FILTER, a cloud-hosted API designed for read access to the Digital Democracy dataset through twelve distinct endpoints. The system contains two databases: the Digital Democracy Database (DDDB) and the Digital Democracy Knowledge …

Modeling The Effectiveness Of Bioremediation On Methyl Tertiary-Butyl Ether In Groundwater, Logan Bundy

Master's Theses

Methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) and its degraded form tertiary-butyl alcohol (TBA) are both known carcinogens that have contaminated groundwater aquifers across the United States. MTBE is a synthesized compound, once widely used as an additive in gasoline to increase oxygenation. Because of its popularity, MTBE was released into the environment primarily through fuel combustion and leaking underground storage tanks. These two compounds are known to be recalcitrant to most conventional physico-chemical treatment methods. Previous studies have suggested that bioremediation is effective at degrading MTBE and TBA in contaminated groundwater. Bioremediation involves the injection of oxygen, nutrients, and pre-adapted bacterial cultures …

Emerging Diseases, Abiotic Disorders, And Macrophomina Root Rot Management Of California Strawberry, Cooper Calvin

Master's Theses

Strawberry is an economically important crop in California, with an estimated value of $2.68 billion in 2023. In California strawberry production, mitigation of low plant health and yield often focuses on major soilborne pathogens, while the contribution of minor pathogens and abiotic disorders to production shortcomings are often overlooked. The objectives of the first project in this thesis are to determine the pathogenicity of multiple minor pathogens and quantify other biotic and abiotic factors that can reduce plant health such as viruses and soil salinity. Two pathogens of the black root rot complex, Pythium spp. and Rhizoctonia spp. as well …

Balancing Darkness And Visibility: An Algorithmic Approach To Light Placement In Low-Light, Ray-Traced Scenes, Briana Kuo

Master's Theses

In recent years, digital media has seen incredible advancements in rendering visually stunning computer graphics scenes. Photo-realistic games, animated films, and more leave viewers blown away by the sheer beauty of their graphics. However, challenges arise when depicting dark scenes, often resulting in visual monotony and difficulty in comprehension due to insufficient detail within the scene. In order to enhance readability and visual interest of a scene, additional, artificial lights can be placed throughout a scene to enhance the aesthetic. These lights, however, must be strategically placed in order to retain an essence of darkness and maintain the delicate balance …

Semantic Structuring Of Digital Documents: Knowledge Graph Generation And Evaluation, Erik E. Luu

Master's Theses

In the era of total digitization of documents, navigating vast and heterogeneous data landscapes presents significant challenges for effective information retrieval, both for humans and digital agents. Traditional methods of knowledge organization often struggle to keep pace with evolving user demands, resulting in suboptimal outcomes such as information overload and disorganized data. This thesis presents a case study on a pipeline that leverages principles from cognitive science, graph theory, and semantic computing to generate semantically organized knowledge graphs. By evaluating a combination of different models, methodologies, and algorithms, the pipeline aims to enhance the organization and retrieval of digital documents. …

Effective And Sustainable Strategies For Federally Qualified Health Centers To Engage Young Adults, Olivia Mcnulty

Master's Theses

Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are instrumental in providing top tier healthcare and other resources to underserved populations. Whether they administer services in house or refer patients to other providers, FQHCs aim to provide comprehensive primary and preventative care services to people of all ages. They offer a range of services, from doctor and dental appointments to mental health and substance abuse counseling, regardless of a patient’s insurance status. To receive funding, FQHCs must follow the regulations and quality standards set forth by groups like the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the Health Resources and Services …

Product Design For Repairability: Identifying Failure Modes With Topic Modeling And Designing For Electronic Waste Reuse, Claire J. Franz

Master's Theses

Design for repairability is imperative to making products that last long enough to justify the resources they consume and the pollution they generate. While design for repairability has been gaining steady momentum, especially with recent advances in Right to Repair legislation, there is still work to be done. There are gaps in both the tools available for repair-conscious designers and the products coming onto store shelves. This thesis work aims to help set sails in the right direction on both fronts.

This research explores the use of topic modeling (a natural language processing technique) to extract repairability design insights from …

Deciphering The Contribution Of Microglia To Neurodegeneration In Friedreich's Ataxia, Sydney N. Gillette

Master's Theses

Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is the most prevalent inherited ataxia, affecting one in every 50,000 individuals in the United States. This hereditary condition is caused by an abnormal GAA trinucleotide repeat expansion within the first intron of the frataxin gene resulting in decreased levels of the frataxin protein (FXN). Insufficient cellular frataxin levels results in iron accumulation, increased reactive oxygen species production and mitochondrial dysfunction. Tissues most heavily impacted are those most dependent on oxidative phosphorylation as an energy source and include the nervous system and muscle tissue. This is evident in the clinical phenotype which includes muscle weakness, ataxia, neurodegeneration …

Morp: Monocular Orientation Regression Pipeline, Jacob Gunderson

Master's Theses

Orientation estimation of objects plays a pivotal role in robotics, self-driving cars, and augmented reality. Beyond mere position, accurately determining the orientation of objects is essential for constructing precise models of the physical world. While 2D object detection has made significant strides, the field of orientation estimation still faces several challenges. Our research addresses these hurdles by proposing an efficient pipeline which facilitates rapid creation of labeled training data and enables direct regression of object orientation from a single image. We start by creating a digital twin of a physical object using an iPhone, followed by generating synthetic images using …

Using Plankton Edna To Estimate Whale Abundances Off The California Coast: Data Integration And Statistical Modeling, Katherine Chan

Master's Theses

Understanding marine mammal populations and how they are affected by human activity and ocean conditions is vital, especially in tracking population declines and monitoring endangered species. However, tracking marine mammal populations and their distribution is challenging due to difficulties in observation and costs. Using surrounding plankton environmental DNA (eDNA) has the potential to provide an indirect measure of monitoring cetacean abundances based on ecological associations. This project aims to apply statistical methods to assess the relationship of visual abundances of common species of baleen whales with amplicon sequence variants (ASV) of plankton eDNA samples from the NOAA-CalCOFI Ocean Genomics (NCOG) …

Identification Of Downy Mildew Resistance In Wild Arugula And Evaluation Of Downy Mildew Causing Pathogens And Management Practices, Reilly B. Blair

Master's Theses

Downy mildew has been a potentially devastating constraint to crop production within the Brassicaceae family worldwide (CABI, 2022) and on the Central Coast of California (Smukler, et al, 2008; Koike, et al. 2007). Downy mildew is a foliar disease, caused by the pathogens in the Hyaloperonospora genus on plants within the Brassicaceae family (Goker, et al, 2009). Downy mildew is a disease that is common in region of the world with Coastal climates that provide humidity and moderate temperatures (Sarahan, et al, 2017). Crops within the Brassicaceae family maintain a predominant role in agricultural systems worldwide (Cartea, et al, 2011) …

Understanding Parasocial Relationships And The Mental Health Impact, Leslee Lynae Bennett

Master's Theses

Parasocial relationships have recently become a topic of discussion in our society. This is because individuals are still looking for something to connect with after the COVID-19 pandemic. These relationships originally were more common among young people, but due to the constant usage of media, individuals have become more attached to popularity which results in an unrealistic online connection. Parasocial relationships are both a fascination and a danger due to the mental connections an individual makes within themselves. This research is a qualitative study of previous research done on parasocial relationships. Topics discussed in this thesis will cover multiple facets …

Barriers To Gluten-Free Diet Adherence And How They Relate To Quality Of Life And Self-Efficacy In College Students With Celiac Disease, Caitlin Elizabeth Wall

Master's Theses

Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic, autoimmune disorder with an increasing global prevalence. As the only current treatment is a strict gluten-free diet (GFD), adherence is imperative to maintain optimal health in individuals with the disease. There are many potential barriers to GFD adherence, including social, mental, and financial difficulties. College also presents a unique set of challenges for students with CD that may not be experienced by those without the disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the potential barriers to GFD adherence experienced by college students with celiac disease in the United States. This study also …

Comparing Proliferation Rates And Collagen Production Of Cells Treated With Cuhars, Katie Elizabeth Mckenzie

Master's Theses

Cartilage is the padding in joints that protects the bones and aids in motion. Problems with the cartilage in the knee can be caused by mechanical damage or diseases like osteoarthritis. Chondrocytes make cartilage. The objective of this study is to determine the doubling time of chondrocytes per passage. I also want to determine the base amount of collagen-II created by chondrocytes as they age. I also want to determine how long it takes CuHARS to break down in different cell medias. Chondrocytes, human dermal fibroblasts, and CRL 2303 cells were grown and cultured for over a year. During that …

Shaping Of News Values And Frames During War: A Content Analysis Of Israeli And Palestinian Short-Form Video, Madison K. Remrey

Master's Theses

This research looks at the use of short-form video as it pertains to wartime journalism. Specifically, Instagram reels posted by both Palestinian and Israeli journalists are assessed for news values (victim, perpetrator, horse race) and news frames (straight news, conjecture, human interest). Much research has been done on news reporting and even news reporting particularly as it pertains to war. However, with recent growth of short-form video and the use of such to report on war, the landscape of digital warfare is changing. This research aims to assess how short-form video is used to report on Israel and Palestine, two …

Buddhism In Thailand: Why Don’T The Youth Believe In Buddhism?, Nutnicha Teekatanasuk

Master's Theses

In Thailand, Buddhism is now known as a Buddhist country. Almost 96% of people in Thailand believe in Buddhism but it is declining every single day. Technology has made many people change their minds and not believe in Buddhism. Surprisingly, people who have been involved in Buddhism since they were born don’t believe, especially the young generation. The number of believers is declining every single day and many people have changed their minds and don’t believe in Buddhism. Surprisingly, people who have been involved in Buddhism since they were born don’t believe anymore. This might be because of Thai monks’ …

“Bad Hombres”: Trump Era Politics And Media In Shaping The Perceptions Of The Mexican Diaspora In The United States, Angelica Soria

Master's Theses

My research delves into the anti-Mexican immigrant rhetoric spread throughout the United States under Donald Trump’s presidency by himself, mainstream media news outlet Fox News, and the U.S. government. Furthermore, examining the social identity of ethnic Mexicans in the United States in response to and as a consequence of the negative rhetoric. This thesis analyzes discourse including the harmful rhetoric and its impact on policy formulation, public perception, and the lived experiences of Mexican immigrants and ethnic Mexican communities. By looking at existing discourse, this research provides a critical discourse analysis of political speeches, media coverage, and ethnic Mexican testimonios. …

Financial Literacy And Aspirations: Experimental Evidence From Eastern Uganda, Ester Agasha

Master's Theses

Financial literacy and the cultivation of aspirations are pivotal in empowering individuals and fostering economic growth, particularly within disadvantaged com munities. Although prior research has extensively analyzed the individual effects of financial education and motivational interventions on economic behaviors, there is less clarity on how the synergy between them can collectively impact the socioe conomic status of individuals in developing economies, especially women. Through randomized control experiment(RCT), this study explored the effectiveness of two interventions; 1) a financial literacy digital gaming application and, 2) an aspirations intervention (a short video documentary and a follow-up curriculum) in not only enhancing financial …