Digital Commons Network^™

Localization Of Gli1+ Expressing Cells In Adult Mouse Molars, Divya Puri

Master's Theses

Identification of the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) population capable of giving rise to odontoblasts secreting dentin during growth (primary dentinogenesis)and repair (reparative dentinogenesis) is critical for the development of improved pulp therapy, regeneration of dentin and ultimately, the bioengineering of functional teeth. Recent lineage tracing studies have led to the identification of several new MSCs and their associated niche referred to as the neurovascular bundle, located at the apical end of the incisor. This newly identified niche contains several populations of MSCs including Gli1⁺(glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1), cells that are activated by Shh secreted by sensory nerves. Furthermore, …

High Pressure Combustor Flame And Wall Conjugate Radiative Heat Transfer, Andressa Johnson

Master's Theses

Efficient aeronautical engines operate at higher pressure ratios and temperature, creating challenges due to higher heat loads. Thermal radiation in aviation has conventionally been treated as correction factors or scaled from experimental data. The complexity of the radiative transfer equation (RTE) leads to computational costly solutions resulting in simplified treatment. The goal of this work is to extend knowledge of non-gray gas radiation modeling to gas-turbine combustor simulations under high-pressure conditions. A one-dimensional temperature solver for combustor liners with thermal barrier coating is developed first, and a non-gray wide-band spectral model for high-pressure conditions is constructed subsequently. Both retrieve spectral …

Alcohol-Related Consequences: Factor Structure And Associations With Trait Mindfulness And Drinking Motivations, Lauren Carney

Master's Theses

Objective. This two-study project aimed to determine if motivations to use alcohol (coping and social motivations) mediate the relationship between trait mindfulness and a variety of alcohol-related consequences and to determine if the relationship between motivations to use alcohol and alcohol-related consequences is moderated by alcohol use. Study 1 determined the factor structure of positive and negative consequences of alcohol use. In Study 2, this structure served as the outcome across eight moderated mediation models. Method. For Study 1, data were obtained from 165 undergraduate students to perform exploratory factor analysis (EFA) on alcohol-related consequences. For Study 2, …

Electrospray Printing: An Advanced Technique For Processing Polymers Into Thin Films For Membrane Applications, Tulasi Ravindran

Master's Theses

This thesis deals with the scope and prospects of the novel technology for electrospray printing to process polymers for liquid filtration membrane applications. First, the ability to explore novel reaction media to tune polyamide properties was demonstrated. Aromatic polyamides for reverse osmosis membranes are made by interfacial polymerization. Conventionally, interfacial polymerization is an in situ polycondensation of a diamine and an acid chloride conducted on a porous support at the interface of two immiscible solvents. Using electrospray printing, different solvent media were used to print polyamides on to ultrafiltration support membranes. It was observed that polar protic solvents formed membranes …

Applying Transit Accessibility Metrics To Locating Affordable Housing, Robert Walsh Smith

Master's Theses

The location of affordable housing in the United States is greatly influenced by how it is funded, and current funding criteria does not make wide use of comprehensive accessibility metrics. To show the benefits of using a comprehensive metric to locate affordable housing, one such metric, the TOI, was compared with more simple measures of transit access in a case study. A qualitative assessment of the comprehensive transit metric showed improvements over a simpler measure currently used by an affordable housing program. Statistical modeling was also performed to see if the TOI could better predict whether households had adequate transit …

Human Intention Inference Using Fusion Of Gaze And Motion Information, Daniel Trombetta

Master's Theses

Enabling robots with the ability to quickly and accurately determine the intention of their human counterparts is a very important problem in Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC). The focus of this work is to provide a framework wherein multiple modalities of information, available to the robot through different sensors, are fused to estimate a human's action intent. In this thesis, two human intention estimation schemes are presented. In both cases, human intention is defined as a motion profile associated with a single goal location. The first scheme presents the first human intention estimator to fuse information from pupil tracking data as well …

Evaluation Of Winter Weather Prediction During Extreme Snowfall Events And Analysis On Wind Gust Prediction For Non-Convective Rain And Wind Events, Michael Walters

Master's Theses

Numerical weather prediction (NWP) models are important tools used by federal agencies and the weather enterprise to inform and warn the public about extreme weather events. Snowstorm forecasts, which can be highly impactful throughout the Northeast United States, face challenges related to microphysical and initial and boundary layer processes that hinder the accuracy of forecasts. In addition, observations of mixed phase precipitation are very sparse spatially and temporally which causes an added challenge to validate predictions. This study presents an evaluation of 38 significant snowstorms and 18 rain/wind events from 2005 to 2020 using three NWP models. Each modeling system …

Galilean Invariance In Large-Eddy Simulation Of Shallow Convection, Oumaima Lamaakel

Master's Theses

In large-eddy simulations (LES) a computational-domain translation velocity can be used to improve performance by allowing longer time-step intervals. The continuous equations are Galilean invariant, however, standard finite-difference-based discretizations are not discretely invariant with the error being proportional to the product of the local translation velocity and the truncation error. Even though such numerical errors are expected to be small, it is shown that in LES of buoyant convection the turbulent large-scale flow organization can modulate and amplify the error. Galilean invariance of global flow statistics is observed in well-resolved direct numerical simulations (DNS). In LES of single-phase convection under …

Snap Assistance, Food Purchasing Behaviors And Dietary Patterns Among Overweight/Obese, Pregnant, Low-Income Latinas, Marta Holovatska

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Beta-Hydroxybutyrate Supplementation In A Drosophila Model Of Traumatic Brain Injury, Derek Lee

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Identification Of Residues Essential For Hsv Icp8 Mediated Annealing Of Ssdna, Jaliyah Ashante Peterson

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Cloud Cover And Pv Intermittence: Monitoring, Forecasting And Its Economical Value, Aaron Haegele

Master's Theses

The use of all-sky cameras and ancillary sensor equipment to monitor and to adjust fine resolution short range predictions of cloud cover offers an opportunity to develop efficient energy management systems. Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy is a variable renewable energy resource since solar irradiance is highly sensitive to the intermittent nature of cloud cover. Thus, tracking and characterizing clouds passing over PV areas is a critical factor when predicting the available energy of solar sources at any given time. Capital and operational costs associated with solar PV implementation are affected when inaccurate predictions are carried out. This research uses a …

Reliability Of A Low Dose Cbct Protocol In Evaluating Sinus Pathology Associated With Potential Implant Sites: An Ex-Vivo Imaging Study, Armaghan Ahmad

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Motivation And Social Withdrawal In Schizophrenia: Factors Related To Passive Social Withdrawal And Active Social Avoidance, Emily Anne Peters

Master's Theses

Schizophrenia is a disabling disorder and social withdrawal in schizophrenia is related to particularly adverse outcomes. Social withdrawal may be a result of “passive” motivation (disinterest or lack of drive to engage with others) or “active” motivation (fear, hostility, or distrust of others). The purpose of this study was to better understand passive social withdrawal and active social avoidance, by exploring their relationships with social abilities and social functioning outcomes. In addition, we explored whether the EEG frontal alpha asymmetry hypothesis, which has been previously linked to shyness and sociability, might contribute to our understanding of social withdrawal motivation.

This …

A Regional Vulnerability Assessment For The Dungeness Crab (Metacarcinus Magister) To Changing Ocean Conditions: Insights From Model Projections And Empirical Experiments, Halle Berger

Master's Theses

Among global coastal regions, the Northern California Current System (N-CCS) is already experiencing effects from ocean acidification and hypoxia during the summer, primarily due to the region’s seasonal upwelling, current systems, and high productivity. Oxygen, pH, and temperature conditions are expected to become more stressful with continued fossil fuel emissions under global climate change, posing a serious threat to the region’s fisheries. N-CCS fishing communities rely heavily on the economically and culturally important Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister). The fishery is currently sustainably managed, but potential negative impacts from changing ocean conditions on Dungeness crab life stages and populations …

An Exploration Of Health Misinformation In A Facebook-Delivered Health Education Intervention, Kelsey Arroyo

Master's Theses

Background: Health misinformation is commonly shared on social media but little research has examined how misinformation is communicated and what health messages are most likely to receive misinformed responses on social media. Purpose: The purpose of this work is to explore the extent to which health misinformation was shared by participants in a private Facebook-delivered health education intervention moderated by a health counselor. Methods: We used engagement data from a randomized controlled trial of a yearlong Facebook-delivered health education intervention. We conducted a content analysis of 6,016 participant comments (including original posts and replies) to examine the nature of comments …

Fabrication, Testing And Theoretical Background Of A Quantum Dot Floating Gate Flash Non-Volatile Memory (Qdg Nvm), Nathan Butterfield

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Shyness X Niche Interactions Across Five Countries: A Mixed-Methods Exploratory Study, Daniell Carvalheiro

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Engineered Thermal Refuge In Streams As A Climate Warming Mitigation Strategy For Fish Populations Experiencing Thermal Stress, Rebekah Thielman

Master's Theses

Rising summer stream temperatures threaten the habitat of cold-water fishes globally. Streams with cold groundwater seeps can provide thermal refuge, however natural groundwater discharge is often patchy throughout watersheds, impacting habitat connectivity. This research was undertaken to evaluate the potential to engineer (active pumping) thermal refuge that mimic cold groundwater seeps under a range of natural streamflow conditions and varying cold-water injection rates. Natural groundwater averaging 10 °C was pumped into the river channel behind a removable baffle, used to inhibit mixing and dispersal of the groundwater plume. A fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing cable was deployed above the streambed, downstream …

Effects Of Various Decontamination Protocols On The Surface Microbial Load Of Conventional And 3d Printed Surgical Guides For Dental Implants, David Remiszewski

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Alveolar Bone And Airway Changes In Different Maxillary Expansion Treatments: A 3d Cone-Beam Tomography Study, Dennis Wang

Master's Theses

Objectives: To evaluate the long-term effects on the airway and bone in patients that have undergone BA, TA and control with 3D cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) analysis. Materials and Methods: 180 CBCTs were analyzed for 60 patients at pretreatment (T1), post expansion (T2), and post-treatment (T3). Patients were divided into three groups, bone anchored expansion (BA), tooth anchored expansion (TA) and a control group. For the airway portion of the study, the nasal cavity, nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal and laryngopharyngeal, and total airway volumes were measured. Total airway area, minimal cross-sectional area, maxillary intermolar, external maxillary and palatal widths were also …

Interprofessional Collaboration For Oral Health Education And Screening Of Children With Special Health Care Needs, Lamia Habib

Master's Theses

In 2016, National Survey of Children’s Health conducted by the U.S. Department (HRSA MCHB) identified 18.8% of children aged 0-17 years old with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN). Of these children, 83.4% are not receiving adequate healthcare. It has been well established that oral health is an integral part of the child’s general health. Medical primary care physicians may play an important role in improving oral health outcomes through oral screening, referral, oral health education and promotion. CSHCN may be at an increased risk for oral health problems throughout their life which may negatively impact their quality of life and …

Evaluation Of Obturation Extrusion Of Guttacore With Varying Insertion Rates, John Barrett

Master's Theses

Abstract:

Introduction:The aim of this study is to determine whether the insertion rate of the Dentsply/Sirona Guttacore obturation product with Dentsply AH Plus sealer has an effect on 1. the extrusion amount of the obturating materials and 2. the extrusion probability of the obturating materials out of root canal apex.

Methods:Thirty root canal simulating plastic blocks were prepared with Waveone Gold nickel titanium rotary files to a size “primary” file. The prepared blocks were divided into three groups: group 1 was obturated using GuttaCore size primary obturator (analogous to the reciprocating file size) at a rate of 1 …

Bayesian Test Design For Fault Detection And Isolation In Systems With Uncertainty, Evangelos Stefanidis

Master's Theses

Methods for Fault Detection and Isolation (FDI) in systems with uncertainty have been studied extensively due to the increasing value and complexity of the maintenance and operation of modern Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). CPS are characterized by nonlinearity, environmental and system uncertainty, fault complexity and highly non-linear fault propagation, which require advanced fault detection and isolation algorithms. Therefore, modern efforts develop active FDI (methods that require system reconfiguration) based on information theory to design tests rich in information for fault assessment. Information-based criteria for test design are often deployed as a Frequentist Optimal Experimental Design (FOED) problem, which utilizes the information …

Efficacy Of 3d-Printed Guide Vs Conventional Method For Conservative Endodontic Access Preparation In Extracted Upper Molars, Manuel Sato

Master's Theses

Objective: This experimental clinical trial aims to evaluate the accuracy and efficacy of a computer designed / 3D printed endodontic guide to achieve a conservative endodontic access preparation on upper molars. As a secondary objective we will determine if the endodontic guide can assist the practitioner especially when comparing two operators with a different level of experience to achieve an endodontic cavity access in a reduced time and localizing all the canals thereby preserving more dental structure Materials and Methods: This study utilized 80 extracted maxillary molars and were divided into 2 groups of a conservative access and a CBCT …

Retrospective Evaluation Of The Survival Rate Of Buccal Mini-Implants And The Factors Associated With Their Survival, Ledjo Palo

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the success rate of common mini-implants used on the buccal side of both the maxilla and mandible for orthodontic purposes. All orthodontic mini-implants placed at the University of Connecticut residency from July of 2013 till April of 2020 by various residents and faculty. The location and outcome of the implant was measured as success if the implant was stable or if it failed.

Materials and Methods: Records of all mini-implants placed on the buccal aspect of both maxilla and mandible of patients receiving orthodontic treatment at the University of Connecticut …

Effects Of Various Sterilization Protocols On The Dimensional Accuracy Of 3d Printed Surgical Guides For Dental Implants, Collin Shuen

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Context Effects On Child Object Touch And Parent Referential Speech: Implications For Autism Spectrum Disorder, Amanda Mankovich

Master's Theses

Object play provides a critical setting for early learning (West & Iverson, 2017). Previous research has established a role for context (i.e., type of activity and parent input), in shaping child touch behaviors. Although several studies have investigated the development object play, many miss key characteristics of everyday environments. Using data from the Longitudinal Study of Early Language (Naigles & Fein, 2017), we investigated how play is affected by development, parent input, and engagement in various activities across both typically developing (TD) children and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We analyzed object prompts and independently coded moments toddlers touched …

Comparing The Outcomes Of Closed Vs. Open Surgical Exposure Of Palatally Impacted Canines: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial, Sina Banankhah

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Symptoms Of Autism Spectrum Disorder And Developmental Delay In Children With Low Mental Age, Rebecca P. Thomas

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.