Life Sciences Commons^™

Cattle Producer Motivations And Willingness To Participate In Industry Animal Welfare Program Verification, Chase Decoite

Master's Theses

As consumers have become increasingly interested in where their food comes from and how it is grown, the cattle and beef industry is without exception. Many consumers are beginning to question traditional animal husbandry practices and on-farm animal welfare protocol. It is essential that the food system meets new demands and understands consumer views. In order to address these concerns, the industry has rallied around the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program to set the standard for cattle welfare and beef quality, with the explicit goal of improving consumer confidence. The goal of this research is to determine if cattle producers …

Effects Of Compost On Soil Health And Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Case Study In A Mediterranean Vineyard, Tsz Fai Wong

Master's Theses

Compost is commonly used as an organic amendment in cropping systems such as vineyards, and has been shown to be beneficial to carbon (C) sequestration and soil health. As perennial crops, grapevines have a larger potential for C sequestration than most crops. Yet, there is a lack of understanding regarding the relationship between compost application rate, the magnitude of C sequestration, and its environmental tradeoff in the form of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In the study, we investigated the effects of compost application rate on soil C sequestration, GHG emissions, crop growth, and overall soil health after two annual compost …

Insects As A Sustainable Food Ingredient – Utilization Of Carrot Pomace, Identification Of Early Adopters, And Evaluation Of Mealworm Acceptability, Dominic Rovai

Master's Theses

Insects have been proposed as a sustainable alternative to livestock to help feed the growing population. Edible insects such as mealworms require less land and resources and can utilize food by-products to grow. While insects are consumed by over 2 billion people worldwide, they are not widely accepted in developed countries like the United States because of their unfamiliarity and the perception of disgust associated with entomophagy. The objectives of this research are to 1) grow mealworms using carrot pomace and determine an optimum diet for growth and nutritional composition, 2) identify and classify early adopters of insects, and propose …

Effects Of Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria And Fungi On Strawberry Plant Health, Fruit Yield, And Disease Susceptibility, Mary Maher

Master's Theses

Studies on plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and fungi (PGPF) as biostimulants have shown significant positive effects on plant health, fruit yield, or pest management. However, very few published studies to date have been specific regarding their effects on strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa), particularly on soilborne disease prevalence in organically grown strawberries. Empirical data on the results of using these products in commercial growing applications under various conditions would be highly valuable, especially for organic growers who have limited synthetic chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers registered for use. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of …

Selection Of Overwintering Microclimate By Migratory Western Monarch Butterflies, Kiana Saniee

Master's Theses

Migratory species are expected to demonstrate habitat selection that occurs at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Western monarch butterflies migrate seasonally to overwinter in groves at geographically predictable locations along the California coast. To date, overwintering habitat selection by western monarch butterflies has been studied assuming that habitat selection occurs where overwintering aggregations form, meaning at the spatial scale where monarchs form dense overwintering aggregations within overwintering groves. We argue that since western monarch butterflies are migratory, studies of habitat selection could have commingled selection at different scales into a single spatial scale. This likely leads to ignoring some levels …

Will Oakland Burn Again: Understanding The Fire Hazard In An Urban Park System, Alessandra M. Zambrano

Master's Theses

Though almost thirty years have passed since the 1991 Tunnel Fire, the wildfire hazard is still present in the Oakland Hills. This study was conducted to determine if the vegetation in the Oakland Hills had reverted back to fuel conditions that contributed to the Tunnel Fire, examine how the fire hazard has changed since 1991, and evaluate planned wildfire mitigation. The goal was to determine how fuel conditions have changed since 1991 and compare potential fire behavior to that of the Tunnel Fire. Additionally, the study examined the effectiveness of the mitigation actions described in the East Bay Regional Park …

Habitat Heterogeneity Affects The Thermal Ecology Of The Federally Endangered Blunt-Nosed Leopard Lizard, Nicole Gaudenti

Master's Theses

Global climate change is already contributing to the extirpation of numerous species worldwide, and sensitive species will continue to face challenges associated with rising temperatures throughout this century and beyond. It is especially important to evaluate the thermal ecology of endangered ectotherm species now so that mitigation measures can be taken as early as possible. A recent study of the thermal ecology of the federally endangered Blunt-Nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia sila) suggested that they face major activity restrictions due to thermal constraints in their desert habitat, but that large shade-providing shrubs act as thermal buffers to allow them …

Development Of A Portable Low-Moisture Food Pasteurization Device Using Rf Heating, Eric Jason Ohata

Master's Theses

Bacterial presence in low-moisture foods such as flour, cereals, baby formula, and spices, have become a concern due to sanitizing challenges. The food industry currently focuses on wet food sanitation as opposed to low-moisture foods because of bacteria’s inability to reproduce in low water activity media. Traditionally, food processing RF heating pasteurizes in mass quantities while an equivalent consumer device does not exist the market today. A consumer product would help eliminate food waste by providing an easy way to sanitize food and extend shelf life. The Portable Food Pasteurization (PFP) project is an interdisciplinary project involving the Electrical Engineering, …

Evaluation Of Masculinization Treatments To Produce Feminized Hemp Seed (Cannabis Sativa L.), Ted Fitzgerald, J. Wyatt Brown

Master's Theses

Cannabis sativa L. (hemp) develops plants with either male or female flowers, and growers of hemp greatly prefer female flowers which bear the glandular trichomes that contain cannabinoids. Feminized (all female) seeds are highly desired, which are produced by crossing a female plant with a masculinized female plant. Masculinization is achieved through the inhibition of ethylene and/or addition of gibberellins before flower initiation in female plants. The hemp industry uses silver thiosulfate (STS) to masculinize hemp, but spraying silver poses environmental concerns. This study compared STS to three other ethylene-inhibiting agents: aminoethoxyvinylglycine (AVG), cobalt nitrate (CBN), and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP). Treatments …

Reciprocal Transplant And Machine Learning Study Of Oak Mistletoe On Three Host Oak Species In Santa Margarita, California, Ella Abelli-Amen

Master's Theses

At Santa Margarita Ranch, California, oak mistletoe (Phoradendron villosum) parasitizes valley oak and blue oak but cannot be found growing on coast live oak despite its abundance and ability to parasitize coast live oak in other areas. It seems as though this species of mistletoe is specializing on certain host oak trees, but the mechanisms of this specialization are unknown. In order to investigate this pattern, we utilized a type of machine learning in GIS called supervised classification as well as a reciprocal transplant study in the field. The three species of oak trees were classified with 87% accuracy using …

Investigating The Mechanism Of The Escherichia Coli Atp-Binding Cassette (Abc) Transporter Metni, Matthew Foronda

Master's Theses

Chemical homeostasis is a baseline requirement for any cell to survive. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters play a vital role in homeostasis by importing nutrients and exporting toxins against their concentration gradients by utilizing the energy of ATP hydrolysis. Malfunctioning ABC transporters cause a variety of health problems, including cystic fibrosis, Stargardt’s disease (vision loss), and the development of drug-resistant tumors. An important step in solving these medical issues is to first understand the structure and mechanism of ABC transporters. Various studies have made great strides in depicting the structure and details of different ABC transporters and their mechanisms, however, many …

Testing The Climatic Variability Hypothesis With Coastal And Inland Populations Of Mimulus Guttatus And Implications For These Populations Under Climate Change, Alec Chiono

Master's Theses

How climate shapes the niche of a species is a core interest in evolution and ecology. Research on the evolution of climatic niches can inform us on the historical relationship between organisms and their climate, and, in an era of great environmental change, what that relationship may look like in the future. In this study, I tested an essential idea in the history of climate niche research, the Climatic Variability Hypothesis, by comparing the thermal niche breadth of coastal and inland populations of Mimulus guttatus. Using thermal performance results from this experiment, I also forecasted how the suitability of …

The Role Of Med31 And Med12 In Directing Adipogenesis Of Human Adult-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Joseph Straub

Master's Theses

Selective gene expression is crucial in maintaining the self-renewing and multipotent properties of stem cells. Mediator is a large, evolutionarily conserved, multisubunit protein complex that modulates gene expression by relaying signals from cell type-specific transcription factors to RNA polymerase II. In humans, this complex consists of 30 subunits arranged in four modules: head, middle, tail, and kinase. In our introduction, we show the state of the field of Mediator study with a focus on the critical kinase module. In the following chapters, we used siRNA knockdowns to investigate the roles of the highly-conserved core subunit MED31 and the kinase module …

Developing An Adaptive Rock Climbing Curriculum For Suny Cortland Outdoor Pursuits 2021, Rebekah Mills

Master's Theses

SUNY Cortland Outdoor Pursuits opened in August of 2015 with the completion of the newly constructed Student Life Center. Outdoor Pursuits is a smaller department within the Recreational Sports Department. Outdoor Pursuits offers rock climbing services at its facility located in the Student Life Center. Currently, Outdoor Pursuits offers Bouldering and Top Roping services only when the Student Life Center is open, these hours are typically 3-10 pm. Monday-Friday and Saturday-Sunday 2-8 pm. These services are only provided to eligible SUNY Cortland faculty, staff, students, alumni, and other affiliated members. As the facility has grown in popularity during its operation, …

Notch And Mediator Work Together To Direct Hasc Self-Renewal, Jaylen Mumphrey

Master's Theses

Stem cells are unique in that they possess totipotent, pluripotent, or multipotent differentiation capabilities and can also self-renew. Stem cells are in either a state of selfrenewal or differentiation, but never both. If we are able to gain a full understanding of the underlying mechanisms that allow stem cells to remain self-renewing and multipotent, we will better be able to control the fate of cells, ultimately allowing stem cells to be used to their full capabilities in regenerative medicine. My research focuses on MED12 and its effects on Notch signaling. Here we describe the expression profile and activity of MED12, …

The Role Of Med12 In Adipogenesis Of Human Adipose Stem Cells, Onyekachi Chinelo Idigo

Master's Theses

The interest in adipogenesis stems from the high rate of obesity in the world and the motivation to better understand the process of cell fate in relation to human diseases. Mutations in MED12 lead to developmental disorders and certain malignancies. To date, specific roles of Mediator and MED12 in cell state regulation are unclear, nevertheless, they are critical for understanding stem cell regulation and enhancement of their clinical applications. This study investigates the role of MED12 in relation to the Mediator complex kinase domain to better understand transcriptional control of adipogenesis in hASCs. In this study, MED12 expression was diminished …

Loblolly Pine (Pinus Taeda) Leaf-Level Physiology And The Influence Of Genotype, Drought, And Thinning, Norman Jesse Cone Iv

Master's Theses

The Southeastern U.S. is known as the “Wood Basket” for producing the vast majority of U.S. timber, but projected increases in the frequency of severe drought events could threaten timber plantations. Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) is the principle timber species of the southeast and is distributed across the Atlantic Coastal Plains and west into Texas. Western Gulf states (LA, TX, AR, and OK) lie at the edge of the range for loblolly pine and are particularly vulnerable to any changes in precipitation or temperature. Current research suggests two main methods to increase plantation drought resistance: plant drought resistant seedlings or …

The Role Of Med12 In Adipogenesis, Caroline Helen Rinderle

Master's Theses

In order for any function to occur within a cell, transcription factors must be able to interact with genes. When this occurs, genes are expressed, and ultimately, proteins are translated and perform the specific function that needs to be done within the cell. In order for this to occur, genes must interact with transcription machinery. The Mediator complex recruits transcription factors to genes in order to promote cell-type specific gene expression. The Mediator complex is a multi-protein complex consisting of four modules: head, middle, tail, and kinase. The kinase module is known to dissociate from the rest of the complex …

Relationship Between Jump Tests And Their Influence On Multidirectional Ground-Reaction Forces In Baseball Pitchers, Ryan Lis

Master's Theses

Jump tests are effective, valid, and reliable methods to examine lower body power and possibly influence ground reaction forces (GRFs) in baseball pitching. Purpose: To determine relationships between drive leg and stride leg GRFs and fastball velocities while pitching from the wind-up and stretch to 1) drive leg and stride leg GRFs of unilateral countermovement jumps (UCMJ) and bilateral countermovement jumps (BCMJ), 2) BCMJ, and drive and stride leg UCMJ height as well as bilateral broad jump (BBJ) and drive and stride leg unilateral lateral to medial jump (ULMJ) distances, and 3) BBJ estimated peak power. Methods: Nineteen Division I …

Relationship Between Kinetics Of Countermovement Jump And Proximal Mechanics Of Collegiate Baseball Pitching, Motoki Sakurai

Master's Theses

Purpose: To identify how countermovement jump (CMJ) kinetics influence kinematics and momentum of the baseball pitching motion with a focus on lower body and proximal movement. Methods: Nineteen Division I collegiate pitchers (age = 19.9 ± 1.5 years; height = 1.86 ± 0.06 m; weight = 90.7 ± 13.8 kg) performed a bilateral CMJ test and threw 5 strike fastballs from the stretch with a slide step on a custom-made pitching mound built for a laboratory setting. A 3D motion capture system tracked whole-body kinematics at 240 Hz from 29 reflective markers. Two force plates recorded ground reaction forces (GRFs) …

Effects Of Bacterial Metabolites In Conditioned Media On Colon Cancer Proliferation, Hunter Panier

Master's Theses

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States with colorectal cancer (CRC) being the third most common type. Available treatments include a combination of surgery and chemotherapy but have debilitating side effects. These also have limited effectiveness in some cases, creating the need for additional treatment options, or supplementary treatments to increase their effectiveness. This is leading scientists to consider the microbiome to fix this shortcoming. Current research is focusing on the microbiome and its interactions with certain diseases, which could lead to pro- or prebiotic therapies. This work aims to establish specific bacterial species can …

Using Zebrafish As A Model System For Studying The Autism Risk Gene Adnp In Early Embryonic Development, William Theune

Master's Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a group of debilitating neurodevelopmental disorders, estimated to affect 1 in 54 children. Despite the identification of many autism-risk genes, the underlying mechanisms for ASD remain unclear. One of the most common forms of ASD is associated with de novo mutations in the ADNP gene (Activity-Dependent Neuroprotector Homeobox; accounting for 0.17% of ASD individuals). Termed ADNP syndrome, this disorder is characterized by intellectual disability, facial dysmorphia, and is comorbid with multiple organ system deficits. We set out to use zebrafish as a model organism to gain mechanistic insights into ADNP function. Zebrafish have the advantage …

The Effects Of A Loaded Pre-Competition Activity Using Tethered Swimming On 25-Yard Swim Sprint Performance 2021, Jacob Burchfield

Master's Theses

Warmup is a standard practice for swim competitions, but there is minimal scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of pre-competition activities (PCA) after the swim warmup. This study examined whether a loaded PCA using tethered swimming while attached to a power rack improves performance in a 25-yard swim sprint. Post activation performance enhancement (PAPE) may be the proposed mechanism for improvement resulting from a loaded PCA. To determine if PAPE existed following the loaded PCA, varsity swimmers from SUNY Cortland performed a 25-yard sprint a loaded PCA and after an unloaded PCA (control). All participants performed a standard meet warmup (1600-yards) …

How Historic Shipwrecks Influence Dispersal Of Deep-Sea Microbiomes, Rachel Moseley

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates how historic shipwrecks potentially shape dispersal of deep-sea microbiomes. Processes impacting dispersal of microbiomes around artificial structures in the ocean and how they connect to other deep-sea habitats is unknown. Dispersal processes are explained for some macroorganisms by theories in ecology, specifically the Theory of Island Biogeography and the Wooden Stepping Stone hypothesis. These have not been investigated for microorganisms, and thus this work will probe if they are applicable to microbial biogeography in this habitat. Experiments were conducted to establish new “island-like” features in near proximity (25-125 m) to wooden-hulled historic shipwrecks in the northern Gulf …

Lotus: A Web-Based Computational Tool For The Preliminary Investigation Of A Novel Mst Method Utilizing A Library Of 16s Rrna Bacteroides Otus, Ginger Dewitte

Master's Theses

Microbial Source Tracking (MST) is a field of study that attempts to identify the source of fecal contamination in waterways in order to assist with development of remediation strategies. Biologists at Cal Poly Center for Applications in Biotechnology (CAB) are developing a new MST method using microbes from the genus Bacteroides. Bacteroides species are host-specific microorganisms that can theoretically be used to trace back to a single host species. After fecal samples are collected, biologists use Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques to obtain only the genetic sequences of microorganisms belonging to the phylum Bacteroidetes. Investigators hypothesize that similar sequences belong …

Trophic Ecology Of Mesopelagic Fish Larvae And Juveniles In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Emily Gipson

Master's Theses

The deep-pelagic environment encompasses ocean waters below 200 m depth, and comprises 90% of the volume of the Gulf of Mexico. Deep-pelagic fishes are important prey for many oceanic consumers, but relatively little is known about their early life history, including larval fish trophic ecology. An understanding of the role deep-pelagic fish larvae have in oceanic food webs is important in the development of ecosystem models that examine the connectivity (via vertical migrations) between the deep-pelagic and epipelagic environments with respect to trophic interactions, nutrient cycling, and carbon sequestration. In this study, archived plankton samples collected during 2010 and 2011 …

Natural And Experimental Noise Affects Acoustic Communication In Songbirds, Veronica Arlene Reed

Master's Theses

Background noise is ubiquitous and can impair acoustic communication and influence signaling behavior in animals. Despite evidence demonstrating myriad effects of anthropogenic noise on animal communication, precisely how natural background noise influences communication and behavior remains unclear. Yet, natural sources of background noise, such as rushing rivers or crashing ocean surf, share similar power spectra to sources of anthropogenic noise and can occur at high amplitudes, potentially masking acoustic signals.

To investigate the effects of water-generated noise on songbird behavior, we experimentally broadcast landscape-level playbacks of ocean surf and river noise in coastal California, USA, and riparian habitat in Idaho, …

Early Wildfire Detection With Line Sensors, Virginia Yan

Master's Theses

Over the last few years, wildfires have become more devastating to communities as the fires are inevitably destructive to many homes, businesses, and ecosystems. Frequent wildfires also pose a significant threat to power grids and nearby residents as they can damage transmission lines and other electrical equipment, which in turn can cause major power shutdowns. Especially in western U.S., severe drought conditions and weather variability cause residents to become more vulnerable to wildfire disasters as their safety is threatened. We are incompetent to control the wildfires effectively despite existing advanced technologies. Hence, an algorithm based on energy conservation and heat …

The Effects Of Wort Oxygenation Scenarios On Fermentation Performance, Volatile Flavor Compound Development, And Flavor Stability In High Gravity Brewing, Ben Jabson

Master's Theses

High gravity (HG) brewing has become the most used strategy for maximizing fermenter productivity in commercial brewing. While HG brewing has many benefits, the additional stress placed on the yeast due to the higher concentration of fermentable sugars in the wort can negatively impact fermentation performance and flavor compound formation. A proper dissolved oxygen (DO) level is vital to guarantee adequate yeast performance during HG fermentations. Dissolved oxygen is vital to yeast viability throughout the fermentation process, as yeast requires oxygen to synthesize vital cell membrane components needed for continued anaerobic growth and cell division. Previous research has demonstrated the …

The Response Of Marine Synechococcus To A Landscape Of Environmental Stressors: A Proteomic Exploration, Dana E. Michels

Master's Theses

In the field of marine microbial ecology, many questions remain unanswered with regards to the physiological trade-offs made by phytoplankton to maximize growth (e.g., nutrient acquisition) and minimize loss (e.g., predation defenses). These tradeoffs, which occur at the cellular level, have wide reaching impacts on food web dynamics and global biogeochemical cycles. In the first chapter, we explored the use of a non-canonical amino acid (NCAA) technique, bioorthogonal non-canonical amino-acid tagging (BONCAT), in phytoplankton model systems. This technique has potential to work well in natural systems by enabling isolation of only newly synthesized proteins during an incubation period with the …