Life Sciences Commons^™

Investigating Intellectual Diversity: A Critical Examination Of Academic Publishing Practices And Their Effects On Wildlife Conservation, Madeline M. Damon

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Academic publishing processes and standards play a fundamental role in communicating, reviewing, and expanding scientific knowledge in wildlife conservation. However, various publishing biases privilege some research perspectives and worldviews while limiting others. These biases directly impact intellectual diversity, or differences in ontology, axiology, and epistemology. This study aims to quantify intellectual diversity in the field of wildlife conservation and identify how publishing biases affect knowledge available to researchers and decision-makers worldwide.

The study employed a sample of 50,000 articles published between 2018 and 2022, collected from the Web of Science database. To analyze the vast amount of article records, natural …

How Aquatic Insects Mitigate Temperature-Oxygen Challenges Via Behavioral, Morphological, And Physiological Plasticity, Jackson H. Birrell

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

How do organisms respond to environmental challenges and to environmental change? These questions occupy a central place in ecology and answering them will help us to understand why species live where they do, how organisms are affected by human activities, and, ultimately, how to choose among alternative conservation strategies. These questions are difficult, however, for two reasons. First, environmental challenges often involve multiple, interacting stressors. Second, individual responses can be modified by behavioral, morphological, and physiological plasticity. My dissertation investigates how interactions between temperature and oxygen influence the performance and survival of aquatic insects and how plasticity allows individuals to …

Factors Contributing To Legacy Hardwood Mortality Following Prescribed Fire, Heather D. Rickard

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Interruption of Indigenous stewardship has resulted in hardwood decline along what is now known as the middle Klamath River in northern California related to adverse effects to Tribal food sovereignty and community wellbeing. The survivors of a “legacy” of Indigenous stewardship are highly valued by the Karuk and neighboring Tribes for a myriad of culturally beneficial ecological associations and sources of traditional staple foods. Prescribed fire, following a century of fire exclusion, has resulted in unanticipated mortality of legacy tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus), California black oak (Quercus kelloggii), and madrone (Arbutus menziesii), warranting further investigation. …

Western Gulls’ (Larus Occidentalis) Reproductive And Behavioral Responses To Human Disturbance, Lilamarie 'Asta Bowen

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Human disturbances can negatively affect wildlife by causing stress, altering behavior, or even impacting populations through changes in survival or productivity. Colonial-nesting seabirds are of particular concern due to population declines and their gregarious and conspicuous nature, which may attract human visitors. However, the effects of nearby human activities, though frequently negative, could be neutral or even positive through phenomena like habituation to human activities or subsidization by human-supplied food sources. In this observational study, I evaluated relative support for three hypotheses which may explain how Western Gulls are impacted by human activity: disturbance, habituation, and subsidization. I investigated this …

Use Of Foreign Edna Tracers To Resolve Site- And Time-Specific Edna Distributions In Natural Streams, Braden A. Herman

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Substantial uncertainty in how to interpret eDNA observations motivates a need for a technique to effectively and efficiently measure of system- and time-specific eDNA distributions. Using a technique to robustly calibrate eDNA dynamics in a given system would improve established eDNA methods such as presence and absence and has the potential to refine estimates of organism abundance using eDNA concentration that are less well understood. Particles of eDNA are present in a wide variety of size and type resulting in varying transport dynamics, persistence, decay, among others. This variation likely makes eDNA transport more complex than that of conservative tracers …

The Relationship Between Gluteus Maximus Activation And Running Kinematics In Recreational Distance Runners, Ricardo Sanchez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Within the running community, there are strategies that a trainer will utilize to improve the performance of an athlete. One of these strategies suggests that an increase in activation of the Gluteus Maximus (GM) muscle will result in an increase in the efficiency of runners. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between GM activation and running kinematics.

Methods: Three female and seven male recreational runners (27±8 yrs) from California Polytechnic State University, Humboldt and the local community. A Pearson product-correlation was used to determine the strength of the relationship between Gluteus Maximus activation and kinematic …

Effects Of Exergaming On Health And Fitness Outcomes For Students With Disabilities: A Meta-Analysis, Jason Abaya

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Background: The high prevalence of obesity in America can be attributed to the lack of resources and physical activity for students with disabilities. This meta-analysis presents how current literature on exergaming affects the Health Related Fitness, Skill Related Fitness, and Motor Skills of students with a diagnosed disability.

Method: The search strategy for this meta-analysis was to identify previous studies using specific keywords (e.g., Exergaming, Wii-Fit, VR, Physical Education, Adapted Physical Education). Studies were included and sorted based on inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results: Based on 20 studies that met the inclusion criteria, there were increased fitness outs, however not …

Olfactory Organ Morphology And Ultrastructure Of The Larval Koh Tao Island Caecilian (Ichthyophis Kohtaoensis), Jaclyn M. Patmore

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The olfactory system of living amphibians (Lissamphibia) undergoes major changes as it transitions from an aquatic to a terrestrial system during metamorphosis. Patterns of change in the cellular morphology of the nose have been examined for frogs (Anura) and salamanders (Caudata). However, it remains unknown if caecilians (Gymnophiona) have similar patterns of change in their nasal ultrastructure. In particular, no data on larval caecilian olfactory cell types are available. Here, using light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, I examined the olfactory organ of larvae of the caecilian Ichthyophis kohtaoensis, to establish the ultrastructure of the epithelium and compare it …

Impact Of Self Determination Theory Amongst Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder And Physical Activity: Modifying A Survey, Ruben Guillermo Diaz

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Prior research has expressed concern for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who may be at risk regarding exercise and physical activity due to lack of interest, delays in motor skill development, and/or social impairment. Self Determination theory (SDT) has been suggested as an effective approach for supporting individuals with ASD across a variety of domains. SDT expresses that with the satisfaction of three fundamental psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness), higher levels of intrinsic motivation will develop which will lead to enhanced development and well-being. While SDT is an effective approach to promoting motivation, it has been suggested that …

Physical Characteristics And Fine Roots Within Duff Mounds Of Old-Growth Sugar And Jeffrey Pine In A Fire-Excluded Sierran Mixed-Conifer Forest, Jules Bartley

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Fire exclusion has profoundly impacted frequent fire forests in western North America, disrupting fundamental ecological processes while leaving large, old pine trees vulnerable to drought, insects and disease, and fire. Forest managers want to increase the pace and scale of prescribed burning, yet heavy accumulations of organic material (duff mounds) at the bases of large pines can smolder for prolonged periods, damaging the cambium or consuming fine roots occupying the O horizon and/or upper mineral soil horizons. Increased duff mound depth is associated with greater mortality risk during prescribed fire, yet the biotic and abiotic drivers of duff mound accumulation …

Polymorphism Of Melanin-Based Pigments In Barn Owls In Winegrape Vineyards In Napa Valley, California, Laura Mariana Echávez Montenegro

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Many raptor species exhibit plumage polymorphism. Through the expression of a particular phenotype, polymorphism allows individuals to exploit alternative spatial or temporal environments and food resources most successfully. Barn Owls display within-species variation in their plumage, ranging from reddish to whitish and from heavily spotted to having no spots at all. In heterogeneous landscapes in Europe and the Middle East, reddish Common Barn Owls (Tyto alba) inhabit territories with proportionally more arable fields and consume proportionally more voles than mice in contrast to their whiter counterparts; a phenomenon known as habitat matching choice. This study sought to quantify …

State And Transition Models For Tussock Grasslands And Woodlands Of The Kimberley: Final Project Report, Anna E. Richards, Brett Abbott, Robert Sudmeyer, Matthew Fletcher, Kath Ryan, Suzanne Prober, Philip Thomas, Pouria Ramzi, Jodie Hayward, Chris Hetherington, Karyn Reeves, Wayne J. Fletcher

Natural resources commissioned reports

The Kimberley region in north-west Western Australia is covered by extensive savanna woodlands and tussock grasslands. Approximately half the region is under pastoral leases predominately used for beef production. The Western Australian (WA) government Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) undertakes lease assessment and inspection to ensure the maintenance of pastoral land condition (maintenance of perennial grass cover that supports livestock grazing and soil condition). This presents several challenges around defining land condition and practices that support and improve long-term ecological sustainability of pastoral lands. The objective of this project was to develop state and transition models (S&TMs) …

[Research Note] The Random Somatic Mutation Is Not Quite Random, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

This research note challenges the idea that Random Somatic Mutations are entirely random, highlighting their non-equiprobable nature and their influence on evolution, involution, or indeterminacy. It recalls the Neutrosophic Theory of Evolution, extending Darwin’s theory, and emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between different senses of “random mutation” in evolutionary theory.

Neutrosophic Superhyperalgebra And New Types Of Topologies, Florentin Smarandache, Memet Sahin, Derya Bakbak, Vakkas Uluçay, Abdullah Kargı

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

In general, a system S (that may be a company, association, institution, society, country, etc.) is formed by sub-systems Si { or P(S), the powerset of S }, and each sub-system Si is formed by sub-sub-systems Sij { or P(P(S)) = P^2(S) } and so on.

That’s why the n-th PowerSet of a Set S { defined recursively and denoted by P^n(S) = P(P^(n-1)(S) } was introduced, to better describes the organization of people, beings, objects etc. in our real world.

The n-th PowerSet was used in defining the SuperHyperOperation, SuperHyperAxiom, and their corresponding Neutrosophic SuperHyperOperation, Neutrosophic SuperHyperAxiom in order …

Development Of Probiotic Fermented Beverage From Gac Fruit (Momordica Cochinchinensis) And Its Functional Properties On Gut Health, Marisa Marnpae

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The study aimed to develop a probiotic beverage using gac fruit and assess its characteristics and functional properties related to gut health through probiotic lactic acid fermentation. Gac juice (GJ) at 5–10 g/100 g was fermented with Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei (L. CASEI 431®), and various aspects were explored, including probiotic viability, physicochemical properties, phytochemicals, antioxidant activity, functional properties, volatile flavor compounds, and sensory acceptability of fermented GJ (FGJ). The results indicated a decrease in pH and sugar content, alongside an increase in lactic acid, acetic acid, and probiotic viability, up to 108 CFU/mL, post-fermentation. Notably, FGJ, particularly at 10 …

Probiotic Beverage From Different Cultivars Of Pomelo Juices (Citrus Grandis (L.) Osbeck) Fermented With Lactobacillus Spp., Vernabelle Balmori

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Pomelo fruit contains prebiotic and bioactive components which makes it a promising substrate for non-dairy probiotic beverages. The study investigated the potential of fermenting five pomelo cultivars with Lactobacillus paracasei for non-dairy probiotic beverages. Fermentation enhanced lactic acid bacteria (8.80–9.28 log CFU/ml), organic acids, polyphenols, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity, disrupting cholesterol micellization and inhibiting pancreatic lipase. Some cultivars showed improved volatile compounds and sensory scores post-fermentation. Tubtim Siam exhibited the highest functionality and health benefits based on principal component analysis and hierarchical clustering and was used for further analysis for beneficial effects. The in-vitro colonic fermentation of fermented and non-fermented …

Identification And Functional Characterization Of Mads-Box Proteins And Ccos Involved In Carotenoid Metabolism In Durian Durio Zibethinus L. Pulps, Kittiya Tantisuwanichkul

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Durian (Durio zibethinus L.), known as the "King of fruits," holds significant economic importance in Thailand. Apart from its unique odor and sweet taste, durian pulp exhibits a yellow color, which is an important aspect of fruit quality. Carotenoids are essential compounds responsible for the yellow, orange, and red coloration in many fruits and vegetables. During durian fruit development and ripening processes, its pulp changes from white to yellow due to increased carotenoid accumulation. The carotenoid biosynthetic pathway, responsible for carotenoid production, is controlled by ethylene. However, the mechanism underlying this process in durian fruit is still unknow. Notably, the …

Pea Protein Isolate As Emulsifier In Oil-In-Water Emulsion Model System, Mujahid Hassan Khan

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Plant protein has been progressively demanded as a new-trend, healthier-choice and bioeconomic ingredient. However, the fundamental and technical knowledge of plant-based protein to understand and improve their structural functions are limited. In this study, pea protein isolate (PPI) were selected to be evaluated its emulsifying role on the formation, stability and tribology of model oil-in-water emulsions. Since PPI is a functional ingredient with hypoallergenic property. Firstly, the emulsifying property of PPI were investigated with corn oil-in-water emulsion systems. The results showed that 1% w/v PPI could stabilize the emulsion system of 5% w/v corn oil at pH7 using the high …

A Comparison Of Peak Ground Reaction Forces Of Pitches From The Stretch And Windup, Richard D. Edwards

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Ground reaction forces can help coaches and players understand the lower extremity biomechanics of pitching in baseball. Research has told us that there are repeatable characteristics of ground reaction forces that pitchers produce during a pitch. This study examines the differences in peak ground reaction forces produced from pitching from the stretch versus pitching from the wind-up. Five variables were recorded for each pitch from the push-off leg and the landing leg. Landing forces were then compared to landing forces of the other pitching style and the same comparison was made for the push-off leg. This was achieved by altering …

Riverine Fish Population Dynamics, Aaron P. Muehler

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Dynamic rate functions (i.e., recruitment, growth, mortality) structure fish populations and are subject to latitudinal differences. These latitudinal differences are likely reflective of climatic variation and may result in spatially distinct populations that must be managed independently, especially in large systems such as the Upper Mississippi River system (UMRS). In order to successfully manage this system, an understanding of what drives these populations is required. The UMRS is useful for this investigation as it crosses 10° temperate latitude with widespread fish species found throughout. In this study, I investigated the synergistic relationship between latitude, vital rates, and abundance. Species were …

Quantitative Song Variety In Relation To Genotype In A Hybridizing Chickadee Population, Shelby Madison Palmer

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The Black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) and Carolina chickadee (P. carolinensis) are North American songbird species that hybridize in a narrow contact zone stretching latitudinally from New Jersey to Kansas, USA. The association between genetic ancestry and song type in this hybrid zone has been studied independently several times and found to be minimal or absent, likely due to the influence of cultural transmission on learned song in the oscine passerine clade to which the chickadees belong. Despite this, the song of both species remains remarkably distinct in allopatry, suggesting a genetic constraint on certain qualities of …

The Role Of Interspecific Competition In The Range Collapse Of A Songbird After Rapid Range Expansion, Zachary H. Vickers

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

There is a wealth of evidence demonstrating interspecific competition in birds, but often this evidence is localized and may or may not entirely explain range dynamics over large geographic extents. Bewick’s Wrens (Thrymanes bewickii) and House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon) are small passerine birds of the family Troglodytidae. Previous experimental evidence has demonstrated that Bewick’s Wrens suffer from asymmetric interference competition from House Wrens in Kansas, and this evidence has been cited as the likely reason for the historically recent range collapse of the Bewick’s Wren. However, I argue that localized experimental evidence is insufficient to explain abundance trends over large …

Phenomenological Study Into The Role Of Self-Efficacy In Minority Student-Athletes' Sport Performance, Tomas A. Singhgolden

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Self-efficacy is a person’s belief in their ability to successfully complete a task, which can be derived from four sources of information (i.e., past performance, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and physiological states). The role of self-efficacy in sporting performance is well documented as being positively associated with enhanced performance across multiple levels of sport (e.g., Olympic, collegiate athletes). Specifically, with collegiate athletes, high levels of reported self-efficacy have resulted in higher performance accomplishments. Although self-efficacy has been researched within sports, there is a dearth of knowledge examining ethnic minority athletes’ perceptions of self-efficacy related to their athletic performance. The aim …

Investigation Of Inflammation And Apoptosis Mediated Toxicity In Response To Metal Oxide Nanoparticles In Ml-1 And Ca77 Cancer Cell Lines, Alyse N. Peters

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) are becoming more popular in today’s environment. They contribute significantly to the technologies in agriculture and food development but there is little understanding to how MONPs, including ZnO, CuO, TiO2, and SnO2, impact human health and the environment. Our growth assay revealed that none of these negatively affects viability in the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In contrast, both human thyroid cancer cells (ML-1) and rat medullary thyroid cancer cells (CA77) displayed a significant reduction in viability with the treatment of CuO and ZnO. The production of ROS in these cell lines when treated with CuO and …

Centrifugation Cushion Vs. Spermfilter™: Effects On % Recovery, Holly S. Hopkins

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

It has been demonstrated that removing seminal plasma and resuspension of the sperm pellet in various diluents will improve the post-storage motility of spermatozoa from some stallions. This typically involves centrifugation. However, a sperm filtering device marketed by Botupharma (Phoenix, AZ) allows seminal plasma removal without a centrifuge. This study compared spermatozoa recovery rates using this device vs. centrifugation with and without a cushion. Thirteen ejaculates were collected from three quarter horse stallions. Prior to treatment, aliquots were diluted with Dulbecco's modified PBS at a dilution rate of 1:1. For the two centrifugation treatments, 12 ml of the diluted semen …

Distribution Patterns Of Allorhizobium Vitis In Missouri Vineyards And Non-Vineyard Soils, Jacquelyn M. Wray

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Crown gall disease causes significant economic loss to the grape and wine industry. Preventive strategies are most effective for mitigating the loss of grapevines in vineyards, as there is no known cure for this disease. The bacterium Allorhizobium vitis carrying a tumor-inducing (Ti) plasmid is the causative agent. A. vitis bacteria live systemically in the grapevine before causing visible symptoms and can survive in residual plant tissues and soil for more than two years. Diagnostic methods have been developed to detect A. vitis bacteria in grapevines and soil. However, more reliable, specific, and high-throughput diagnostics are still needed for screening …

Role Of Grb2 Intracellular Localization In Progesterone Receptor Positive Breast Cancer, Nattamolphan Wittayavimol

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Progesterone receptor (PR) extranuclear signaling mediates mainly through PR polyproline domain (PPD) interaction with SH3 domain of cytoplasmic signaling molecules. PR-PPD interfered with Grb2-SOS binding through SH3 interaction resulting in decreased cell proliferation and correlates with a good prognosis in PR positive breast cancer. Grb2 is a key adaptor molecule and expressed in both nucleus and cytoplasm. We hypothesized that change in Grb2 localization alters PR transcription resulting in better clinical outcomes in PR positive breast cancer. BT-474 breast cancer cells expressing inducible Grb2-SV402x (nuclear Grb2, nuGrb2) or Grb2-MYR (membrane Grb2, memGrb2) were constructed. MemGrb2-BT-474 showed higher levels of PR …

Roles Of Progesterone Signaling On Dna Repair And Cell Survival In Ovarian Cancer Cells, Pattarasiri Rangsrikitphoti

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Every year over 300,000 women worldwide are diagnosed with ovarian cancer and half of these patients die from this disease. The symptoms of ovarian cancer are very general and often confused with other common female diseases making ovarian cancer a challenging disease to diagnose and treat. Platinum-based chemotherapy, including cisplatin, stands as the first-line treatment for ovarian cancer. However, chemotherapy resistance remains a continuing problem, contributing to a high mortality rate. Progesterone receptor (PR) signaling has been implicated in various aspects of ovarian cancer biology. Clinical studies show a positive correlation between PR expression, improved patient survival and cisplatin response, …

Electrophysiological Characteristics Of A Novel Scn5a Mutation (I239v Or M1487k) In The Cardiac Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel, Vichaya Auvichayapat

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Cardiac voltage-gated sodium channels (NaV1.5) are essential to generate sodium current (INa) and regulate cardiac electrical conduction. Mutations in NaV1.5 can lead to cardiac disorders such as Brugada syndrome and Long QT Syndrome type 3 (LQTS3), potentially resulting in sudden cardiac death. Mutations p.I239V and p.M1487K have been identified in LQTS3 patients. The p.I239V mutation was found in a patient with mild symptoms and in family members who experienced sudden cardiac death, while the p.M1487K mutation is associated with more severe symptoms. This study aims to investigate the impact of these mutations on INa from NaV1.5 activities, which could cause …

Viral Rna M6a Methylome Profilingusing Nanopore Direct Rna Sequencing, Thada Sukprasong

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is the most common RNA modification in eukaryotic mRNAs and viruses, playing a pivotal role in gene regulation. Currently, nanopore sequencing has emerged as a technique capable of identifying m6A positions by observing differences in ionic currents between wild-type and METTL3-knockout samples. This method sequences native RNA strands directly, bypassing reverse transcription. The xPore program compares the ionic currents from both samples to determine m6A positions and their modification rates. However, obtaining METTL3-knockout RNAs is not always achievable. To address this limitation, m6Anet predicts m6A positions and provides the probability of m6A sites using only wild-type RNA. …