Digital Commons Network^™

Symptoms Of Autism Spectrum Disorder And Developmental Delay In Children With Low Mental Age, Rebecca P. Thomas

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

How To Solve The Future Of The Wine Industry: An Analysis Of The Wine Industries Packaging Options When Targeting The Millennial And Gen-Z Demographics, Spencer Held

Master's Theses

The United States wine industry is currently undergoing a consumer reset, in

which most wineries are evaluating their practices to discover how they can better

market and sell wine. According to Rob McMillan, EVP and founder of Silicon Valley

Bank’s Wine Division and the author of the State of the wine industry report, boomers

are no longer the target market for wine growth given most are retiring in the next

decade with wine consumption dwindling. In order for the wine industry to grow and

excel, the wineries must solve the problem of how to engage the likes of the young, …

Efficacy Of Catalytic Ozonation Advanced Oxidation Processes Compared To Traditional Ozone-Based Advanced Oxidation Processes For Degradation Of Recalcitrant Compounds, Cindy Jocelyn Sevilla Esparza

Master's Theses

This study reviews catalytic ozonation AOPs and traditional ozone-based AOPs to compare their efficiency for degradation of ozone-recalcitrant compounds. With the world’s population increasing and water becoming a scarce resource, it is important to improve current water recycling methods. Recycling water will play a large role in accommodating the increasing demand, but it will also be necessary to be improve the level of treatment in order to account for emerging contaminants (ECs) such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been developed to degrade ECs that are not effectively removed by conventional wastewater treatment. The goal …

An Investigation Of Stress-Related Factors And Injury Occurrence In Division Iii Ice Hockey Athletes 2020., Christian Kiesel

Master's Theses

Many variables can factor into a student athlete sustaining an injury, but one of the most interesting is stress. The Stress and Injury Model is excellent in explaining how exactly history of stressors, personality, and coping mechanisms play a pivotal role in the stress response. If these three factors cause a negative stress response, then that will lead to an athlete becoming more likely to become injured. This study used 40 ice hockey players from a Division III NCAA institution. Each participant completed the Inventory of College Students’ Recent Life Experiences (ICSRLE) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) every month …

Abalone Fishermen, Changing Management Practices, And The Creation Of A False Dichotomy, Tyler G. Hoyt

Master's Theses

This thesis traces the history of the abalone fisheries on the California Coast and how those fisheries have been understood and shaped by humans over time. An overarching interest that guides this effort is how indigenous populations used abalone and otters (as well as other marine resources) purposefully for millennia prior to European arrival. However, this work is not entirely focused on prehistory. Instead, it shows how a lack of understanding of this prehistory shaped the conservation efforts of the California Department of Fish and Game and its ultimate decision to close the commercial fishery in 1997. In this sense, …

Numerical Methods For Predicting The Dynamic Crushing Response And Energy Absorption Of Composite Aluminum Honeycomb Sandwich Structures, Cody R. Volk

Master's Theses

Edgewise crushing responses of composite aluminum honeycomb sandwich structures were predicted using finite element analysis (FEA) software LS-DYNA by modeling the honeycomb as a material with anisotropic properties. The goal of the project was to develop a process for modeling the sandwich structure to rapidly iterate possible solutions for a safer workstation train table. Current workstation tables are too rigid and may cause injury or death in a head-on collision. Experimental compression tests were used to calibrate the aluminum honeycomb core with material type 26 (MAT 26, honeycomb). A published composite tensile test was used to validate the use of …

A Parametric Study Of Formation Flight Of A Wing Based On Prandtl's Bell-Shaped Lift Distribution, Kyle S. Lukacovic

Master's Theses

The bell-shaped lift distribution (BSLD) wing design methodology advanced by Ludwig Prandtl in 1932 was proposed as providing the minimum induced drag. This study used this method as the basis to analyze its characteristics in two wing formation flight. Of specific interest are the potential efficiency savings and the optimal positioning for formation flight. Additional comparison is made between BSLD wings and bird flight in formation.

This study utilized Computational Flow Dynamics (CFD) simulations on a geometric modeling of a BSLD wing, the Prandtl-D glider. The results were validated by modified equations published by Prandtl, by CFD modeling published by …

Writing For Each Other: Dynamic Quest Generation Using In Session Player Behaviors In Mmorpg, Sean Christopher Mendonca

Master's Theses

Role-playing games (RPGs) rely on interesting and varied experiences to maintain player attention. These experiences are often provided through quests, which give players tasks that are used to advance stories or events unfolding in the game. Traditional quests in video games require very specific conditions to be met, and for participating members to advance them by carrying out pre-defined actions. These types of quests are generated with perfect knowledge of the game world and are able to force desired behaviors out of the relevant non-player characters (NPCs). This becomes a major issue in massive multiplayer online (MMO) when other players …

Design Of A Custom Wrist Brace That Can Be 3d Printed From A Three-Dimensional Scan, James D. Baldwin

Master's Theses

Current arm bracing and casting methods for distal forearm and wrist fractures can lead to varying negative medicinal affects such as tightness, skin breakdown and bacteria growth which can cause infection. This can be alleviated by a flexibly compliant and breathable design while keeping the arm and hand fixed at the wrist to promote proper wrist and forearm fracture healing. There have been attempts made to create a 3D printable brace from a three-dimensional scan but they do not account for full encapsulation of the wrist, removability without breaking the brace, nor for the brace being too tight and leading …

Barriers To Success: Sheep And Goat Producers In The Service-Grazing Industry, Erin A. Campbell-Craven

Master's Theses

Service-grazing is a novel term for grazing done on land not owned or rented by a livestock producer or manager, for the purpose of land management, and for which the owner or land manager receiving grazing services pays compensation to the service provider. This research project seeks to gather detailed information about producers in the Western United States, providing grazing services under this project’s definition of “service-grazing”, with a focus on those operating in California, in order to discover the business models or practices necessary to be successful within a service-based grazing operation. To this end, an online survey consisting …

Cal Poly Pier Master Plan, Troy A. Lawson

Master's Theses

The Cal Poly Pier (Pier) Master/Facility Plan (FP) document provides the vision of the future for the Pier, a marine science research facility. The Plan facilitates project development and management of the Pier while meeting university and department research goals. Specifically, the FP document establishes goals and strategies to direct long-term development of the Pier, streamlines agency approval and permit requirements, provides context for pier management, and assists the permitting process for future development as it relates to regulatory permits and programmatic growth on the Cal Poly Pier to help meet goals of the Center for Coastal Marine Sciences (CCMS). …

Planning For Pollinators, Encouraging Biodiversity For Agriculture Resiliency, Sebastian Brian Cardoza

Master's Theses

Pollinators are essential to food production globally. Without them, the production of food becomes increasingly difficult, time consuming, and costly. Unfortunately, due to the rapid changes to our earth's physical and climatic structure millions of species are becoming classified as threatened, endangered or extinct. Among these declining species are pollinating insects such as Aphis mellifera (honeybee) and other native species. This is due to a phenomenon known as colony collapse disorder (CCD) and other native bees. The decline indicates that the future habitability of earth may be in jeopardy. The solution to this crisis is to expand the habitat of …

Review Of Mentoring Manuals In Stem To Improve The Mentorship Experience For Underrepresented Minority Students Through The Lens Of Social Capital And Combating Social Reproduction, Leno Kurimoto

Master's Theses

There is a lack of diversity and inclusion in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. Students who pursue a degree in STEM, only less than half of them complete them. However, this phenomenon occurs at a greater percentage for underrepresented minority students (UMS). To combat the lack of representation in STEM, mentoring has been suggested to promote retention and minimize attrition. Mentoring provide plenty of benefits for students, as they can gain academic and professional experience. Unfortunately, mentorship of UMS is not the same compared to Asian and white students, thus different approaches and recommendations must be implemented to …

Supporting Our Troops In Higher Education: Veteran Admissions Training Program, Steven Delgado

Master's Theses

An overview of a Veteran Admissions Training Manual for a California State University campus.

The Practice Of Cantus Planus Binatim As Reflected In John Plousiadenos's Pro-Union Communion Hymns, Simeon Brown

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Assessing The Relationship Between Narcissism, Neuroticism, And Leadership Skills, Krista Marie Brooker

Master's Theses

Understanding personality traits that are related to leadership skills is important in order to hire effective leaders. Research has seldom examined the relationship between narcissism, neuroticism, and leadership skills. Therefore, the present study was conducted to examine the relationship between narcissism, neuroticism, and leadership skills (human skills and conceptual skills). It was hypothesized that narcissism would be positively related to human skills and conceptual skills. It was also hypothesized that neuroticism would be negatively related to human skills and conceptual skills. A total of 145 employees participated in the self-report survey. Results showed that there was no relationship between narcissism …

Evaluation Of Silica Hydride Based Amide Stationary Phase For High Performance Liquid Chromatography And Aqueous Normal Phase Separations, Emma Tardiff

Master's Theses

With many modern chromatographic advancements, silica hydride based columns (also known commercially as Type-C) represent yet another evolutionary step in stationary phase development. Type-C silica hydride columns have the ability to retain both polar and nonpolar analytes and have the ability to behave in either RP or ANP modes of separation depending on mobile phase composition. A consequence of this increased stability is that Type-C columns can be used over a wide range of mobile phase compositions, from purely aqueous to purely nonpolar organic solvents, and any combination of the two. While the retention behavior of Type-C columns depends highly …

Using Stable Isotopes To Determine Foraging Areas Of Leatherback Sea Turtles: Limitations Of The Isotope Tracking Technique In The Western Atlantic Ocean, Sharon Hsu

Master's Theses

Reproductive output has long been linked to habitat quality and resource availability. Individuals foraging in high-quality habitats with high resource availability will have better body conditions and higher survival rates, as well as greater reproductive output. Post-nesting, Western Caribbean leatherback turtles are known to migrate to at least two foraging regions: the western North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. This study had three objectives: [1] measure δ13C and δ15N values in bulk skin tissue of females nesting in Parismina, Costa Rica to reveal prior foraging region; [2] assess influence of foraging region on female body size and reproductive output; and …

The Moderating Role Of Emotional Intelligence On The Relationship Between Job Resources And Employee Engagement, Amanda Lipson

Master's Theses

The purpose of the current study was to examine the moderating role of emotional intelligence on the relationship between job resources (i.e., perceived supervisor support and autonomy) and employee engagement. Previous research has shown that these job resources are related to employee engagement. However, little attention has been paid to the possible moderators of this relationship. Therefore, this study aimed to bridge the gap in current literature by investigating how the relationship between job resources and engagement might change as a function of a personal resource (emotional intelligence). It was hypothesized that the positive relationship between job resources (perceived supervisor …

Synthesis And Characterization Of A Novel Verdazyl Spin Probe, Allisa Clemens

Master's Theses

The use of probe molecules has been integral to the understanding of protein structure and dynamics. Spin labels are commonly used as probes on molecules, such as phospholipids, peptides, proteins, or drugs in vivo. The probes enable the precise and quantitative measuring of the movements of these molecules which has led to the elucidation of function. Nitroxides are the most widely studied and employed spin probes, despite being reduced to hydroxylamines by ascorbic acid in vivo in a matter of minutes. Verdazyls provide comparable applications to nitroxide radicals, with the added benefits of having tunable conformation and hydrophobicity by altering …

Methods For Sensitive Detection Of Magneto Optic Kerr Effect, James Creed

Master's Theses

The focus of this project is to numerically model the phenomenon known as the Magneto Optic Kerr Effect, MOKE, where the interaction between light and surface in the presence of a magnetic field, results in a rotation of the polarization axis of the reflected light, and to develop a method by which to experimentally measure the strength of the interaction. The amount of polarization rotation is proportional to the strength of the magnetic field and changes in polarization can be detected using polarizing optics. This thesis project successfully develops a numerical model for MOKE and an experimental method is outlined …

Coast Redwood Stand Composition, Structure, And Fuel Load Following Prescribed Fire In Big Basin Redwoods State Park, David Cowman

Master's Theses

With the prevalence of catastrophic wildfires increasing as a response to a century of widespread fire suppression, shifts in weather patterns, and other external factors, land managers throughout the United States have sought methods to increase the resiliency of landscapes to fire. With a host of adaptations to periodic disturbance, S. sempervirens has a competitive advantage over other species when fire is present. Utilizing sixty 10-meter diameter plots from sites previously burned in 1999, 2007, and 2011, and 60 unburned control sites, data was collected on forest stand composition and structure as well as understory species composition and dominance. Line …

An Examination Of Garden-Based Education Impacts On Title 1 Elementary School Students’ Environmental Literacy In San José, California, Alexandra Dahl

Master's Theses

The objective of this research was to assess garden-based pedagogy as an effective strategy to increase environmental literacy in elementary-aged students. With severe environmental issues facing children today and into the future, environmental literacy is a desired outcome of environmental education programs. Such interventions create environmentally responsible citizens who understand how humans impact the natural environment and thereby act sustainably. Currently, little research exists on garden education’s influence on students’ environmental literacy, especially in underrepresented communities. Using a nonequivalent control group study design, this project investigated the impact of a garden education program in Central San José, CA in an …

The Mediating Role Of Work Engagement On The Relationship Between Perceived Supervisor Support And Turnover Intention, Addison Yeosock

Master's Theses

The purpose of the current study was to examine the mediating role of work engagement on the relationship between perceived supervisor support and turnover intention using the Jobs Demands-Resources (JD-R) model and the motivational processes of engagement as the theoretical framework. A total of 954 employees of a healthcare organization participated in an online survey. Results showed that work engagement partially mediated the relationship between perceived supervisor support and turnover intention. Perceived supervisor support was negatively related to turnover intention directly and indirectly through work engagement. Based on these findings, organizations should focus on strategies of increasing the job resource …

The Influence Of Message And Audio Modalities In Augmented Reality Mobile Advertisements On Consumers' Purchase Intention, Jingyue Tao

Master's Theses

Evidence shows that augmented reality (AR) technology is an effective advertising approach to raise a brand’s awareness, so many big brands implement AR into their marketing strategy. However, the effectiveness of AR mobile advertisements on consumers’ purchase intentions remains unclear. To fill this dearth in the literature, this study examined how message and audio modalities of AR mobile advertisements influenced consumers’ purchase intentions by surveying 120 participants in an online experiment. Based on the uses and gratifications perspective, this experiment manipulated the message type (emotional/factual) and audio-verbal appeal (present/absent) of AR advertisements to investigate their impact on consumers’ attitudes towards …

The Baroque In Games: A Case Study Of Remediation, Stephanie Elaine Thornton

Master's Theses

This thesis presents a case study for the remediation of baroque painting by some contemporary video games. Video games such as Horizon Zero Dawn borrow illusionistic techniques, the motif of the labyrinth, and the use of the total work of art as presented in certain baroque paintings. These characteristics are modified and represented within the new medium in an effort to heighten immediacy and create an immersive experience for the audience. This thesis discusses the process of remediation in detail and then analyzes how video games—and Horizon Zero Dawn in particular—remediate illusionistic techniques like linear and atmospheric perspective. Then, the …

What Remains: The Practice And Presence Of Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Jessica Olivia Yee

Master's Theses

Contradiction has been widely used to describe the work of the artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres (1957-1996); however, it does not fully encapsulate the complexity of the artist’s oeuvre. This thesis turns to the German director Bertolt Brecht’s notion of dialectical theater, which highlights the tensions, struggles, and interplay between contrary tendencies as a way to understand Gonzalez-Torres’s work. When the contradiction that marks the artist’s work is thought of in terms of dialectical theater, it can be better understood as layered and intentional. This thesis examines the necessary dialectical relationship presented in his work through the artist’s employment of theatrical devices …

The Effect Of The Second-Stage Anti-Corruption Campaign On Provincial Development In China, 2015-2017, Zhenyao Yuan

Master's Theses

China had experienced long-term economic growth since the reform in 1978. With the communism system shifts in the socialist market economy, the country's legal institution and administration are facing corruption's challenge. President Xi Jinping takes action against deep corruption in China after coming to power in 2013. To observe the impact of the second stage of the anti-corruption campaign on provincial economic development since the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in 2015 to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2017, this project downloads and extracts public …

Imperial Subjection And The Orientalist Gaze: Turning Asian Women’S Bodies Into Entertainment, Miriam Ahn

Master's Theses

This thesis analyzes the structural factors that provide meaning and space to performances where violence is served as entertainment. What are the structural conditions that turn gendered and racialized violent forms of display into enjoyment? By exploring the sex tourism in Thailand, particularly ping-pong shows, I will analyze aspects of international political economy and feminist studies to address forms of display based on the abjectness of the other. I argue that sex tourism in Thailand is not part of local culture but is upheld by imperial hegemonic perceptions of the colonized and gendered bodies. The perspectives of Orientalism, patriarchal systems, …

She Se Puede: Exploring The Career Development Of Latinas In The San Francisco Bay Area, Brittney Varela

Master's Theses

The professional identities of Latinas in the United States have undergone some major changes in recent times. As women and ethnic minorities, Latinas are a part of two underrepresented groups facing inequities in the workforce. This research focuses on the career development of ten Latinas in the San Francisco Bay area, with their stories and experiences publicized on a public podcast. She Se Puede podcast consists of ten episodes recorded at the University of San Francisco, discussing career development and major factors that limit the professional advancement of Latinas. This applied project was designed around scholarly research and in-person interviews, …