Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Characterization Of Etbe + Cl And Isooctane + Cl Combustion Products Using Synchrotron Photoionization, Rong Yao

Master's Theses

The low temperature (298 – 700 K) oxidation characterizations of a series of fuel additives (ETBE and isooctane) were studied at advanced light source in Lawrence Berkley National lab, using a multiplexed chemical kinetics photoionization mass spectrometer with tunable synchrotron radiation. Using Cl atoms as initiators in presence of oxygen, photoionization data were collected. Data analysis was performed via characterization of the reaction species photoionization spectra and kinetic traces, from which the products and also the intermediates were identified. Relevant reaction dynamics on potential energy surfaces were calculated, reaction enthalpies of each individual step were presented using the CBS-QB3 composite …

How Can Occupancy Modeling And Occupancy Sensors Reduce Energy Usage In Academic Buildings: An Application Approach To University Of San Francisco, Paloma R. Duong

Master's Projects and Capstones

Buildings are amongst the highest energy consumers relative to industry and transportation. They account for 40% of the world’s energy consumption, due to the need for lighting, equipment, heating, cooling and ventilation. Academic buildings are multi-purpose buildings that create a challenge on energy reduction. Most are old and have fixed occupancy schedules, resulting in high energy consumption because these buildings experience significant occupancy variation throughout the day. Five academic buildings were analyzed; their building information, energy consumption data and methods to project energy savings have been analyzed. The case studies presented different strategies on predicting energy savings, but these have …

Artificial Recharge Of Groundwater With Recycled Municipal Wastewater In The Pajaro Valley, Olivia Heir

Master's Projects and Capstones

Abstract

The Pajaro Valley, located along California’s Central Coast, is the State’s 5^th most productive agricultural region. Groundwater is the main source of water for the region, and due to high agricultural demand, the Pajaro Valley is facing groundwater depletion and rapid seawater intrusion. Artificial recharge of recycled water into groundwater aquifers in other locations has proven to be an effective method of mitigating groundwater depletion and seawater intrusion while providing a sustainable water supply. Two methods of artificial recharge with recycled water exist: direct injection and surface spreading (infiltration). Case studies of both methods of recharge were analyzed …

The Mexican Water Forest: Benefits Of Using Remote Sensing Techniques To Assess Changes In Land Use And Land Cover, Maria F. Lopez Ornelas

Master's Projects and Capstones

In the past 30 years, anthropogenic activities like urbanization, agriculture, road fragmentation and deforestation have resulted in changes in the land use and land cover (LULC) in the Mexican Water Forest. Due to the important ecosystem services, and the natural resources this forest provides, in Mexico, it has become increasingly necessary to use new technologies and tools to support the planning, implementation and integration of forest management and conservation plans, as well as ecological and socioeconomic analysis of this ecosystem. Remote Sensing techniques and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been a true technological and methodological revolution in the acquisition, management …

Northern San Francisco Bay Ecological Risk Assessment: Potential Crude By Rail Incident, Meagan Bowis

Master's Projects and Capstones

Oil spill models, ecological risks, response options, and costs were assessed for a discharge of Bakken crude oil into the Northern San Francisco Bay from a train derailment. This assessment was based on the risk of crude by rail derailments into the San Francisco Bay; in 2014, California oil refineries imported over 240 million gallons of Bakken crude oil by rail for processing. A hypothetical scenario was developed from a derailment on the Union Pacific Railroad Bridge and discharging 100,000 gallons of Bakken crude oil into the Northern San Francisco Bay. The oil trajectory impacted the Carquinez Strait, Suisun, San …

Preserving Biodiversity For A Climate Change Future: A Resilience Assessment Of Three Bay Area Species--Adenostoma Fasciculatum (Chamise), Arctostaphylos Canescens (Hoary Manzanita), And Arctostaphylos Virgata (Marin Manzanita), Alison S. Pollack

Master's Projects and Capstones

Anthropogenic climate change is an undeniable threat to the future of the natural world and human civilization. These shifts will have profound impacts on vegetation, especially for species endemic to isolated regions or sensitive to climate change factors. However, species resilience can predict success into the next century. Resilience is defined as the ability to withstand climate change factors, whereas vulnerability is defined as susceptibility to climate induced stress or damage.

Chaparral and coastal scrub ecosystems within the Bay Area of California provide a unique context for examining resilience, as many species are adapted to high temperatures, drought, and wildfire—all …

Impacts To Anadromous Fish Through Groundwater Extraction, Aaron Hebert

Master's Projects and Capstones

California uses more groundwater than any other state in the United States in order to meet agricultural demand during the growing season when water is naturally least available due to the state’s Mediterranean climate. The state also hosts populations of anadromous fish that are otherwise found exclusively in the wetter Pacific northwest. Groundwater has historically helped maintain baseflow in the summer and fall low-flow periods and acted as a natural buffer against the regular droughts that occur in California. Today, groundwater provides 30-40% of the state’s water supply, but the pumping in many cases has reduced groundwater discharge and baseflow, …

Dendrimer Modified Silica Nanoparticles As Fluorescent Chemosensors For The Detection Of Copper And Cyanide Ions, Alicia Luhrs

Master's Theses

A series of silica nanoparticle-based fluorescent chemosensors were synthesized for the sensitive and selective detection of Cu²⁺ ions in aqueous solution and subsequent CN^- ion detection. Silica nanoparticles (SNP) were modified with branching polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers, which function as selective turn-off Cu²⁺ ion chelators and platforms for the attachment of rhodamine isothiocyanate (RITC) or fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) fluorescent dyes. In the presence of Cu²⁺ ions, the emission of the fluorescent dye is quenched by Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and is dependent upon dendrimer generation, pH, fluorescent dye, and surface charge. The quenching effectiveness was analyzed …

From Empty Lot To Garden Plot: Urban Agriculture In Chula Vista, Jennifer E. Gutierrez

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This project is an exploration of how agriculture can be incorporated into the fabric of the city of Chula Vista, which has both uniquely urban and suburban areas. The proposal is to integrate agriculture as a design tool to reconnect to the city’s agricultural past and as a model for cities of the future. First, I discuss Chula Vista’s history and contemporary context, including demographics. I review the existing urban agriculture policies Chula Vista has and compare them to other cities in California. The second part of the project is concerned with how to choose and develop a site for …

Effects Of The Green Life Nature Education Program For 4th Grade Students Who Attend Bay Area Title One Schools: A Mixed-Methods Study, Jessica Blundell

Doctoral Dissertations

This explanatory sequential design mixed-methods evaluation measures the effects of the GLNE program on (a) students’ personal and social skills (b) students’ stewardship of the environment (c) students’ knowledge and understanding of science concepts. Quantitative survey data and qualitative data from a phenomenologically-based study are analyzed and compared in order to understand the impact of attending Green Life Nature Education (GLNE) program, the only Bay Area Residential Outdoor School that serves urban youth with no-cost programing.

The quantitative data from student surveys implies that in general, attending GLNE has a neutral impact on students. While there were several negative impacts …