Digital Commons Network^™

Complexities Of Companionship: Exploring The Human-Dog Relationship Through Mtdna Analysis Of Bridge River Canine Remains, Seth Warnick

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) hold an unquantifiable level of cultural influence and companionship across swathes of societies all over the globe. While dogs are genetically very distinct from Homo sapiens, throughout human history the two organisms have spread across the world together and have biologically gone through similar selective, social, and environmental constraints. Today the biological makeup of dog breeds is incredibly diverse, however, the archaeological record and genetic research has provided insight into the humble beginnings of a relationship between humans and dogs that has transcended the fabric of emerging civilization itself. Located on the Northwest interior plateau, Bridge …

Siksikaitsitapi Returning The Gaze On Human & Wildlife Interactions, Celina C. Gray

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In Niitawahsii–our home territory, the ecoregion of the Siksikaitsitapi–Blackfoot Confederacy, a Traditional Ecological Knowledge Application (TEKA) for socio-ecological research was developed. Aawaaahsskataiks–elders and extant literature identified a need to develop shared understanding regarding strong connections to wildlife niksokowaiks–relatives, through Siksikaitsitapi Traditional Ecological Knowledge (S-TEK). Multistage chain referral sampling, semi-structured interviews and grounded theory coding & analysis from Western science, i.e. Napikowaiks–non-natives’ research methods, were adjusted like to align with kipaitapiwahsinnooni–the Blackfoot paradigm of traditional knowledge; and more generally, Indigenous Research Methods. The result was a rigorous qualitative human-dimension of wildlife research TEKA; for use by Siksikaitsitapi and others interested in …

Integrating Western Science And Indigenous Knowledge For Just Practices In Conservation, Cierra Lea Keith

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Shaping Outdoor Recreation In Protected Areas: Insights From Factors Influencing Brazilian Protected Area Professionals, Renata Burlamaqui Bradford

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The growing demand for outdoor recreation (OR) in protected areas has led to positive and negative impacts on natural and social environments. As stewards of these areas, protected area professionals (PAPs) are responsible for planning and managing this complexity, and yet we know little about the factors influencing their decisions and actions. This study fills this gap by examining how psychological and organizational aspects influence PAPs’ decisions and behavioral intentions toward OR in protected areas. Insights come from the PAPs working at the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), the Brazilian federal agency. ICMBio’s evolving approach toward OR provides …

Genetic And Environmental Factors Shaping Precision Medicine With Rural And Tribal Populations In Montana, Jack William Staples

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Precision medicine aims to optimize healthcare based on individual genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors, offering the potential to reduce health disparities. However, rural and Tribal communities remain underrepresented in precision medicine research, which threatens to exacerbate existing health inequities. My dissertation research aims to reduce health disparities in rural and Tribal communities in Montana through community-based participatory research (CBPR) and genetic studies. We partnered with research participants of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) on the Flathead Reservation and Shodair Children’s Hospital (Shodair) to conduct two primary studies.

In the first study, we investigated genetic and seasonal determinants of …

Local Visions For Patagonia: Drivers And Dynamics Of Collaborative Environmental Governance In Aysén, Chile, Zachary J. Hummel

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Collaborative governance (CG) has emerged as a tool for addressing increasingly complex societal problems by engaging a diverse of set of cross-sector actors in a deliberative process with the aim of realizing consensus-driven outcomes. Emerson et al.’s (2011) Integrated Framework for Collaborative Governance (IFCG) attempts to improve understanding of these arrangements by articulating causal connections between collaborative drivers and dynamics across different contexts. Answering researchers’ call for more empirical support for the IFCG in non-US/European contexts, I used the framework to guide 10 interviews with collaborative governance practitioners in the comanaged marine protected area, AMCP-MU Pitipalena Añihue, located in Aysén, …

Effectiveness Of An Evolution-Based Serious Game On Motivation And Achievement Of Secondary-Level Science Students, Bradford John Fruechte

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Getting students to engage with schoolwork is not always an easy task. Lessons that have elements of games (gamified lessons) and serious games (those created for education) have the potential to increase motivation, which may also improve learning outcomes. But research has found mixed results on the achievement effects of educational games, and not enough research has shown the effectiveness of educational games on evolution-related topics specifically (Bjoerner & Hansen, 2010). This study aimed to implement a game that revolves around the mechanisms of evolution and evaluated that game’s effects on secondary-level students’ motivation and learning. Four middle school life …

A Study On The Relationship Between College Teachers’ Perception Of Professional Learning Communities And Self-Efficacy, Hongli Jia

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The purpose of this quantitative survey study was to investigate the relationship between college teachers’ perceptions of the professional learning community and teacher self-efficacy. Drawing on quantitative data from a sample of 367 college teachers in Inner Mongolia in China during the 2023-2024 school year, the research investigated the impact of PLC participation on self-efficacy across different career stages and majors.

The findings revealed a medium positive correlation between college teachers’ perception in PLCs and teacher self-efficacy. The regression model indicated that collective learning and application and shared personal practice significantly influenced the overall teacher self-efficacy, but shared and supportive …

Under The Influence: Pf Bacteriophage Modulate Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Virulence & Pathogenesis, Amelia Kass Schmidt

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a gram-negative opportunistic bacterial pathogen which is as ubiquitous in the natural environment as it is within hospital settings, where it is a readily acquired nosocomial pathogen. Bacteriophages, viruses which infect bacteria, are a central component of the arsenal P. aeruginosa leverages to combat the stresses of infecting mammalian hosts. Over 60% of P. aeruginosa clinical isolates are chronically infected with temperate phages within the family of Inoviridae. These phages, referred to as Pf, have a filamentous virion structure which accommodates genome sizes between 10-20kbp. Pf is capable of integration into the bacterial chromosome where they can …

Where And When The Antelope Play: Drivers Of Pronghorn Distribution And Demography Across Space And Through Time, Molly Cutler Mcdevitt

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In this dissertation, I aim to (i) advance the understanding of pronghorn ecology and population responses to environmental variability, and (ii) test analytical tools linking environmental habitat factors to demographic processes. In doing so, I answer the following questions: How should we expect pronghorn demographic rates to vary from year to year? How do environmental conditions influence pronghorn survival? How do long-term impacts from environmental conditions directly affect pronghorn demographic trends like survival or abundance? Do environmental conditions influence pronghorn density and distribution in the same way? If not, how do they differ? Finally, in an increasingly changing landscape, what …

Rangeland Soil Seed Bank Dynamics: Soil Property Relationships, Patterns Across A Degradation Gradient, And Responses To Shrub Management, Ryan Willis Richard Schroeder

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Rangeland ecosystems are globally important for their ecosystem service delivery, however, they are experiencing several threats pushing systems across ecological states. Thus, creative science-based management is imperative to maintain ecosystem sustainability and improve ecosystem service delivery. Soil seed banks – the living seeds in the soil profile and on the soil surface – and their soil-seed-plant interactions are one area of inquiry that could help guide science-based management efforts when it comes to rangeland community assembly and ecological restoration.

In this dissertation, I investigated rangeland soil-seed-plant interactions in New Mexico, USA. In Chapter 1, I worked with an expert group …

Culture & Contamination On The Fort Hall Indian Reservation, Sidney Upsis Fellows

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The land-based culture of our Shoshone-Bannock Tribes reflects our ability to live a healthy and good life by connecting to the land physically and spiritually in ways of respect, accountability, and other traditions that uphold land-human relations. In consideration of the settler colonialism that has spread across Turtle Island (a.k.a., North America) over the past 500 years, appropriation and contamination of land puts land-based cultures at stake. For the Shoshone-Bannock, two Superfund sites, a result and ongoing issue of settler colonialism, present an issue of environmental justice for the Tribes. This thesis seeks to provide a holistic understanding of our …

Exploring Spatial Climate Analogs For Climate Impact Projection, Adaptation, And Communication, Svetlana Valeryevna Yegorova

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Climate change requires that we adapt to the many impacts that are already unavoidable. To adapt, institutions and managers need to be able to anticipate how ecosystems are likely to respond to the observed and projected changes in climate. This dissertation explores spatial climate analogs for projecting climate change exposure and impacts to ecological systems, and for communicating climate impacts to diverse audiences. Chapter 1 summarizes the current state of knowledge about spatial climate analogs, and identifies areas for further research. Chapter 2 compares the skill and impact projections of analog impact models, to that of two commonly used empirical …

Analysis Of The Transformations Of Laguna Melincué Wetland, Argentina, Bianca Giunti

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In Argentina, freshwater wetlands are threatened by land use changes, unsustainable irrigation practices, and climate change. Twenty-three wetlands cover 5,176,578 ha of the Argentinian territory and have been designated as wetlands of international importance by the Convention of Wetlands (Kandus et al., 2008; Ramsar Sites Information Service, 2022). These figures are significant given Argentina’s unique geographic location on a central migratory bird flyway and the profound biological diversity found in these wetlands (Jahn et al., 2013; Red Aves Internacionales, 2015). The Government of Argentina has recently moved to implement wetland protection and conservation policies. Nevertheless, policy and governance efforts to …

A Better Way To Make Protein, James Gillette Bosco

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Producing recombinant proteins stands as a cornerstone in both biotechnology and pharmaceutical research, supporting the creation of therapeutics, vaccines, and enzymes used in various industries. Bacterial systems for expression, especially Escherichia coli, are preferred due to their rapid growth rates, ease of genetic manipulation, and scalability. However, generating proteins under current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) standards introduces substantial challenges, such as issues with scalability, toxicity, protein misfolding, and strict regulatory demands. This section delivers an in-depth review of these obstacles and current methods developed to address them. An extensive exploration is conducted into induction techniques, including auto-induction and isopropyl-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) …

An Examination Of The Relation Between Memory Self-Efficacy And Working Memory Within The Cognitive Reserve Framework, Genna Marie Mashinchi Ma

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Dementia has been found to negatively affect multiple aspects of cognitive functioning. Despite an increasing prevalence of cognitive decline, many aging adults do not experience reduced cognitive functioning. The reason as to why some experience cognitive decline and others do not is still unclear. One leading theory thought to explain this phenomenon is the cognitive reserve theory (CR), which proposes that certain lifestyle factors (e.g., educational attainment, occupational attainment, and leisure activity participation) prolong one’s cognitive functioning and reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Memory self-efficacy (MSE), defined as one’s beliefs in their memory ability, was found to be positively …

Mouralherwaqh Coastal Wetland Road Crossing Da'luk, Pakunihanich Nicoli Martin

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The integration of Indigenous and Western science plays an essential role in Tribally led collaborations for land management. This process of woven sciences is rooted in reciprocal relations and partnerships guided by Tribal Nations. Our cohort was invited by Wiyot Tribal Representatives to investigate a culvert located within the wetlands of Mouralherwaqh— a parcel of land reacquired by the Wiyot Tribe in 2022. This document seeks to share our experience and analysis as part of the Wiyot Tribe’s broader journey in navigating ecocultural restoration projects within Mouralherwaqh. The four community interests we investigated for the wetland crossing included a resized …

Mouralherwaqh Coastal Wetland Road Crossing Da'luk, Romel Robinson Ii

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The integration of Indigenous and Western science plays an essential role in Tribally led collaborations for land management. This process of woven sciences is rooted in reciprocal relations and partnerships guided by Tribal Nations. Our cohort was invited by Wiyot Tribal Representatives to investigate a culvert located within the wetlands of Mouralherwaqh— a parcel of land reacquired by the Wiyot Tribe in 2022. This document seeks to share our experience and analysis as part of the Wiyot Tribe’s broader journey in navigating ecocultural restoration projects within Mouralherwaqh. The four community interests we investigated for the wetland crossing included a resized …

Exploring The Realities Of Queer/Trans, Black, Indigenous, And/Or People Of Color Students At Humboldt State University, Kat Hồng Nguyễn

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In this thesis, I use participant interviews with 12 queer student activists at Humboldt State University (now Cal Poly Humboldt) and participant observation from 2019-2021 to provide a qualitative analysis of Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (QTBIPOC) student knowledge. While student activism is not a primary site of analysis in this paper, all of the participants of this study identify as student activists which has implications on their overall experience. Participants in this study note the institutional efforts to disrupt institutional memory between student leaders and activists. This study was specifically designed to combat this issue by …

The Effect Of Interval Time On Time To Exhaustion During High Intensity Interval Training Running In Recreational Male Runners, Abraham Castrejon

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

High Intensity interval Training (HIIT) in running prescription can be applied in a variety of different ways, but HIIT prescription lacks specificity and efficiency in determining what duration of interval is optimal for improved aerobic performance. The purpose of this study was to test different HIIT protocols with a 1:1 ratio active: recovery intervals of 2:2 minute (Protocol 1), 4:4 minute (Protocol 2) and a continuous run trial (CRT). Seven recreational male runners (Age= 23.1 ± 3.4 yr, Height= 1.80 ± 0.1, Weight= 75.8 ± 9.6) performed a maximal oxygen consumption test (60.5 ± 4.9 ml/kg/min) with a graded exercise …

Comparative Morphology And Ultrastructure Of Olfactory Epithelia In Plethodontid Salamanders: Effect Of Life History Variation, Emily Gremling

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Many amphibian species rely on olfaction for locating prey and for social interactions during different life stages. Despite the importance of the olfactory system, research on its structure has been taxonomically limited. The most diverse family of salamanders, the Plethodontidae, has been largely excluded from research efforts to describe olfactory morphology. Although several histological studies have been conducted, no studies have yet looked at morphology at the level of ultrastructure using electron microscopy. The primary goal of my research was to examine olfactory morphology and ultrastructure in plethodontid species with a range of life history strategies, to better understand the …

Evaluating The Utility Of Tracers To Characterize Environmental Dna Transport And Inform Detection Of Fishes In Small Streams, Gavin B. Bandy

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study was motivated by the need to develop a noninvasive and highly sensitive monitoring tool for determining local occupancy of an endangered aquatic species To make inference into the occupancy of fishes within small stream sites, we developed a method to determine whether environmental DNA (eDNA) concentrations from a target species were elevated relative to a tracer, formulated to mimic eDNA and introduced at a single location. We examined patterns in the observed distribution of the tracer to account for the effects of site-specific transport processes and sampling on distributions of naturally occurring eDNA at small spatial scales (400 …

Fire Severity Mediates Marten And Fisher Occurrence: Impacts Of The Dixie Fire On A Carnivore Community, Christopher James Collier

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The consumption of an astounding one million acres resulted from California’s largest single fire to date, the 2021 Dixie Fire. The social and economic losses associated with the fire were immediately apparent, but the effects on wildlife remained unknown. While previous research has suggested mixed or low severity fire may be beneficial to certain wildlife species, the responses to megafires are poorly understood for many carnivores. To better understand these responses to severe fire, I used a random sampling design stratified by burn severity to survey in and around the Dixie Fire footprint using baited camera stations. This allowed me …

Agitprop: A Deep Dive Into Leftist Affinity Spaces, Brittany M. Fuher

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This project is designed to explore what methods and theories of how we learn can tell us about what is occurring in leftist digital affinity spaces. My focus is the HasanAbi community, an online collective built around Twitch streamer Hasan Piker. I will examine the way YouTubers create memetic systems using an understanding of semiotics and translingualism. Based on my own experiences with digital community, and inspired by Linda Adler-Kassner, and Elizabeth Wardle’s discussion of Threshold Concepts in Naming What We Know, I’ve created five of my own Threshold Concepts for Leftist Community and crafted a video for each. …

Accelerations And Emg Differences Between Isocaloric High-Incline Walking And Level Grade Jogging, Taj Krieger

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Purpose: To examine muscle activation and biomechanical differences between high-incline walking (HIW) at 20% grade and level-grade jogging (LGJ) at isocaloric intensity on a treadmill. Methods: Physically inactive men and women between 18-31 completed the study. Participants (n=19) completed two isocaloric exercise trials (HIW and LGJ), each ten minutes in duration. EMG data was obtained from the Bicep Femoris (BF), Gluteus Maximus (GM), Lateral Gastrocnemius (LG), Tibialis Anterior (TA), Vastus Lateralis (VL), Anterior Deltoid (AD), Erector Spinae (ES) and Soleus (SOL). Resultant accelerations on the foot and sacrum were measured by IMU.

Results: When subjects were matched at isocaloric intensities …

The "Upside-Down" River: Trends In Total Nitrogen, Total Phosphorus, And Microcystin Concentration In The Klamath Basin, 2010-2021, Kayla M. Fitzpatrick

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The Klamath River tends to experience impaired upstream water quality, which improves downstream. Although this consensus is accepted, an updated spatiotemporal analysis of certain water quality parameters has not been conducted since 2017. With four of the Klamath River’s dams slated for removal by the end of 2024, it is critical to have an updated assessment of current water quality conditions from which to compare conditions following dam removal. In this study, total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and microcystin data from 2010-2021 were analyzed to determine concentration trends from Link Dam to the Klamath River Estuary.

Concentrations of TN …

Temperature Driven Variability In Bull Kelp (Nereocystis Luetkeana) Early Life Stages: A Comparative Study Of California Populations, Marzia Fattori

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study investigated the effects of elevated temperatures on the reproductive and developmental stages of Nereocystis luetkeana, a crucial brown macroalgae found along the western coast of North America. My objectives were to 1) evaluate the impact of increasing temperature on the abundance of gametophytes from various sites, 2) determine the length of gametophytes that were affected by temperature on day 10 of culture, 3) assess the presence or absence of oocytes, sporophytes (young vs. multicellular), and abnormal cells, to understand the reproductive and stress responses to higher temperatures, and 4) determine if there is variation among early developmental …

Analyzing Science Classroom Design Ideas Of High School Students: Variations Amongst Lgbt-Identifying Students, Abraham A. Lewis

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The physical design of science classrooms is a leading factor in determining the uses of the classroom and the comfort and engagement of students in the classroom, and if a science classroom is designed with only the majority of students or the average student in mind, the classroom design may have a negative impact on the comfort, engagement, and perceptions of minority groups of students, such as queer students. The purpose of this research is to identify how a science classroom’s design impacts the perceptions, engagement, and comfort of queer students, and to use student suggestions to identify science classroom …

Interactions Between New Zealand Mud Snails (Potamopyrgus Antipodarum) And Toxic Cyanoabacteria (Anabaena) In Baduwa’T (Mad River), Humboldt County, California, Cecilia F. Kennelly

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Invasive species in freshwater systems are circulated around the globe, wreaking havoc on natural communities. The New Zealand mud snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) is a very successful aquatic invader that has established populations in freshwater streams, lakes, and rivers around the globe. The goal of this project was to evaluate the interactions of invasive New Zealand mud snails (NZMS) and toxic cyanobacteria Anabaena in the Mad River in Humboldt County, California. These two species of concern are found in similar habitats along the river, but their whether NZMS consume Anabaena or affect toxin production is unknown. First, I conducted …

Risk Of Depression In Persons With Alzheimer's Disease: A National Cohort Study, Casey Crump, Weiva Sieh, Barbara G Vickrey, Alexis C Edwards, Jan Sundquist, Kristina Sundquist

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Depression is a risk factor and possible prodromal symptom of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but little is known about subsequent risk of developing depression in persons with AD.

METHODS: National matched cohort study was conducted of all 129,410 persons diagnosed with AD and 390,088 with all-cause dementia during 1998-2017 in Sweden, and 3,900,880 age- and sex-matched controls without dementia, who had no prior depression. Cox regression was used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) for major depression through 2018.

RESULTS: Cumulative incidence of major depression was 13% in persons with AD and 3% in controls. Adjusting for sociodemographic factors and comorbidities, …