Life Sciences Commons^™

Exploring Csf Microrna Signatures As Diagnostic Biomarkers In Adult-Type Diffuse Gliomas, Maryam Pirhoushiaran, Kamilah Walker-Charles, Tsung-Hung Yao, Satwikreddy Putluri, Nehal Patel, Daniel H Wang, Isabel Wang, Srividya Arjuna, Antonio Dono, Angel Bueno, Sophia Nguyen, Ashish P Balar, Jason T Huse, Suprateek Kundu, Yoshua Esquenazi, Chirag B Patel, Sujit S Prabhu, Frederick F Lang, Leomar Y Ballester

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) genes, specifically IDH1 and IDH2, are frequently observed in diffuse gliomas (DG) and define distinct molecular subtypes, namely IDH-wildtype and IDH-mutant. Abnormal expression of extracellular vesicle-derived microRNAs (EV-miRNAs) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of DG patients may serve as minimally invasive diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. To investigate this potential, we employed miRNA-sequencing (miRNA-seq), quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and multivariable logistic regression (MLR) to identify differentially expressed microRNAs (DE-miRNAs) in CSF samples from DG patients. qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated that EV-miR-21-5p effectively differentiated CSF from glioblastoma (GBM) patients versus controls (p = 0.012, AUC = 0.84) and …

Large Scale Kmer-Based Proteomic Analysis: An Application Towards Evolutionary Constraint Discovery, Matthew Chak

Master's Theses

Large protein databases now make it possible to study short peptides across natural protein sequence space at unprecedented scale, but exhaustively counting k-mers across billions of protein sequences remains computationally difficult. This thesis develops an exact amino-acid k-mer counting method based on direct addressing, in which fixed-length amino-acid strings are encoded as base-20 integers and updated with a sliding-window recurrence. By avoiding key storage and collision resolution, this approach removes overhead inherent to hash-map-based methods when the k-mer space is sufficiently dense. A memory analysis shows when direct addressing is preferable to open-addressing hash tables, and expected-saturation calculations motivate its …

Exploring Regenerative Vegetable Systems On The Central Coast Of California, Una S. O'Connell

Master's Theses

As climate change and current agricultural practices place pressure on the long term sustainability and resilience of food production systems, there is growing interest in whether existing agricultural systems can adapt to maintain productivity while improving environmental outcomes.

This study evaluated the effects of regenerative versus standard organic vegetable production systems on yield, insect communities, and weed suppression across three field trials conducted on California's Central Coast. In addition, I collected baseline soil health data for all trials. Trials 1 and 2 were carried out at the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Organic Farm using cabbage and broccoli as cash …

The Effects Of Maceration And Enzymes On The Chemical Characteristics Of Hard Apple Cider, Manou De Pelsmaeker

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of maceration and pectinase enzymes on the base chemical, polyphenolic, and volatile characteristics of cider. The apples (Fuji) were milled and macerated for 0, 4, 12, 24, or 36 hours, both with and without an enzymatic pectinase addition. While base chemical characteristics such as sugar content and ABV were unaffected, the acidity of cider was influenced maceration and enzymes. Extended maceration time resulted in lower concentrations of malic acid, and enzymes resulted in a lower pH compared to the control. Polyphenols were extracted during maceration time, resulting in higher concentrations …

Supramolecular Assembly In Short Peptide Systems For Selective Metabolite Recognition And Drug Nanoencapsulation, Maithreyi Ramakrishnan

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Short peptides can form adaptive supramolecular assemblies, and understanding how minimal sequences organize around neurometabolites or hydrophobic cancer drugs enables the rational design of functional materials. This thesis combines molecular dynamics with experimental validation to establish design rules linking peptide sequence to emergent structure and function. Chapter 1 outlines the molecular determinants governing peptide assembly. Chapter 2 reviews computational workflows that reveal sequence-dependent conformations and supramolecular organization. Chapter 3 applies these principles to Dynamic Peptide Libraries which identify tetrapeptides that selectively interact with neurometabolites. Chapter 4 extends the same interaction-driven framework to design tryptophan-rich pentapeptides that co-assemble with kinase inhibitors …

How Temporal Integration And Complexity Drive Musical Enjoyment, August Miller

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Music is a type of aesthetic stimulus that unfolds dynamically over time. Combining approaches from previous research on musical preferences and research on spatial integration as a driver of visual aesthetic appreciation, we investigated how the integration of musical percepts over time influences listener enjoyment and the level of agreement between the enjoyment ratings of each listener. We used a DNN tool to quantify temporal dependencies in 32 music clips and also computed complexity scores for them. Subjects listened to each music clip while using a rotating dial to provide a continuous enjoyment rating, changing the dial’s position at the …

Marine Heatwaves And Fish Reproduction: Endocrine Responses In The Eurythermal Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon Variegatus), Isabel Villafuerte

Master's Theses

Marine heatwaves associated with climate change are increasing in frequency and severity, posing significant threats to fish populations in shallow habitats such as estuaries and salt marshes. Because temperature is a primary regulator of fish reproduction, understanding how heatwaves affect reproductive physiology is critical for anticipating the biological consequences of ongoing climate change for coastal fishes. Here we examined how simulated heatwave conditions affect the reproductive hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) endocrine axis in the estuarine sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus), a eurythermal fish well suited to studying thermal stress responses in estuarine environments. Adult sheepshead minnows acclimated to a daily oscillating …

Evaluation Of Ultraviolet-C Light For Control Of Mites And Western Tarnished Plant Bug In Strawberry & Interactive Lethal Effects Of Common Strawberry Fungicides And Adjuvants On Phytoseiulus Persimilis, Colin T. Koubek

Master's Theses

California strawberry production relies heavily on chemical pesticides to manage arthropod pests and diseases, but pesticide resistance, regulatory pressure, and the need to conserve biological control agents have increased interest in alternative pest management tools. This thesis evaluated ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light as a nonchemical management tool for key strawberry arthropod pests and assessed the compatibility of common strawberry fungicides and adjuvants with the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot. The first objective was to determine the ovicidal and lethal effects of UV-C light on Lygus hesperus Knight eggs and nymphs. Laboratory and field ovicide assays were conducted using UV-C doses relevant …

Effects Of Irrigation And Nitrogen Management On Yield And Leaching Risk In Organic And Conventional Broccoli Fields, Shane Egerstrom

Master's Theses

Under regulatory pressures to reduce groundwater contamination by nitrate from fertilizer, such as those posed by the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board’s Agricultural Order 4.0, a need exists to better understand interactions between irrigation and nitrogen (N) management. To increase N use efficiency (NUE), growers are encouraged to account for additional sources of N in their management plans, such as irrigation water N and preplant soil N. The availability of these N sources for plant uptake and how it is affected by other management conditions is not yet well documented. We conducted 6 field trials, 3 organic and …

Assessing Nitrogen Leaching Risk In Organic Vegetable Production, Megan Widle

Master's Theses

Nitrogen (N) leaching is the primary driver of groundwater contamination in agricultural regions. On California’s Central Coast, Agricultural Order 4.0 regulates this risk by constraining field-level N balances (N applied minus N removed). However, the assumption that unrecovered N is lost via leaching may not hold in organic and regenerative systems that promote soil organic matter accumulation. This study evaluated whether measured N leaching aligns with estimates derived from partial N budgets in organic systems, and whether management practices (intercrops, cover crops, and reduced tillage) can mitigate leaching risk. Four field trials were conducted to investigate N dynamics in organic …

Evaluating The Commercial Aquaculture Potential Of The Native Pacific Littleneck Clam (Leukoma Staminea) As A Climate Resilient Alternative To The Non-Native Manila Littleneck Clam (Ruditapes Philippinarum)., Skylar M. Wuelfing

Master's Theses

The California shellfish industry’s near-exclusive reliance on the non-native Manila littleneck clam (Ruditapes philippinarum) creates an economic vulnerability to climate-driven disturbances, which can cause mortality events that eradicate up to 80% of stocks. This singular reliance on an introduced species highlights a need for the evaluation of native alternatives like the Pacific littleneck clam (Leukoma staminea). Our goal was to assess the feasibility of using the native Pacific littleneck in commercial aquaculture by comparing their performance to the non-native Manila littlenecks across the following conditions: 1) a five-month field outplant trial at high and low intertidal …

Mapping Nucleosome Stability: Linking Oncogenic Structural Alterations To Long-Range Allosteric Communication, Augustine C. Onyema

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The nucleosome core particle (NCP) is essential for chromatin structure and function, serving as the fundamental unit of eukaryotic chromatin. Oncogenic mutations in core histones disrupt chromatin dynamics, altering DNA repair and transcription processes. How DNA communicates with histones, and how this information propagates through the histone, has been suggested to be a cooperative process. Here, I investigate the molecular consequences of two mutations, H2BE76K and H4R92T, using 36 µs of all-atom molecular dynamics simulations on Anton2. I also characterize the kinetic correlation within histone/DNA domains via conditional activity (CONDACT) using the dihedral angle as our degrees of …

Satellite-Based Forest Structure Metrics As A Predictive Tool For Biodiversity In Hyperdiverse Tropical Forests: A Test Of The Habitat Heterogeneity Hypothesis In The Tropics, David Luther, Marconi Campos-Cerqueira, Aline Medeiros, Aidan Mccarthy, Emilia Roberts, Xiaoxuan Li, Paulo Bobrowiec, Jared Wolfe, Gabriel Augusto Leite, Tomaz Nascimento De Melo, José W. Ribeiro, Thiago Bicudo, Konrad Wessels

Michigan Tech Publications

Tropical forests hold the most species yet face the greatest threats and knowledge gaps. To improve tropical biodiversity knowledge we combined satellite-based LiDAR with in situ bird, mammal, and acoustic soundscape data, via camera and audio recorders, at the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project in the Amazon rainforest and tested the habitat heterogeneity-diversity hypothesis as a predictor of alpha diversity in tropical forests. GEDI spaceborne LiDAR was used to assess the predictive power of vertical forest structure on acoustic diversity and species diversity in lowland tropical forests. In 4 months, we detected 201 bird and 35 mammal species representing …

A Review On Credit Card Electronic Fraud Detection Methodologies, Titilayo Mary Sayikanmi, Ibrahim Adepoju Adeyanju, Bolaji Abigail Omodunbi

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Credit card fraud remains a critical and escalating challenge within the global financial ecosystem, driving substantial annual losses and necessitating the continuous evolution of detection methodologies. This paper presents a systematic literature review, conducted via the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses framework, which comprehensively analyzes the state-of-the-art in electronic credit card fraud detection. Through a rigorous examination of 49 high-quality studies, this review maps the methodological evolution from traditional rulebased systems and statistical models to advanced artificial intelligence techniques, including machine learning, deep learning, and graph-based approaches. The analysis reveals that while individual methods possess distinct advantages …

Estimates Of Insecticide Performance Against Selected Insect Pests Of Cotton, Corn, Sorghum, And Soybeans Across The Cotton Producing States Of The United States, 2025, D. Cook, S. Graham, B. Thrash, N. Bateman, G. Studebaker, I. Esquivel, P. Roberts, D. Buntin, D. D. Kerns, J. Villegas, W. D. Crow, T. B. Towles, C. Floyd, D. Reisig, A. Farris, J. K. Greene, F. Reay-Jones, S. Brown, D. L. Kerns, S. Vyavhare, T. Mays, K. Siders, B. Easterling, S. Biles, T. Bryant

Midsouth Entomologist

Annually the members of the National Cotton States Arthropod Pest Management Working Group estimate insecticide and insect trait performance against selected insect pests in cotton, corn, sorghum, and soybeans across the cotton growing states.  These estimates are based on commonly used/recommended rates and from observations collected through field experiences and replicated research trials.  Results are summarized by region including the Southeast, MidSouth, West, and across all regions (U.S.).  States comprising regions include Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia (Southeast); Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee (Mid-South); and Arizona, California, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas (West). Not …

Adapting Population Genetics, Practice, And Policy For Plant Conservation In A Changing World, Cooper M. Kimball-Rhines

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Biodiversity conservation is an inherently interdisciplinary goal that requires effective collaboration among academics, ecosystem managers, policymakers, and other stakeholders. Codesigning research with these groups ensures experiments are useful and improves adoption of policy and practice recommendations while advancing our understanding of basic science. This dissertation explores the power of codesigned research in shaping plant conservation strategies using stakeholder engagement, causal inference, demographic modeling, and multi-omic sequencing techniques. In chapter 1 I discuss the history of New England ecosystems and the need for research-driven changes to plant conservation policy and practice in the face of global change. In chapter 2, I …

Pickleweed In The Disappearing Marsh: Population Genetics & Metal Accumulation In Salicornia Depressa, Alice Kaisla

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Salicornia is a genus of succulent halophytes found in salt marshes around the world. Salicornia species have a remarkably high tolerance for heavy metal pollution and have been shown to accumulate high concentrations of heavy metals in their tissue under experimental conditions. As a result, they are both a useful system for studying evolution in polluted coastlines and a potential candidate for use in phytoremediation. My research focuses on Salicornia depressa, known as pickleweed, a species commonly found in marshes along the heavily urbanized and industrialized New England coast. I investigate genetic diversity and population structure in S. depressa populations …

The Cultivation Of Public Perception: Cultivated Meat Narratives And Misinformation On Tiktok, Anna M. Balkus

Graduate Masters Theses

Cultivated meat is an emerging tissue engineering technology that has the potential to address major issues threatening food systems, including climate change, rapid population growth, and the spread of disease. Among technical challenges, public perception remains a significant barrier for the widespread adoption of cultivated meat. While social media has transformed communication globally, it has simultaneously contributed to corrupt online environments infected with misinformation—unintentional inaccuracies that differ from disinformation, which is spread with the intent to mislead. The way the public receives and digests information regarding new food technologies, like cultivated meat, will be shaped by their social media environment. …

Intervention Levers For Stunting Reduction In Indonesia: Evidence From The 2023 Indonesian Health Survey Data, Iwan Ariawan, Hafizah Jusril, Zahra Izza Afifa, Azka Fitri, Elmarizha Sekar Utami, Mikail Hasan, Dwi Puspasari

Kesmas

Stunting remains the largest public health challenge among macro-nutrition problems in Indonesia, affecting almost a quarter of children under five in 2023. The prevalence is considered high according to the World Health Organization standard. This study analyzed 15 aggregated provincial variables from the 2023 Indonesian Health Survey using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), focusing on determinants of stunting among children under two to identify primary intervention levers. Findings indicated that intervention urgency should focus on the first 1,000 days, particularly the steep increase in stunting prevalence observed in the 12–24-month age range. While the highest prevalence is in Eastern provinces (e.g., …

Investigation Of Environmental Influences On Multiple Sclerosis: A Study For Egypt’S Health, Noha Ezzaldin Alziny Ali

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex, chronic neuroinflammatory disease influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. While global research has identified potential environmental influences, most evidence comes from Western populations, creating a significant knowledge gap for regions like Egypt, which has witnessed a dramatic rise in MS prevalence over recent decades. This study hypothesized that Egyptian MS patients exhibit a distinct biological signature in their blood, characterized by an imbalance in essential and toxic trace elements (the metallome) and alterations in stress-response biomarkers associated with neuroaxonal injury and cellular stress. Objective: This study aimed to comprehensively profile and compare …

Vergence Task-Based Neural Pathways With Binocularly Normal Vision And Comorbid Persistent Post-Concussive Symptoms -Convergence Insufficiency, Ayushi Sangoi

Dissertations

Binocular dysfunctions are more prevalent in the persistent post-concussive symptoms (PPCS) population than in the general population. The most prevalent binocular disorder is convergence insufficiency (CI), affecting 3-17% of the general population and up to 10 times as many people with PPCS. CI makes it difficult to fuse or maintain fusion on targets at near, and its symptoms include double or blurry vision and headaches when performing close-range tasks such as reading, which can exacerbate PPCS symptoms. Given controversy over the subjectivity and effectiveness of diagnostic tools and symptom surveys for both PPCS and CI, understanding why CI has high …

Transcranial Ac Modulation Of Cerebellar Nuclear Activity In Awake Animals, Nuran Kavakli

Dissertations

Entrainment of cerebellar nuclear (CN) cells via cerebellar transcranial alternating current stimulation (ctACS) has been reported in animals under ketamine/xylazine anesthesia. Our main objective was to demonstrate modulation of CN activity in unanesthetized, freely moving animals using ctACS. Multi-channel carbon-fiber electrodes were implanted into the interpositus nucleus for recording multi-unit (MU) activity, and thin-film electrodes were implanted subcutaneously over the posterior cerebellum for stimulation. A frequency-domain-based metric was developed to quantify modulation from MU signals. The results demonstrated modulation in a wide range of frequencies (4 Hz-300 Hz) as in anesthetized animals. In contrast, the amplitude of the peak in …

The Effect Of Incompatibility Types On The Escalation Of Global Armed Conflicts, Michael Haratua Rajagukguk, Ruben Cornelius Siagian Rcs

Journal of Terrorism Studies

Global armed conflicts show variations in intensity influenced by the type of issue incompatibility. This study aims to analyze the influence of territorial, ideological, and combined incompatibilities on the probability of high-intensity conflict escalation, as well as its implications for conflict mitigation strategies. Global conflict dyadic data were analyzed using a multilevel logistic regression model with controls for time, region, and conflict type. The results show that ideology-based conflicts have a lower probability of reaching high intensity than territorial conflicts (OR ≈ 0.51, p < 0.05), while conflicts with a combination of ideology and territory tend to be at greater risk of high escalation (AM effect ≈ +26.6 points), although the effect is not yet statistically significant. Temporal analysis shows a downward trend in conflict intensity over time, especially in the post-Cold War period, while regional effects and conflict types show significant variation. These findings fill a gap in the literature on the dual interaction of ideological and territorial claims, showing that the highest escalation of violence occurs when symbolic and material dimensions are intertwined. In conclusion, conflict escalation is more influenced by a combination of issues and structural characteristics of conflict than by ideology alone. The novelty of this research lies in the identification of the strengthening effect of dual incompatibility and the downward trend in conflict intensity after the Cold War, which emphasizes the importance of a relational and temporal context-based mitigation approach in global conflict management.

Is Trimethylamine N-Oxide A Friend, Foe, Or Hormetic Agent In Patients With Parkinson’S Disease: A Focused Review Of One Microbial Metabolite, Abraham B. Alton

Student Works

This review synthesizes recent literature examining trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) synthesis and its potential role in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) pathology. An increase in TMAO plasma and CSF concentration is associated with PD progression and severity. TMAO biosynthesis is a two-step process. First, precursors including carnitine and choline are converted to trimethylamine (TMA) by gut microbes. Second, TMAO is oxidized to TMAO in the liver. Once absorbed into circulation TMAO crosses the blood brain barrier and may influence PD disease pathology by increasing neuroinflammation and astrocyte activation and damaging the cerebral lymphatic system. These mechanisms may contribute to the cognitive and motor …

Working Out Your Self-Image: Strength, Self-Esteem, And Human Flourishing, Kingston K. Christie

Honors Projects

This project integrates empirical research in exercise science with theological anthropology to examine the psychological effects of resistance training and the meaning of strength within a Christian framework of human dignity and flourishing. The empirical component investigated the effects of a four-week progressive resistance training intervention on global self-esteem and physical self-concept among undergraduate university students with moderate-to-low baseline self-esteem. Eleven participants (N = 11; 20.15 ± 1.52 yrs) completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) and Physical Self-Description Questionnaire Short Form (PSDQ-S) before and after the intervention, with muscular strength assessed via submaximal testing across the squat, bench press, deadlift, …

Rocatinlimab As A Novel Treatment Strategy For Atopic Dermatitis, Haylee Whyde, Evan Blazek, Macy Davis, Parker George, Alex Lowery, Connor Dains, Brenna Hissong, David Koh

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Atopic dermatitis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects millions of children and adults in the United States. Atopic dermatitis is characterized by recurrent pruritus, erythema, and relapsing symptoms that can significantly impair quality of life. The pathophysiology of atopic dermatitis involves epidermal barrier dysfunction, immune dysregulation, and genetic susceptibility. Atopic dermatitis guidelines follow a stepwise approach that begins with a severity assessment, trigger avoidance, and nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic treatments. First-line therapies include topical corticosteroids (TCSs), topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs), and emollients. Crisaborole and topical ruxolitinib are used for mild-to-moderate disease when prior therapy has been inadequate. Monoclonal …

Fda Approval Of Tradipitant: A Novel Approach To Motion Sickness Treatment, Haley Brown, Jennifer Cao, Allie Honigford, Leah Heitkamp, Sarah Hiett, Connor Dains, Brenna Hissong, Manoranjan D'Souza

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Motion sickness is a prevalent neurophysiological condition affecting approximately one-third of the worldwide population, resulting from sensory mismatch and the brain’s internal model of motion. It is characterized by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and autonomic symptoms during exposure to actual or virtual motion, which may significantly impair daily functioning and quality of life. Current guidelines recommend the prevention and treatment of motion sickness through pharmacologic, herbal, and non-pharmacologic strategies. Scopolamine and first-generation antihistamines are effective pharmacologic options, while ginger has demonstrated some benefit in reducing symptoms as an herbal option. Non-pharmacologic interventions such as habituation training, behavioral techniques, and sensory strategies …

Evaluating The Market Withdrawal Of Andexanet Alfa, Jordyn Linfield, Addisyn Cooper, Alexander Defranco, Emma Gerding, Jessica Kelley, Tyler Henney, Connor Dains, Brenna Hissong, Brittany Bates

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

The coagulation cascade comprises intrinsic, extrinsic, and common pathways that converge when thrombin converts fibrinogen (factor I) into fibrin, leading to fibrin mesh formation, stabilization of the platelet plug, and ultimately thrombus formation. Inhibition of the coagulation cascade can be achieved with a variety of anticoagulant medications, including direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). The mechanism of action of DOACs is to inhibit either factor Xa or thrombin. Reversal of anticoagulation remains an important clinical consideration when managing patients on DOACs who experience serious bleeding events. Andexanet alfa is a recombinant, modified human factor Xa protein previously indicated for patients receiving rivaroxaban …

Fda Approval Of Etripamil For The Treatment Of Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia, Kiley Devoll, Daniella Egbujor, Katy Grainger, Katherine Cook, Victoria Niese, Connor Dains, Brenna Hissong, Andrew Roecker

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT) is characterized by sudden, brief, intermittent episodes that result in a heart rate of 150 to 250 beats per minute (bpm). PSVT is difficult to diagnose, making proper treatment challenging. According to the 2015 American Heart Association (AHA)/American College of Cardiology (ACC)/Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) guidelines, current pharmacologic recommendations for PSVT include adenosine, verapamil, diltiazem, or nonpharmacologic vagal maneuvers.¹ These treatments each have a variety of adverse effects, contraindications, and dosing considerations, which highlight a need for novel therapies for the acute treatment and maintenance of PSVT.¹ The NODE-301 trial assessed the safety and …

Impact Of Package Dimension Changes On The Consumer’S Perception Of Ready-To-Eat Meal Serving Size, Greg Roskos, Koushik Saha

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

Consumers increasingly scrutinize changes in food packaging, particularly in the context of “shrinkflation,” yet little empirical work has examined whether small dimensional changes in primary packaging affect perceived value when product weight is held constant. This study investigates the impact of minor tray dimension changes on consumers’ perception of serving size and product quality for ready-to-eat (RTE) frozen meals. Three single-compartment tray formats were evaluated: a control tray, a larger-volume tray (~18% increase), and a hybrid tray with an intermediate volume (~8% increase). All trays contained identical net product weight. Thirty-six untrained panelists from a local community participated in a …