UC San Diego

We investigated phytoplankton growth and micro- and mesozooplankton grazing patterns in the California Current Ecosystem (CCE) during summer 2021. Two water parcels, followed over a duration of 4-5 days using satellite-tracked drogued drifter for quasi- Lagrangian experimental cycles were investigated for inshore and offshore differences. Phytoplankton growth rates and microzooplankton grazing rates were determined using the two-point dilution method, and daily Bongo tows were deployed for mesozooplankton collection, for biomass and grazing estimates based on gut fluorescence. Instantaneous rates of growth and grazing between the two cycles were µ = 0.45 (± 0.13) d-1 for Cycle 2 (inshore) and 0.60 (± 0.1) d-1 for Cycle 3 (offshore), and microzooplankton grazing rates were 0.36 (± 0.21) d-1 for Cycle 2 and 0.37 (± 0.11) d-1 for Cycle 3. Mesozooplankton contributed much less to grazing for both cycles, grazing 0.05 (± 0.02) d-1 inshore and 0.025 (± 0.006) d-1 offshore, removing 4% and 2% of phytoplankton standing stock, respectively. In both cycles, the net calculated phytoplankton growth was positive, but this was only statistically significant for the offshore region. The dominant grazers within the mesozooplankton community were not consistent between the two regions of the CCE: the three smallest size classes (0.2-2 mm) contributed the most to grazing in Cycle 2, while in Cycle 3, the dominant grazers were the two smallest size classes (0.2-1 mm). Mesozooplankton grazing showed changes related to diel vertical migration. These analyses contribute to our understanding of growth and grazing dynamics in plankton food webs, and to understanding carbon cycling in the CCE.

Investigations into the link between vitamin D and cardiovascular disease (CVD) have yielded inconsistent results. The vitamin D metabolite ratio (VMR), the ratio of 24,25(OH)2D to 25(OH)D, has shown stronger associations with fracture and mortality than 25(OH)D alone. Our study assessed the association between the VMR and CVD outcomes. We evaluated a cohort of 6,313 participants from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), without pre-existing CVD, over 15 years. Utilizing Cox regression, we examined the associations of both the VMR and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] with various cardiovascular events. Over the study, 800 participants developed CVD, including conditions such as myocardial infarction, resuscitated cardiac arrest, stroke, coronary heart disease death, and stroke death. Heart failure (HF) was observed in 398 participants, and 413 experienced cardiovascular mortality. Models were adjusted for factors including demographics, lifestyle, clinical conditions and medications, biomarkers, and kidney function. Participants averaged 62 years (range 44-84), with 53% females. The mean (SD) 25(OH)D level was 22.7 (11.0) ng/mL, and the mean VMR was 15.2 (5.0). In fully adjusted models, a two-fold increase in VMR was associated with a 24% reduction in incident CVD (HR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.65-0.88). However, there was no association between the VMR and HF (0.98, 0.78-1.24), or cardiovascular mortality (0.96, 0.77-1.21). 25(OH)D was not significantly associated with any CVD outcome. In a diverse cohort, VMR was significantly associated with reduced incident CVD, but not HF or cardiovascular mortality. The results suggest that VMR may provide greater insight into vitamin D metabolism, compared with 25(OH)D alone.

ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS

Creative Connectivity: Defining a Practice in the Arts

by

Ethan Eldred

Master of Fine Arts in Theatre and Dance (Design)University of California San Diego, 2024 Professor Bobby McElver, Chair

In this thesis, I’ll propose a model of practice in the arts centered on my concept of Creative Connectivity, for use as a rubric and tool in observing and evaluating creative work. Where connectivity is commonly conceptualized as only relating to information technology, my Creative Connectivity model is inspired by technological connectivity and expands to define three categories of connectivity. Curiosity, community, and cognition are used as concepts to observe connections created in an artistic work, respectively: connections among ideas and knowledge, people and populations, and the mind and senses.In individual chapters with case-study examples, I examine how each of the categories of connectivity can be used to observe my own artistic work in three different aspects: the process, the product, and the artist’s practice. The three categories of connectivity and the three aspects of a work combine to form my Creative Connectivity Matrix, a rubric for observing artistic work.

In a case study of a culminating production experience at UCSD, Alistair McDowall’s X, directed by Rosie Glen-Lambert, I examine the production through the lens of this model of practice, exploring the impact of each kind of connectivity on process, product and practice, as well as ways in which the categories of connectivity overlap to form new forms of connection.In final reflections, I propose this model of practice as a useful tool in my own practice and pedagogy of theatrical design, supporting a healthy, fulfilling, and sustainable practice over time.

Throughout my life, I have been fascinated by both music and costume design. These two interests seemed completely disparate to me, until I was inspired by a colleague to incorporate music into my design process. Throughout this essay, I explore various ways in which music has been a helpful tool and source of inspiration for my costume design work.

In the past fourteen years, lighting design has been a central aspect of my life, influenced by the rich traditions of both Mexican and American cultures. This thesis serves as a comprehensive reflection and analysis of my learning process and a compilation of my work over the last two and a half years, particularly during my study and research of Lighting Design at UC San Diego, CA. This transformative experience has undoubtedly shaped my identity as an artist and a lighting designer.This thesis documents personal growth and professional development and emphasizes sharing acquired knowledge and experiences. As an artist and designer, I recognize the value of extending this insight to fellow designers navigating the dynamics of these two cultures for the first time, particularly those seeking to broaden their perspectives beyond the Mexican context and venture into the American theatre journey.  As part of my research, I have organized this thesis into fifteen steps for understanding, preparing, and applying the creative and technical production process. It also includes visual examples to facilitate a greater understanding of this field. I would like to emphasize that these practices may be adapted to individual experiences. Furthermore, I reflect on my experience of living in American culture and ongoing challenges to adapt my methods while maintaining the authenticity that defines my work.

In the rapidly evolving field of Natural Language Processing (NLP), the advent of Large Language Models (LLMs) marks a significant milestone, setting new standards in language understanding and generation. This thesis focuses on augmenting and evaluating LLMs, introducing ToolkenGPT, a novel method to integrate external tools via tool embeddings to enrich model functionality and adaptability and RepoBench, a benchmark for assessing the proficiency of LLMs in handling repository-level code auto-completion. Additionally, this thesis rethinks approaches towards tabular data reasoning, exploring how LLMs can be better tailored to understand and interpret structured data formats effectively.

The role of the scenic designer is to craft space for an event to occur. In this paper I examine how honesty is presented in a theatrical setting both by utilizing real objects which carry their own history and by presenting empty space in such a way that the audience becomes a co-imaginer of the world. By being creatively engaged, the audience puts more investment into the performance, and the performers are elevated by the deeper connection. This paper uses two productions as case studies. First is “Bunny Bunny”, produced by UC San Diego where I was a key collaborator. Second is “Is It Thursday Yet?”, produced by La Jolla Playhouse, where I served as an associate. I begin by articulating a theory of design. Then I delve into the process of creation for both shows drawing on my own records along with an interview conducted with Rachel Hauck, the set designer for “Is It Thursday Yet?”. Though the pieces were very different in style and scope, they overlapped in how the use of the real, or the feeling of truth accessed audience memory, and therefore audience response. By examining both the creation processes and pulling out specific details of the final presentation, I hope to illustrate how scenic design is able to effect audience experience.

This thesis explores my experience directing X by Alistair McDowell as a lens through which I identify, meditate on, and codify directorial challenges and experiences that feel unprecedented, but are in fact essential and deeply rooted parts of my process.

The Killing of a Tiger is a collection of essays and other text objects that hybridize cultural and ecocriticism, documentary poetics, and memoir to critically and creatively think about human and tiger sexualities, the economies of desire and dispossession, and the relationship between colonialism, climate violence, and the abject.

The deep ocean, exceeding 200 meters in depth, represents Earth's largest habitable space, yet it remains its least explored region. This study focuses on the Southern California Borderland (SCB), an area characterized by uneven and heterogeneous topography; and varying depths, temperatures, and oxygen concentrations. Due to its variability, this environment serves as an optimal setting for investigating the relationship between mineral-rich hardgrounds and benthic fauna. The deep ocean plays a crucial role in resource provisioning, but human activities, including deep-seabed mining, may threaten these oceanic functions. Two mineral-rich substrates, ferromanganese (FeMn) crusts and phosphorite rocks, are among the deep ocean mineral types being considered for their resource potential due to their enrichment in valuable metals in some regions. However, these geological features support deep-ocean biodiversity by acting as specialized substrates for macrofaunal communities and enabling key biogeochemical processes. This study aims to characterize macrofaunal (> 300 μm) density, diversity, and community composition on mineral-rich substrates in the SCB, focusing on FeMn crusts and phosphorite rocks. Macrofaunal samples were collected using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) during expeditions in 2020 and 2021. Through quantitative analysis, I explore the faunal association with different substrate types, sites in the SCB, and various environmental variables, including oxygen, depth, temperature, and proximity to shore. Additionally, I assess the relationship between megafauna presence and macrofaunal density and diversity. A total of 3,555 macrofauna individuals were counted and 417 different taxa were identified from 82 rocks from depths between 231 m and 2,688 m. Average density for SCB macrofauna was 11.08 ± 0.87 individuals /200 cm2 and mean diversity per rock was H’(loge) = 2.22 ± 0.07. A relationship was found between site, substrate type, and macrofaunal communities. Phosphorite rocks had the highest diversity on a per-rock basis and when pooled, FeMn crusts had the highest number of species. Of all the environmental variables, depth explained the largest variance in macrofauna community composition. Macrofauna density and diversity had similar values at sites within and outside the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). Understanding the intricate relationships between macrofaunal assemblages and mineral-rich substrates is essential, especially in the context of environmental disruptions associated with deep-seabed mining or climate change. This study is the first to analyze the macrofaunal communities of mineral-rich hard substrates in the SCB. The findings contribute crucial baseline information for effective conservation and management of the SCB and will support scientists in monitoring changes in these communities due to environmental disturbance or human impact in the future.