Digital Commons Network^™

Analysis Of Dietary Intake, Body Composition And Biomarkers In Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Prediabetes And Without Diabetes, Sarah Thuytrinh Nguyen

Master's Theses

Our study provided an analysis and comparison of specific blood values, dietary intake, body composition, and inflammatory markers (high sensitivity-C-reactive protein (HS-CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6)) between adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and prediabetes (PDM) to adults without diabetes. A total of 22 participants (PDM/T2DM n=12, controls n=10) in the San Luis Obispo, CA area completed the study prior to our ending recruitment due to Covid-19. Body composition data were collected through DXA scans. Dietary intake was assessed using a 3-day food record survey and nutritional analysis conducted using ESHA food processing software. In addition, …

Los Zetas, Neoliberalism, And Popular Opposition: A Study In Linkages, Gina R. Lyle

Master's Theses

Los Zetas are considered by security analysts to be a transformative force within transnational criminal organizations (TCO), exporting their unique model throughout Mexico. Los Zetas’ idiosyncratic interventions include their diversification of criminal operations, professionalization of TCO security, sophisticated use of media and technology, extreme forms of violent coercion, and decentralized command structure. This project aims to complicate the narrative that Los Zetas emerged because of top leaders’ sadistic tendencies or due to an inherently violent culture in Mexico by reframing the group’s evolution within historical processes. Moving beyond Los Zetas, this project examines how persons affected by Los Zetas’ indiscriminate …

Upending The "Racial Death-Wish": Black Gay Liberation And The Culture Of Black Homophobia, Kailyn Pope

Master's Theses

This thesis analyzes the origin and impact of Black homophobia found in activist spaces of mid- to late-twentieth-century American society. Black gay Americans were subjected to intersecting forms of systemic and cultural oppression that were exceedingly hard to escape due to both the homophobia in Black spaces and the racism in gay spaces. Black gay activists and artists thus had to create their own avenues of expression where they and others could fully embrace what it meant to be Black and gay. This work utilizes a Black feminist framework to explore the roots of Black homophobia and how this type …

Investigating Daily Fantasy Baseball: An Approach To Automated Lineup Generation, Ryan Smith

Master's Theses

A recent trend among sports fans along both sides of the letterman jacket is that of Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS). The DFS industry has been under legal scrutiny recently, due to the view that daily sports data is too random to make its prediction skillful. Therefore, a common view is that it constitutes online gambling. This thesis proves that DFS, as it pertains to Baseball, is significantly more predictable than random chance, and thus does not constitute gambling.

We propose a system which generates daily lists of lineups for Fanduel Daily Fantasy Baseball contests. The system consists of two components: …

Modeling And Solving The Outsourcing Risk Management Problem In Multi-Echelon Supply Chains, Arian A. Nahangi

Master's Theses

Worldwide globalization has made supply chains more vulnerable to risk factors, increasing the associated costs of outsourcing goods. Outsourcing is highly beneficial for any company that values building upon its core competencies, but the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises have exposed significant vulnerabilities within supply chains. These disruptions forced a shift in the production of goods from outsourcing to domestic methods.

This paper considers a multi-echelon supply chain model with global and domestic raw material suppliers, manufacturing plants, warehouses, and markets. All levels within the supply chain network are evaluated from a holistic perspective, calculating a total …

Habitat Heterogeneity Affects The Thermal Ecology Of The Federally Endangered Blunt-Nosed Leopard Lizard, Nicole Gaudenti

Master's Theses

Global climate change is already contributing to the extirpation of numerous species worldwide, and sensitive species will continue to face challenges associated with rising temperatures throughout this century and beyond. It is especially important to evaluate the thermal ecology of endangered ectotherm species now so that mitigation measures can be taken as early as possible. A recent study of the thermal ecology of the federally endangered Blunt-Nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia sila) suggested that they face major activity restrictions due to thermal constraints in their desert habitat, but that large shade-providing shrubs act as thermal buffers to allow them …

Data Driven Transfer Students Support Analysis, Kathryn Steidl

Master's Theses

Low income, academically talented, underrepresented students within the Central Coast of California face barriers in transferring and completing their technical degree. In order to meet future work needs and improve the quality of public life, the path for transfer students needs to be more accessible. To improve access to a high-quality engineering education for local students, the ENGAGE grant (Engineering Neighbors: Gaining Access, Growing Engineers -NSF Grant numbers 1834128 and 1834154) was created. This initiative strives to support local transfer students pre-transfer, during transfer, and post transfer by providing additional academic and financial resources. Five years of Cal Poly transfer …

A Performance Survey Of Text-Based Sentiment Analysis Methods For Automating Usability Evaluations, Kelsi Van Damme

Master's Theses

Usability testing, or user experience (UX) testing, is increasingly recognized as an important part of the user interface design process. However, evaluating usability tests can be expensive in terms of time and resources and can lack consistency between human evaluators. This makes automation an appealing expansion or alternative to conventional usability techniques.

Early usability automation focused on evaluating human behavior through quantitative metrics but the explosion of opinion mining and sentiment analysis applications in recent decades has led to exciting new possibilities for usability evaluation methods.

This paper presents a survey of modern, open-source sentiment analyzers’ usefulness in extracting and …

Migrant Management In The "Calais Jungle". Intentional State Disengagement Or Expression Of The French Model Limitations?, Sarah Bekrar

Master's Theses

This thesis aims to explore the disparities between the French state’s apparent participatory efforts in the human rights regime and the exclusionary practices against migrants within the territory. What has been labeled “the European refugee crisis”- here in France, has exacerbated states’ anti-migrant behaviors of hyper securitization, politics of refoulement, and practices of burden shifting. Under the Geneva Convention of 1951 relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, France, among 149 other signatories, has agreed to recognize and apply refugee rights as outlined by the Convention and to participate in the global effort to protect them. …

Investigating The Mechanism Of The Escherichia Coli Atp-Binding Cassette (Abc) Transporter Metni, Matthew Foronda

Master's Theses

Chemical homeostasis is a baseline requirement for any cell to survive. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters play a vital role in homeostasis by importing nutrients and exporting toxins against their concentration gradients by utilizing the energy of ATP hydrolysis. Malfunctioning ABC transporters cause a variety of health problems, including cystic fibrosis, Stargardt’s disease (vision loss), and the development of drug-resistant tumors. An important step in solving these medical issues is to first understand the structure and mechanism of ABC transporters. Various studies have made great strides in depicting the structure and details of different ABC transporters and their mechanisms, however, many …

Envisioning Justice And Solidarity In The Household Workplace: The Organizing Power Of Immigrant Domestic Workers And Employers In The Bay Area, Nicole Laporte

Master's Theses

Domestic workers are skilled professionals who engage in a variety of activities ranging from housecleaning, elderly care and childcare support in private households. In the United States, it is estimated that there are over 2.5 million domestic workers, the majority of whom are immigrant women of color.[1] Due to the historic racialized and gendered exclusion from labor law protections such as the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, [2] the labor of domestic worker professionals has been made invisible in the United States. Today, domestic workers are three times as likely to be living in poverty and are less …

The Inter-American Human Rights System In The Context Of Migration: Us Immigration Policies, Maira E. Delgado Laurens

Master's Theses

International human rights laws are critical to ensuring a minimum protection level for those migrating to other nations across the globe. Despite intense efforts by the United States to sidestep such policies while misrepresenting their repeated violations of human rights now taking place at the U.S.-Mexico border, these policies remain in full force in the global governance community. The actions of the Trump administration and others clearly indicate the need for political intervention to ensure such rights are maintained. Using qualitative content analysis and participatory observation, this article reviews the effectiveness of thematic hearings, under the Inter-American Commission on Human …

What Does It Mean To Be Palestinian? Understanding Palestinian Identity Through Narrative: Memories And Reflections From The Diaspora, Nidalia Nazzal

Master's Theses

This research will examine narratives of Palestinian identity throughout the diaspora and how such narratives are expressed, portrayed, and remembered. Out of 103 narratives included in the book, Being Palestinian: Personal Reflections on Palestinian Identity in the Diaspora (2016), edited by Yasir Suleiman, four narratives were selected for analysis, in order to examine common themes such as: diaspora, displacement, identity, erasure, and stigmatization. The four narratives selected are written by Palestinians of various ages and professions who have been exiled to other countries; these narrative speakers, two men and two women, share their personal experiences as Palestinians and what those …

“What Did You See? We Didn’T See Shit”: Dialectics Of Protest And Resistance In Portland, Annika Bratton

Master's Theses

The murder of George Floyd sparked reinvigorated racial justice uprisings across the United States, coinciding with quarantine, pandemic, and mass unemployment, and in some places across the country, starting a fire of social unrest. Portland, Oregon received national attention for the protest efforts and mutual aid carried out by the community, while being met with brutality and violence at the hands of police. This thesis interviews five self-identified protesters from Portland, seeking answers to three central research questions: (1) What are the experiences of protesters who have been demanding racial justice on the streets in Portland since May of 2020? …

The Role And Impact Of The Environment In Shaping The Decisions Of Parents And Alternative Educators In Early Education, Mia Hopkinson

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to research parents’ and alternative educators’ perspectives on the role of the educational environment in early education and how this impacts their pedagogical beliefs. The qualitative study explored the following research questions: What do traditional school parents and outdoor alternative parents seek in their child’s early education environment? What shapes parents' decisions on their child’s educational and learning experiences? How do alternative educational leaders and educators understand the role of the alternative environment? How does this impact how they think about education? Interviews were conducted with two traditional parents, two alternative parents and four …

Recreation And The Sacred: A Case Study Of Diné Bikéyah, Brian Andersen

Master's Theses

The relationship between indigenous groups and outdoor recreation is something that has been analyzed by various scholars. In the North American context, scholars have primarily focused on conflicts regarding land use, particularly as it relates to the concept of the sacred. Although these works speak to general truths, the complexity of the relationship between outdoor pursuits and Native American groups is often over-simplified. This thesis analyzes the potential of outdoor recreation as a means of economic empowerment for the Navajo people. The work draws on the various initiatives currently underway to promote outdoor recreation in the Navajo Nation. These initiatives …

Lgbtq Forced Migrants' Labor Market Integration In Mexico City: Perspectives From Mexico's Government Agencies, International Organizations, And Mexican Civil Society, Rolando Diaz

Master's Theses

Mexico holds a unique position as a country of immigration, emigration, refuge, transit, and return migration. In recent decades, researchers have built awareness on the country’s received migrants’ diverse characteristics by posing questions and tackling the challenges that certain migrants face. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) forced migrants have become increasingly visible since the exodus of asylum-seekers from Central America. Many of these LGBTQ migrants flee state and non-state actors that present life-threatening conditions for the LGBTQ community. Though Mexico as a whole is going through its own evolution on LGBTQ and migrants’ rights, its capital city has …

The Construction Of A European Identity Refugees And Europe’S Identity Crisis, Martina Caretta

Master's Theses

The fundamental purpose of my thesis is to consider the ongoing formation of European identity within the context of the contemporary refugee/migrant crisis in Europe. In doing so, I will briefly survey how a European identity has been conceived and constructed through legal documents, treaties, and political speeches. Moreover, I will use different theories such as Anderson’s imagined communities to consider whether European identity is post-modern and post-national as it is sometimes celebrated to be. The EU is frequently regarded as a unique experiment in history and the first real post-modern political entity. However, looking deeper into the identity construction …

The Role Of Nations-State In Protecting And Supporting Internally Displaced Persons, Daisy Byers

Master's Theses

The rising increase of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) has become a global problem. There are over 40 million internally displaced people globally, and 15.9 million are displaced in Africa. These displacements come into place due to war/conflict, corruption, massive human rights violations, natural disasters, urban renewal projects (at the hands of powerful nations such as America, China, France, UK, etc.), and large-scale development projects. According to UNHCR, refugees are people who have international cross-border. In contrast, internally displaced persons must stay within their own country and stay under the protection of their government, even if the government is the reason …

The Making Of Crimmigration: The Criminalization Of Immigrants, Dorisa Esparza

Master's Theses

For the past decades, immigrants and immigration policies in the United States of America are significant debates. During campaigns, politicians describe their immigration opinion and their immigration solutions. Media coverage also illustrates the fervor on immigration discourse. Immediately, one can argue that immigration discourse has extreme depictions of immigrants. Politicians use polarizing language that can be damaging for the immigrant community in the United States. The criminalization of immigrants was illustrated within the discourse and immigration policies.

This research will analyze the implication of immigration discourse from political actors on the creation of crimmigration policies. Crimmigration policies are defined as …

Important Factors For Changing Plastic Consumption Among Highly Educated People In China, Shen Shen

Master's Theses

As the global plastic pollution situation is getting much more serious, how to change the trend of plastic pollution to save humankind itself has become an urgent issue. In China, the country with the world's fastest-growing economy and the largest population, solving the problem of plastic pollution presents a serious challenge. This thesis draws on a survey of highly educated people in China to investigate how these people's understanding and awareness of plastic pollution, willingness to change their behavior and perceptions of who is responsible for addressing the problem might inform strategies for reducing plastic pollution in China. The analysis …

Wicked Problems: Understanding How Cities And Counties In California Are Tackling Climate Change And Homelessness, Guadalupe Michelle Franco

Master's Theses

California continues to endure the detrimental effects of climate change, such as poor air quality, flooding, and heatwaves. Concurrently, the state has seen an increase in the number of unhoused communities due to various ramifications such as rapid urbanization, failed political leadership, and restricted housing policies. While unhoused communities fight to access basic services, they must also now adapt to the looming impacts of climate change. Unhoused populations are especially vulnerable to climate change as they have limited access to shelter, spend the majority of their time outdoors, and lack the economic ability to adapt. While cities and counties are …

Lived Experiences Of College Football Fans In The Southeast United States: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Rosemarie Rachel Pacitto

Master's Theses

While a number of sport-related studies have explored sport fandom and its effects quantitatively, there is a lack of research that exists surrounding the lived experiences of fans, and thus any potential health-related benefits derived through fandom. The present study qualitatively explored the lived experiences of college football fans in the Southeast United States with aims to identify any potential health related benefits derived through fandom experiences. Eight participants were interviewed utilizing semi-structured interviews. Interviews were analyzed via interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results are discussed within the context of positive psychology and identity theory and suggest that participants experienced phycological and …

The Right To Education At The Gates Of The University: The Role Of The University Of San Francisco In The Transformation Of Bay Area Schools, Maximilian Cordeiro

Master's Theses

The right to education, understood from a lens of transformational human rights, is not being fulfilled for youth of color in the Bay Area, particularly in historically Black neighborhoods like the Western Addition and Hunters Point, where high school and college graduation rates are significantly lower for Black and Latino students than for their white counterparts. The systemic barriers to educational attainment for people of color are rooted in legacy of Jim Crow-era segregationist policies, but they only exist today because they have been preserved in contemporary “race-neutral” policies and practices. This ongoing racial inequality in education has incurred a …

Identifying Factors For Voluntary Return Migration: A Case Study Of Uzbek American Returnees, Khojiakbar Gayratbekov

Master's Theses

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, many Uzbek immigrants found their ways to the United States. Given the unique historic context to their cultural and national identity, Uzbeks experience distinctive integration and adaptation process when they arrive in the United States. Despite political instability and a weak economy in Uzbekistan, data from the United States Department of Homeland Security reveal that many Uzbek immigrants are leaving the U.S. for their home country. Thus, this study investigates factors for return migration among Uzbek immigrants for the period of 2010 to 2020. This study utilizes a mixture of qualitative and quantitative …

Using Zebrafish As A Model System For Studying The Autism Risk Gene Adnp In Early Embryonic Development, William Theune

Master's Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a group of debilitating neurodevelopmental disorders, estimated to affect 1 in 54 children. Despite the identification of many autism-risk genes, the underlying mechanisms for ASD remain unclear. One of the most common forms of ASD is associated with de novo mutations in the ADNP gene (Activity-Dependent Neuroprotector Homeobox; accounting for 0.17% of ASD individuals). Termed ADNP syndrome, this disorder is characterized by intellectual disability, facial dysmorphia, and is comorbid with multiple organ system deficits. We set out to use zebrafish as a model organism to gain mechanistic insights into ADNP function. Zebrafish have the advantage …

Evaluating Changes In Reactive Oxygen Species (Ros) As A Plausible Mechanism Underlying The Effect Of Noise On The Dopamine System In The Hub For Central Auditory Processes, Bridget Doe

Master's Theses

Excessive exposure to noise leads to hearing loss but the mechanism by which this happens remains unknown. Presently, dopamine, a neurotransmitter widely known for its involvement in learning and reward-based actions, has also been linked to auditory processes in the inferior colliculus, a principal integration center for hearing and related processes. Preliminary data from our research laboratory, has demonstrated that exposure to deafening noise leads to decreased dopamine release in the inferior colliculus, thus implicating the dopamine system in hearing loss. One plausible mechanism underlying this noise-induced alteration in dopamine neurotransmission could be via excessive production of reactive oxygen species …

Synthesis Of Functionalized Ionic Liquids For Coal Dissolution And Pretreatment, Michael Franklin

Master's Theses

Brown coal (lignite) is a bulk organic mixture of conjugated hydrocarbons that are complexed together via hydrogen bonds. Coal [partial] dissolution is essential to the better utilization of low-rank coal for power sources because the direct combustion of brown coal is not energy efficient. To break hydrogen bonds of low-rank coal and make it partially soluble, this project evaluates a series of ionic liquids (ILs) with specific properties as non-volatile alternatives to conventional organic solvents. A series of nitrogen- and phosphorus-based cations have been synthesized via a nucleophilic substitution reaction, the resultant bromide-based IL being converted to an acetate-based IL …

Projecting Ecuadorian Cultures In Andean Dream: A Compositional Exploration Of Psycho-Ethnomusicology For Electronics And Chamber Ensemble, Daniela Paez

Master's Theses

The musical culture of Ecuador, despite being quite unknown to the world and to a great part of the Ecuadorian people, holds an unimaginable richness and diversity rooted in thousands of years of musical traditions. Mestizaje, the process of racial mixture that followed the European conquest, has encouraged homogeneity and uniformity. I am a part of this mestizo culture, that, in reality, does not hold the same worldviews as the diverse Indigenous Ecuadorian communities. The Kichwa community of Cotacachi, presented through musical materials in this thesis, experiences an undeniable connection between the rituals relevant to agricultural life, dance and music …

Honor Crimes: A Question Of Honor, Culture, And Humanity, Nadia N. Almusleh

Master's Theses

Honor crimes, femicide, domestic abuse and violence are widely prevalent in patriarchal societies. Middle Eastern cultures deeply value protecting the chastity and honor of women. The traditional images of women and the notions of honor and shame are consistently used as justifications for violence and killings. This is not attributable to a single culture or religion. It is rather a manifestation of societal norms around gender-based violence. Feminist activism against honor crimes in the Middle East within the last decade has increasingly received social media attention. However, the impact of this social media activism on government intervention has yet to …