Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Synthesis Of An Antimicrobial Textile Coating, William M. Morris

Chemistry and Biochemistry

A titania nanosol was synthesized and coated onto nylon/cotton blended textile substrates. The substrates were characterized via SEM for adhesion and nanoparticle formation, then subjected to antimicrobial efficacy tests. The titania nanosol was successfully coated on to textiles samples. Particles were observed to be around 2 by 3 micrometers and formed between the interstitial space of textile fibers. Although larger than typical nanoparticles, the coatings exhibited what seemed to be antimicrobial activity. Titania nanosol coated textile samples were subjected to Kirby Bauer Assay in the presence of S. aureus. The coated textile sample exhibited an inhibition of growth around its …

Simulated Effects Of Varied Landscape-Scale Fuel Treatments On Carbon Dynamics And Fire Behavior In The Klamath Mountains Of California, Kevin J. Osborne

Master's Theses

I utilized forest growth model (FVS-FFE) and fire simulation software (FlamMap, Randig), integrated through GIS software (ArcMap9.3), to quantify the impacts varied landscape-scale fuel treatments have on short-term onsite carbon loss, long-term onsite carbon storage, burn probability, conditional flame length, and mean fire size. Thirteen fuel treatment scenarios were simulated on a 42,000 hectare landscape in northern California: one untreated, three proposed by the US Forest Service, and nine that were spatially-optimized and developed with the Treatment Optimization Model in FlamMap. The nine scenarios developed in FlamMap varied by treatment intensity (10%, 20%, and 30% of the landscape treated) and …

Thermal-Initiated Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate Functionalization Of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes, Greg Curtzwiler, Philip Costanzo, Ray Fernando, Jeffrey E. Danes, Keith Vorst

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Multiwalled-carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were functionalized via thermoinitiated free radical polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) using benzoyl peroxide. Tip sonication was used during the polymerization reaction to separate agglomerated nanotubes. The functionalization was confirmed by control experiments and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Differential scanning calorimetry indicated that the addition of poly(HEMA)-MWCNTs to a two-component polyurethane coating will have little effect on the glass transition temperature of the coating. The poly(HEMA)-functionalized MWCNTs formed large colloidal structures of highly dispersed nanotubes in both the nonsheared and sheared coatings as determined by atomic force microscopy. This study determined a quick …

Direct Imaging Of Two-State Dynamics On The Amorphous Silicon Surface, S. Ashtekar, Gregory E. Scott, J. Lyding, M. Gruebele

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Amorphous silicon is an important material, amidst a debate whether or not it is a glass. We produce amorphous Si surfaces by ion bombardment and vapor growth, and image discrete Si clusters which hop by two-state dynamics at 295 K. Independent of surface preparation, these clusters have an average diameter of ~5 atoms. Given prior results for metallic glasses, we suggest that this cluster size is a universal feature. The hopping activation free energy of 0.93 ± 0.15 eV is rather small, in agreement with a previously untested surface glass model. Hydrogenation quenches the two-state dynamics, apparently by increasing surface …

Camera Study For Mammalian Carnivore Presence Across Seasons In Montana De Oro State Park, San Luis Obispo County, Ca, Samuel R. Young

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Montana de Oro (MDO) is one of the largest state parks in California. Little is known however about its wildlife or their habits. Large predators such as mountain lion (Puma concolor) and black bear (Ursus americanus), and non–native species such as red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and feral pig (Sus scropha) are of management concern because of their potentially dramatic ecological roles. Cameras were deployed at 5 sites along the Coon Creek hiking trail in spring (May 3–June 7), summer (July 15–August 19), and fall (October 10–November 23) sessions with the goal of …

Amid The Vipers: Establishing Malware's Position Within The Information Ecosystem, Shawn Louis Everett Robertson

Computer Science and Software Engineering

The paper consists of a detailed examination of malware broken down into three main sections.

1. Introduction: Malware in the World Today. Begins with a definition of terms, examination of the types of malware, research into historical pieces of malicious code, a detailed analysis of the attackers, why malware is so prevalent, and why it is so hard to defend against. This section finishes with a comparison of reasons to create and not to create malware.
2. Background: "Good" Pieces of Malware. Examination of what makes malware effective. Analysis of the existing CVSS standard and proposal of the alternative VIPERS classification system. …

Regional Scale Monitoring Of Methane Production By Dairy Farm Ungulates; A Proposal To The National Science Foundation (Nsf) And The National Ecological Observatory Network (Neon, Inc.), Lindsey Anne Peterson

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.

Utilization Of Geographic Information System For Research, Management, And Education In The Natural Resources Management Department At California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, David In Yun

Master's Theses

Geographic Information System (GIS) is “an organized collection of computer hardware, software, geographic data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced information” (ESRI, 1997a). The Natural Resources Management Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, hereafter NRM, was one of the early users of GIS technology. Although GIS was primarily used as an educational tool, it was also used for cataloging and displaying resource information for management planning and research projects. As the computing technology advanced, GIS became more powerful and easier to use. NRM faculty and …

Better Biomolecule Thermodynamics From Kinetics, Kiran Girdhar, Gregory Scott, Yann R. Chemla, Martin Gruebele

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Protein stability is measured by denaturation: When solvent conditions are changed (e.g., temperature, denaturant concentration, or pH) the protein population switches between thermodynamic states. The resulting denaturation curves have baselines. If the baselines are steep, nonlinear, or incomplete, it becomes difficult to characterize protein denaturation. Baselines arise because the chromophore probing denaturation is sensitive to solvent conditions, or because the thermodynamic states evolve structurally when solvent conditions are changed, or because the barriers are very low (downhill folding). Kinetics can largely eliminate such baselines: Relaxation of chromophores, or within thermodynamic states, is much faster than the transition over activation …

Microfluidic Paper-Based Analytical Devices: From Pocket To Paper-Based Elisa, Andres W. Martinez

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (microPADs) began as a simple idea with an ambitious goal. The idea was to make microfluidic devices out of paper instead of plastic or glass. The goal was to develop low-cost and portable paper-based diagnostic devices to improve healthcare in developing countries. Over the past 6 years, many developments have been made in the emerging field of paper-based microfluidic devices. Reviewing the development of these devices in the Whitesides group at Harvard University (Cambridge, MA, USA) can provide some insight into the future of the field and encourage scientists from a variety of backgrounds to contribute …