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The Comparative Morphology Of The Pectoral Free Rays In Scorpaenoid Fishes (Perciformes: Scorpaenoidea)), Jeremy Peter Harris

Master's Theses

The pectoral fins of many benthic taxa have evolved many unique features used to interact with the substrate. In one such group, the searobins (Triglidae: Scorpaenoidea), three of the pectoral fin rays have become separated from the fin as a whole, allowing them to operate as a separate appendage from the fin as a whole. The anatomical structure of these "free rays" was investigated and several previously unreported muscle and bone variations were found. This method was extended to include members of four other scorpaenoid families which possess free rays, which revealed important differences in the muscle, bone, and nervous …

Analysis Of The Minimal Promoter From The Hatching Enzyme A Gene, Anna Matejczyk

Master's Theses

Hatching, defined as a biochemical or biophysical mechanism that allows the embryo to leave its protective envelope, is found in most animals. In fish, reptiles and amphibians, mostly oviparous animals, this means the emergence of the embryo from an egg. In mammals, viviparous animals, hatching is performed by the blastocyst in order to shed the zona pellucida.

Fish, an oviparous animal, takes advantage of a biochemical mechanism in order to hatch and emerge from their chorion, or egg envelope. The mechanism includes the use of hatching enzymes that are secreted in order to digest the envelope membrane. The genes controlling …

The Effect Of Vitamin D On Human T Regulatory Cell Differentiation, Stephanie Anne Chapman

Master's Theses

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are required for the induction and maintenance of immune homeostasis. Singh et al. demonstrated that depletion of Tregs in mice results in a loss of self-tolerance that manifests in the development of autoimmune diseases such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). In humans, autoimmune diseases such as IBD, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and Type 1 Diabetes are thought to occur due to a deficiency in the number or function of Tregs. The importance of Tregs in modulating the human immune system is perhaps best exemplified by IPEX (immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, x-linked syndrome), a severe autoimmune disease characterized …

Embedded Cloud System For Ann-Cod Analysis Using Uv Spectroscopy, Kaushik Patra

Master's Theses

One of the many parameters indicating water quality is chemical oxygen demand (COD), which is an indirect measurement of the amount of organic compound material in water. There have been many studies, in both academia and the industry, to analyze the COD content of water using spectral analysis. The proposal of this thesis was to study, analyze, and identify methods to determine the presence of COD using UV spectroscopy data and an artificial neural network (ANN) in a cloud-connected embedded system. The system was implemented using an ARM11 board and a portable spectrometer. Light in the UV range was used …

Natural Recovery Of Second-Growth Coast Redwood Stands In The Santa Cruz Mountains, Jeffrey M. Sinclair

Master's Theses

The natural recovery of coast redwood forests following a logging event is not fully understood. Recent studies, in the redwood central range, have found that un-restored and unmanaged second-growth forest stands can begin to recover and exhibit characteristics of old-growth stands within 100 years or less. The goal of this study was to determine if redwood stands in their southern range are recovering naturally. A total of 160 sample plots were selected randomly within old-growth and second-growth study sites. The data collected included stand density, tree size structure, canopy cover, species diversity, and species composition. Special habitat features were analyzed …

Designing Affordances On Embedded Interfaces, Gabriela Madalina Istan

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a user interface on users' performance during an online shopping checkout task. Two interfaces were developed using the principles of Rasmussen's SRK model: a high-affordance and a

low-affordance interface. Seventy undergraduate and graduate students performed a simulated online shopping task with the two interfaces. It was hypothesized that the high-affordance interface would require less time and fewer clicks to conduct the shopping task when compared to a low-affordance interface. In addition, it was predicted that participants would prefer the high-affordance interface. The findings revealed participants spent more time on …

Ncaa Division I Coaches And Athletic Trainers: An Examination Of Professional Relationships And Knowledge Of The Athletic Training Profession, Laura Alexander

Master's Theses

The goal of this study was to explore coaches' experience with athletic trainers (ATs) and knowledge of their roles and responsibilities at the NCAA Division I level. The data collection involved a questionnaire and follow-up phone interviews. The survey was sent out to all 144 official head coaches of NCAA Division I universities in the Bay Area region of California, as defined by the California Department of Social Services in 2002, and there was a 22% (n=31) return rate. Nearly 60% (n=18) of coaches said they communicated with their athletic trainer over five times per week. Another ~60% (n=20-n=28) of …

Spatiotemporal Patterns In Diet And Habitat Use Of Black-Legged Kittiwakes (Rissa Tridactyla) And Thick-Billed Murres (Uria Lomvia) In The Bering Sea, Nathan M. Jones

Master's Theses

This study quantified the multi-trophic influence and spatial structure of a cross-shelf δ15N gradient in the Bering Sea and used it to contrast foraging patterns and seasonal changes in niche width between thick-billed murres and black-legged kittiwakes during July and August, 2008 and 2009. Gut contents of collected seabirds were characterized and stable isotope analyses (δ13C, δ15N) were conducted on whole prey tissues and seabird cheek feathers, pectoral muscle, and liver tissues. Gut contents of both seabird species were spatially auto correlated and varied with habitat type. Feather and muscle tissues indicated that murres underwent a trophic niche contraction with …

An Ecological Assessment Of Insect Diversity At Organic Central Coast Vegetable Farms On Two Spatial Scales, Emily Musgrave

Master's Theses

Modern industrial agriculture is the principal cause of anthropogenic land use changes for terrestrial ecosystems. Approximately 40% of the planet's land surface, or half of the habitable area, is now composed of agricultural landscapes. The simplification and industrialization of agriculture are the biggest drivers of global biodiversity loss, especially on Californian's Central Coast. Diversified organic agriculture, however, may offer some refuge for non-crop species. In this study we analyzed insect and plant biodiversity on and adjacent to organic vegetable farms on the Central Coast of California at two spatial scales, the landscape-scale and a smaller within-farm scale. At the landscape-scale, …

Basking Western Pond Turtle Response To Trail Use In Mountain View, California, Paul Eric Nyhof

Master's Theses

The western pond turtle (Emys marmorata) is the only native freshwater turtle in California, and it is listed as a California Species of Special Concern. One population near Moffett Naval Air Station in Northern California uses a highly altered water channel along a recently opened section of the Bay Trail, exposing western pond turtles (WPT) to high rates of human activity through recreational trail use. This research assessed whether human recreational trail use had a measurable effect on WPT basking behavior. WPTs were also trapped and marked to collect data on the structure and stability of the current population.

The …

Funding Sources Of Impactful And Transformative Research, Barrett Anderson

Master's Theses

Understanding how the most important scientific articles have been funded can help inform and improve future funding decisions. Importance is here defined as science that, in the metaphor of the tree of knowledge, plays a structurally significant role (e.g., creates new branches of knowledge or transforms existing ones). The structural significance of articles is broken down into two submeasures: citation count and "generativity" (a novel measure defined as being highly cited and also leading to a comparatively large number of other highly cited articles). Generativity is an attempt to provide a quantitative operationalization that should correlate with transformativeness, a concept …

Farms On Campus: Strong Stakeholder Support For An Educational Garden At A Non-Land-Grant University, Gina M. Bacigalupi

Master's Theses

University farms and gardens are increasingly seen as effective tools for learning a variety of academic subjects and as resources that allow users to connect experientially to nature. Most existing university farms, however, are found at resource-rich land-grant universities. This research evaluated stakeholder interest and willingness-to-pay in money, time, and labor for a proposed educational farm at a public, urban, non-land-grant university through an online survey of over 400 members of the California State University East Bay, Concord Campus community. Overall, support for an educational farm at this site was high amongst all stakeholder groups. Students and stakeholders who hold …

Intra-Annual Changes In Population Parameters As Indicators Of Humpback Whale (Megaptera Novaeangliae) Migratory Behavior, Casey Clark

Master's Theses

Many techniques used to study animal migrations rely on observations of specific animals, which provide valuable information about individuals studied but do not capture population variability. By examining changes in population parameters, researchers may gain a better understanding of migratory behaviors. In this study, intra-annual changes in population parameters were used to study migratory behaviors of humpback whales off central California in 2011/2012. Data were compared with a historic dataset from 2004/2005. Parameters measured included sex ratio, pregnancy rate, mitochondrial DNA haplotype frequencies and mean δ13C and δ15N values. Weighted moving averages of the sex ratio were moderately effective at …

The Effect Of Bmi On The Age Of Menarche In Adolescent Girls, Samara R. Sterling

Master's Theses

Problem. Over the past century, the age of menarche has consistently declined in the United States and globally. Obesity has also increased by 82% globally over the past 20 years. Obesity, as measured by BMI percentiles in children, may contribute to the declining age of menarche. -- Method. Adolescent girls ages 12-19 were examined in California and Michigan. Physical development and the age of menarche were assessed through an online questionnaire. Height and weight measurements were taken at a clinic and converted to BMI percentile values. -- Results. A negative correlation was observed between BMI percentile values and the age …

Local Adaptation Of Two Cryptic Species, Lasthenia Californica And Lasthenia Gracilis, To Distinct Regions Within A Serpentine Outcrop, Teri Barry

Master's Theses

Intraspecific variation providing tolerance to specific edaphic conditions may contribute to population differentiation, speciation, and species coexistence. This process is often examined using reciprocal transplant experiments of closely related species in contrasting edaphic conditions. The two cryptic species Lasthenia californica and L. gracilis occur on a serpentine outcrop in parapatry at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve. I hypothesized that each species would demonstrate greater fitness in its home range. A reciprocal transplant experiment was conducted in the field to determine home site advantage. Seedlings from each species were planted in both home ranges and in the transition zone where both species …

The Intergenerational Transmission Of Attitudes On Divorce And Marriage, Rebecca Elizabeth Bivona-Guttadauro

Master's Theses

The present study shed light on the process of intergenerational transmission of attitudes as it occurs for women from divorced and intact families. Taking into account how women from divorced and intact homes view their parents' relationship, this study examined how attitudes of marriage and divorce are transmitted from parents to children. This study utilized quantitative survey methods including surveys to gather data and nested multiple linear regression to analyze the data to determine how the process of intergenerational transmission of attitudes was occurring, if at all, for the women in the sample. Utilizing sample data from a large public …

A Girlhood Of Myth, Dreams, And Trauma: Redefining The Asian North American Female Bildungsroman, Danielle Brianna Crawford

Master's Theses

This thesis examines the use of myth, dreams, and historical trauma within the genre of the Asian North American female bildungsroman. In an attempt to redefine the contested genre of the ethnic bildungsroman, this study analyzes three novels by Asian American and Asian Canadian female authors: Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's When the Rainbow Goddess Wept (1991), Joy Kogawa's Obasan (1981), and Lan Cao's Monkey Bridge (1997). Each of these novels is an ethnic bildungsroman that highlights the identity formation of a female protagonist in the midst of historical trauma. This study focuses on the ways in which these texts resist the …

Immobilization Of Rhodococcus Erythropolis As A Potential Treatment For Atherosclerosis, Srikanth Darbha

Master's Theses

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and isprimarily due to hypercholesterolemia. The novel approach of combatting atherosclerosis presented in this research entails delivery of microencapsulated Rhodococcus erythropolis immobilized in biodegradable alginate-based microcapsules and utilizing the bacterium's cholesterol oxidase enzyme pathway to degrade cholesterol from intermediate-stage arterial plaque. The bacterial growth medium was optimized using Taguchi design methods to enable growth characterizations hindered by biosurfactant by-product. Methodologies for extraction and quantification of biosurfactant and cholesterol were developed and conducted simultaneous to bacterial growth assessment. Bacteria were encapsulated using atomization (850±50 μm) and inkjet bioprinting (32±5 …

Restoring Native Plants Following Invasive Malephora Crocea (Coppery Iceplant, Aizoaceae) Eradication On Anacapa Island, Nathan William Hale

Master's Theses

To avoid unintended complications of invasive species eradication, it is important to understand the potential implications of the techniques used in species eradication efforts. This study aimed to compare how different methods of removing Malephora crocea affect the survivorship of planted seedlings of native perennial plants on Anacapa Island. Employing a randomized complete block design in an M. crocea stand, three removal treatments were tested: 1) hand-pull; 2) spray with herbicide and leave skeletons; and 3) spray and then remove skeletons after 2.5 months. In each treatment, seedlings of three species (Leptosyne gigantea, Frankenia salina, and Grindelia …

Relationship Between Cognitive Functions And Hormones, Daniel C. Miao

Master's Theses

Stress has been implicated by recent research to significantly contribute towards many cognitive and physiological deficiencies. One of the most popular topics of study is the effect of stress on inhibition, the all-or-none decision about an action or inaction. However, only recently have scientists begun investigating neuroendocrine molecules that link stress and inhibitory processing. Participants included San José State University undergraduates (27 male, 63 female, 1 unstated) who were exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test, an established stress task, and who were assessed before and after stress exposure for cortisol levels. Participants were also given a pre- and post-test …

Application Of Query-Based Qualitative Descriptors In Conjunction With Protein Sequence Homology For Prediction Of Residue Solvent Accessibility, Reecha Nepal

Master's Theses

Characterization of relative solvent accessibility (RSA) plays a major role in classifying a given protein residue as being on the surface or buried. This information is useful for studying protein structure and protein-protein interactions, and it is usually the first approach applied in the prediction of 3-dimensional (3D) protein structures.

Various complicated and time-consuming methods, such as machine learning, have been applied in solvent-accessibility predictions. In this thesis, we presented a simple application of linear regression methods using various sequence homology values for each residue as well as query residue qualitative predictors corresponding to each of the 20 amino acids. …

Foraging Behavior, Habitat, Health, And Survival Of Resident And Translocated Hawaiian Monk Seals At Nihoa Island, Hawaii, Tenaya A. Norris

Master's Theses

Translocations aimed at promoting population recovery for threatened and endangered species also can function as forced dispersals. To assess the efficacy of translocating Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi) and examine post-dispersal effects on monk seals, in 2008-2009, 12 weanling seals were translocated from French Frigate Shoals (FFS) to Nihoa Island (NIH). In addition, nine adult and eight weanling resident seals were captured at NIH. Satellite instrument attachment, biological sampling, and morphometry were conducted on seals at capture. Focal video camera drops also were conducted at 45 sites around NIH (< 100 m) in 2010-2011. Translocated and resident weanlings primarily dove to 40-60 m and used sandy-bottomed habitat < 13 km from NIH. In contrast, resident adults had greater variability in foraging behavior and habitat use. There also was a low prevalence of infectious disease in translocated and resident seals, excluding Chlamydophila abortus and enteric bacteria. First-year survival was greater for …

Characterization Of Hydride-Based Silica And Diamond Hydride Stationary Phases, Nima C. Parmar

Master's Theses

Aqueous normal phase chromatography possesses characteristics of both normal phase (NP) and also reverse phase (RP) chromatography. It can retain polar as well as non-polar compounds by carefully selecting the concentration ratio of organic solvent to water in the mobile phase. Silica hydride columns contain only a small percentage of silanol groups which are polar in nature and have an effect on the separation process. Diamond hydride columns consist of a small amount (~2%) of carbon chemically bonded to a silica hydride surface.

This research work characterized both hydride-based silica and diamond hydride stationary phases under isocratic and gradient conditions. …

Experiences Of Coping With Injury In Division I Athletes From Low-To-Middle Socioeconomic Status Backgrounds, Matthew Philip Bejar

Master's Theses

Injuries inevitably occur in any sport at any level. The integrated sport injury model is one of the most extensive frameworks to address the psychological responses to athletic injury. While this model posits that socioeconomic status (SES) influences how an athlete cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally responds to an injury, no research has substantiated this claim. Low SES individuals experience an exceptional amount of stress, which may complicate how they cope with a negative event. The coping strategies employed by an athlete can have major implications on rehabilitation adherence, recovery time, and psychosocial well-being. The purpose of this study was to …

Predicting Slender False Brome (Brachypodium Sylvaticum) Invasion In The Santa Cruz Mountains, California, Janine Ellen Bird

Master's Theses

Early detection of an invasive species facilitates control and eradication. Slender false brome (Brachypodium sylvaticum) was first discovered in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Central California in 2003 as a non-native grass in redwood forests, competing with native vegetation. The current infestation in the Santa Cruz Mountains, estimated to be 300 acres, is concentrated in San Mateo County and could be eradicated. This study sought to determine most likely locations of slender false brome in the Santa Cruz Mountains by assessing environmental attributes of known presence locations using species distribution modeling and Maxent software. The study used 1,320 species presence …

A Study Of Genetic Variability In Larval And Adult Populations Of Dungeness Crab (Cancer Magister), Cairbre Fanslow

Master's Theses

Spatial and temporal genetic variation was assessed using mitochondrial DNA from adult and megalopae of Dungeness crabs, Cancer magister, from Fraser Delta in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. Megalopae were continuously sampled using light traps in one location, Coos Bay, Oregon, and compared with adults sampled across the species' range. While small-scale spatial and temporal variation were evident, there was no significant fit to the Isolation-by-Distance model when considering adult and larvae populations sampled over a coastal length of ~1700 km (Mantel r = 0.059, p = 0.289). Smaller bays showed higher genetic diversity than larger bays, contrary to …

The Prevalence Of The Uncultivated Bacterium Tm7a In Human Subgingival Plaque, Jamsheed Adrian Ghadiri

Master's Theses

Most bacteria are yet to be cultivated, and some uncultivated bacteria have been associated with human diseases. TM7, an uncultivated candidate division of bacteria, has been recently associated with periodontitis, a disease if left untreated causes tooth degradation and gum decay. A subgroup of TM7, known as TM7a, has been found in both human samples and activated wastewater. TM7a from these two locations are as high as 99.7% similar by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, leading researchers to believe both TM7a strains are very similar functionally. TM7a has been extensively studied in activated wastewater. However, little is known of its …

Women In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Mathematics (Stem) Fields: The Importance Of The Need To Belong And Self-Esteem On The Intention To Leave A Job, Jung Eun Lee

Master's Theses

The purpose of the study was to predict individual intentions to leave science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field jobs. Psychological predictors were gender, the need to belong, self-esteem, perceived personal discrimination, and perceived group discrimination. We used the Amazon Mechanical Turk to recruit participants and Survey Monkey to conduct an online survey. Participants were 174 men and women who worked or studied in STEM fields. Two-step hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to analyze the data. As a result, we found that all predictors mentioned above accounted for the variance in the intention to leave a job. Self-esteem and …

Response Of Waterbirds To Salt Pond Enhancements And Island Creation In The San Francisco Bay, Stacy M. Moskal

Master's Theses

Historically, San Francisco Bay supported the largest salt pond complex on the Pacific coast of North America, and these areas have been used by large numbers of migrating and wintering waterbirds for more than a century. In 2003, salt ponds in the South San Francisco Bay were purchased with a goal of restoring 50-90% of the 6100 ha of former salt ponds to replace lost tidal marsh habitats. However, a major challenge for the restoration project has been maintaining the abundance of non-breeding waterbirds in a smaller footprint of managed ponds. Thus, in 2009-2010, Pond SF2 was enhanced with 30 …

Use Of Dna Sequences To Identify Forensically Important Fly Species In The Coastal Region Of Central California (Santa Clara County), Angela T. Nakano

Master's Theses

Forensic entomology has gained prominence in recent years, as improvements in DNA technology and molecular methods have allowed insect and other arthropod evidence to become increasingly useful in criminal and civil investigations. However, comprehensive faunal inventories are still needed, including cataloguing local DNA sequences for forensically significant Diptera. This multi-year fly-trapping study was built upon and expanded a previous survey of these flies in Santa Clara County, including the addition of genetic barcoding data from collected species of flies.

Flies from the families Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, and Muscidae were trapped in meat-baited traps set in a variety of locations throughout the …