Digital Commons Network^™

Genetic Changes To A Transcriptional Silencer Element Confers Phenotypic Diversity Within And Between Drosophila Species, Winslow C. Johnson, Alison J. Ordway, Masayoshi Watada, Jonathan N. Pruitt, Thomas M. Williams, Mark Rebeiz

Biology Faculty Publications

The modification of transcriptional regulation has become increasingly appreciated as a major contributor to morphological evolution. However, the role of negative-acting control elements (e.g. silencers) in generating morphological diversity has been generally overlooked relative to positive-acting “enhancer” elements. The highly variable body coloration patterns among Drosophilid insects represents a powerful model system in which the molecular alterations that underlie phenotypic diversity can be defined. In a survey of pigment phenotypes among geographically disparate Japanese populations of Drosophila auraria, we discovered a remarkable degree of variation in male-specific abdominal coloration. In testing the expression patterns of the major pigment-producing enzymes, …

Dangerous Dicta, David Gray

Washington and Lee Law Review

No abstract provided.

Isotope-Based Fluvial Organic Carbon (Isofloc) Model: Model Formulation, Sensitivity, And Evaluation, William I. Ford, James F. Fox

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications

Watershed-scale carbon budgets remain poorly understood, in part due to inadequate simulation tools to assess in-stream carbon fate and transport. A new numerical model termed ISOtope-based FLuvial Organic Carbon (ISOFLOC) is formulated to simulate the fluvial organic carbon budget in watersheds where hydrologic, sediment transport, and biogeochemical processes are coupled to control benthic and transported carbon composition and flux. One ISOFLOC innovation is the formulation of new stable carbon isotope model subroutines that include isotope fractionation processes in order to estimate carbon isotope source, fate, and transport. A second innovation is the coupling of …

A Baby Step: The Status Of Surrogacy Law In Wisconsin Following Rosecky V. Schissel, Joshua J. Bryant

Marquette Law Review

Surrogacy is an ancient and rapidly expanding industry in the United States and abroad. Despite this, the legal landscape governing surrogacy contracts remains tenuous in a majority of states—including Wisconsin. In 2013, the Wisconsin Supreme Court took the first step in developing surrogacy contract law in Wisconsin. Absent legislative guidance, the court fashioned a reasonable foundation for surrogacy contracts. However, its decision does little to ensure that intending parents and surrogate mothers who enter into such agreements fully understand their responsibilities and have assurances that their expectations will be met. This Comment does not seek to argue, as many others …

Selection Of Reference Genes For Rt-Qpcr Analysis In The Monarch Butterfly, Danaus Plexippus (L.), A Migrating Bio-Indicator, Huipeng Pan, Xiaowei Yang, Keith Bidne, Richard L. Hellmich, Blair D. Siegfried, Xuguo Zhou

Entomology Faculty Publications

Reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is a powerful technique to quantify gene expression. To facilitate gene expression study and obtain accurate results, normalization relative to stably expressed reference genes is crucial. The monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus (L.), is one of the most recognized insect species for its spectacular annual migration across North America. Besides its great voyages, D. plexippus has drawn attention to its role as a bio-indicator, ranging from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to natural ecosystems. In this study, nine reference genes from D. plexippus genome were selected as the candidate reference genes. The expression profiles of these …

Hydrogen And Syngas Production From Gasification Of Lignocellulosic Biomass In Supercritical Water Media, Jun-Ki Choi, Abtin Ataei, Ahmad Tavasoli, Farid Safari

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Novel biomass-processing technologies have been recently used for conversion of organic wastes into valuable biofuels like bio-hydrogen. Agricultural wastes are available and renewable energy resources to supply energy demand of the future. The purpose of this study is to investigate the production of hydrogen-rich syngas from wheat straw, walnut shell, and almond shell.

The Enigma Of Photography, Depiction, And Copyright Originality, Terry S. Kogan

Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal

Photography is an enigma. The features that distinguish it most from other art forms — the camera’s automatism and the photograph’s verisimilitude — have throughout its history also provided the basis for critics to claim that a photographer is not an artist nor the photograph a work of art. Because every photograph is the product of an automatic, mechanical device, critics argue that a photographer is a mere technician relegated to clicking a shutter button. Moreover, because every photograph displays an exact likeness of whatever happened to be sitting before the camera, critics consider that image to be a factual …

Controllability Of An Eco-Epidemiological System With Disease Transmission Delay: A Theoretical Study, Samadyuti Haldar, Kunal Chakraborty, T. K. Kar

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

This paper deals with the qualitative analysis of a disease transmission delay induced prey preda-tor system in which disease spreads among the predator species only. The growth of the preda-tors’ susceptible and infected subpopulations is assumed as modified Leslie–Gower type. Suffi-cient conditions for the persistence, permanence, existence and stability of equilibrium points are obtained. Global asymptotic stability of the system is investigated around the coexisting equilib-rium using a geometric approach. The existence of Hopf bifurcation phenomenon is also exam-ined with respect to some important parameters of the system. The criterion for disease a trans-mission delay the induced Hopf bifurcation phenomenon …

A Proposal For The Program “Information Communication Technology For Development” (Ict4d) To The Cal Poly Campus, Mika Jennifer Raz

Communication Studies

California Polytechnic State University is a university that prides itself on the “Learn by Doing” motto. A qualitative study was completed to analyze students and faculty views on the amount of “Learn by Doing” and interdisciplinary work that is currently done within specific colleges and courses. By proposing an implementation of the Information Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) program to the Cal Pol campus, students will have the opportunity to en- gage in more “Learn by Doing” and interdisciplinary work. Positive feedback was retrieved, however several organizational barriers arose.

Water Filtration Lesson Plan For Ag In Motion, Kelly C. Dawkins

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to create a new lesson plan for the Ag in Motion program. The Ag in Motion program brings science activities to middle schools that may not have the resources to provide hands-on laboratory activities. The organization suggested developing an activity regarding water and its properties. A water filtration activity was developed by working with the Director of Ag in Motion and conducting research regarding hands-on learning. The lesson plan was designed to meet Next Generation Science Standards and show students the importance of clean water supplies. This lesson plan includes a materials and procedure …

Practical Experience At Cal Poly Poultry Unit And Development Of A Poultry Curriculum Guide, Weston Forbes

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship/project report includes two components approved by the author’s graduate committee. The first is a Poultry Curriculum Guide that will be used by the author upon returning to his home country of Jamaica. The second consists of an internship report that documents what was done while working at the Cal Poly poultry unit. This experience provided the author with knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for someone who will enter the poultry industry. This experience was extremely helpful in assisting the author to gain production skills necessary to be an effective agriculture teacher in Jamaica.

Cantilever-Based Resonant Microsensors With Integrated Temperature Modulation For Transient Chemical Analysis, C. Carron, P. Getz, Stephen M. Heinrich, Fabien Josse, Oliver Brand

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

This work introduces a resonant cantilever platform with integrated temperature modulation for real-time chemical sensing. Embedded heaters allow for rapid thermal cycling of individual sensors, thereby enabling real-time transient signal analysis without the need for a microfluidic setup to switch between analyte and reference gases. Compared to traditional mass-sensitive microsensors operating in steady state, the on-chip generation of signal transients provides additional information for analyte discrimination.

Nutrient Transformations In Algae Raceway Ponds Fed Municipal Wastewater, Carter Michael Reiff

Master's Theses

While treating domestic wastewater, algae can be grown and harvested for biofuel production. Water is a vital resource and it is imperative to conserve and reuse as much as possible. Several pilot and lab scale experiments were conducted to further research into a full scale wastewater treatment and biofuel production facility. This thesis will include these topics: nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations of clarified wastewater pond feed, nitrogen and phosphorus transformations by algae, and the potential of algae cell disruption technologies to increase nutrient solubilization.

The pilot scale experiments were conducted using nine 33 m², 0.3 m deep multi-culture …

A Comprehensive Review Of The Food And Drug Administration, The 510(K) Application Process, And Fda Certification For A Diagnostic Device, Taylor Davis

Biomedical Engineering

The company G-Force CRC LLC is currently experiencing the dichotomy of the FDA's conflicting role right now as they begin to approach FDA approval. G-Force CRC LLC is a small medical device company headquartered in San Diego, CA. The owner of the company, Dr. Ian Purcell, is an Otoneurologist apart of Alvarado Hospital. His medical practice mainly deals with patients who have balance disorders and therefore the devices that he has developed over the last 6+ years are primarily used to assist in the diagnosis of those balance disorders. G-Force CRC LLC was officially created in the summer of 2013 …

Human Impacts On Rocky Intertidal Gastropods: Are Marine Protected Areas Effective?, Cassie Bednar

Master's Theses

As the human population has exponentially increased, so have anthropogenic effects on the ocean including pollution, eutrophication, acidification, changes in sea level, and overfishing. The California coast is visited by millions of people every year and is subject to a range of impacts. In the near-shore marine environment, people collect intertidal gastropods for food, bait or recreation. Collecting these animals has caused a decline in body size because humans preferentially take the largest individuals. Marine protected areas (MPAs), established to protect marine resources, may serve to reduce impacts to species, including gastropods. I collected 2510 individual samples to determine the …

The Effect Of Post-Operative Analgesics On Ovarian Medullary Angiogenesis And Vasculogenesis, Shamus Martin Brady

Master's Theses

A critical factor for successful ovarian transplantation is the expeditious establishment of sufficient blood supply. Recommendations intended to improve recovery, reduce the effects of stress, and decrease the amount of pain for laboratory animals undergoing surgical procedures include post-operative analgesia. The two main types of drugs that are recommended for pain management are opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Buprenorphine, an opioid, and meloxicam, an NSAID, are both widely used and have been shown to affect angiogenesis and vasculogenesis. This study was designed to examine the influence meloxicam and buprenorphine had on new blood vessel formation in the ovarian medullary …

Nonparametric Inference In Hidden Markov Models Using P-Splines, Roland Langrock, Thomas Kneib, Alexander Sohn, Stacy L. Deruiter

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Hidden Markov models (HMMs) are flexible time series models in which the distribution of the observations depends on unobserved serially correlated states. The state-dependent distributions in HMMs are usually taken from some class of parametrically specified distributions. The choice of this class can be difficult, and an unfortunate choice can have serious consequences for example on state estimates, and more generally on the resulting model complexity and interpretation. We demonstrate these practical issues in a real data application concerned with vertical speeds of a diving beaked whale, where we demonstrate that parametric approaches can easily lead to overly complex state …

Growth, Mortality, And Reproductive Potential Of California Halibut (Paralichthys Californicus) Off Central California, Cheryl L. Barnes

Master's Theses

Differences in key biological processes, such as growth and reproduction, can greatly influence localized population dynamics. Thus, it is important to evaluate intraspecific variation at several spatial scales to better understand biological limitations and develop management plans that maximize fishery sustainability. In 2011, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) conducted its first comprehensive stock assessment for California Halibut, Paralichthys californicus. However, limited life history data were available north of Point Conception. To improve our understanding of central California Halibut biology, 704 fish were collected during 2012 and 2013. Von Bertalanffy growth parameters were estimated at L∞ = 1041 …

Alfalfa Trap Cropping Increases Abundance Of Key Arachnids In An Organic Strawberry Agroecosystem, Sutapa Biswas

Master's Theses

Eighty three percent of the strawberries consumed in North America are grown in California, where the widespread use of insecticides has become hazardous to public health. The intensive use of pesticides for growing strawberries causes serious health risks to farm workers, in addition to contaminating the soil and groundwater. The cost to the environment and public health in the United States is estimated at $12 billion annually. Finding effective nontoxic management strategies for insect pests has become essential for long term sustainability. One strategy strawberry producers can use to promote sustainability is to increase the effectiveness of biological control techniques. …

Gender Differences In Stress, Alcohol Consumption, And Cigarette Use Among College Students At San José State University, Thomas Farleigh

Master's Theses

Stress, alcohol consumption, and cigarette use represent three considerable threats to the mental and physical health within this country. Learning more about the prevalence and predictors of these threats in young adults may aid the development of programs to reduce the deleterious effects of these threats as young adult's age. A vast amount of research has been done to examine the possible association between stress and substance use in college students, but given the diversity of college students across the US, more research is needed targeting specific college campuses. This study did so with regard to a sample of students …

Type And Timing Of Stream Flow Changes In Urbanizing Watersheds In The Eastern U.S., Kristina G. Hopkins, Nathaniel B. Morse, Daniel J. Bain, Neil D. Bettez, Nancy B. Grimm, Jennifer L. Morse, Monica M. Palta

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Linking the type and timing of hydrologic changes with patterns of urban growth is essential to identifying the underlying mechanisms that drive declines in urban aquatic ecosystems. In six urbanizing watersheds surrounding three U.S. cities (Baltimore, MD, Boston, MA, and Pittsburgh, PA), we reconstructed the history of development patterns since 1900 and assessed the magnitude and timing of stream flow changes during watershed development. Development reconstructions indicated that the majority of watershed development occurred during a period of peak population growth, typically between 1950 and 1970. Stream flow records indicated significant increases in annual frequency of high-flow events in all …

Experiential Knowledge And Interdisciplinary Approaches To Address Herbicide Resistance: Insights From Theory And Practice, David Shaw, David E. Ervin

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

The exponential increase in herbicide resistant weeds around the globe poses a “wicked problem” that resists solutions developed from disciplinary science (Ervin and Jussaume; Shaw). Traditonal voluntary education and technical assistance approaches have failed to stem the advance of resistance. Scholars and practitioners recognize that improved understanding of human behavior leading to more resistant weeds must provide the foundation of knowledge for innovating more effective approaches. Principles to negotiate progress on wicked problems stress interdisciplinary approaches that integrate frontier social and natural science concepts with stakeholder experiences to discover novel approaches (Sayer et al). Standard templates to address the problem …

Getting Green To Work In The Northwest Industrial District, Stefan Heisler, Sara Ivey, Alexis Kelso, Ryu Sakuma, John Dornoff, Dianne Yee

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

Forest Park and its surrounding watershed experience measurable environmental problems such as urban heat island impacts, increased storm water runoff containing pollutants, fragmentations of habitat connectivity due to their proximities to high-impact land uses, poor air quality, absence of public space, and lack of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. Getting Green to Work in the Northwest Industrial District identifies strategies to address environmental issues that affect local human and environmental health in the Northwest Indusrial District, Forest Park and the Willamette River, while benefiting local businesses workers and firms. Getting Green to Work explores voluntary approaches to address local environmental problems …

Faculty Senate Monthly Packet June 2015, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Monthly Packets

The June 2015 Monthly packet includes the June agenda and appendices and the Faculty Senate minutes and attachments from the meeting held May 2015.

Spatial Heterogeneity, Host Movement And Mosquito-Borne Disease Transmission, Miguel A. Acevedo, Olivia Prosper, Kenneth Lopiano, Nick Ruktanonchai, T. Trevor Caughlin, Maia Martcheva, Craig W. Osenberg, David L. Smith

Dartmouth Scholarship

Mosquito-borne diseases are a global health priority disproportionately affecting low-income populations in tropical and sub-tropical countries. These pathogens live in mosquitoes and hosts that interact in spatially heterogeneous environments where hosts move between regions of varying transmission intensity. Although there is increasing interest in the implications of spatial processes for mosquito-borne disease dynamics, most of our understanding derives from models that assume spatially homogeneous transmission. Spatial variation in contact rates can influence transmission and the risk of epidemics, yet the interaction between spatial heterogeneity and movement of hosts remains relatively unexplored. Here we explore, analytically and through numerical simulations, how …

Oregon Invasive Species Council Review, Robyn Draheim, Rob Fiegener, Lisa Gaines

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

The Oregon Invasive Species Council (OISC – “Council” is also used in this report) was established by the Oregon Legislature in 2001 [ORS 570.750, formerly 561.687]. In partnership with a broad group of state, federal and local agencies, non-profit organizations, industry representatives and individuals, the Council created and maintains the means for citizens to report sightings of invasive species and a process by which this information is forwarded to appropriate agencies; works to increase citizen engagement and awareness of invasive issues; conducts educational meetings and conferences; and, administers a trust account for funding eradication and educational projects.

In 2014, the …

Letting The Texts On Rh Speak For Themselves: (Dis)Continuity And (Counter)Point In Cbcp Statements, Sj Francisco

Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints

In the fierce debate over any government legislation or program on reproductive health (RH), the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) represents the most vocal and consistent opposition from any institution in Philippine society. Thisarticle situates this opposition within the historical background of church involvement in social issues and offers a close reading of all its RH-related collective statements (1969–2014). Taking Catholic doctrine on marriage and family as given, it uncovers (a) shifting frames of reference in arguing the church’s opposition, and (b) ambiguity in its analysis of the state of Filipino families. These characteristics undermine the bishops’ avowed …

Origins Of An Unmarked Georgia Cemetery Using Ancient Dna Analysis, Andrew T. Ozga, Raúl Y. Tito, Brian M. Kemp, Hugh Matternes, Alexandra Obregon-Tito, Leslie Neal, Cecil M. Lewis, Jr.

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

Determining the origins of those buried within undocumented cemeteries is of incredible importance to historical archaeologists and in many cases, the nearby communities. In the case of Avondale Burial Place, a cemetery in Bibb County, Georgia, in use from 1820 to 1950, all written documentation of those interred within it has been lost. Osteological and archaeological evidence alone could not describe, with confidence, the ancestral origins of the 101 individuals buried there. In the present study, we utilize ancient DNA extraction methods to investigate the origins of Avondale Burial Place through the use of well-preserved skeletal fragments from 20 individuals …

Multiphysics Modeling To Enhance Understanding Of Microwave Heating Of Food In Domestic Ovens, Jiajia Chen

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Nonuniform heating is the biggest issue in the microwave heating of prepared meals. Multiphysics based models are promising tools to improve microwave heating uniformity by properly designing the food product. However, limited availability of accurate temperature-dependent material properties, inadequate model prediction accuracy, and high computational power and complexity in model development are three gaps that greatly limited the application of these models in the food industry.

To fill in the gaps, firstly, we developed a multitemperature calibration protocol to measure temperature-dependent dielectric properties (dielectric constant and loss factor). The temperature-dependent dielectric and thermal (thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity) properties …

Preclinical Characterization Of Duoc-01, A Cell Therapy Product Derived From Banked Umbilical Cord Blood For Use As An Adjuvant To Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation For Treatment Of Inherited Metabolic Diseases., Joanne Kurtzberg, Susan Buntz, Tracy Gentry, Pamela Noeldner, April Ozamiz, Benjamin Rusche, Robert W. Storms, Amy Wollish, David A Wenger, Andrew E. Balber

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND AIMS: Cord blood (CB) transplantation slows neurodegeneration during certain inherited metabolic diseases. However, the number of donor cells in the brain of patients does not appear to be sufficient to provide benefit until several months after transplant. We developed the cell product DUOC-01 to provide therapeutic effects in the early post-transplant period.

METHODS: DUOC-01 cultures initiated from banked CB units were characterized by use of time-lapse photomicroscopy during the 21-day manufacturing process. Antigen expression was measured by means of flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry; transcripts for cytokines and enzymes by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction; activities of lysosomal enzymes by …