Digital Commons Network^™

Occurrence And Formation Of Disinfection By-Products In Indoor Swimming Pools Water, Amer Kanan

All Dissertations

Chlorination is used to prevent the spread of waterborne infectious diseases from swimming pools. This required disinfection practice also results in the formation of undesirable disinfection by-products (DBPs) from the reactions of chlorine with the organic matter (released by swimmers or present in the filling water of the pool) and bromide. Some of these DBPs have important adverse public health effects; as a result their concentrations in drinking waters are regulated. Unfortunately, DBPs formation and control in swimming pools have not been studied and investigated to the same extent as their formation and control in drinking water.
The main objective …

Comparison Of Agricultural Area Source Ammonia Gas Concentration And Flux Measurements, Emyrei Reese

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was conducted in order to compare and evaluate a variety of ammonia (NH₃) measurement techniques for determination of ambient gas phase concentration and evaluation of system fluxes. This was accomplished by measuring NH3 emitted from area sources within two dairies, one located in south-central Idaho and another in central California. The measurement techniques utilized included: an array of passive diffusion samplers, a single annular denuder system, a single or paired Fourier transform infrared spectrometer(s) (FTIR), a paired (upwind and downwind) set of differential optical absorption spectrometers (DOAS), and a portable wind tunnel in conjunction with a …

Effects Of Static Stretching On Foot Velocity During The Instep Soccer Kick, Craig D. Workman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to assess the acute effects of static stretching on foot velocity at impact with a soccer ball. Eighteen Division I female soccer athletes underwent two test conditions separated by 48 hr. Each condition was randomly assigned and began by placing four retro-reflective markers on bony landmarks of the ankle (total of eight markers, four on each ankle). One condition was the no-stretch condition, in which each participant performed a self-paced jog for 5 min as a warm-up, and then sat quietly for 6 min before performing three maximal instep kicks into a net. The …

Changes In Hybrid Poplar Endophytic Microbial Diversity In Response To Trichloroethylene Exposure, Jared S. Ervin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Remediation of trichloroethylene (TCE) is a major priority for many contaminated sites all over the industrialized world including Hill Air Force Base, UT (HAFB). Phytoremediation as part of a cleanup strategy is an appealing option, and trees at HAFB have been studied to this end. Trees have also been used to delineate groundwater plumes because the passive uptake of organic contaminants by trees generally results in a direct relationship between tree and groundwater TCE concentrations if the trees are using the contaminated groundwater. However, the concentrations of plant-produced TCE metabolites can vary greatly. It was hypothesized that the endophytic microbial …

Full-Scale Testing Of 40 Year Old Prestressed Aashto Girders That Have Been Retrofitted In Shear By Externally Applied Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Wraps, David A. Petty

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is interested in the application of rehabilitation techniques to strengthen their AASTHO prestressed bridge girders for shear. Utah's bridges are exposed to deterioration from rain, snow, and the introduction of salt for ice removable. This requires innovative rehabilitation techniques to address the deteriorations of their highway bridges, especially the ends of bridge girders where water and salt are more common due to construction joints. Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP) are becoming more prevalent as a tool in highway bridge rehabilitation.

This research investigates the application of various CFRP systems that can be used as …

An Exploration Of Formal Methods And Tools Applied To A Small Satellite Software System, Russell J. Grover

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Formal system modeling has been a topic of interest in the research community for many years. Modeling a system helps engineers understand it better and enables them to check different aspects of it to ensure that there is no undesired or unexpected behavior and that it does what it was designed to do. This thesis takes two existing tools that were created to aid in the designing of spacecraft systems and creates a layer to connect them together and allow them to be used jointly. The first tool is a library of formal descriptions used to specify spacecraft behavior in …

Rapid Diagnosis Of Tuberculosis In A Peripheral Setting, Elsje Pienaar

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Tuberculosis is an ancient and worldwide epidemic affecting millions of people in mainly the developing world, killing almost 2 million people in 2008. Current diagnostic techniques are outdated and have proven insufficient to control the disease. Smear microscopy has poor sensitivity and culture is slow to yield results. Modern diagnostic techniques are making great strides in shortening time to result but are restricted by two qualities: 1) prohibitively high costs prevent implementation in resource poor areas, and 2) equipment and technician requirements limit application to centralized laboratories. There exists a divide between new technologies and the people that need them …

A Web And Mobile System For Environmental Decision Support, James Carswell, Keith Gardiner, Michela Bertolotto, Andrea Rizzine

Books/Book chapters

Current field data collection methods for many of today’s scientific and other observer/monitor type applications are still entrenched in the “clipboard age”, requiring manual data transcription to a database management system at some (often much) later date, and only allows for visualisation and analysis of recently captured field data “back in the lab”. This chapter is targeted at progressing today’s pen & paper methodology into the spatially enabled mobile computing age of realtime multi-media data input, integration, visualisation, and analysis simultaneously both in the field and the lab. The system described is customized to the specific needs of the Canadian …

Healthcare Professional Roles: The Ontology Model For E-Learning, Lorraine Carmody, Elizabeth Sherry, John Cardiff

Conference Papers

The paper aims to present the MEDeLEARN project, an ontology-driven virtual learning environment for Medical Information System training. The current training environment for healthcare professionals in the use of essential medical information systems in a large urban training hospital is based on conventional instructor-led training sessions. Problems arise due to the demanding nature of the hospital working environment, causing training to be cancelled or curtailed. This mode of training delivery is deemed to be inefficient and ineffective, with the danger of serious errors occurring as a consequence.

The project investigates whether a virtual learning environment can address the competency gap …

The Use Of Factor Analysis In The Development Of Hand Sizes For Glove Design, Trevor M. Mclain

Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Factor analysis was used to develop a more detailed description of the human hand to be used in the creation of glove sizes; currently gloves sizes are small, medium, and large. The created glove sizes provide glove designers with the ability to create a glove design that can provide fit to the majority of hand variations in both the male and female populations. The research used the American National Survey (ANSUR) data that was collected in 1988. This data contains eighty-six length, width, height, and circumference measurements of the human hand for one thousand male subjects and thirteen hundred female …

Waste To Work Using Eccrine Sweat Battery Modules To Enhance Pedestrian Safety, Lauren J. Vesty

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

There is a need for increased pedestrian visibility. Improved athletic clothing with built in visibility features would enhance a roadside athlete’s safety. This experiment aims to create such an athletic shirt, while incorporating wearable biotechnology. A sweat battery that produced a voltage of 0.49 V and a current of 5.16 mA was created to power the visibility aspects of the shirt. The battery uses an aluminum anode, a carbon cathode, a sponge block as the container and semi-permeable membrane, and the body’s eccrine sweat as the electrolyte solution. The battery cells were arranged into blocks to produce an optimal current …

Responses Of Problematic Algae To Algaecide Exposures, West Bishop

All Theses

Excessive growths of algae can cause significant disruption of critical water resource usages including: drinking, irrigation, recreation as well as be aesthetically displeasing. Water resource managers are often compelled to take action to mitigate these nuisance algal infestations. Algaecides can be efficient and effective management options to rapidly suppress algal blooms and restore water usages. However, laboratory and field data are required to accurately predict responses to an application as well as potential risks to non-target organisms. Laboratory experiments were used to measure the responses of problematic algae to algaecide exposures and evaluate the margin of safety to sensitive, non-target …

Women As Sustainability Leaders In Engineering: Evidence From Industry And Academia, Jennilee Harrison

All Theses

Women are underrepresented in engineering education and practice, which limits the quality of the engineering workforce. One way to increase the participation of women in engineering is to emphasize subjects that appeal to them and emphasize skills at which they are especially adept. A subject that may fit this description is sustainability. The purpose of this research is to compare the percentage of women in selected sustainable engineering leadership positions to the percentage of women in general engineering leadership positions, to examine whether the subject of sustainability may help increase participation of women in engineering. Gender data was collected for …

'Transfer Effect Study Of A Virtual Borescope In Training Aircraft Maintenance Technicians', Melissa Dorlette Paul

All Theses

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has acknowledged training as an important tactic to improve the trustworthiness of inspection. This study was conducted to test the transfer of the skills learned with a simulator into the real world. For this purpose, data from seventeen students in the AMT program of Greenville Technical College was analyzed. Objective data was taken to assess the group's performance on the simulator after each session of training. The comparison between two groups was made using objective data, collected while the subjects went through a test on a real engine and using the real borescope, and subjective …

Biodegradable Polymer Blends And Composites From Proteins Produced By Animal Co-Product Industry, Bernice Nzioki

All Theses

ABSTRACT
Development of new green materials from by-products of animal rendering industries would provide a substantial economic return to animal rendering processors. Meat and bone meal (MBM), one of the products of the rendering industry, has potential for numerous bio-based applications. This research focuses on fabrication of plastics blends made of MBM (Meat and bone meal) and UHMWPE (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene). We investigated thermal, morphological, water absorption and mechanical properties of the plastics. The plastics were compression molded and their properties were examined.
DSC thermographs of the blends indicated that the thermal properties of UHMWPE did not change …

An Assessment Of Linear Wrist Motion During The Taking Of A Bite Of Food, Meredith Drennan

All Theses

Motivated by the goal of building a device capable of detecting when a user takes a bite of food, we examine whether there is a correlation between linear wrist motion and bite detection. Such a device could be used to manage weight loss by tracking eating trends over time and providing real time feedback to the user regarding eating rate or total consumption. A comprehensive analysis of tracking linear motion using low cost inertial sensors is presented. Based on this theory, we discuss the design and tracking accuracy of a prototype bite counting device. We show that tracking position using …

Performance Evaluation Of Sbs Modified Asphalt Mixtures Using Warm Mix Technologies, Hakseo Kim

All Theses

The need for more sustainable methods and techniques in industry has been increasing and it is important to respond to the needs of society and address issues surrounding its environment and health. In order to better introduce such new and more sustainable methods, it is necessary to combine existing and proven methods with new technology. The main idea of this research was to use the established industry standard of using Styrene Butadiene Styrene (SBS) modified binder and combine it with the relatively new Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) technology in order to create a more sustainable and eco-friendly asphalt paving process. …

Plutonium - Humic Acid Stability Constant Determination And Subsequent Studies Examining Sorption In The Ternary Pu(Iv) - Humic Acid - Gibbsite System, Trevor Zimmerman

All Theses

Plutonium has been released to the environment through a variety of intentional and unintentional mechanisms, including atmospheric testing, disposition from weapons manufacturing processes, and subsurface disposal. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the chemical, physical, and biological processes affecting plutonium transport is imperative. It has been shown that humic acid (HA) (a refractory component of natural organic matter (NOM)) can effectively solubilize plutonium (Santschi et al., 2002). Increased solubility may result in enhanced subsurface transport, due to the higher concentration of Pu in the aqueous phase. In contrast, the formation of ternary surface complexes may hinder actinide transport. Solution pH is …

Freight Performance Measures: Approach Analysis, B. Starr Mcmullen, Christopher M. Monsere

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report reviews the existing state of the art and also the state of the practice of freight performance measurement. Most performance measures at the state level have aimed at evaluating highway or transit infrastructure performance with an emphasis on passenger transportation. Freight performance measurement ultimately requires evaluation of performance of the entire freight transportation system, which includes highways, waterways, rail, air, and modal connections. This requires considerable expansion of thinking beyond the traditional focus of state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) on highway performance.

This project builds upon past and current work in the area of freight performance measurement and …

Cal Poly Sit Ski: Final Report, Marc Bergreen, David Bydalek, Ross Gompertz

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this project was to design, build, and test a Sit Ski for the US Adaptive Ski Team. The design is for Mr. Marlon Shepard, a new competitor on the Ski Team, who is in need of a new racing sit ski. Some of the top design priorities include reduced weight, increased rider comfort, and increased durability over existing designs. With these design considerations in mind, our team from Cal Poly designed, built and tested a cross country sit ski in June 2010 at the mechanical engineering senior project expo. The project was sponsored by a National Science …

Energy And Nutrient Recovery From Anaerobic Treatment Of Organic Wastes, Christian-Dominik Henrich

All Dissertations

The objective of the research was to develop a complete systems design and predictive model framework of a series of linked processes capable of providing treatment of landfill leachate while simultaneously recovering nutrients and bioenergy from the waste inputs. This proposed process includes an 'Ammonia Recovery Process' (ARP) consisting of: 1) ammonia de-sorption requiring leachate pH adjustment with lime or sodium hydroxide addition followed by, 2) ammonia re-absorption into a 6-molar sulfuric acid spray-tower followed by, 3) biological activated sludge treatment of soluble organic residuals (BOD) followed by, 4) high-rate algal post-treatment and finally, 5) an optional anaerobic digestion process …

Effects Of Reamer-Femoral Component Offset On Cement Mantle Penetration In Hip Resurfacing Arthroplasty, Mark Lloyd Paulick

Master's Theses

Hip resurfacing arthroplasty has changed the treatment of end stage arthritis without severe deformity for young, active adults. Presently, there are varying clinical approaches to implant design selection and cementation techniques. The purpose of this project is to determine what amount of reamer-femoral component offset allows for the best cement penetration into the femoral head.

Rapid prototyped femoral component models were produced with reamer femoral component offsets of 0.0 mm, 0.5 mm, and 1.0 mm. After implantation onto models of reamed femoral heads made from high-density open-cell reticulated carbon foam, cement penetration was assessed from cross-sections of the foam-implant unit. …

A Decision Model For Nurse-To-Patient Assignment, Ilgin Acar

Dissertations

A critical consequence of the current nurse shortage in the US may be an increase in the workloads on hospital nurses. Heavy workloads have been identified as a major cause of job dissatisfaction among hospital nurses and may ultimately lead to a reduction in the quality of patient care. A focus on the balancing of the workload among scheduled nurses through patient assignments can help to alleviate the chance of assigning excessive workloads to one or more nurses during a shift. Nurse-to-patient assignment, the final stage of the nurse planning was the main intention of this study. It is reasonable …

Fringe Visibility Enhanced Extrinsic Fabry-Perot Interferometer Using A Graded Index Fiber Collimator, Yinan Zhang, Yanjun Li, Tao Wei, Xinwei Lan, Ying Huang, Genda Chen, Hai Xiao

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

We report a fringe visibility-enhanced extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer (EFPI) by fusion splicing a quarter-pitch length of a graded-index fiber (GIF) to the lead-in single mode fiber (SMF). The performance of the GIF collimator is theoretically analyzed using a ray matrix model and experimentally verified through beam divergence angle measurements. The fringe visibility of the GIF-collimated EFPI is measured as a function of the cavity length and compared with that of a regular SMF-EFPI. At the cavity length of 500 μm, the fringe visibility of the GIF-EFPI is 0.8, while that of the SMF-EFPI is only 0.2. The visibility-enhanced GIF-EFPI may …

Using The Continuous Wavelet Transform To Characterize Differences Between Impact Signals From Non-Cleated And Cleated Turf Shoes, Wayne Robert Fischer

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The continuous wavelet transform was used to characterize the time-frequency differences between impact forces from non-cleated and cleated turf shoes among male football athletes who perform cut and run activities. This research is significant because it elucidates how athletes experience different impact force and torque frequency content based on the type of shoe they are wearing. The complex Morlet mother wavelet was used to analyze all ground reaction force and vertical ground reaction moment signals to create time-frequency power spectrum plots. For each signal, a statistical confidence interval was calculated and displayed along with the cone of influence caused by …

Impact Of Ground-Level Aviation Emissions On Air Quality In The Western United States, Eric Edward Clark

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The aviation industry has experienced sustained growth since its inception result- ing in an increase in air pollutant emissions. Exposure to particulate matter less than 2.5 µm in diameter (PM_2.5) has been linked to respiratory health problems because it penetrates deepest into human lungs.

This thesis focused on the concentrations of three secondary aerosol species (i.e., sulfate, nitrate + ammonium and organic carbon) as they relate to the formation of total PM_2.5. There were three goals of this research: evaluate differences in total PM_2.5 concentration as (1) ground-level aviation emissions (i.e., up to 3,000 …

Biodegradation And Bioremediation Of Hexachlorocyclohexane Isomers, Chlorinated Ethenes, Chlorinated Benzenes And Benzene, Vijaikrishnah Elango

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT
Groundwater at an industrial site is contaminated with γ -hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and α-HCH (i.e., lindane) (0.3-0.5 ppm). Other contaminants in the 1-15 ppm range include 1,2,4-trichlorobenezene (TCB), 1,2-dichlorobenzene (DCB), 1,3-DCB, 1,4-DCB, chlorobenzene (CB), benzene, trichloroethene (TCE) and cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cDCE). The aquifer consists of a shallow layer of soil over fractured dolomite, where most of the contaminant mass resides. The objective of this study was to compare 1) anaerobic reductive dechlorination of the polychlorinated contaminants, followed by aerobic biodegradation of the daughter products (mainly DCBs, CB, and benzene); and 2) aerobic biodegradation of α- and γ-HCH, TCB, DCBs, CB and …

Osteoclast-Mediated Cell Therapy As An Attempt To Treat Elastin-Specific Vascular Calcification, Chartrisa Simpson

All Dissertations

Vascular calcification occurs during physiological aging and is clinically recognized as a major risk factor for myocardial infarction, systolic hypertension, heart failure and coronary insufficiency caused by loss of aortic recoil. Medial arterial calcification is an active remodeling process that involves the deposition of bone-specific matrix in close association with elastic fibers. Elastin, a major structural protein in the extracellular matrix of arterial walls, provides elastic recoil to the arteries. Increasing evidence suggests that vascular calcification share features with skeletal bone formation such as bone matrix deposition and bone resorption. Bone morphogenetic proteins and bone cells have been found in …

Design And Scale-Up Of Production Scale Stirred Tank Fermentors, Ryan Z. Davis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In the bio/pharmaceutical industry, fermentation is extremely important in pharmaceutical development, and in microbial research. However, new fermentor designs are needed to improve production and reduce costs of complex systems such as cultivation of mammalian cells and genetically engineered micro-organisms. Traditionally, stirred tank design is driven by the oxygen transfer capability needed to achieve cell growth. However, design methodologies available for stirred tank fermentors are insufficient and many times contain errors. The aim of this research is to improve the design of production scale stirred tank fermentors through the development of dimensionless correlations and by providing information on aspects of …

The Utah Pilot Bridge, Live Load And Dynamic Testing, Modeling And Monitoring For The Long-Term Bridge Performance Program, Steven M. Petroff

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As part of the Federal Highway Administration's Long-Term Bridge Performance Program, Live Load and Dynamic tests were conducted. A long-term monitoring plan was developed and presented for the Utah Pilot Bridge based on Live Load and Dynamic tests. As one of seven pilot bridges, the Utah Pilot Bridge is one of the first bridges used to initiate the LTBP Program. A formal permit approval process, with the Utah Department of Transportation, was followed to gain permission to conduct the tests and install long-term instrumentation. Analysis provided good results for each test completed, with a summary of test results presented. A …