Digital Commons Network^™

The Thermal Ecology Of Sceloporus Occidentalis, Luis Patricio Burgos

Master's Theses

With temperatures rising globally, assessing the possible impacts of the changing climate becomes more and more urgent. Ectotherms are excellent indicators of potential climatic ramifications on biodiversity because of their heavy reliance on the environment for their thermoregulation. Studies have historically looked at thermal tolerance values to establish predictive models for population and species extinctions.

In chapter 1, we looked at recent studies that suggest that thermal tolerance may be a plastic trait and test the effects empirically. Most studies are based on captive lizards acclimated to laboratory conditions that do not necessarily reflect natural environments, and if thermal tolerance …

Increasing Algal Productivity And Treatment Potential In Raceways Fed Clarified Municipal Wastewater, Christopher D. Pittner

Master's Theses

Two sets of triplicate pilot algal raceway ponds (1000-L, 0.30-m deep, paddle wheel mixed) were operated for 14 months at a California wastewater treatment plant to treat wastewater and generate algal-bacterial biomass as biofuel feedstock. Two experiments were run to determine the effect on biomass productivity of (1) hydraulic residence time (HRT: 2, 3, 4, or 4.5 days) and (2) feeding schedule (18 small pulses during 8 AM-4 PM [diurnal] versus 20 large pulses during 4 AM-12 AM [diel]). The target productivity was at least 20 g volatile suspended solids per m2 of pond per day. Additional output variables were …

Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis Of Developmental Stages In Isolated Mammary Epithelial Cells, Nicole K. Einfalt

Master's Theses

The mammary gland is an organ common to all mammals; it is of value for neonatal nourishment, human nutrition through dairy consumption, and is a source of pathology in humans through the development of breast cancer. While transcriptomic analyses have been applied to cultured mammary epithelial cells (MEC) and to whole gland samples, few have studied purified MEC isolated directly from the gland in vivo. To identify the differentially expressed genes influencing MEC development during pregnancy and the differences between the nulliparous and primiparous quiescent states, primary MEC were isolated from virgin, pregnant, and primiparous quiescent sibling mice. Computational …

Phytonutrient Intake And Body Composition Color Correlations, Ryan Orgeron

Master's Theses

This study evaluated the role of phytonutrient intake on body composition. Both the quantity and types of phytonutrients in diets were analyzed. Fifty (50) subjects (15 males; 35 females) from Thibodaux, Louisiana, were randomly selected to participate. All participants completed three 24-hour food recalls to gather intake data (food and calorie intake). The phytonutrient index (PI) was an established formula used to calculate the percentage (%) of the diet comprised of phytonutrient rich foods. Three different body assessment tools were used to determine body adiposity (body mass index [BMI], waist circumference, and fat percentage).

Participants who met healthy standards for …

Physiological Response Of The Giant Acorn Barnacle, Balanus Nubilus, To Air Exposure, Emily Jane Resner

Master's Theses

The giant acorn barnacle, Balanus nubilus, is a resident of the subtidal and low intertidal rocky shoreline on the Pacific Coast of North America (Alaska to Baja California). B. nubilusis notable for having the largest muscle fibers in the animal kingdom; fiber diameters that can exceed 3mm in adults! At such extreme sizes these muscle cells may be at risk for insufficient oxygen delivery to mitochondria owing to low SA:V ratios and long intracellular diffusion distances. Oxygen limitation to these muscles may be further exacerbated during low tide air exposure (emersion) or environmental hypoxia events, which are increasing …

Optimizing A Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reactionprotocol For The Characterization Of Gene Expression In Blood Vesselmimics, Tristin Mcguffick

Master's Theses

Blood vessel mimics (BVMs) are tissue engineered blood vessels that are intended as an intermediate testing environment for intravascular devices, such as stents. Specifically, Cal Poly’s Tissue Engineering Lab hypothesizes that BVMs can be used to test endothelial cell and smooth muscle cell responses to existing and new vascular stents. Characterization techniques are required for BVMs to be accepted as a valid testing model, prior to being employed as an in vitro model to determine the effects of medical treatments. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is one available option for evaluating gene expression of tissues. qPCR can be performed …

Covering A Killer: A Content Analysis Of Newspaper Coverage Of White Male Mass Murderers In The U.S, Rhys Hall

Master's Theses

White men represent a disproportionate number of mass murderers via guns/bombings in the U.S. Though, there may be disparities in how often white masculinity is probed as a conflictual site of socialization when compared with other social racial and gender identities. Holding concern for how masculine violence is criminalized across racial lines, I conduct a review of racial typificiations of Black crime in newspapers to juxtapose with contemporary discourse of white masculine crime.

Using content analysis, I examine hundreds of newspaper publications released from 2011-2016 covering mass killers. I look for tendencies from paper writers to minimize sociological similarities between …

Changes In The Elasmobranch Assemblage In A California Estuary, Catarina Pien

Master's Theses

Elkhorn Slough is an estuarine system that provides habitat for several elasmobranch species. During the past century, the hydrography and habitat of Elkhorn Slough have dramatically changed. Previous studies suggest shifts in the species composition and habitat usage patterns of elasmobranchs. This study characterizes the elasmobranch species composition, and examines the abiotic conditions associated with differences in distribution by sex and life stage. Elasmobranchs were sampled from 2015 –2016 by longline and gillnet. Bat rays (Myliobatis californicus), leopard sharks (Triakis semifasciata), and thornback rays (Platyrhinoidis triseriata) were most commonly observed, and were generally more abundant during the dry seasons and …

A Biochemical Study Of The Autocatalytic Nature Of A Serine Protease (Early Trypsin) From The Aedes Aegypti Female Mosquito, Rachael Marie Lucero

Master's Theses

The female Aedes aegypti mosquito requires specific midgut proteases to digest

blood meals in a biphasic manner for completion of the gonotrophic cycle. The anautogenous nature of the female mosquito has led to the mosquito in becoming an efficient vector in transmitting several bloodborne pathogens: Chikungunya, Yellow Fever, Dengue and the Zika virus. With the many flaws associated with current vector control strategies, our research lab is focused on the development of a potential novel vector control strategy by targeting midgut proteases involved in blood meal digestion. The role of one of the four most abundantly expressed proteases, AaET, an …

Biochemical Study Of A Chymotrypsin-Like Serine Protease, Aachymo, From The Female Aedes Aegypti Mosquito, Olive Escalicas Burata

Master's Theses

The Aedes aegypti female mosquito is a dominant vector of four bloodborne viruses: dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika. Defenses against viral infection are reliant on human competence to limit interactions with the vector or through abatement using

methods that are either too expensive or ecologically invasive upon other species. An alternative vector control approach focuses specifically on blood meal protein digestion, which is a required process to fuel the gonotrophic cycle. Reduction of eggs laid can be

observed by inhibiting midgut serine proteases that are afterward released in the midgut in the presence of a blood meal. Trypsin-like serine …

Diets And Stable Isotope Signatures Of Yellowtail Rockfish (Sebastes Flavidus) In Central California, Jennifer Chiu

Master's Theses

Studies of fish diets can improve the understanding of trophic distributions and the predatory role of a species in an ecosystem. Identifying the spatial and temporal variability in the diets of fishes can provide useful information for stock assessments and management. Yellowtail Rockfish (Sebastes flavidus) are a commercially and recreationally important fishery species, and abundant along the central California coast, yet the most recent studies of diets occurred over 20 years ago in Oregon and Washington. To provide current information from California, I examined the food habits of Yellowtail Rockfish collected near Cordell Bank, the Farallon Islands, and Half Moon …

Computational Models Exploring The Role Of Flexibility In Binding Tat Peptide To Tar Rna, Thanh Quoc Le

Master's Theses

Viral-encoded regulatory proteins interacting with RNA target sequences control the gene expression of lentiviruses, notably the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV). The latter provides a simpler interaction model between the viral trans-activator protein (Tat) and trans-activation response RNA element (TAR), including Tat peptides binding to TAR RNA fragments. This model may offer insights into clinical approaches for treatment, initially through theoretical consideration of the role of peptide flexibility in binding as evidenced by literature-based binding assays and NMR. It has more recently been suggested that DNA-protein binding may also be enhanced by increases in conformational entropy. …

Ban The Box: Outcomes Of Mandatory Disclosure And Predictors Of Voluntary Disclosure Of Criminal History In Job Applications, Ginevra Marta Scherini

Master's Theses

The present study was conducted in order to examine the outcomes of mandatory disclosure of criminal history on the individual during the job application process and predictors of the likelihood of voluntary disclosure. It was hypothesized that having to disclose criminal history would predict higher levels of self-identification with criminal history, higher levels of experienced discrimination, higher levels of perceived stigma, lower levels of attraction towards the organization, lower confidence in obtaining employment, and lower levels of likelihood of voluntary disclosure. It was also hypothesized that environmental support, employment self-efficacy, self-identification with criminal history, and less experienced discrimination would predict …

Characterization Of Four Type-C Silica Columns Using Resveratrol Analogues, Joshua Topete

Master's Theses

High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is an analytical technique used to separate, identify and quantify components in a solution based on the affinities between analyte, mobile phase and stationary phase. The main goal of my research is to characterize four Type-C silica columns by comparing the retention of resveratrol analogues. The four columns included are functionalized with either Diamond Bidentate C18 (DBC18), Bidentate C18 (BC18), phenyl hydride or diol groups. Retention maps displaying mobile phase composition compared to compound retention times were compared between columns. In addition to this, two organic solvents (acetonitrile and methanol) were compared. Considering that the …

Effect Of Evapotranspiration Rate On Almond Yield In California, Dafne Isaac Serrano

Master's Theses

Since 2011, California has been under drought conditions. These conditions have not only affected water availability for farmers, but also production. California’s second most valuable crop, almonds, has been affected by drought conditions. This study used three models (Model 1-3) to describe almond yield variability from year to year and almond yield variability within a year in Kern County, CA. The study evaluated 185 almond farms that were classified in three locations (east side, west side and north west side). The years of the study were 2011 (wet year) and 2013-2015 (drought condition years). Model 1 determined a functional regression …

Women With A Cause: Art, Representation, And Feminist Progress In Eighteenth-Century France, Darby Marie Leahy

Master's Theses

Throughout the eighteenth century the Age of Enlightenment transformed public discourse across Western Europe. In France, the salons of Paris became the primary institutions of Enlightenment thought. Hosted by women, the salons possessed a unique atmosphere in which men and women were regarded as intellectual equals. My thesis focuses on the role the female hostesses, salonnières, had in initiating French movements for gender equality that continued with great momentum throughout the French Revolution. By using popular artwork, literature, and memoirs I show how the efforts of French women to achieve gender equality helped give early rise to feminism.

An Assessment Of The Greatest Impacts On Distribution Uniformity For Drip And Micro Irrigation, Brooke Ashley Worden

Master's Theses

Using the Cal Poly Irrigation Training and Research Centers (ITRC) drip/micro evaluation program, global, or system, DU_lq is computed by combining the component DU_lq values of: pressure variation, uneven spacing between emitters, unequal drainage and “other” causes. “Other” causes include plugging, wear and manufacturing coefficient. The program also computes what percentage of the non-uniformity is due to each component. Burt (2004) showed that over 95% of the non-uniformity is due to “Other” causes and pressure differences. This thesis looks at what specifically in those components is driving the non-uniformity by analyzing various equipment and field practices and their …

Microfluidic Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy, John J. Foley

Master's Theses

The goal of this study is to design and manufacture a microfluidic device capable of measuring changes in impedance valuesof microfluidic cell cultures. Tocharacterize this, an interdigitated array of electrodes was patterned over glass, where it was then bonded to a series of fluidic networks created in PDMS via soft lithography. The device measured ethanol impedance initially to show that values remain consistent over time. Impedance values of water and 1% wt. saltwater were compared to show that the device is able to detect changes in impedance, with up to a 60% reduction in electrical impedance in saltwater. Cells were …

In Vitro Growth Of Osteoblasts On Poly Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid Scaffolds Created Via Gas Foaming, Matthew James Thomas

Master's Theses

This study analyzed the feasibility of using gas foaming to create Poly Lactic-co-Glycolic Acid (PLGA) scaffolds for use as a substrate in bone tissue engineering and set out to determine whether the presence of osteoblasts on these scaffolds enhanced their material stiffness. The process of bone formation involves osteoblasts depositing extracellular matrix and calcifying this matrix with calcium phosphate crystals (Hasegawa et al., 2017) and pits between 30-40μm in diameter on tissue engineering scaffold surfaces have been shown to best promote osteogenic activity in the presence of bone-forming cells (Halai et al., 2014).The scaffolds were determined to contain pits within …

Effect Of Storage Period And Treatment On The Composition And Digestibility Of Olive Pomace In Cattle, Alexis Cecilia Ulloa

Master's Theses

Utilizing local by-products can serve to significantly reduce the current feed costs for ruminant producers. The objective of this study is (1) to evaluate the effects of chemical and bacterial inoculants in combination with ensiling, on the nutritional value and ensiling compatibility of olive pomace (OP) and (2) to identify the most biologically favorable treatment and ensiling day of OP for feeding to cattle. Freshly centrifuged OP (Olivas de Oro Olive Company, Creston, CA) was treated with one of four treatments: (1) no additives (control; CONT); (2) urea applied at 5% of DM (UREA; Agrium U.S. Inc, Loveland, CO); (3) …

Adaptive Management For Urban Oak Ecosystem Restoration: Effects Of Canopy Thinning On Seedling Regeneration And Groundlayer Plant Communities, Jillian Pastick

Master's Theses

Oak forests are complex, fire-dependent ecosystems, critical for supporting ecosystem services such as biodiversity and carbon storage. However, throughout eastern North America, previously oak-dominant ecosystems have undergone shifts in species composition and structure, primarily as a result of human influences. Land managers face the challenge of restoring oak ecosystems and promoting oak regeneration in urban and suburban natural areas, where high-intensity silvicultural treatments are often not feasible. To investigate management alternatives, an adaptive management experiment was implemented in Lake County, IL in 2012, in which five thinning treatments of varying intensity, timing, and spatial aggregation were replicated across three study …

Improving Diet & Physical Activity Behaviors Through Tailored Mhealth Messages: Application To Childhood Obesity Prevention In A Pediatric Emergency Department, Samantha Oldman

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Understanding How The Costimulatory Molecule Ox40 Engagement On T Cells Can Boost Immune Responses For Vaccine Applications And Immunotherapy., Archibald Agyekum-Yamoah, Archibald Agyekum-Yamoah

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Reduced Carbon Storage At Intermediate Depths In The Southwest Atlantic During Hs1: Evidence For A Weaker Southern Ocean Biological Pump, Matthew Lacerra

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Epigenetic Profiling Of Active Enhancers In Mouse Retinal Ganglion Cells, Jian Xing

Master's Theses

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are projection neurons of the eye, which process and pass visual information collected in the eyes to the brain. However, epigenetic regulation of RGC fate specification remains poorly understood, in large part due to the technical challenges associated with purifying RGCs, which comprise only 1% of all retinal cells, and performing ChIP-seq profiling on a small number of cells. To overcome these limitations, we have purified RGCs from multiple mice by immunoppanning for Thy1, a surface marker on RGCs, and analyzed pulled chromatin by ChIP-seq for histone 3 acetylated at K27 (H3K27ac), which is an epigenetic …

Developing An Assay To Quantify Antigen-Specific Igy In A Long-Lived Seabird, Anna Louise Mccarter

Master's Theses

To maximize parental fitness, life history theory predicts that short-lived species will prioritize reproductive efforts over self-maintenance functions. The opposite is predicted for long-lived species, which ought to invest heavily in immune defenses, particularly those of the acquired immune system. Yet, most of our current understanding of immune system function has been from investigations of short-lived model species. Little is known about the induction and maintenance of immunological memory in wild species, and in particular, long-lived, wild species. This is due in part to limited availability of species-specific secondary antibodies for use in serological studies of non-model species. Moreover, commercially …

Plant And Soil Carbon Responses To Invasive Typha Management In Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands, Olivia Johnson

Master's Theses

We quantified how control of a ubiquitous Great Lakes region invasive (Typha × glauca) shifts plant-mediated C cycling and belowground properties and processes. Two field experiments implemented large scale treatment plots (~1-ha to 3-ha) of harvesting (i.e., cut above water surface, removed biomass), crushing (i.e., ran over biomass), and creating connectivity channels (i.e., cut at the soil surface, created open-water within Typha-dominated stands). In one experiment, we observed immediate C release via gas flux and aqueous C; harvesting and crushing caused net emission of carbon dioxide (CO₂)_, and crush increased dissolved organic carbon in …

Orthoquery: A Tripal Database Module To Assess And Visualize Gene Family Evolution, Sumaira Zaman

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

An Improved Probabilistic Simulation Framework For Gene Family Evolution, Soumya Kundu

Master's Theses

Gene and sub-gene family evolution is usually represented in a framework where domain trees evolve inside one or more gene trees, each of which evolves inside a species tree. The Duplication-Transfer-Loss (DTL) reconciliation and the Domain-Gene-Species (DGS) reconciliation algorithms allow us to infer the evolutionary histories of a given set of species, genes, and protein domains. However, in the absence of biological data regarding the true evolutionary histories of these species, genes, and domains, we must rely on simulated data to validate the accuracy of these methods. Although numerous probabilistic simulation frameworks exist for gene family evolution, none of them …

Detecting A Probiotic Product Within The Gut Of Broiler Chickens, Anneka Pisula

Master's Theses

As of January 2017, the U.S. poultry industry banned the use of antibiotics and now relies on alternatives such as probiotics to help protect animal health. Although probiotic use is not a new concept in the poultry industry, identifying the best combination of bacterial strains to generate an effective probiotic formula requires further investigation. This study aimed to detect a probiotic product of four bacterial strains (Pedioccoccus acidilactici, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Bacillus subtilis) in a feeding trial with broiler chickens. Birds given the probiotic were predicted to show an improved growth performance with …