Digital Commons Network^™

The Vascular Flora Of Wayne County, Mississippi, Daniel M. Mcnair

Master's Theses

The vascular flora of Wayne County, Mississippi, was surveyed from 2013–2015, and the species of native and naturalized plants are listed. In total, 1,135 species were identified from field collections, previously collected herbarium specimens, and field observations. These belong to 556 genera and 165 families. Four of these species represent first recorded occurrences in the state of Mississippi: Blyxa aubertii Rich., Gomphrena serrata Pav. ex Moq., Isoetes valida (Engelm.) Clute, and Polypogon interruptus Kunth. GPS coordinates are given for important collection sites representing the diversity of plant communities in the county. All voucher specimens from the survey are deposited in …

Staging Sex Or Fighting Foreignness? Marlowe's Edward Ii As Xenophobic Drama, James D. Baker

Master's Theses

Christopher Marlowe’s drama Edward II has long been known for its representation of a close male, arguably homosexual, friendship between King Edward II and his favorite, the French Piers Gaveston, as well as their union’s negative effects on the court. Indeed much criticism exists on the common belief that the characters’ relationship is problematic in early modern England both because the two characters are male and because there is an obvious class divide. However, critics have seemed to overlook Gaveston’s being French, even in light of the massive immigration to England during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. This …

High Resolution Melt Analysis Of Samples With Differential Dna Methylation To Identify Tissue Source Of Origin, Stephanie M. Ledgerwood

Master's Theses

In Forensic Science casework, identifying the source of a tissue can assist in crime scene reconstruction. Currently, presumptive testing methods to identify tissue type are utilized in crime scene laboratories, but there is a need for a more reliable confirmatory test for tissue type identification. High Resolution Melt (HRM) analysis is an innovative technology that has the potential to determine tissue types through variations in DNA methylation patterns. Recently, DNA methylation patterns have been found to correspond with specific tissue types in particular regions of DNA. Two markers, B_SPTB_03 and DDX4 have been effective in differentiating sperm from other tissue …

Child Routines And Self-Regulation As Mediators Of Parenting Practices And Externalizing Problems In Preschoolers, Lovina R. Bater

Master's Theses

Studies clearly indicate that parenting practices relate to child externalizing behaviors, although the mechanisms underlying this relation are less well understood. Researchers suggest that daily routines are one way through which parenting practices relate to externalizing behaviors, allowing children to regulate their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors accordingly, potentially promoting development of appropriate self-regulatory behaviors. Self-regulation is also a possible route through which child routines inversely relate to externalizing behaviors. These relationships have been tested in school-age and older children, yet self-regulatory abilities are known to develop during the preschool period. This study examined child routines and self-regulation as serial mediators …

Management Strategy Evaluation For The Atlantic Surfclam, Spisula Solidissima, Using A Fisheries Economics Model, Kelsey M. Kuykendall

Master's Theses

The Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima, is an economically valuable bivalve harvested along the northeastern United States. The surfclam’s range has contracted and the center of the stock’s distribution has shifted north driven by warmer bottom water temperatures. Declining landings per unit effort (LPUE) in the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) is one result. Declining stock abundance and LPUE suggest that overfishing may be occurring off New Jersey. The objective of this project is to perform a management strategy evaluation (MSE) for Spisula solidissima. The terminal goal is to identify a preferred management option that promotes enhanced surfclam productivity in the …

Maternal History Of Childhood Sexual Abuse And Adolescent Sexual Risk Behaviors: Potential Mechanisms Of Intergenerational Effects, Sanne N. Wortel

Master's Theses

Almost a quarter of women experience some kind of childhood sexual abuse (CSA). Although CSA is associated with subsequent difficulties in women’s sexual well-being and parenting, few studies have examined whether maternal CSA history impacts how parents navigate the sexual development of their children. Using a cross-sectional sample of 194 low-income adolescents girls (Mean age = 15.4), the goal of this study was to: 1) test whether maternal CSA is predictive of adolescent sexual risk behaviors (SRBs), and 2) identify parenting/family characteristics (sexual communication, sexual beliefs, parental monitoring and autonomy granting, and mother-daughter relationship quality) that may mediate this relationship. …

Daisy And Frederick: An Exploration Of Innocence And Its Consequences In Henry James' Daisy Miller: A Study 2015, Mark Andrew Meyer Ii

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Lyme Disease Ecology In San Luis Obispo County: The Role Of The Western Gray Squirrel, Ryan William Baker-Branstetter

Master's Theses

Despite the fact that eight cases of Lyme disease were diagnosed in San Luis Obispo County between 2005-2013, the identity of wildlife hosts serving as sources for tick infection in this region remained unidentified. The primary cause of Lyme disease in the U.S. is the spirochetal bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, and this agent had not been previously isolated from the region. Borrelia bissettii, a related species that has not been implicated as a common causative agent of Lyme disease, was isolated in small rodents inhabiting coastal scrub and chaparral habitats in a previous San Luis Obispo County study. However, …

Modeling Viscoelastic Behavior In Compact Bone Through A Distribution Of Collagen D-Spacing: A Finite Element Analysis, Christopher Ha

Master's Theses

Osteoporosis affects nearly 54 million people in the United States. The cost associated with treatment is estimated to be $19 billion per year and is expected to grow yearly. D-spacing is the staggering of collagen molecules found at the nanoscopic level. Previously thought to have a constant value, recent studies have found that D-spacing has a distribution of values throughout the tissue. As part of an ongoing effort in understanding the mechanisms that are affected by osteoporosis, a finite element model was developed to explore the effects of D-spacing distribution on the viscoelastic material properties of bone tissue. The goal …

Efficacy Of Plant-Derived Antimicrobials In Reducing Foodborne Pathogens In Agricultural Soil And Their Effect On Soil Nutrients And Microbiome, Samantha M. Fancher

Master's Theses

Bacterial pathogens, such as Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes, can contaminate agricultural soil thereby increasing the risk of produce-associated foodborne outbreaks. In this study three plant-derived antimicrobials (PDAs), carvacrol (CR), thymol (TY), and β-resorcylic acid (BR) were analyzed for their efficacy in reducing Salmonella and L. monocytogenes in agricultural soil. The effect of the PDAs on the soil pH, nutrients, and microbiome was also determined.

Sandy loam soil was inoculated with either Salmonella or L. monocytogenes followed by the addition of 0.25 or 0.5% CR, TY, and BR. The treated samples were analyzed up to 21 days for surviving pathogens. …

An Invasive Grass And A Desert Adapted Rodent: Is There An Effect On Locomotory Performance And Is It Modified By Prior Experience Or Familiarization?, Camille D. Boag

Master's Theses

Kangaroo rats (Dipodomys spp.) are frequently characterized as keystone species for their role in altering soil characteristics, changing habitat structure through seed consumption and dispersal, and being important primary consumers in their ecosystem. They are arid adapted and known to forage in areas with sparse vegetation. Studies suggests densely vegetated habitat to be unsuitable for kangaroo rats because plants are an impediment to their locomotion and predator avoidance behaviors. This study focuses on an invasive grass, South African Veldt (Ehrharta calycina), that converts landscapes with sparse vegetation into dense grassland habitats, and the Lompoc kangaroo rat …

Effects Of Supplemental Hydration On Physiology And Behavior Of Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Oreganus Oreganus), Griffin D. Capehart

Master's Theses

Hydration is a critical element for many physiological processes in vertebrates, such as protein production, innate immunity, and behavioral processes such as daily activity and thermoregulation. Few studies have directly assessed the effect of hydration on these animals in nature. While it seems intuitive that drought is stressful to animals, studies examining drought are typically observational and fail to assess how the hydration state of these animals influences their physiology and behavior. We tested for an effect of hydration on several physiological and behavioral parameters in Northern Pacific rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus oreganus) by experimentally manipulating hydration levels in …

The Effects Of Gender, Physical Attractiveness, And Socioeconomic Status On Initial Attraction, Sherrie Jagolino

Master's Theses

The tradeoff threshold model posits that in a heterosexual relationship, high socioeconomic status (SES) can compensate for physical unattractiveness in men, whereas physical attractiveness can compensate for low SES in women. In the present study, we attempted to provide evidence for the tradeoff threshold model. Ninety-six heterosexual participants viewed eight high and low attractive male or female stimuli photographs each attached with high or low SES descriptions. Average physical attractiveness ratings were analyzed in a 2 (physical attractiveness: high and low) x 2 (SES: high and low) repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) for each gender. Women rated low SES …

Biv Tar Rna Binding Glycine Mutant Tat Peptides: An Integrated Modeling And Binding Assay Approach, Loc Tien Nguyen

Master's Theses

Interactions between viral encoded regulatory proteins and RNA target sequences control gene expression of Lentiviruses, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) provides a simpler model of interaction between the viral trans-activating protein (Tat) and trans-activation response RNA element (TAR), using Tat peptides binding to TAR RNA fragments. The resulting characterization of the hinge region of native BIV TAR-Tat complex was confirmed by more comprehensive calculations, involving an exhaustive generation of lattice chains. This modeled 2-residues per move of the native 11-mer Tat peptide and a 28-nucleotides TAR fragment. But these sorts of coarse-grained calculations, upon substitution of …

A Test Of Educational Methods To Reduce Boating Disturbance To Harbor Seals, Rachel Nicole Solvason

Master's Theses

Environmental education can affect attitudes and behaviors, but determining the most effective methods for protecting wildlife requires research. This study examined the effect of two modes of environmental education, one passive and one active, on the behaviors of boaters toward harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) at Corkscrew Slough in Redwood City, California, an area where harbor seals haul out and pup. Thirty-one boaters viewed an interpretive sign (passive environmental mode) and 30 experienced a docent talk (active) both designed to educate boaters on protecting harbor seals; 31 boaters received no environmental information (the control), therefore were not exposed to the interpretive …

Effects Of Particle Size And Particle Heterogeneity On Benthic Functional Guilds In Elkhorn Slough, Ca, Katherine Elizabeth Huotari

Master's Theses

Changes in particle size of sediment as a result of erosion can have potential impacts on benthic community structure. To examine the potential impacts, a 2x2 factorial design was used to evaluate the effects of particle size and particle heterogeneity on the intertidal community structure of Elkhorn Slough using data provided by Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. In this study, changes in functional guild roles with respect to particle size and particle heterogeneity were examined, rather than traditional biological measures, because functional guild roles are more directly related to physical changes in the environment. The results showed that particle size and …

Characterization Of Electrophorectic Separations On A Cellulose Paper-Microfluidic Chip, Kyle Robert Fast

Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis project is to demonstrate the ability to utilize electrophoresis in a cellulose paper microfluidic chip to manipulate charged particles. Materials were selected and a manufacturing protocol was created to successfully apply the electric field onto the paper chip. Experiments were performed to characterize the separation rates for charged, colorimetric dye, Orange G in the membrane as a function of an applied electric field, dye concentration, and distance traveled. The experiments confirmed that the electric field can be applied to the chip and particle separation rates were characterized. Next, the determined rates results were used to …

Demographics And Transfer Of Escherichia Coli Within Bos Taurus Populations, Joshua Ryan Dillard

Master's Theses

In the United States, symptoms caused by pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli are on the rise. A major source of these pathogenic strains is the E. coli in the digestive tract of cattle. The purpose of this project was to determine if E. coli are transferred between individuals of the same species and if interspecies transmission is possible. Proximity of cattle was also studied as a contributing factor to the transfer of E. coli. To accomplish this goal, E. coli isolates from cattle and cohabitating ground squirrels were compared through a new method of bacterial strain typing called pyroprinting. …

Effects Of Testosterone On The Spatial Ecology, Coloration, And Brain Regions In Western Fence Lizards, Sceloporus Occidentalis, Rachel Catharine Wilson

Master's Theses

An organism’s spatial ecology allows for access to essential resources such as food, mates, and escape from predators. Home range size, or the total area an organism inhabits, varies in relation to numerous factors including seasonality. During the breeding season, home range size increases in males across taxa. In addition, males usually also have larger home range sizes than females. This implicates testosterone (T) as a possible mediator of this relationship. Indeed, T causes an increase in home range size of males in numerous species of lizards. In addition to T causing an increase in home range size, it also …

An Investigation Into Partitioning Algorithms For Automatic Heterogeneous Compilers, Antonio M. Leija

Master's Theses

Automatic Heterogeneous Compilers allows blended hardware-software solutions to be explored without the cost of a full-fledged design team, but limited research exists on current partitioning algorithms responsible for separating hardware and software. The purpose of this thesis is to implement various partitioning algorithms onto the same automatic heterogeneous compiler platform to create an apples to apples comparison for AHC partitioning algorithms. Both estimated outcomes and actual outcomes for the solutions generated are studied and scored. The platform used to implement the algorithms is Cal Poly’s own Twill compiler, created by Doug Gallatin last year. Twill’s original partitioning algorithm is chosen …

Multi-Stress Proteomics: The Global Protein Response To Multiple Environmental Stressors In The Porcelain Crab Petrolisthes Cinctipes, Michael A. Garland

Master's Theses

Global climate change is increasing the number of hot days along the California coast as well as increasing the incidence of off-shore upwelling events that lower the pH of intertidal seawater; thus, intertidal organisms are experiencing an increase in more than one stress simultaneously. This study seeks to characterize the global protein response of the eurythermal porcelain crab Petrolisthes cinctipes to changes in thermal, pH, and tidal regime treatments, either combined or individually. The first experiment examined temperature stress alone and sought to determine the effect of chronic temperature acclimation on the acute heat shock response. We compared the proteomic …

Morphological Response In Sister Taxa Of Woodrats (Genus: Neotoma) Across A Zone Of Secondary Contact, Michaela M. Koenig

Master's Theses

This study focuses on a secondary contact zone between two sister species of woodrat, Neotoma fuscipes (dusky-footed woodrat) and N. macrotis (big-eared woodrat). Along the Nacimiento River, on the border of southern Monterey and northern San Luis Obispo counties, the ranges of these sister species of woodrats meet and overlap forming a secondary contact zone. The zone of secondary contact is estimated to include a 500-meter (~1,650 linear feet) portion of the Nacimiento River riparian corridor.

This research examines quantifiable morphological change that is likely associated with heightened inter-specific competition within the contact zone. When in sympatry the sister species …

How Are Rare Species Maintained?: Reproductive Barriers Between Layia Jonesii, A Rare Serpentine Endemic, And L. Platyglossa, Natalie L. Rossington

Master's Theses

Reproductive barriers are vital to generating new species as well as maintaining distinct species. Investigating reproductive barriers between closely related plant taxa helps us to understand how these barriers are maintained, particularly between rare and widespread relatives. Layia jonesii, a rare San Luis Obispo County serpentine endemic, and L. platyglossa, a common coastal species, co-occur on serpentine derived hillsides and are interfertile. At these locations, L. jonesii is isolated to dry soils near serpentine rock outcrops and L. platyglossa is located on slightly deeper grassland soils surrounding the rock outcrops. On hillsides where they co-occur, I observe two morphologically …

A Derivatization Method For Tagging Low-Molecular Weight Organic Acids In Seawater With A Fluorescent Coumarin, Ashley N. Phillips

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Nutrient Dynamics Of Floating Seagrass Wracks In Greater Florida Bay, Rachel A. Perry

Master's Theses

Floating aggregations of seagrass wrack (i.e., leaves shed from seagrass beds) can serve as an ecological “hot spot” contributing to the survival of many species in the form of habitat and food source. Considerable research has been done on assessing trophic transfer of nutrients from seagrass wrack that is washed ashore, but little is known about nutrient dynamics in floating seagrass wrack. Here, drifters were deployed to track the location of floating wracks created in Greater Florida Bay and mesocosm experiments were conducted on two different of floating macrophytes (Syringodium filiforme, Thalassia testudinum, and Sargassum sp.) to estimate …

Enzyme Level N And O Isotope Effects Of Assimilatory And Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction, Lija Treibergs

Master's Theses

Nitrate N and O isotope distributions in the environment can be used to elucidate salient biogeochemical N transformations. In order to do so, it is necessary to know the isotopic imprints characteristic of respective N transformations, and to understand the underlying mechanisms that determine these patterns. In order to provide mechanistic constraints on the isotopic imprints associated with nitrate consuming processes, we measured the enzymatic N and O isotope effects (¹⁵ε and ¹⁸ε) imparted on nitrate by three types of nitrate reductase enzymes, including (a) a prokaryotic respiratory nitrate reductase, Nar, from the heterotrophic denitrifier Paracoccus …

Evaluation Of Biodegradability And Cell Functionality Of Injectable Glycol Chitosan Hydrogel, Aiswaria Padmanabhan

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Winter Deicing Effects On Groundwater Quality Beneath Permeable Asphalt, Derek R. Angel

Master's Theses

This study examined the effects of winter deicing on groundwater quality beneath an 860-m² permeable asphalt parking lot at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut. While the beneficial impacts of permeable asphalt on water quality and hydrology have been documented in the literature and include increases in groundwater recharge, reduced peak flows and reductions in metals and hydrocarbon contaminant concentrations in groundwater, chloride has not been observed to be filtered from percolate beneath permeable asphalt. The potential issues related to chloride contamination of groundwater include aquatic toxicity and heavy metals mobilization. Monitoring wells were installed up-gradient and down-gradient …

An Ethnography Of Taste: Craft Beer Culture In Hattiesburg, Yingkun Hou

Master's Theses

This thesis studies the craft beer culture in Hattiesburg in order to answer the research question: Is taste what draws people to this culture? Beyond conducting classic participant-observation, I deployed the method of sensory activated participant-observation in my fieldwork. In so doing, this research centers the perspective and the data collected on the senses, especially the taste of craft beer. The purpose of this research is to add to our knowledge of the anthropology of the senses and contribute to the literature on the anthropology of taste.

An Investigation Of The Effect Of Malathion On Adaptive Plasticity Of Pseudacris Sierra, Michael Jonathan Maples

Master's Theses

This thesis is composed of two chapters. Chapter one reviews what is known about adaptive plasticity in response to predators, describes the physiological systems involved in such plasticity, and outlines the evolutionary consequences of adaptive plasticity. Chapter two describes a scientific experiment that investigates how malathion may impact adaptive plasticity in the Sierran Treefrog, Pseudacris sierra. Anuran tadpoles suffer high mortality rates due to predation. In response to strong selective forces relating to these high predation rates, tadpoles evolved the ability to adaptively respond to predators through morphological and behavioral plasticity. The morphological and behavioral responses are varied and depend …