Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Environmental Pollutants On The Spotted Turtle Gut Microbiota, Roza Gawin

Master's Theses

Heavy metals are a common pollutant from many industrial processes. In addition to the various diseases that these pollutants cause, they can also affect the composition and structure of the gut microbiome of many organisms which is in many cases associated with overall organism health. The effect of these pollutants on the gut microbiota of the spotted turtle is unknown. Here we characterize the gut microbiome of the spotted turtle and explore the effect of various environmental pollutants on its composition. We found significant differences in the composition of the gut microbiome based on turtle sampling location (geographic), turtle sampling …

Transcriptome-Wide Association Study Of The Plasma Proteme Reveals Cis And Trans Regulatory Mechanisms Underlying Complex Traits, Henry Wittich

Master's Theses

Most genetic variants associated with complex human traits exist in non-coding regions, and thus the mechanism by which they affect a trait can be unclear. Genetic regulation of transcription and translation are key mechanisms through which genetic variants impact traits. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping studies leverage data produced by advanced sequencing and assay technology to identify variants associated with the abundance of a molecular trait like RNA expression (eQTL) or protein levels (pQTL). While proximal genetic variants (cis-acting), like those in promoter or enhancer regions of genes, tend to have the largest effect sizes on RNA transcript and protein …

Understanding Teachers’ Responses To Parental Demands In The Midst Of Competing Responsibilities, Kathryn Battafarano

Master's Theses

This study builds upon a plethora of educational research and focuses specifically on middle school grade level teachers. I predominantly utilized qualitative interviews to understand how teachers respond to parental demands; these answers were supplemented by some quantitative data about their schools. The study configures information about teachers’ school environments and requirements, teachers’ interactions with parents, and how teachers deal with parental demands in relation to other demands and requirements. Effort was made to investigate how teacher experience, teaching style, and subject matter as well as school type (e.g., socio-economic makeup of the school) and school location influence parental demands …

Regulation Of Spermatogenesis By The Btb Transcription Factor Ribbon, Madeline Kyung Hee Hakala

Master's Theses

The transcription factor Ribbon (Rib) plays an essential role in Drosophila testis development and function. Increased expression of rib throughout development results in significant morphology defects in the adult testis. If overexpression is limited to germ cells and somatic cells in the adult, more mild defects are observed. To better understand how Rib regulates spermatogenesis, we are interested in identifying its transcriptional targets in this context. Through bulk RNA sequencing, differential expression analysis, and subsequent filtering of results, we identified 301 genes with significant changes in expression when rib was overexpressed. Given the previously described role of Rib in the …

Queer Futurity Needs Queer Grief: An Analysis Of The U.S. Public Response To Queer Loss, Jordan Nicole Mckinnon

Master's Theses

Grief is an inevitable part of the human experience. However, communities, especially those where a majority of members have disprivileged identities, experience disenfranchised grief, or grief that is not openly acknowledged, socially accepted, or publicly mourned. Members of the LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, plus other identities not encompassed in the acronym) community, and their allies can experience a type of disenfranchised grief known as queer grief. I argue that everyone, not just allies and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, should recognize and publicly acknowledge queer grief, because if queer lives lost are not recognized as worthy …

Impacts Of Stormwater And Land Cover On The Abundance, Transport, And Composition Of Anthropogenic Litter In Urban Watersheds, Bailey Austin Schwenk

Master's Theses

Anthropogenic litter (AL; trash) is defined as any manufactured item that ends up in the environment. AL consists of many different materials including glass, metal, and plastic, the latter of which typically represents a dominant constituent and has been a major focus of research. Plastic litter and other AL types are pervasive to all types of ecosystems, are persistent in the environment, and are increasing. Rivers are a major conduit transporting AL to oceans. However, rivers also retain and transform AL. More research is needed to understand AL dynamics within rivers, which will improve global models of AL movement and …

Pattern, Process And The Evolution Of Sexual Dimorphism In Three-Spine Stickleback Fish Gasterosteus Aculeatus From Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Katie Van Dame

Master's Theses

Males and females of a species often differ from one another in phenotype—a phenomenon known as sexual dimorphism. Sexual dimorphism is most often attributed to sexual selection. However, sexual dimorphism also derives from natural selection when resource competition generates disruptive selection favoring specialization on different resources, resulting in niche partitioning and the evolution of dimorphism in traits related to competition. Sexual dimorphism may be an important route to increased individual fitness (i.e., more resources, more survival). For example, ecologically driven divergent selection between sexes may derive from differences in their environments, resulting in the evolution of dimorphism in traits related …

Dynamic Maze Puzzle Navigation Using Deep Reinforcement Learning, Luisa Shu Yi Chiu

Master's Theses

The implementation of deep reinforcement learning in mobile robotics offers a great solution for the development of autonomous mobile robots to efficiently complete tasks and transport objects. Reinforcement learning continues to show impressive potential in robotics applications through self-learning and biological plausibility. Despite its advancements, challenges remain in applying these machine learning techniques in dynamic environments. This thesis explores the performance of Deep Q-Networks (DQN), using images as an input, for mobile robot navigation in dynamic maze puzzles and aims to contribute to advancements in deep reinforcement learning applications for simulated and real-life robotic systems. This project is a step …

Investigation Of Temperature, Solution Strength, And Applied Stress Effects On Cation Exchange Processes In Different Geosynthetic Clay Liner Products, Kendra Fuller

Master's Theses

An extensive laboratory test program was conducted to analyze and compare the cation exchange processes in three different varieties of sodium bentonite (Na-B) geosynthetic clay liners (GCLs) over increased conditioning durations up to 32 days and investigate the effects of temperature, solution strength, and applied stress. The goal of this test program was to establish whether the variables of temperature, solution strength, and applied stress improved or degraded the engineering properties of GCLs in laboratory testing and municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill applications. The GCLs were conditioned in liquids of increasing ionic strength, using deionized water and 2, 50, and …

History & Evolution Of Plastic Mulching Technology: An Ethnography Of California Strawberry Plasticulture, Kalea Conrad

Master's Theses

This ethnography draws on key informant interviews and participant observation to produce a case study about plastic mulching as an important industry standard in specialty crop production. It documents the historic adoption and present role of plastic mulching technology in California strawberry production and addresses the characteristics of commercial standard management that inhibit the adoption of alternative mulching practices. It complements extensive research on strawberry pathology and fumigation, breeding innovations, fertilizer and pesticide treatments, and maximization of yields to incorporate participants’ lived experiences and knowledge of mulch origins, the technology adoption process, mulch benefits and drawbacks, the state of agricultural …

Dual Base Sige Is-Hbt For Use In Biosensing Applications, Liam Stephen Hayes

Master's Theses

The proposed research is for a novel SiGe-based Ion-Sensitive Dual Hetero-junction Bipolar Transistor (IS-HBT) to be used in both trans-dermal biological sensing as well as Lab-on-Chip (LOC) applications. The end goals for the device designed are two: For one, the research done for this work will be used to substantiate the claims made by Zafar et al. [1] that an HBT-style structure is better suited for biosensing application rather than a conventional Field Effect Transistor (FET) based geometries. Secondly, it provides the final element to be integrated along with a selectivity membrane, as well as with a reverse-iontophoresis system to …

Design And Implementation Of An Inverted Short Baseline Acoustic Positioning System, Jakob Frabosilio

Master's Theses

This document details the design, implementation, testing, and analysis of an inverted short baseline acoustic positioning system. The system presented here is an above-water, air-based prototype for an underwater acoustic positioning system; it is designed to determine the position of remotely-operated underwater vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in the global frame using a method that does not drift over time.

A ground-truth positioning system is constructed using a stacked hexapod platform actuator, which mimics the motion of an AUV and provides the true position of an ultrasonic microphone array. An ultrasonic transmitter sends a pulse of sound towards …

Development Of Extruded Puffed Snack Utilizing Carrot Pomace, Bean Flour, And Rice Starch As Primary Ingredients, Julia Zoe

Master's Theses

Every year, the carrot industry worldwide wastes up to 50% of carrots as raw material due to processing (Šeregelj et al., 2020). When carrots are juiced, the remaining fibrous pulp is often discarded as carrot pomace. In order to redirect this food waste, the first objective of this research was to optimize formulations for an extruded puffed snack that is most similar to commercially available puffed snacks, utilizing baby lima bean flour and carrot pomace

Hardness (kg), cross-sectional expansion ratio, bulk density (g/cm³), moisture content (%), water activity, specific mechanical energy (kJ/kg), carotenoid concentration (ppm), and total dietary …

Survey Of Soilborne Pathogens Infecting Strawberry In Oxnard, California & Effect Of Planting Date And Chill Treatment On Yield Of Strawberry, Samantha Z. Simard

Master's Theses

Survey to quantify the frequency of the five main pathogens (Macrophomina phaseolina, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae races 1 and 2, Verticillium dahliae, and Phytophthora spp.) infecting strawberry in the Oxnard growing district of California. M. phaseolina was the most prevalent pathogen detected in diseased plants in the Oxnard growing district, present in 67.6% of samples positive for at least one pathogen. F. oxysporum f. sp. fragariae race 1 (35.3%), V. dahlia (8.8%), F. oxysporum f. sp. fragariae race 2 (5.9%) and Phytophthora spp. (2.9%) followed at lower prevalence. Associations were found between fewer drip irrigation lines …

Understanding The Mystery Of R-Loops And Their Relationship To Nucleolar Stress, Kevin Shane

Master's Theses

Genomic instability is an increase in the likelihood of DNA mutations and genetic changes during cell division, a common feature in cancer cells. One cause of genomic instability comes from the aberrant formation of three-stranded nucleic acid structures called R-loops. R-loop form when an RNA strand hybridizes to its complementary strand of DNA, forming a stable RNA:DNA hybrid and displacing one free strand of DNA 1. Accumulation of unscheduled R-loops can lead to replication stress, fork collision, gene expression changes, and double-strand breaks that are underlying causes of genome instability and the development of many diseases, including cancer 2. Many …

Validation Of Mobile Devices In Arbitrary Locations Against Force Plate Standard For Balance Assessment, German J. Ellsworth

Master's Theses

With balance assessment being essential to the prediction of fall risk and detection and assessment of motor disorders, increasing clinical accessibility to objective balance metrics is essential. Work has been done validating center of mass (COM) acceleration metrics against well regarded force plate center of pressure (COP) position standards for mobile device data acquisition systems, but most research is restricted to devices being close to the COM or strapped in a harness configuration. Through the use of rigid body kinematics and the inverted pendulum model, this study develops novel methodology for calculating COM acceleration using mobile devices in arbitrary positions, …

Barriers To And Solutions For Fuel Treatments In The Central California Coast Ranges, Sierra Dawn Lyman

Master's Theses

In recent years, the Western United States has experienced an increase in fire activity due to multiple factors, including anthropogenic climate change, historical forest management focused on suppression, and the expanding wildland urban interface (WUI). In response, California is working to accelerate the pace and scale of forest management and fire hazard reduction efforts. Although fuel treatment projects are being implemented, they often encounter various barriers. While existing literature highlights these barriers, it tends to overlook the solutions being applied in practice to overcome them. Using an ethnographic approach that includes key informant interviews and participant observation in four sites …

A Data-Driven Framework For Analyzing And Predicting Social Media Engagement During Rumor Propagation, Joseph E. Faza

Master's Theses

The spread of rumors on social media has become a significant concern, as platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter) enable rapid dissemination of unverified information. These rumors can shape public perception and behavior, making it crucial to understand the dynamics of their spread. The main objective of this study is to explore how users interact with rumor-related tweets and identify key factors that predict tweet engagement. By analyzing tweets from seven different rumor events, this research aims to uncover patterns in user engagement and provide insights into the spread of misinformation. The study utilized a dataset of tweets from …

Of Geese And Grass: Investigating Impacts Of Brant Grazing On Eeelgrass, Dakota L. Osborne

Master's Theses

Grazing pressure is important in structuring plant communities, particularly in aquatic environments. Eelgrass (Zostera marina), a keystone species in estuaries across North America, is experiencing widespread population declines. As a keystone species, eelgrass provides numerous important functions, including: 1) water filtration, 2) sediment stabilization, 3) providing refuge and nursery habitat for numerous species, and 4) carbon sequestration. Benefits which could be lost if eelgrass beds continue to diminish. California has experienced some of the greatest eelgrass declines, and Morro Bay, CA experienced a 96% decrease in eelgrass from 2007 to 2017. Most studies to date have examined bottom-up …

Representation Theory Arising From Groups In Physics, Jaxon Green

Master's Theses

A representation is a group homomorphism whose image is a group of invertible matrices. Representations and their associated matrices are analyzed through well-established techniques from linear algebra. We characterize representations by a unique decomposition into irreducible representations just as we characterize the decomposition of matrices into their eigenspaces. Through the study of these representations, we uncover mathematical relationships that underlie groups with physical applications. Due to physical symmetries, we study how the irreducible representations of groups that embody the actions of even the most basic rotations are utilized in the computation of irreducible representations groups that reflect more complicated mechanics, …

Assessment Of Dune Change Using Historical Aerial And Satellite Photos, Topographic Surveys, And Wave Data At Toro Creek Beach, Owen D. Emerson

Master's Theses

Coastal sand dunes play an important role in the littoral processes of California’s coastline. Functioning as both source and sink for sand, these dunes often protect coastal infrastructure and provide a buffer between anthropogenic development and coastal forces. At Toro Creek Beach, north of Morro Bay California, recent extreme winter storms have raised concerns about the erosion of the sand dunes that front California State Highway 1. This thesis attempts to characterize the historical growth and recession patterns of the Toro Creek dunes since 1977, the dune movement over the 2023-2024 winter seasons, the wave forcings behind recent high erosion …

Seal Counting On Our Plages (S.C.O.O.P.), Kaanan Kharwa

Master's Theses

The Vertebrate Integrative Physiology (VIP) lab monitors the population of northern elephant seals at the largest mainland breeding colony, located at Piedras Blancas (San Simeon, CA). As the population expands, more human-seal interactions and conflicts over land use occur. The VIP lab's work informs California State Parks and helps with the management of the rookery. Currently, members of the VIP lab fly a drone over the beaches, capture multiple images, and manually count the seals, which takes around 14 to 21 hours of analysis per survey. Machine learning methods such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and Region-based Convolutional Neural Networks …

Enabling Emg-Based Silent Speech Transcription Through Speech-To-Text Transfer Learning, Alexander T. Garcia

Master's Theses

In recent years, advances in deep learning have allowed various forms of electrographic signals, such as electroencephalography (EEG) and electromyography (EMG), to be used as a viable form of input in artificial intelligence applications, particularly for applications in the medical field. One such topic that EMG inputs have been used is in silent speech interfaces, or devices capable of processing speech without an audio-based input. The goal of this thesis is to explore a novel method of training a machine learning model to be used for silent speech interface development: using transfer learning to leverage a pre-trained speech recognition model …

Terrestrial Salinization Impacts On Growth And Behavior Of A Common Detritivore Armadillidium Vulgare (Isopoda), Danielle Harmoney Orcutt

Master's Theses

Climate change and human activities are changing the nutritional landscape by increasing the availability of some essential elements and decreasing others. Sodium (Na) is an essential element in heterotrophs, which is required for water regulation, nerve function, and muscle function. Heterotrophs can acquire Na through diet and environment, often experiencing limited availability of Na due to plants concentrating Na 10-100 times less than heterotrophs need. The Sodium Subsidy-Stress (SSS) hypothesis posits that organismal performance follows a hump-shaped curve of a physiological response, where Na acts as a subsidy, increasing organismal performance such as growth until an optimal threshold is reached, …

The Post-Closet Home: Queer Domesticity, Enclosure, And Queer Southern Gothicism In Lee Mandelo's "Summer Sons", Andrew Dylan Dampier

Master's Theses

In current discussions of queer theory, terms such as “post-gay” leave room for misrepresentation. The premise behind this term serves a primarily cisgenderheterosexual agenda by promising the assimilation of queer individuals into the dominant society. For this reason, I prefer to align the term “post-closet” with the queer person’s journey towards, and past, such societal barriers while maintaining the significance of foundational queer theories. In his novel Summer Sons, Lee Mandelo depicts Andrew Blur’s journey through the grief-ridden confines of the closet as he seeks a new identity following the death of his best friend. Mandelo accomplishes this by juxtaposing …

Assessment Of Mediterranean Diet Adherence Using The Kidmed Diet 2.0 Tool: College Student Questionnaire, Nakia Cyrice Hilton

Master's Theses

The Mediterranean Diet has garnered increasing popularity due to its multifaceted health benefits. The MedDiet enhances well-being across all age groups, emphasizing high consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, olive oil, and whole grains and moderate fish, poultry, and dairy intake. Recent research underscores the significant impact of Mediterranean diet adherence on college students' physical and mental health. The diet's emphasis on nutrient-dense foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants supports cognitive function, which is pivotal for academic performance. Moreover, the abundant presence of healthy fats, particularly from olive oil and fatty fish, may contribute to improved mood regulation, potentially …

Supervised Classification Modeling On Louisiana Medicaid Data: A Comparative Study, Yead Rahman

Master's Theses

This thesis systematically optimizes and compares state-of-the-art supervised classification models for Louisiana Medicaid data targeting clinical services, COVID-19 infection, and tobacco use. These target variables are critically important as they represent key health outcomes and behaviors among Medicaid enrollees in Louisiana, a population often characterized by poverty and limited access to education. This study applies advanced machine learning techniques to identify the best model for multinomial and binary classification tasks. These include models such as Logistic Regression, XGBoost, AdaBoost, Random Forest, Decision Tree, Artificial Neural Networks, and Naïve Bayes. Extensive tuning of the hyperparameters and optimization of each classifier were …

Adherence To Mediterranean Diet Principles In Minority College Students, Bridgette Lorraine Barbre

Master's Theses

Every year, millions of young adults attend college. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists heart disease and diabetes as the top health concerns for minority Americans. African American and Hispanic/Latino communities could see a reduction in illness risk by promoting physical activity and healthy eating habits such as the Mediterranean Diet. Research indicates that young adults may benefit significantly from taking charge of their eating habits at the crucial point in their transition from high school to college. By determining the dietary patterns of minority college students, as related to the Mediterranean diet principles, this study intends …

Division I Collegiate Baseball Pitching Performance In Relation To Forearm Kinematics And Kinetics, Christopher W. Watson

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates physical and anthropometric factors influenced by forearm rotation biases associated with supination and pronation on pitch characteristics among Division I college baseball pitchers. The study involved twenty-two participants who underwent comprehensive physical assessments, including measures of forearm strength, range of motion, and grip strength, as well as finger and hand length measurements. Ball flight metrics were collected during intrasquad scrimmages using advanced radar tracking technology. Results revealed significant relationships between distinct physical biases of strength in pronation and supination, pinch strength, anthropometrics such as middle finger length, and specific pitch characteristics. This study lays the groundwork for …

Oral Nutritional Supplement Prescription And Adherence Perspectives, Kristyn Bordelon Hood

Master's Theses

Oral nutritional supplements (ONS) are nutrient-dense beverages that aid in meeting the nutrient needs of patients. Recent research has indicated that patient adherence to prescribed nutritional supplements may depend on palatability, tolerance, and taste fatigue. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) are healthcare professionals who may prescribe these supplements directly or make recommendations to the patient’s physician for a prescription, thereby influencing patient adherence. Little research has been documented regarding taste fatigue and the influences of the RDN’s decisions on patient adherence to nutritional supplement adherence. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the perspectives of nutrition professionals …