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Masters Thesis
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- Creator:
- Sperou, Emily S.
- Description:
- Purpose of the Study: Long-lived iteroparous females may suppress reproduction during unfavorable conditions to maximize lifetime reproductive success. Capital breeders must accrue sufficient body reserves to support reproductive effort or they may exhibit reproductive failure. The basis of these reproductive decisions is not well understood. Northern elephant seals are seasonal, colonial breeders with a period of embryonic diapause and biannual foraging trips divided by a breeding and molting haul out. Being capital breeders, they use the post-breeding foraging trip to recover body mass lost during lactation and the gestational foraging trip to accumulate resources for lactation. Females exhibit high natality, roughly 15% of females skip breeding each year. A previous study suggested alteration in baseline cortisol concentrations may be the proximate mechanism linking foraging success and reproductive suppression, but evidence of an interaction between cortisol and reproductive hormones is currently lacking. Procedure: We investigated a suite of reproductive hormones (progesterone, 17β- estradiol, inhibin A, prolactin) and cortisol, to determine patterns across life-history stages. We analyzed 1,029 serum samples from 441 adult female NES during their biannual haul outs. Included in this dataset were 30 females known to have skipped breeding. Findings: The data confirmed a highly seasonal pattern to changes in sex hormones. Estradiol and inhibin were high during the late breeding haul out, suggesting the timing of ovulation. Progesterone was highest at the end of the molt, indicating implantation had occurred. Path analysis revealed strong influences of estradiol and prolactin on progesterone, indicating these three hormones are key for implantation. Individual variation suggests important regulatory roles for prolactin, inhibin, and cortisol in modulating implantation. The data suggest that some females suppress implantation under the modulation of cortisol and inhibin. Most females that skip breeding appear to implant but fail to maintain gestation. Conclusions: Failure to recover body reserves from the preceding reproductive event may inhibit implantation, but most non-breeding females fail to maintain pregnancy during the gestational foraging trip. This bet-hedging strategy is likely one component of a capital breeding life-history that buffers females against short-term changes in foraging success, but limits fitness costs to reproduction through multiple check-points for body reserves.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sonoma
- Department:
- Biology
- Creator:
- Hudson, Daniel
- Description:
- Purpose of the Study: To understand male and female mate choice patterns affecting species and gender recognition via long distance chemical cues, this study examined the rough skin newt, Taricha granulosa, in both pond and creek habitats. Response to chemical cues of males vs. females was examined for T. granulosa, whereas the California newt (Taricha torosa), and the red-bellied newt (Taricha rivularis) were used to examine how T. granulosa would respond to heterospecific chemical cues as compared to conspecific cues in a region of the species’ ranges where all three species occur in sympatry. Methods: To simulate mate choice decisions in nature as closely as possible, we conducted behavioral experiments in the field using a Y-maze apparatus (olfactometer). All trials were run in the field using unique individuals. Data were combined across multiple years. Mate choice was analyzed using a nominal logistic regression model accounting for variation among year, researcher, Y-maze apparatus, sex, and species. Findings: T. granulosa females chose chemical cues of conspecific males significantly more than heterospecific males, whereas males showed no preference between chemical cues of conspecific and heterospecific females. In addition, T. granulosa males chose chemical cues of conspecific males over conspcific females, whereas females showed no preference between chemical cues of conspecific males and females. Conclusions: The results of this study support long-standing theoretical paradigms that males, who have less parental investment in offspring will adopt a strategy of seeking matings with females regardless of quality, whereas females, with greater levels of parental investment, will engage in a more discriminating mate choice strategy. In this case, females use chemical cues to avoid heterospecific males during breeding season encounters and reduce wasting her singular mating event on an act of hybridization. A result of this mating strategy is that reinforcement of reproductive isolation is maintained in this region of sympatric range overlap. In contrast, will mate with any female across multiple mating events, and use chemical cues to either locate females or to avoid other males (or both).
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sonoma
- Department:
- Biology
- Creator:
- Poska, Ryan
- Description:
- Purpose of Study: The purpose of this study was to determine if there were archaeological traces of the colonial past embedded in the landscape at the Bureau of Land Management’s Bear Creek Unit (Bear Creek Ranch). By studying the archaeological traces of the colonial past in the landscape, a clearer picture of regional history and Hill Patwin ethnohistory could be developed. The main goal of the study was to distinguish distinct “phases” of colonial settlement, identified as distinct archaeological “landscape layers” that span the Bear Creek Unit. Procedure: Archaeological surveys, archaeological excavations, a record search, and extensive Historic, Ethnographic, and Archival research were conducted to identify pertinent archaeological remains, and to contextualize those remains within the regional history. Archaeological sites received formal recordings, were digitized into a GIS database, and were mapped to show the spatial and temporal relationships. Findings: The fieldwork and record search identified 36 sites implicated in the colonial era (1769 – c. 1945). 10 of these sites received their first recording, and 3 received supplemental information. The obsidian hydration dating following the archaeological excavations indicated continued indigenous use of the property into the late 19th and early 20th century. Conclusions: The thesis concludes that there are distinct archaeological layers in the landscape that can yield data on how colonization effected the Hill Patwin over time, and how the Hill Patwin adapted to the eventual influx of Euro-American settlers who occupied the landscape from the 1870s on. While no clear archaeological indicators of resistance were found, historical and archival finding indicate that resistance to colonization was an important aspect of Hill Patwin ethnohistory and the Indigenous history of the Coast Ranges as whole.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sonoma
- Department:
- Anthropology
- Creator:
- Thurston, Samantha A.
- Description:
- The purpose of this study is to investigate how educators can support the mental health needs of students with developmental disabilities and what role an educator can play in the identification of a student’s mental illness. This study was conducted with 23 teacher candidates who were enrolled in their first year of a teaching credential program. A mixed methods approach was used through a survey that contained both fixed-choice and open-ended questions. Preceding a training held by the researcher, the survey was distributed to the subjects one week prior; then they were given the survey directly after attending the training. Along with the survey, the researcher collected anecdotal notes taken during the training based on subject-driven discussions. Based on the gathered data, the researcher found that a majority of the subjects admitted to feeling a lack of knowledge on mental illness and mental health resources, confusion over identifying a student’s behavior versus potential symptoms of a mental illness, and the need for a whole team support approach. All of the subjects reported an opinion that, while an educator should play some role within the identification process and daily support of a student’s mental health needs, that it should not be solely the educator’s responsibility. Rather, it should be a team of professionals that assist with the identification or daily support of a student’s mental health needs.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sonoma
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Thao, Bee
- Description:
- Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this research is to create a historical context for Historical Archaeology to understand the lived experiences of Asian/Asian-American women so archaeologists can ask questions for the evaluation of historical sites, places, spaces, and properties associated with Asian/Asian-American women. Procedure: A contextual approach utilizing theoretical frameworks from the fields of Asian American studies, Gender Studies, and Historical Archaeology were used to analyze how Asian/Asian-American women create, recreate, maintain their identities in the context of their community involvement, labor participation, marriages, and family dynamics. This research conducted ethnographic interviews of four Sonoma County residents and analyzed historical, archival, and digital resources. Findings: Asian/Asian-American women did not interact with the broader Sonoma County residents or inter-ethnically; however, they were still able to create and maintain a sense of belonging to the community. They took on an assortment of jobs for pay, worked in the family business as unpaid laborers, and took part in the outside labor force. They maintained gendered roles to hold onto their feminine identity while also holding onto the family as a unit. Conclusions: Asian / Asian-American women were empowered actors of their own lives. They were conscious of the social structures around them and adapted to it. They made decisions throughout their lives to take part in the labor force, to join and create communities, and maintain gender roles to maintain their power in social settings that did not allow them to do so.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sonoma
- Department:
- Cultural Resources Management
- Creator:
- Tercero, Anthony D.
- Description:
- The perciform suborder Notothenioidae is comprised of Antarctic and sub-Antarctic fishes, several of which have lost their ability to rapidly upregulate major heat shock proteins (HSP’s) in response to thermal stress. In fact, some notothenioid species have instead adopted a pattern of expression resembling ancestrally constitutive genes. It is possible that evolution in the Southern Ocean has selected for increased expression of molecular chaperones given the denaturing effect extreme cold temperature has on proteins. The selective pressures of the sub-zero water may have also favored duplication events that bolster quantitative output of chaperones via gene dosage effects. Given that newly duplicated genes are under more relaxed selective pressures, it is plausible that gene duplication preceded alterations in the regulatory regions of the inducible HSP genes, enabling altered regulation of such highly conserved gene products. To test for evidence of these mechanisms, gene copy number of ancestrally inducible and constitutive isoforms within the major heat shock gene families were characterized via qPCR and compared for the Antarctic notothen Trematomus bernacchii, which has lost the inducible HSR, and the non-Antarctic notothen, Notothenia angustata, which has maintained an inducible HSR. Results indicate duplication of inducible isoforms within the Hsp70 and Hsp40 superfamily have occurred in the genome of T. bernacchii. The findings from this study suggest adaptive gene duplications may have played a role in maintaining increased protein folding efficiency in the sub-zero waters of the Southern Ocean and provided a mechanism for the evolution of alternative regulation of these conserved gene families.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sonoma
- Department:
- Biology
- Creator:
- Senteney, Natasha D.
- Description:
- Nobody’s Damn Business is a collection of autobiographical narratives that focus, primarily, on the author’s childhood. As a whole, the essays aim to convey the complicated nature of trauma in relation to familial relationships, while dealing with topics such as child abuse, domestic violence, addiction, mental illness, and poverty.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sonoma
- Department:
- English
- Creator:
- Santos, Henry
- Description:
- Purpose of the Project: Animated films have allowed many fantastic stories to be told. Mythology, magic, and fantasy films thrive as feature-length creations of computer animation processes. Typically, these in large productions require large studios, extended schedules, and bottomless budgets. Rarely are non-mystical stories depicted in this genre by small teams. By depicting real-life situations with ordinary characters, the absurdities, difficulties, and realities in life can be expressed. My original fictional story expresses such human experiences, with no magic, etc... Sumo wrestling and Tango dancing collide in a short film that tells of an up-and-coming Sumo wrestler whose secret passion for Tango crashes head-on into a life filled with success, abundance, and respect. Atana wears the heart of a warrior and embraces the soul of a dancer. The purpose of this creative project is to start a small production of a feature-length film by writing an original screenplay’s establishing acts and developing a pre-production storyboard of a pivotal part of the story. Procedure: In developing the story, researching Sumo and Tango, with their nuances, rituals and actual occurrences is key to creating believable scenarios. The story can then start to be developed in screenplay software to maintain consistency and editability. Character and set design can begin, which allows for a more accurate depiction of storyboards. This initial practice can then proceed into the next steps in creating a completed animated film. Findings: In this particular creative process, initial ideas of the story, production, funding, and other areas of creating an animated short film proved to be extremely time-consuming. As with big productions, the amount of time needed in animated film production is often longer than anticipated. The story may begin as a spark of brilliance, but it’s telling requires research, revision, more research, more revisions, and heartache. My story, in particular, contains many personal experiences. These are not only heart wrenching to expose at times, but they also open floodgates of memories and emotions. Time is required to process this. During the storyboard stage, the story becomes visual and therefore tested for believability. The story enters a re-molding effect that develops it further. Conclusions: The creative process for creating an animated film requires many varied proficiencies. Although a filmmaker may have most or all the necessary abilities, the story presents itself as the critical component of an animated film. For quality, studios such as Pixar or Dreamworks spend a number of years developing a single feature-length story. My best-laid plans encountered this creative reality. Because of my emotional connection with the story, it now demands mindful writing and storyboarding.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sonoma
- Department:
- Film Studies
- Creator:
- Rzucidlo, Caroline L.
- Description:
- Purpose of the study: Adipose tissue is essential to endotherms for thermal regulation and energy storage as well as functioning as an endocrine organ. Adipose derived hormones, or adipokines, regulate metabolism, energy expenditure, reproduction, and immune function in model systems but are less well studied in wildlife. Female northern elephant seals (NES) achieve high adiposity during foraging and then undergo natural prolonged fasts while breeding, lactating, and molting, resulting in large changes in adipose reserves. Procedure: We measured circulating levels of four adipokines, leptin, resistin, adiponectin, and kisspeptin-54, in 196 serum samples from female NES at the beginning and end of their breeding and molting fasts. We examined the relationships between these adipokines and life history stage, adiposity, mass, cortisol, and the immune cytokine interleukin 6 (IL-6). Findings: All four adipokines varied with life history stage. Leptin concentrations were highest during the beginning of the breeding haul-out and resistin concentrations were higher throughout the breeding haul-out compared to the molt haul-out. Adiponectin was highest during the beginning of both haul-outs and kisspeptin-54 concentrations were highest during the end of the breeding haul-out. Leptin, resistin, and adiponectin were associated with measures of body condition, either adiposity, mass, or both. Resistin, adiponectin, and kisspeptin-54 were associated with circulating cortisol concentrations. Resistin was strongly associated with circulating IL-6, a multifunctional cytokine associated with the innate immune response. Adiponectin was associated with glucose concentrations and may be a driver of tissue-specific insulin sensitivity during life history stages categorized by high adiposity. Increased cortisol concentrations late in lactation were associated with increased kisspeptin-54 which may play a role in initiation ovulation in NES. Conclusions: This study suggests dramatic changes in circulating adipokines with life history and body condition that may exert important regulatory roles in NES. Differences from biomedical model systems suggest the potential for modifications of expression and function of adipose-derived hormones in species that undergo natural changes in adiposity as part of their life-history.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sonoma
- Department:
- Biology
- Creator:
- Rouley, Hannah
- Description:
- This thesis project examines the role that narrative and memoir play in a writing classroom that is focused on growing and educating an entire student. I begin by examining critical expressivist and postpedagogical approaches to teaching writing; these pedagogies, I argue, support the work that memoir and narrative writing can do in helping students build effective and diverse literacies, and towards the end of the first chapter, I define memoir and narrative; these definitions emphasize the humanizing effect on students who read the writing of others about being human. In doing this, I aim to set a precedent for a writing classroom that asks students to engage with their own experience, which provides them with an education which is far more than a final term grade, and instead offers them a way of relating to the entirety of humanity through story and experience.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sonoma
- Department:
- English
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