Digital Commons Network^™

Phantom Ocean, Real Impact: Natural Surf Sound Experiments Alter Foraging Activity And Habitat Use Across Taxa, Ryan N. Wardle

Master's Theses

A growing body of research focuses on how background sounds shape and alter critical elements of animals’ lives, such as foraging behavior, habitat use, and ecological interactions (Bradbury & Vehrencamp, 2011; Barber et al., 2010; Kight & Swaddle, 2011; Shannon et al., 2016). Much of this research has centered on the effects of anthropogenic noise (Dominoni et al., 2020; Francis & Barber, 2013; Ortega, 2012; Swaddle et al., 2015), but recent studies have also revealed that natural sound sources can influence animal behavior (Davidson et al., 2017; Le et al., 2019). Natural sounds, such as crashing surf, can create conditions …

Improving Sustainable Fertilizer Practices For Pomegranate By Leaf Nutrient Concentration Evaluation And Fertilizer Trials, Minh Le

Master's Theses

Fruit tree leaf nutrient concentrations are commonly used to determine fertilizer rates, but information is limited regarding nutrient requirements, seasonal N uptake and removal rates, and soil N dynamics for pomegranate. Relationships between fertilizer rates, leaf nutrient concentrations, fruit yield and quality were examined in five mature, commercial California ‘Wonderful’ pomegranate orchards. Site 1 was observed for two growing seasons (2018-2019) and sites 2-5 were observed for one season (2018 or 2019). In 2018, 150, 300, or 450 g N/tree was applied at sites 1-3 in a single application at early fruit development or in two equal applications at early …

A Protocol For Achieving Adherent Cell Culture Within A Microfluidic Device, Tarra Danielle Sanders

Master's Theses

The goal of this study is to design a protocol for the adherent cell culture within a novel microfluidic device. Microscale cell culture protocols were developed for loading cells using poly-L-lysine to enhance adherent cell culture of murine derived NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. This work sought to develop a method for adherent microculture by examining various sterilization, surface treatment, and seeding techniques. Using a vacuum suction loading technique, air plasma treatment and a poly-L-lysine surface treatment adherent cell culture was observed within the device. The work presented here is part of a collaborative effort that aims to develop protocols for the …

Spacecraft Trajectory Optimization Suite (Stops): Design And Optimization Of Multiple Gravity-Assist Low-Thrust (Mgalt) Trajectories Using Modern Optimization Techniques, Michael G. Malloy

Master's Theses

The information presented in the thesis is a continuation of the Spacecraft Trajectory Optimization Suite (STOpS). This suite was originally designed and developed by Timothy Fitzgerald and further developed by Shane Sheehan, both graduate students at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Spacecraft utilizing low-thrust transfers are becoming more and more common due to their efficiency on interplanetary trajectories, and as such, finding the most optimal trajectory between two planets is something of interest. The version of STOpS presented in this thesis uses Multiple Gravity-Assist Low-Thrust (MGALT) trajectories paired with the island model paradigm to accomplish this goal. The …

B-Plane Targeting With The Spacecraft Trajectory Optimization Suite, Jared Graef

Master's Theses

In interplanetary trajectory applications, it is common to design arrival trajectories based on B-plane target values. This targeting scheme, B-plane targeting, allows for specific target orbits to be obtained during mission design. A primary objective of this work was to implement B-plane targeting into the Spacecraft Trajectory Optimization Suite (STOpS). This work was based on the previous versions of STOpS done by Fitzgerald and Sheehan, however STOpS was redeveloped from MATLAB to python. This updated version of STOpS implements 3-dimensional computation, departure and arrival orbital phase modeling with patched conics, B-plane targeting, and a trajectory correction maneuver. The optimization process …

Incorporating Shear Resistance Into Debris Flow Triggering Model Statistics, Noah J. Lyman

Master's Theses

Several regions of the Western United States utilize statistical binary classification models to predict and manage debris flow initiation probability after wildfires. As the occurrence of wildfires and large intensity rainfall events increase, so has the frequency in which development occurs in the steep and mountainous terrain where these events arise. This resulting intersection brings with it an increasing need to derive improved results from existing models, or develop new models, to reduce the economic and human impacts that debris flows may bring. Any development or change to these models could also theoretically increase the ease of collection, processing, and …

Understanding The Effects Of Long-Duration Spaceflight On Fracture Risk In The Human Femur Using Finite Element Analysis, Keyanna Brielle Henderson

Master's Theses

Long-duration spaceflight has been shown to have significant, lasting effects on the bone strength of astronauts and to contribute to age-related complications later in life. The microgravity environment of space causes a decrease in daily mechanical loading, which signals a state of disuse to bone cells. This affects the bone remodeling process, which is responsible for maintaining bone mass, causing an increase in damage and a decrease in density. This leads to bone fragility and decreases overall strength, posing a risk for fracture. However, there is little information pertaining to the timeline of bone loss and subsequent fracture risk.

This …

Impact Of Soil Properties On Removal Of Emerging Contaminants From Wastewater Effluent During Soil Aquifer Treatment, Lauren N. Riley

Master's Theses

This study evaluates soil properties that impact the effectiveness of soil aquifer treatment (SAT) as a polishing step to the remove two classes of ECs from wastewater effluent: pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), and engineering nanomaterials (ENMs). In recent years, it has been determined that elevated levels of emerging contaminants (ECs) are being released into the environment with wastewater effluent. ECs are proven to cause adverse environmental and health effects as a result of long-term exposure. It is important to evaluate sustainable solutions to improve the current methods of wastewater treatment to address these ECs.

Soil aquifer treatment (SAT) …

Finite Element Analysis Of Total Knee Arthroplasty, Sean Yueh

Master's Theses

The total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has become one of the most successful procedures in all of medicine, with an average of over 966,000 operations performed a year. Since its introduction in 1968, the TKA’s surgical process and implant designs have continuously been improved to increase survivability. However, the need for a revision TKA – due to aseptic loosening – continues to be a problematic aspect of the procedure. Stress shielding induced by different design parameters of the implant has generated controversy in the determination of an ideal configuration. The purpose of this study is to investigate how implant design parameters …

Simulation Of An Sp8t 18 Ghz Rf Switch Using Smt Pin Diodes, Andre De Souza Vigano

Master's Theses

Radio frequency (RF) and microwave switches are widely used in several different applications including radar, measurement systems, telecommunications, and other areas. An RF switch can control a radar’s transmit vs. receive mode, select the operating band, or direct an RF signal to different paths. In this study, a single pole eight throw (SP8T) switch using only Surface Mount (SMT) components is designed and simulated in Keysight’s Advanced Design System (ADS). Single pole eight throw is defined as one input and eight possible outputs. A star network configuration with series-shunt PIN diode switches is used to create the 8-way RF switch. …

Eelgrass (Zostera Marina) Population Decline In Morro Bay, Ca: A Meta-Analysis Of Herbicide Application In San Luis Obispo County And Morro Bay Watershed, Tyler King Sinnott

Master's Theses

The endemic eelgrass (Zostera marina) community of Morro Bay Estuary, located on the central coast of California, has experienced an estimated decline of 95% in occupied area (reduction of 344 acres to 20 acres) from 2008 to 2017 for reasons that are not yet definitively clear. One possible driver of degradation that has yet to be investigated is the role of herbicides from agricultural fields in the watershed that feeds into the estuary. Thus, the primary research goal of this project was to better understand temporal and spatial trends of herbicide use within the context of San Luis …

Professional Development For Student Employees Of Color, Monica Duran

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to conduct a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project with undergraduate student employees at a large research institution in order to reimagine the career and leadership development programs so that they are responsive to, and supportive of, students who identify as people of color. This would be done using a framework of Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth theory (2005). The participants of this study were five undergraduate student employees who worked within a single department in a division of Student Affairs. The methodology used was Participatory Action Research, which is a methodology in which the researcher …

Emergency Management Plan To Increase Resilience In Transportation Sector Vehicles To An Emp Attack, Julian A. Lorusso

Master's Theses

A vulnerability exists in the U.S. to an attack from a nuclear weapon of mass destruction (WMD) optimized to generate an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) with potential for widespread damage to electrical components in the critical infrastructure including non-military (non-MIL) transportation sector vehicles. The purpose of this study was to develop a plan on how hazard risks from an EMP attack can be better understood for modern-day, “electronics-heavy”, transportation sector vehicles leading to affordable mitigation countermeasures that could be implemented as part of an emergency management plan. The FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and preceding executive order signed by the …

Exposing Evil: My Lai, The Media, And American Atrocities In Asia, 1941-1975, Joshua Caleb Greer

Master's Theses

In both the Pacific War against Japan from 1941 to 1945 and the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, United States combat troops—emboldened by a combat culture of dehumanization through racism and a military that enacted policies of attrition— committed atrocities against Asian soldiers and civilians. This trend continued into the Vietnam War unabated beginning in 1965. Incidents of atrocities committed by American troops overseas were not publicly discussed until the My Lai Massacre of 1968 was revealed to the American people in 1969. Once the massacre became a national news story published in outlets all over the country, American …

A Comparison Of Two Protein Supplements On The Healing Of Stage Iii And Iv Pressure Injuries In Enterally Fed, Ventilator Dependent Long – Term Care Residents, Kalli Talaska

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the change in stage III or IV pressure injury size of enterally fed, ventilator dependent, long-term care residents after receiving one of two protein supplements in addition to enteral feeding meeting 100% of calculated needs. The two protein supplements were Beneprotein™ (powder) and Pro T Gold™ (liquid). The injuries were evaluated for change in size at two weeks and four weeks post initiation of protein supplement. Sixty subjects were reviewed – 30 for each supplement. Subjects included 20 males (33%) and 40 females (67%). The analysis indicated for the total sample, a …

Telescope Parallel Actuator Mount: Control And Testing, Samuel S. Artho-Bentz

Master's Theses

This thesis approaches the task of designing a control system for the Parallel Actuator Mount developed by Dr. John Ridgely and Mr. Garrett Gudgel. It aims to create a base framework that directly controls the telescope and can be expanded to accept external command. It incorporates lower priced components and develops more easily approachable software with great functionality. An open-loop method for velocity control is established. Developing repeatable tests is a major focus. Testing finds the control methods developed result in velocity error of less than 5% and position error of less than 1.5% despite several mechanical issues and inaccuracies. …

Effects Of Marathon Training On Male And Female Femoral Stress Fracture Risk, Clara Lin

Master's Theses

Marathon runners are prone to femoral stress fractures due to the high magnitudes and frequencies of lower extremity loads during training. Female runners tend to have a greater incidence of stress fracture compared to male runners. Sex-specific differences in body structure, joint pressure, and muscle activation patterns that influence bone remodeling may cause this observed difference in stress fracture occurrence. The goal of this thesis was to develop a finite element model of the femur during marathon training, then determine if marathon training affected bone properties of male and female runners differently. To achieve this goal, a finite element femur …

A Quantitative Approach For Tuning A Mountain Bike Suspension, Steven Robert Waal

Master's Theses

A method for tuning the spring rate and damping rate of a mountain bike suspension based on a data-driven procedure is presented. The design and development of a custom data acquisition system, known as the "MTB DAQ," capable of measuring acceleration data at the front and rear axles of a bike are discussed. These data are input into a model that is used to calculate the vertical acceleration and pitching angular acceleration response of the bike and rider. All geometric and dynamic properties of the bike and rider system are measured and built into the model. The model is tested …

Inducing The Overview Effect Using Virtual Reality, Nhat Quang Le

Master's Theses

Astronauts who return from space missions have reported and demonstrated a significant increase in their feelings of connection to humanity and the planet. This shift towards a more humanistic, global perspective in astronauts was termed the “overview effect” by White (2014). There is a lack of research on the overview effect despite the significant, positive changes in those who have experienced it. This study aims to provide empirical evidence of and a possible induction method for the overview effect. We hypothesized that it might be possible to induce the overview effect using virtual reality (VR). In the current study, 81 …

Effects Of Urbanization And Habitat On The Diet And Reproduction Of Red-Shouldered Hawks In Central California, Catherine Y. Fisher

Master's Theses

Urbanization alters biological community interactions and trophic structures compared to natural habitats; these changes may be reflected in the diets of apex predators such as raptors. The red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus) is a dietary generalist that is expanding from natural and rural habitats into urbanized areas. In this study, direct observation was used to quantify the diet and reproductive success of red-shouldered hawks in Santa Clara County, California during the 2019 breeding season. GIS methods were used to quantify the nesting habitat and level of urbanization at each nest. Hawk diet consisted of mammals (50.4% by frequency and 77.7% by …

Easy In Any Language: Syntax, Semantics, And Pragmatics Of Activity-Oriented Adjectives In Six Languages, David Koffman

Master's Theses

Words that denote the degree of effort required for some activity, called easy adjectives here, have distinctive behavior. This behavior is explored in six languages to determine how the semantics of these words is reflected in the expressions to which they can apply, the constructions in which they appear, and their use in discourse. For four Indo-European languages, English, Spanish, German, and Russian, the analysis is based on random samples from linguistic corpora. For two non-Indo-European languages, Japanese and Swahili, the analysis is based on consultant elicitations and published examples. The analysis confirms that easy adjectives have distinctive behavior compared …

The Relationship Between Authentic Leadership And Organizational Change Readiness: The Mediating Role Of Psychological Safety, Paulina Christine Manzano

Master's Theses

The purpose of the current study was to examine the mediating effect of psychological safety on the relationship between authentic leadership and organizational change readiness in the workplace. A total of 107 employees participated in the study, which utilized online survey distribution. Results showed that psychological safety partially mediated the relationship between authentic leadership and organizational change readiness. In other words, the more employees perceived their leadership to be authentic, the more likely employees felt safe taking risks at work, which in turn, increased employees’ emotional and cognitive inclination to adopt and embrace organizational change. Based on these findings, organizations …

The Moderating Effect Of Leadership Adaptability On The Relationship Between Employee Adaptability And Job Performance, Justine Davis

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential moderating effect of leadership adaptability on the relationship between employee adaptability and employee job performance. Previous research explored leadership adaptability as a mediator; however, there was a significant gap exploring leadership adaptability as a moderator. Participants were recruited via online social and personal networks. 125 participants completed a self-report survey consisting of items measuring employee adaptability, perceived manager adaptability and job performance. Results did not show perceived manager adaptability as a moderator of the relationship between employee adaptability and job performance. The results indicated that there were significant relationships between …

The Relationship Between Diversity Climate Perceptions And Organizational Citizenship Behavior And Work Engagement: The Mediating Role Of Overall Organizational Justice, Arika Nakajima Higgins

Master's Theses

Employees’ perceptions concerning their organization’s diversity climate have important implications for both the organization and the individual. Diversity climate research has traditionally focused on exploring the moderators of the relationship between diversity climate perceptions and the attitudinal outcomes of employees; however, research has neglected to examine behavioral outcomes and the potential mediators of the relationship. Therefore, the present study explored the indirect effects of overall organizational justice on the relationship between diversity climate perceptions and organizational citizenship behavior and work engagement. It was hypothesized that diversity climate perceptions would be positively related to organizational citizenship behavior and work engagement. It …

The Moderating Role Of Agreeableness And Conscientiousness On The Relationships Between Burnout And Withdrawal Behaviors, Nikoo Samee

Master's Theses

It has been shown that employees who experience burnout are more likely to engage in withdrawal behaviors, which are behaviors that harm the morale of employees and the bottom line of an organization. There has been some research on the moderating effect of situational variables (e.g., leadership style) on the relationship between burnout and withdrawal behaviors, but there is a lack of research on how personal characteristics may play a role in such relationships. The purpose of this study was to examine the moderating role of agreeableness and conscientiousness on the relationship between burnout and three withdrawal behaviors: lateness, absenteeism, …

Lc-Ms/Ms Method Development For The Quantitation Of Methylmalonic Acid Using Aqueous Normal Phase Chromatography, Daniel Joseph Biocini

Master's Theses

The aim of the study was to develop a quantitative assay for methylmalonic acid (MMA), an important biomarker for clinical diagnosis of vitamin B12 (B12) deficiency. The techniques of liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) are used for separation and quantitation of MMA, as well as its endogenous isomer succinic acid. The MS/MS method was developed using an infusion set-up and manual tuning experiments. Relevant transitions were detected for the two analytes and MMA-d3, then a preliminary MS/MS method was developed. The preliminary LC method was further optimized. Various gradients, mobile phases (MPs), and additive combinations were used across …

Using Kinetics And Small Angle X-Ray Scattering To Elucidate The Allosteric Regulation Of Sirt1, Christiane Cabreros

Master's Theses

SIRT1 is an NAD+ dependent deacetylase that has been implicated in many important cellular functions such as neurodegeneration and aging. SIRT1 has also been studied with resveratrol which was shown to modulate activity. While the mechanism of SIRT1 has been studied extensively, exact details are still not known, specifically the allosteric regulation by the N-terminal domain. We wanted to see if there is a correlation between the activity of SIRT1 and the distance of the N-terminal domain relative to the catalytic core. First we examined the kinetic parameters (kcat and KM) of SIRT1 with peptide substrates with and without resveratrol. …

The Relationship Between Company, Manager, Group, And Individual-Level Variables And Affective Commitment, Varavit Chinnapong

Master's Theses

Predicting employees' affective commitment to their organization continues to be of strong interest to researchers. Previous studies have examined the relationship between specific organizational levels (company, manager, group, individual) and affective commitment. However, there is a lack of research that has analyzed all four levels in one study. Therefore, the current study sought to evaluate the relationships between the four organizational levels and affective commitment. More specifically, the current study analyzed human resources practices as the company-level variables, transformational and transactional leadership as the manager-level variables, group cohesion as the group-level variable, and psychological safety at the individual level. The …

Parental Influences On Adolescents' Risky Media Usage, Dahyeon Jung

Master's Theses

The present study investigated how parenting styles influence adolescents’ risky media usage and how these associations vary according to media-specific parenting practices and adolescent characteristics. Participants included 315 adolescents aged 13-18 in the United States, who completed questionnaires on parenting styles (i.e., authoritative, authoritarian, permissive), media-specific parenting practices (i.e., active conversational practices, coercive monitoring, preventive practices), and their depression, self-esteem, and risky media usage. Findings indicated all three parenting styles were associated with adolescent exposure to risk through media, but only authoritarian and permissive were related to internet addiction. Across parenting styles, adolescents with parents who engaged in high compared …

Investigation Of Dna Interstrand Crosslink Repair Using Bis-Epoxide Analogs, Sanjay Rakesh Kalliat

Master's Theses

DNA interstrand crosslinking is a form of lesion that affects biological processes such as DNA replication and transcription. Due to this phenomenon, interstrand crosslink (ICL) agents such as cisplatin and other platinum-based compounds find application in chemotherapy. However, ICL repair is not well understood in mammalian cells and has only been characterized thoroughly for prokaryotes such as Escherichia coli. We worked to explore the utility of bis-epoxides in the investigation of ICL repair. This involves synthesizing novel bis-epoxides that could potentially induce ICLs and test their efficacy in ICL formation using a DNA repair assay. It is known that bis-epoxides …