2015 Humboldt International Film Festival Poster

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This poster was created for the Humboldt International Film Festival. Working as a team, the HIFF crew were able to come up with an idea, and then follow through with creating and perfecting the poster. It's designed to catch the eye, draw the audience in, and deliver the information in a pseudo-minimalistic way. Its primary focuses were to be readability, text hierarchy backed by an eye-catching illustration.

A Descending Resistance Sets Produces Greater Training Volume than a Constant Resistance Sets

College of Professional Studies

There is no standard method for optimizing resistance to maximize training volume when using multiple sets with short rest periods. In this study, we hypothesized that a greater training volume (sets × reps × resistance) would be produced using a four week training method where resistance is decreased with each set (DR) compared to a four week CR method. In order to develop DR sets, we used the subject's fatigue ratio (using an individualized regression equation) from a CR protocol where the number of repetitions declines with each set. In males, a greater training volume is attained using a four week DR method based on subject's fatigue ratio than when using a four week CR training method.

A Descending Resistance Training Program Produces Greater 1RM than a Constant Resistance Training Program

College of Professional Studies

There is no standard method for optimizing resistance to maximize training volume when using multiple sets with short rest periods. In this study, we hypothesized that a heavier one repetition maximum (1RM) would be produced using a four week training method where resistance is decreased with each set (DR) compared to a four week CR method. In order to develop DR sets, we used the subject's fatigue ratio (using an individualized regression equation) from a CR protocol where the number of repetitions declines with each set. In males, a heavier 1RM is attained using a four week DR method based on subject's fatigue ratio than when using a four week CR training method.

A Separation of Women and Rights: the Reproductive Equality Fight

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Through focusing specifically on the relevance of spatial organization of territory and women’s rights concerning reproduction, a case that can exemplify the age-old struggle of the belief of the majority governing the private lives of all would be the Texas case of Roe v. Wade. The political and geographic results of this monumental court decision centered around abortion may be seen in the torrent of other similar cases that deal with women’s rights in relation to reproductive care across the U.S When more scrutiny is applied to this singularly defining case, it becomes more than a few fast facts. Through the ages, Roe v. Wade has been the political foundation upon which women’s reproduc

Activating Creativity in Elementary EFL Writing

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

I served 27 months as an elementary EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher on the island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia and found that rote memorization was the dominant teaching strategy. Pohnpeian teachers wanted interactive classrooms that engaged students creatively, but they often lacked the resources or training to create such an environment. The presented activities are the product of collaborative efforts with 4th-through 8th-grade Pohnpeian teachers over a two-year period. Activities could be modified for a range of second-language learning contexts and environments.

An Analysis of Resin Flow and Growth Characteristics of Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana) in an old-growth fire excluded stand in the Western Sierra Nevada, California.

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

Sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) represents a culturally, ecologically, and economically important species that is threatened due to impacts from drought, fire exclusion, and beetle-disease complexes. One of the main defensive strategies of sugar pine to bark beetles and pathogens is the production of resin ducts structures, which secrete oleoresin compounds. In this study we look to analyze resin flow and growth traits, assessed as basal area increment (mm2), of older, larger (> 200 years) sugar pine to determine whether there are relationships between tree growth characteristics and oleoresin flow.

Anabaena Sensory Rhodopsin Nanodiscs to Probe Transcriptional Regulation

College of Natural Resources & Sciences

The membrane protein Anabaena Sensory Rhodopsin (ASR) is a prokaryotic retinal containing photoactive protein, from Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, undergoes a conformational change upon absorption of light. This causes the release of an associated so-called transducer protein ASRT. It has been proposed that this protein complex directly controls transcription of the cpc genes. The goal of this project is to study photo-induced transcriptional regulation properties of ASR and ASRT. To do this we will assemble ASR nanolipoprotein particles or ASR-NLPs. NLPs are unique in that they allow for a membrane protein to be solubilized while still allowing both ends of the membrane protein to be accessed.

Analysis of Soil pH in Relation to Decomposition

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This research attempts to observe the effects organic decomposition has on the soil pH and aims to determine if pH levels are altered when remains are frozen opposed to unfrozen. Weekly qualitative observations and soil tests were conducted on six naturally decomposing swine limbs. We hypothesized that there would be a slight delay in the cycling of pH levels for frozen remains.Three frozen and three control limbs were deposited atop of undisturbed soil and observed for five consecutive weeks at the Simulated Archaeology Site at HSU. This research intends to address the correlation between pH levels and decomposition, which can be beneficial for future taphonomic research.

Analyzing Bloodstain Patterns using Animals’ Blood Versus Synthetic Alternatives

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Passive stains, transfer stains and projected/impact stains will be created with various tools and tested on multiple surfaces including: cotton, linen, and carpets. The components of the Bovine blood versus stage blood will be used for analysis and comparison. This research will help determine if synthetic blood provides an accurate representation for bloodstain pattern analysis in research. After all experimental work and calculations are complete, statistical analysis will be conducted to determine the statistical validity of using synthetic blood alternatives to analyze bloodstain patterns.

Analyzing Variation in Taphonomic Processes within Artificial Substrates

College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

This study aims increase understanding of the taphonomic processes associated with the decomposition of nonhuman mammalian remains (as a proxy for human remains) in human altered substrates. Most prior taphonomic research has been restricted to regional studies focusing on the decomposition in environments outside of direct human interaction. This study will focus on temperature, weight, and organic matter fluctuations between the various artificial substrates in the beginning and termination of the decomposition process in order to better understand the effects substrates have on taphonomic processes.