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- Creatore:
- Weinberger, Hannah S.
- Descrizione:
- As wildfires increase in extent and intensity and threaten local communities, active suppression tactics are important, including the creation of fire lines. These fire line sites become populated with non-native species, which can increase the risk of fire at these sites into the future and minimal research exists on the plant community trajectory of these mechanically disturbed sites. I studied the 32-fire located east of Chico, CA. which burned 11.3 ha in September 2017. The fire line was installed by a bulldozer and ranges from 6m –12.2m in width. Erosion control was instituted on parts of the fire line. To assess plant recovery, I established plots in four vegetation types: annual grassland and forbs, California black oak, manzanita, and wedgeleaf ceanothus. Locations were stratified randomly based on three levels: burned, unburned reference, and disturbed fire line (dozer line). After the first growing season post-fire, proliferous growth was observed on the fire line and edge of the burned areas, especially non-native grasses such as Avena spp. which had individuals over 1.7 m tall. A soil nutrient analysis was conducted on soil samples gathered from a random subset of plots within California black oak, manzanita, and wedgeleaf communities within the disturbed fire line, burn and unburned areas. This analysis was conducted to see if fire retardant dropped may have had any relationship with increases in non-native species. Soil concentrations of ammonium, phosphorus, and nitrate were measured. Post-fire rehabilitation of fire lines primarily focuses on erosion control and restoration methods are not robust in the literature. Restoration pilot treatments were implemented on part of the fire line that was not included in the plant recovery trajectory survey. Restoration pilot treatments included a seedbank treatment where all vegetation was removed to bare mineral soil, a seedling treatment where all vegetation was removed and Nassella pulchra seedlings were planted, and a cardboard treatment which was the seedbank and seedling treatments combined with an addition of cardboard used as a mulch replacement. All three restoration treatments were done in triplicate and compared to a control. In the fire line 18-months post-fire, manzanita and wedgeleaf vegetation types did not have primary species found in similar unburned or burned sites. Bray-Curtis Index results comparing similarities of species cover 6-months and 18-months post-fire, respectively, indicate wedgeleaf fire line was only 0.08and 0.07similar to unburned wedgeleaf plots. Manzanita dozer line was only 0.05and 0.09similar to unburned manzanita. Fire line had a higher percentage of non-native species cover, compared to respective burned and unburned areas. Post-fire regeneration of manzanita and wedgeleaf species on site occurs from seedbank, so future recruitment in these areas is unlikely, suggesting that fire line sites are on a trajectory away from original vegetation type. Ammonium and phosphorus concentrations were both elevated in burn and fire line areas when compared to unburned sites. Both ammonium and phosphorus were found to show significant clustering on the 32-fire site indicating raised levels may be a result of targeted aerial fire retardant application. Although nitrate concentrations had significant clustering, there may be several contributors to the high levels of nitrate besides just fire retardant application. Raised nitrate concentrations were highest in the burn and fire line areas but relatively high levels were also present in unburned areas. All three restoration pilot treatments on the fire line had higher success preventing non-native propagation, as well as the buildup of dead debris, when compared to control. Although all three pilot treatments had generally the same success as one another in these two areas of interest, the decrease of non-natives as well as dead debris in these treatments compared to the control shows that some sort of action on the fire line post-fire may help prevent an increased fire risk in the future. More research will need to be conducted to reaffirm findings.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Chico
- Department:
- Geological and Environmental Sciences
- Creatore:
- Kelley, John C.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Chico
- Department:
- Geological and Environmental Sciences
- Creatore:
- Juarez, Gardenia
- Descrizione:
- The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the experiences of older adults with physical disabilities in a physical activity university service-learning program. Subjects participated in the Beyond Exercise: Wellness Enhancement for Life (BE:WEL) two times per week for 1, 2-4 or more than 5 years and shared their experiences through semi-structured interviews. The model of successful aging (Rowe & Kahn, 1997) was the research framework that guided the methodology used for this study. Purposeful sampling of participants which included 55 years or older, BE:WEL participant, and physical disability, observations taken by primary researcher, collection of artifacts such as workout logs, volunteer notes, and previous participation notes and semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was also used for the data in order to triangulate participant experience and provide a richer description of participant experiences. Results of the study were three themes: positive mental health, physical competence/confidence, and program vibe. Participants experienced improvements psychologically and physically from service-learning program. The population size perceives to have successful aging even though physical disabilities were not avoided. The service-learning program provided a social, comfortable, and learning environment for physical activity among participants. Physical activity service-learning programs can be beneficial to older adults with disabilities in a community program setting. Population size was small, so may not be a reflection on the entirety of older adults with physical disabilities. Future studies could include higher population sample, quantitative data on exercises, and a year-long analysis.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Chico
- Department:
- Kinesiology
- Creatore:
- Aktemur, Ilknur
- Descrizione:
- Not every agreement guarantees that the terms of the agreement will be strictly followed. Similarly, not every alliance relationship can guarantee that expectations will be met. As the alliance literature has focused on the beginning and outcomes of the alliances, it ignores the alliance quality that concerns the inter-state alliance process. This study considers the notion of 'trust' as the basic element in the quality of the alliance. Trust is an abstract notion, but its measurement is not impossible; the study managed to measure it over the unilateral decisions in the alliance, and the Democratic and Republican Party Presidents' attitudes and decisions (in a sense, partisanship). It also presents findings regarding the effect of different national security interests and democracy levels of the countries on the trust issue in the alliances. For this examination, the Turkish American alliance was chosen as the case study; many problems based on trust in the Turkish-American alliance are up-to-date, and it covers the years between 2003 and 2013. In this regard, the study provides progressive findings; accordingly, unilateral decisions undermine the trust in the alliance. In addition, these crises in the alliance are less likely to be observed with the Democratic Party Presidents compared to the Republican Party Presidents; the discussion of the past problems in the Turkish-American alliance in this study made this generalization possible. While the findings show that different national security interests negatively affect the trust, no correlation was found between the conflicts (crises) of alliance and the changing level of democracy. The study also explored how the Turkish public responded to the crises and the positive developments in the alliance. For this objective, the Turkish public's approval rates to George W. Bush and Barack Obama were applied. This exploration also reveals the measurement of the Turkish public's international trust in the United States. Findings show that the public places great emphasis on the discourses of the presidents, and the discourses constituted their first impression. The Turkish public opinion regarding the U.S. is reactive and unstable; however, the varying approval ratios of the public and the timings of the crises and developments do not match. In other words, the public opinion about a leader of state can change without any 'apparent' development.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Chico
- Department:
- Political Science and Criminal Justice
- Creatore:
- Ward, Alfred John
- Descrizione:
- Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park (MDSHP), a historic hydraulic mine, is a known source of fine‐grained sediment and contaminant metals to the Humbug Creek Watershed. The purpose of this study was to provide land managers insight into erosion and episodic transport of fine‐grained sediment in MDSHP. Erosion of the pit walls deliver sediment to Hiller Tunnel, which discharges to Humbug Creek, an impaired body of water for chromium (total), copper, iron, mercury, sedimentation/siltation, and zinc. In‐situ sediment samples were collected during 2015 from six vertical transects along the cliff walls of the mine pit. Surface water samples were collected in 2014 and 2016 from drainage networks below the in‐situ sampling sites during runoff conditions. In‐situ and suspended sediment samples were analyzed for grain‐size distribution, by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) for quantitative mineralogy, by inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) for trace elements, and by inductively coupled plasma‐optical emission spectroscopy (ICP‐OES) for major elements. X‐ray diffraction data indicated that the fine suspended sediment in Hiller Tunnel is composed predominantly of kaolinite and halloysite, with minor smectite, illite, and muscovite. Kaolinite is abundant in many of the in‐situ samples but relatively few stratigraphic units have abundant halloysite. In‐situ sediment samples from within the pit were found to increase in halloysite concentration, from stratigraphic bottom to top. SedUnMix was used to explore the potential contribution of sediment from different sites in the mine pit to the Humbug Creek discharge and may be used to inform management efforts in MDSHP. Finegrained sediment, which is discharged out of Hiller Tunnel, comes from all areas in the pit. Contributions from runoff above the pit rim were minimal, based on low suspended sediment concentrations contained in storm runoff. Elevated concentrations of heavy metals were higher in storm runoff samples collected in the west of the pit than in the east. Total mercury concentrations ranged from 29 to 2290 ng/L in 2014 and 21.1 to 6700 ng/L in 2016.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Chico
- Department:
- Geological and Environmental Sciences
- Creatore:
- Gates, Andrew E.
- Descrizione:
- This thesis is an investigation into the role of names within Olga Grushin’s Forty Rooms, in order to in understand the protagonist, Mrs. Caldwell, as an “everywoman” in which readers can see themselves. I use the names of the male characters to show them as the patriarchy, and I use their actions to show them as oppressors. Conversely, I investigate the names of the women to show their universality and characteristics that keep them blind to their existence in an oppressive social atmosphere. I go on to emphasize the importance of the protagonist’s namelessness and show how several rhetorical devices and images – namely the use of pronoun confusion, first to third person narrative perspective switch, mermaids and mirrors – are used to help readers understand the protagonist as a hybrid and representing the masses of oppressed women.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Chico
- Department:
- English
- Creatore:
- Ellet, Hannah Camille
- Descrizione:
- American contemporary and multicultural literature focuses on issues surrounding race. This project analyzes race through differing spaces, places, and environments in three works of 20th and 21st century American literature. Despite their differences in time and place, each novel deals with the restriction or removal of a marginalized group from a space or environment. Because an essential part of one’s identity is rooted in their relationship to the various physical environments or spaces of which they are a part, this project asks questions surrounding identity, heritage, and the creation of self. It also looks at the movement of individuals between spaces, focusing on the different ways an individual’s identity changes within urban and rural environments.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Chico
- Department:
- English
- Creatore:
- Blackwell, Hope
- Descrizione:
- In my thesis exhibition, clandestine: conversations with a shadow, I render elements of my psyche to act as a window for the outside world, exploring the psychological concept of the shadow self. The concept of the shadow self, is a psychological archetype suggested in research conducted by psychologist Carl. The shadow self is understood to be the repressed unconscious of an individual that can manifest in feelings or thoughts that contradicts the character of an individual. The research of Jung was the foundation for this exhibition alongside my personal experience with the loss of my father. This exhibition consists of projected still images and videos that attempt to bring the shadow self and the exploration of loss out of the subconscious and into the physical world. I use lens-based media to record my body as the primary subject for this work. The gallery installation is meant to become the physical representation of my mind, where the shadow lives, creating an environment where viewers can encounter something that normally is not seen.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Chico
- Department:
- Art and Art History
- Creatore:
- Aguiar, Stephanie
- Descrizione:
- Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a disease that affects the normal growth of myeloid cells, which are blood cells that protect the body against foreign invaders in the blood and bone marrow. In humans, 95% of CML cases are caused by a chromosomal translocation that inappropriately links the breakpoint cluster region (BCR) to Abelson murine leukemia viral oncogene-1 (ABL1), forming a mutant oncogene called BCR-ABL1 . A protein that physically interacts with BCR-ABL1 is growth receptor bound protein-2 (GRB2), an intracellular adaptor protein involved in cell growth and differentiation. Specifically, BCR-ABL1 binds to a region of GRB2 known as the SRC homology-2 (SH2) domain. This interaction transforms hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, initiating leukemic transformation. The current frontline therapy to treat CML is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, imatinib. Some patients have developed a resistance to imatinib, and thus the demand for additional anticancer drugs are needed. To prevent growth of CML cells, Dr. Arpin and her students of the CSU Chemistry and Biochemistry department created two novel SH2 antagonists (NHD2-15 and NHD2-114) and we tested their ability to prevent cell proliferation in the human BCR-ABL1 + K562 myelogenous leukemia cell line. The most significant growth reduction was observed 72 hours after the addition of 30 μM of NHD2 - 15. Furthermore, adding drugs combinatorially (60 μM NHD2-15, 30 μM NHD2-114, and 1 μM imatinib) to K562 cells showed over 2-fold growth reduction than with imatinib alone. To assess if these compounds are toxic to living organisms, we added the two compounds individually to the water of healthy adult zebrafish, and found that NHD2-15 was non-toxic. After using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) we also found that these two novel drugs exhibited prominent binding affinities to GRB2; NHD2-15 with K d = 119 ± 2 μM, and NHD2 - 114 with K d = 440 ± 7 μM (Lewis et al., in revision, 2019). Western blots were performed to determine the pathway these novel antagonists in fluence, and to ultimately indicate if these drugs stop cancerous cell proliferation via the Janus kinase signal transducer and activators of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway, as well as the mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (M APK/PI3K) pathway. Results of western blotting indicated that the combinatorial treatments of both novel drugs reduces expression of proteins involved in both the JAK/STAT and MAPK/PI3K pathways, suggesting these compounds inhibit different target proteins within BCR-ABL+ cells to decrease leukemic cell proliferation. This research should provide an additional alternative treatment for patients who develop imatinib resistance.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Chico
- Department:
- Biological Sciences
- Creatore:
- Morgan, Jason P. T.
- Descrizione:
- Summer camps in the US gross more than $18 billion in revenue while providing over 14,000 individual programs. Summer camp counselors, like other outdoor workers, are at risk of occupational solar exposure. Occupational solar exposure increases an individual’s lifetime accumulation of solar radiation, leading to skin damage and higher rates of skin cancer. This study fills a gap in the research about the sun protection behaviors of summer camp counselors and their attitude towards provision of sun protection for themselves and the campers in their care. Counselors’ usage of sun protection measures were found to be inadequate. Most counselors were either unprotected or under-protected from occupational solar exposure. Female counselors were significantly more likely to use sun protection measures and reported a higher desire to protect themselves and their campers from solar exposure. Counselors who used sun protection measures for themselves were significantly more likely to feel responsibility for protecting their campers from solar exposure. These findings suggest that summer camps are not adequately protecting their staff from occupational solar exposure. This leads to the conclusion that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is failing to hold summer camps accountable to protect this group of employees from a known workplace hazard. The findings have implications for hiring, training, and risk management practices at summer camps.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Chico
- Department:
- Recreation, Hospitality, and Parks Management