Digital Commons Network^™

Polyfs Visualizer, Paul Martin Fallon

Master's Theses

One of the most important operating system topics, file systems, control how we store and access data and form a key point in a computer scientists understanding of the underlying mechanisms of a computer. However, file systems, with their abstract concepts and lack of concrete learning aids, is a confusing subjects for students. Historically at Cal Poly, the CPE 453 Introduction to Operating Systems has been on of the most failed classes in the computing majors, leading to the need for better teaching and learning tools. Tools allowing students to gain concrete examples of abstract concepts could be used to …

Rearing Temperature Affects The Expression Of Proteins In The Adhesive Of The Striped Acorn Barnacle, Balanus Amphitrite, Melissa J. Daugherty

Master's Theses

Barnacles are dominant hard–fouling organisms in marine waters. They attach to substrates by secreting a complex proteinaceous adhesive. Understanding the chemical composition of this multi–protein underwater adhesive and how it is affected by environmental variables, such as oceanic temperatures, is critical for developing nontoxic solutions to control biofouling. Previous experiments in our lab revealed an inverse relationship between critical removal stress (CRS) and temperatures at which barnacles were reared. Further investigations showed that this correlation is not attributed to differences in physical properties such as barnacle size or short–term changes in the viscosity of adhesive. Therefore, the observed effects may …

Wildfire Detection System Based On Principal Component Analysis And Image Processing Of Remote-Sensed Video, Ryan F. Radjabi

Master's Theses

Early detection and mitigation of wildfires can reduce devastating property damage, firefighting costs, pollution, and loss of life. This thesis proposes the method of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of images in the temporal domain to identify a smoke plume in wildfires. Temporal PCA is an effective motion detector, and spatial filtering of the output Principal Component images can segment the smoke plume region. The effective use of other image processing techniques to identify smoke plumes and heat plumes are compared. The best attributes of smoke plume detectors and heat plume detectors are evaluated for combination in an improved wildfire detection …

The Bottlefly Ios Application For Wine Recommendations, Carson James Carroll

Master's Theses

The use of smartphone applications has taken over the way people interact with the world. The design of an application has become an important aspect in keeping the user engaged [22]. People are looking for applications that are easy to use and will get the job done. This thesis focuses on the design of a mobile application for iOS that recommends wine in various retail locations that match a user’s taste preferences.

The goals of this thesis are to design an iOS application that recommends wine to consumers, improve upon the wine recommendation algorithms by acquiring more customer data, and …

Characterizing Neurotransmitter Receptor Activation With A Perturbation Based Decomposition Method, Stephen Gregory Jue

Master's Theses

The characterization of postsynaptic potentials, in terms of neurotransmitter receptor activation, is of clinical significance because information associated with receptor activation can be used in the diagnosis and study of neurological disorders. Single-unit recordings provide a method of measuring postsynaptic potentials in neurons using a microelectrode system, but yield no detailed information regarding the neurotransmitter receptors that contribute to the potential. To determine the types of neurotransmitter receptors that result in a compound postsynaptic potential from a microelectrode reading, decomposition of the potential is necessary. In this work, a perturbation-based decomposition method developed by R. Szlavik is evaluated for this …

Assessment Of Micronutrient Status In Pregnant Malawian Women Before And After Treatment For Moderate Malnutrition, Cambria M. Glosz

Master's Theses

Background: Multiple micronutrient deficiencies are prevalent in pregnant women in developing countries and can result in adverse effects to both the mother and infant. Multiple micronutrient supplements or supplementary foods may be a way to combat micronutrient deficiencies.

Objective: To assess change in micronutrient and protein levels in moderately malnourished pregnant Malawian women after receiving one of three nutritional interventions.

Methods: Serum retinol, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, ferritin, vitamin B₁₂, folate, zinc, albumin and C-reactive protein concentrations were measured in pregnant women with MUAC >20.6 cm and

Results: Baseline micronutrient concentrations indicated high rates of deficiency …

Comparison Of Foaming Properties Between Chelated Reconstituted Smp And Caseinates, Boya Liu

Master's Theses

Caseinate powders have been well accepted because of their foaming properties. In this study, 10% solution of reconstituted skim milk powder (SMP) chelated with sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP) and trisodium citrate (TSC) at 1 mEq, 50 mEq, and 100 mEq were prepared to conduct a comparison with sodium caseinate, potassium caseinate, and calcium caseinate solutions. Foamability, foam stability as well as the preferential locations of αs-casein, β-casein and !-casein in their foams were analyzed. It was hypothesized that the foamability, foam stability and the preferential locations of these three caseins in the milk foams are different from treatment to treatment. Milk …

The Effects Of Online Course Pedagogies On Learning And Cognitive Workload, Kallan Kay Christensen

Master's Theses

The use of recorded lecture video is a common online practice, although the implementation of this pedagogy varies and may have differential impacts on learning depending on the extent to which it increases cognitive workload. This study compared two different online statistics lecture formats: interactive and non-interactive. The interactive lecture video stopped approximately every minute and the participant had to answer a question regarding the material before moving on to the next section of the video. The non-interactive lecture video was the exact same video edited to remove all interactive breaks in the video. Cognitive workload was measured using the …

Variation In Adrenal And Thyroid Hormones With Life-History Stage In Juvenile Northern Elephant Seals (Mirounga Angustirostris), Jennifer Jelincic

Master's Theses

Interpretation of stress responses in wildlife is inadequate due to the range of natural variation and potential confounds of individual and life-history variables. In marine mammals, endocrine response data are sparse and variable across species. Blood adrenal and thyroid hormones were measured in 144 chemically immobilized yearling elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Reserve to characterize variation between sexes and across semiannual haul-outs. There was no relationship between hormone concentration and time needed for collecting blood or diel pattern, suggesting that concentrations represented baseline values. Serum cortisol concentrations did not vary with gender or across fasts but increased dramatically during …

Intercolony Comparison Of Diets Of Western Gulls In Central California, Anne L. Cassell

Master's Theses

As human populations expand, they force free-ranging animals to adapt to an increasingly urban environment, resulting in changes in diets, reproductive success, and mortality. The diets of two western gull (Larus occidentalis) breeding populations in central California were compared. One colony, Año Nuevo Island (ANI), is 1 km from shore and within 30 km of a municipal landfill. The other colony, Southeast Farallon Island (SEFI), is located 45 km off the shore of San Francisco, CA. Given the proximity of ANI to the shore and the landfill, I predicted that gulls from ANI would have more garbage in their diets. …

Traditional Agricultural Practices And Sex Ratios At Birth In Modern Times, Patrick Krause

Master's Theses

This study examines the impact of cultural gender norms created by differences in traditional agricultural practices on observed sex ratios at birth over last four decades. Building on the plough hypothesis developed by Ester Boserup and the work of Alesina et al. (2013), this study provides a further empirical test of the legacy of the plough. I perform empirical analysis on micro level data from the Demographic and Health Survey in over 75 countries to develop a number of stylized facts on this relationship. Descendants of plough societies exhibit a more male skewed sex ratio at birth today. These descendants …

Effective Establishment Of Native Plant Communities Along New England Roadsides, John M. Campanelli

Master's Theses

The New England Transportation Consortium commissioned research to find the most effective methods for establishing native plant communities along New England roadsides and document these findings in a manual that would guide state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) efforts to transform their roadside revegetation management practices. These installations would replace the introduced cool-season turf grasses commonly used along highways, which require greater resource inputs and frequent mowing. State DOTs hope that, by transitioning to these more sustainable management practices, they can save on fuel costs, decrease machinery emissions, increase pollinator populations, adapt to changing climates, reduce erosion, and improve storm water …

Use Of The Heat Stress Score To Predict Preparedness To Run In An Outdoor, Warm Weather Race, Rachel K. Katch

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Roles Of The Phospholipid Pip2 In Regulating The Activities Of Kcnq Voltage-Gated Potassium Channels, Kevin M. Duignan

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Wh-Question Comprehension: A Grammatical Deficit In Children With Asd, Manya Jyotishi

Master's Theses

Wh-questions are problematic for children with ASD. Prior research has shown delays in comprehension of subject-wh and object-wh questions in children with ASD compared to TD peers. However, earlier comprehension studies may have been limited because their stimuli included unfamiliar verbs (e.g., hit, produced by a few children with ASD) and events featuring inanimate agents and patients (e.g., an apple and a flower). The current study addressed both of these issues by investigating whether familiar verbs and animate characters elicit robust comprehension of wh-questions with children with ASD. We also investigate whether early grammatical abilities predict later wh-question comprehension. One …

Differential Effects Of The Mao Inhibitors Deprenyl, Moclobemide And Pargyline On Effort-Related Choice Behavior, Hector M. Contreras-Mora

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Active And Observational Experience On Eeg Activity During Early Childhood, Lauren Bryant

Master's Theses

How we encode and understand others’ actions is a core problem in social learning. In recent decades, the human neural mirroring system (NMS) has been implicated as a potential neural mechanism of action understanding. To investigate the effects of experience on NMS activity, we manipulated 3– to 6-year-old children’s (N = 16) active and observational experience with two tools and then examined EEG mu (7-10 Hz) and central beta rhythm (17-21 Hz) desynchronization as measures of NMS activity during observation and execution of these actions. Children exhibited neural mirroring within both individualized and standard mu bands. Although mu and …

Quantifying Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition To U.S. Waterways, Xuanwen Chen

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Reducing The Stem Gender Achievement Gap: Investigating Factors Influencing Female Students’ Major Choices, Shiyu Song

Master's Theses

Taking the first step to unveil female’s underrepresentation in STEM, this study adopts a mixed method design to explores possible factors that influence female college students’ choices to stay in or leave STEM. Undergraduates at University of Connecticut (N=386) completed an online questionnaire and female students who had either left (N=5) or were staying in STEM fields (N=7) were further selected to participate in the interview.

Results from the quantitative analysis showed that female students’ level of stigma consciousness is a significant predictor of their choice to stay in or leave STEM. Specifically, females who are more vulnerable to gender …

An Examination Of Time Loss, Injury Rates, And Factors Associated With Injury In Ncaa Division I Men’S Soccer, Andrea Fortuntati

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Differential Gene Expression In Trap-Positive Cells During Mouse Embryonic Skeletal Development, Melissa Carr-Reynolds

Master's Theses

The skeleton is formed via intramembranous ossification and endochondral ossification. Endochondral ossification, which is the focus of this research, is the process by which the long bones of the skeleton undergo chondrogenesis followed by osteogenesis. The objective of this project is to define the genetic profiles of two types of clastic cells in endochondral ossification: osteoclasts and chondroclasts, which are responsible for breaking down bone and calcified cartilage, respectively. The goal of this project is to validate the hypothesis that these two very similar cells types, which arise from a common precursor, are distinguished by a pattern of differentially expressed …

Influence Of Conducting Carbons On The Capacity Retention Of Nio//Licoo2 And Graphite//Licoo2 Full Cell Lithium Ion Batteries, Mengchen Liu

Master's Theses

Lithium ion batteries are the dominant energy storage system in the market today. Based on its high energy density, power density and ideal cycleability, research on lithium ion batteries has gone through several generations in a short timeframe. However, the constantly increasing demand for this portable energy source, which could be used for hybrid electric vehicles, tablets, computers, phones and even micro-electronics for medical apparatus and instruments, drives the design of next generation materials and designs with improved performance and safety.

In this thesis, the influence of conductivity on Lithium-ion battery half cell capacity retention was investigated with graphite and …

Long-Term Feeding Ecology Of Early-Stage Striped Bass (Morone Saxatilis) And American Shad (Alosa Sapidissima) In The Hudson River Estuary, Michael G. Smircich

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Hyperproliferation And Parathyroid Neoplasia Due To Genetic Variants, La Shondra A. Ellis

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Modulating The Release Of Therapeutic Agents From Plga Coated Cancellous Allografts, Seth Malinowski

Master's Theses

Bone grafts are used in 2 million annual surgeries with that statistic expected to rise due to the increasing elderly population as well as sports related injuries. At a certain size bone fracture or defect, the body is unable to heal spontaneously, and a bone graft must be implanted into the defect site. Allografts are used as bone grafts due to their availability and elimination of donor site morbidity, however they show poor bioactivity and bone regeneration. This study utilizes a degradable poly(lactic-co-glycolide) (PLGA) polymer coating applied to cancellous allografts, loaded with a variety of therapeutic agents aimed to improve …

Low-Energy Impact Of Human Cartilage: Predictors For Fracturing The Network Of Collagen, Bilal Kaleem

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Exploring Maternal Emotion Masking As A Contribution To Kindergartener's Emotion Regulation, Erin Donohue

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Technological And Managerial Gaps In The Adoption Of Improved Groundnut Seed Varieties In Uganda, Neha Paliwal

Master's Theses

The international community has successfully developed improved varieties of seeds that yield high returns in the presence of drought, pests, and disease. This effort is in response to the persistent concern of food security, especially in regions that are most vulnerable to climate change. This study uses cross-sectional data from the World Bank Living Standards Measurement Survey to obtain estimates for the adoption of improved groundnut varieties (IGVs) in Uganda as well as gaps in farmer managerial capacity (alternatively known as technical inefficiency). To do so, this study employs an adoption logit model, in conjunction with a stochastic production frontier …

Separation And Characterization Of Reconstituted Skim Milk Powder Treated With Mineral Chelators, Amy Kringle

Master's Theses

The proteins found in milk are largely important in the functionality of many dairy products and dairy processes. The casein micelle system in milk is a complex and highly studied system. The micelle is thought to be a sponge like structure containing four caseins, α_s1, α_s2, β, and κ casein, and bound together with colloidal calcium phosphate. When a chelating agent such as a citrate, phosphate, or polyphosphate are added to milk systems, the CCP is bound to the chelator and removed from the micelle. It has been shown through past research that the use of …

Effect Of Lactose Source, Lactose Level, And Type Of Emulsifying Salts On The Properties Of A Processed Cheese Product, Gabrielle Alyss Gunter

Master's Theses

Previous studies on the use of nonfat dry milk, whey protein concentrate 34 and lactose powders in processed cheeses or cheese analogs found that increasing the percentage of lactose was associated with an increase in browning and crystallization. There has been little work done of the effects of lactose in processed cheese functionality. Therefore, the objective of this research is to build on and understand the effects of lactose from by three commercially produced dairy powders (nonfat dry milk (NFDM), whey protein concentrate 34 (WPC), lactose) and two different emulsifying salts on properties of processed cheese. Processed cheeses were made …