Overabundant populations of rodents in agricultural areas cost California farmers 5.3% to 8.8% in profits annually. Installing nest boxes to encourage the presence of rodent predators such as barn owls (Tyto alba) is a form of biocontrol that has the potential to limit rodent activity in agricultural settings. Previous works identified the spatial scales of nest box selection on vineyards in Napa and Sonoma Counties which are rather heterogenous agricultural landscapes. Determining at which spatial scale barn owls select nest boxes in the Central Valley can inform how nest boxes should be constructed and where they are best placed to encourage occupancy in homogenous agricultural landscapes.

Communication through cell phones is increasingly prevalent in our society and places individuals at risk of developing a mobile device dependency (Salehan, & Negahban, 2013). The purpose of this study is to develop a measure of psychological and social dependence on mobile communication. Also, this research aims to provide reliability and validity of the Mobile Device Dependency Scale (MDDS). Participants completed four self-report surveys that showed high reliability and validity of the MDDS. This scale may provide valuable information about dependency in regard to technological advancements and the societal pressures associated with device usage.

Academic procrastination is the intentional delay of starting or continuing progress on school-related work. Academic procrastination often leads to negative outcomes such as submitting late assignments, cramming for exams, and test anxiety. To assess this we created a 21-item Academic Procrastination Scale (APS). The APS showed appropriate criterion (r = .69, p < .000), convergent (r = .49, p < .000), and discriminant (r = .29, p = .001) validity. The APS also showed good internal consistency with an alpha of .88 and a test-retest reliability of r = .75, p = .000. Validity and reliability analyses show that the APS is a valid and reliable measure of academic procrastination.

Orchidaceae is one of the most diverse flowering plant families. Despite the worldwide popularity of Phalaenopsis for floral aesthetics, many other ecologically important species are either endangered or threatened and require elaborate cultivation strategies. Currently one of the top conservation approaches utilizes clonal propagation techniques via tissue culture, resulting in vegetative propagation in mass numbers. We present successful sterile introduction, cultivation and maintenance of Phalaenopsis seedlings with the hope that this tissue culture method can be applied to native orchid species here in Humboldt County.

The scope of my research was to understand why Simmers created Sims and for what purpose. Ethnographic research took place over the course of 16 weeks on the Sims 3 and 4, forum sites, and YouTube videos. Through fieldnotes, participant observation, transcribed interviews, and surveys I was able to find three key evolving patterns, which was time investment, community building in game-play and participation in challenges and story-writing.Research findings reveal that the Simmers game-play is not only to pass time, but to achieve a goal that they have set for themselves which, allows them to connect with other Simmers, and creates a community based on shared interests.

The Health-Efficacy Scale for College Students (HESCS) assesses an individual’s belief in their capacity to change their own health. This investigation examined the psychometric properties of the HESCS by examining reliability and validity with a sample of psychology major students at a small University in northern California. Reliability was examined by utilizing internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha, rα=.82, and a test-retest separated by one-week on a subsample of 20 participants, rtt=.77. HESCS was shown to have convergent validity, R2=.32, F(2,98)=23.13, p<.01. These results show that the HESCS is a reliable and valid scale for measuring Health-Efficacy in College Students.

People may or may not realize that when they meet a physically attractive person, they are more likely to evaluate him or her as a smart and positive person compared to a less attractive person in the absence of other features besides physical attractiveness. This attractive halo effect has influenced multiple areas that include the job market, dating, and academic success. However, it is possible for other factors, such as one’s creativity and personality to affect one’s judged attractiveness level. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of facial attractiveness, creativity, and warm-cold personality characteristics when judging female attractiveness.

Environmental metal oxides have multiple chemical interactions with natural and anthropogenic organics in the atmosphere. Volatile organic compounds (VOC) and pollutants such as; pesticides, fertilizers, and nitrates are introduced to the atmosphere through similar means as well as incomplete combustion from vehicles and industrial processes. Metal oxides like titanium (IV) oxide, TiO2, have photocatalytic effects that can further oxidize VOC and other adsorbed species. Acetone is a frequently measured VOC in the atmosphere. In our research we study how acetone and other organic species adsorb onto TiO2 and react catalytically in the presence of atmospheric oxidants such as ozone.

Humboldt State University’s students, faculty and staff aspire to be an inclusive and liberal school. However, this is not necessarily the reality that students, particularly students of color, have experienced attending school and living in this area. This study utilizes general inductive analysis that focuses on: How is diversity being represented in Humboldt County as reflected in local news sources and their comments sections? According to the data, there are certain aspects of the system that we can change to provide more support when students experience racialized violence. This project seeks to make recommendations for change in the public dialogue on diversity issues.

Many neurodegenerative diseases are characterized as cholesterol metabolism or storage disorders. Recently, the drug Efavirenz was implicated as a mediator of cholesterol-induced pathology in AD SC- based models. It restores function of MAP, tau, by mitigating cholesterol’s disruption of the UPS, which facilitates tau proteostasis. In this study, we are investigating the mechanistic target of cholesterol leading to UPS dysfunction. We are using human SC-derived neurons to model UPS dysfunction at different regulatory levels and determine which stages can be rescued with Efavirenz treatment. We will use this drug to aid in the complete characterization of cholesterol-mediated tauopathy.