Digital Commons Network^™

Temporal And Spatial Variability Of Phytoplankton Biomass In Coastal Mississippi Waters, Lorin Matthew Dornback

Master's Theses

Chlorophyll concentrations were measured in western Mississippi coastal waters to determine the spatial and temporal variability of phytoplankton. Nutrients (nitrate, silicate, phosphate), river discharge, temperature, salinity, stratification, tides, currents and winds were measured in concert with the phytoplankton concentrations. The purpose of this study was to determine the seasonal variability in phytoplankton and what was driving the variability. This study was comprised of a three year (September 2007-November 2010) time series where samples were taken once a month for eight stations. Profiles of each station were taken using a Conductivity, Temperature and Depth (CTD) sensor and a WET Labs FL-3 …

The Relation Between Externalizing Behaviors Of Children With An Autism Spectrum Disorder And The Externalizing Behaviors, Internalizing Symptoms, And Social Problems Of Their Typically-Developing Siblings, Theodore S. Tomeny

Master's Theses

Existing literature regarding the maladjustment of siblings of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains inconclusive. Some studies suggest that difficulties associated with having a child with an ASD in the family result in an adverse experience for both parents and siblings. Dissent within. the literature suggests that certain factors, both environmental and genetic, must be present for maladjustment to occur in typically-developing siblings. Parents of a child with an ASD and a typicallydeveloping sibling (ASD group) and parents of two typically-developing siblings (Control group) provided data via online questionnaires. Both diagnostic category and autism symptoms severity were tested …

Effects Of High-Density, Short-Duration Planned Livestock Grazing On Soil Carbon Sequestration Potentials In A Coastal California Mixed Grassland, Kristina Michelle Wolf, Marc Horney, Brent Hallock, Robert T. Rutherford, Anthony T. O'Geen, Royce Larsen, William Plummer

Master's Theses

Planned grazing management in rangelands may improve carbon sequestration potential of soils by increasing plant biomass and the rate of nutrient cycling, which might mitigate global warming. The effects of high-intensity, short-duration planned grazing of sheep on several soil and ecosystem properties were investigated on a mixed grassland in San Luis Obispo, CA. The objectives of this study were to (a) identify soil properties related to soil C sequestration in rangelands; (b) determine if planned grazing improved soil carbon sequestration; (c) quantify changes in identified variables in grazed and rested plots; and (d) analyze any changes in plant species composition …

Benefits Of Near-Term Cloud Location Forecasting For Large Solar Pv, Timothy Robert Rudd

Master's Theses

As the ‘green’ energy movement continues to gain momentum, photovoltaic generation is becoming an increasingly popular source for new power generation. The primary focus of this paper is to demonstrate the benefits of close-to real-time cloud sensing for Photovoltaic generation. In order to benefit from this close-to real-time data, a source of cloud cover information is necessary. This paper looks into the potential of point insolation sensors to determine overhead cloud coverage. A look into design considerations and economic challenges of implementing such a monitoring system is included. The benefits of cloud location sensing are examined using computer simulations to …

Reliable Ethernet, Aleksandr Movsesyan

Master's Theses

Networks within data centers, such as connections between servers and disk arrays, need lossless flow control allowing all packets to move quickly through the network to reach their destination. This paper proposes a new algorithm for congestion control to satisfy the needs of such networks and to answer the question: Is it possible to provide circuit-less reliability and flow control in an Ethernet network? TCP uses an end-to-end congestion control algorithm, which is based on end-to-end round trip time (RTT). Therefore its flow control and error detection/correction approach is dependent on end-to-end RTT. Other approaches utilize specialized data link layer …

Face Detection And Lip Localization, Benafsh Nadir Husain

Master's Theses

Integration of audio and video signals for automatic speech recognition has become an important field of study. The Audio-Visual Speech Recognition (AVSR) system is known to have accuracy higher than audio-only or visual-only system. The research focused on the visual front end and has been centered around lip segmentation. Experiments performed for lip feature extraction were mainly done in constrained environment with controlled background noise. In this thesis we focus our attention to a database collected in the environment of a moving car which hampered the quality of the imagery.

We first introduce the concept of illumination compensation, where we …

Full Custom Vlsi Design Of On-Line Stability Checkers, Chris Y. Lee

Master's Theses

A stability checker is a clocked storage element, much like a flip-flop, which detects unstable and late signals in the pipeline of a digital system. The On-line stability checker operates concurrently with its associated circuit-under-test (CUT). This thesis describes the full custom very-large-scale integration (VLSI) design and testing process of On-Line Stability Checkers. The goals of this thesis are to construct and test Stability Checker designs, and to create a design template for future class projects in the EE 431 Computer-Aided Design (CAD) of VLSI Devices course at Cal Poly.

A method for concurrent fault testing called On-line Stability Checking …

An Exploratory Biomechanical Analysis Of The Side-To-Side Swing Patterns Of Three Skilled Switch Hitters, Francesca Marie Castellucci

Master's Theses

The ability to successfully switch hit, or hit a baseball from both sides of the plate, requires a great amount of practice and coordination bilaterally. This study used three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic data to examine the swing patterns of skilled switch hitters in baseball. Three male minor league and division I collegiate switch hitters participated. Subjects stood on force plates and hit baseballs off a tee while their swings were recorded with a three-dimensional optical motion capture system. Each subject performed twenty total swings, ten from the right and ten from the left. The swings were digitally analyzed and the …

Equivalent Circuit Implementation Of Demyelinated Human Neuron In Spice, Nathan A. Angel

Master's Theses

This work focuses on modeling a demyelinated Hodgkin and Huxley (HH) neuron with Simulated Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis (SPICE) platform. Demyelinating disorders affect over 350,000 people in the U.S and understanding the demyelination process at the cellular level is necessary to find safe ways to treat the diseases [9]. Utilizing a previous SPICE model of an electrically small cell neuron developed by Szlavik [32], an extended core conductor myelinated neuron was produced in this work. The myelinated neuron developed has seven active Nodes of Ranvier (nodes) separated by a myelin sheath. The myelin sheath can be successfully modeled with …

Effects Of Chainring Design On Performance In Competitive Cyclists, Christiane Rose O'Hara

Master's Theses

The development of noncircular chainrings to improve cycling performance has been in progress since the 1980’s and continues apace. The aim of this study was to compare performance time and physiological responses in cycling using a standard circular chainring versus a noncircular chainring developed in 2005: the Rotor Q-Ring. Eight competitive male cyclists were pre-tested using the original circular chainrings and also on the initial week of testing. The intervention consisted of cycling with Rotor Q-Rings for four weeks. Post-testing occurred with the original chainrings for the final week of testing. Testing consisted of a maximal or submaximal graded exercise …

To Shift Or Not To Shift: Maximizing The Efficiency Of A Wireless Sensor Network Using Multiple Sinks, Chabli Boler

Master's Theses

Energy efficiency is a vital part of wireless sensor networks (WSN). Using correct techniques, we can improve the overall data throughput of the network and, at the same time, cut down the cost of running it. The efficient utilization of the life of the sensor node in a WSN is a critical problem. This is a problem since the sensor nodes closest to the sink node expend more energy because they send more messages, mostly for routing, than any other node on the network.

This decreases the life of those sensor nodes and will lead to dead spots in the …

Mycorrhizal Colonization Of Native Salt Marsh Plants On Mississippi's Gulf Coast And The Effects Of Commercial Mycorrhizal Inoculants On Nursery-Grown Plants, Kathryn Rondot Mcbride

Master's Theses

Salt marshes are important economically and ecologically to the Gulf Coast and other coasts worldwide. Due to human activities, many coastal salt marshes have been degraded or destroyed. Restoration efforts, through the replacement or addition of naturally occurring salt marsh plants, are taking place worldwide. Most restoration plants are raised in nurseries and are not ready for transfer to restoration sites for eight or nine months. Once the plants are at the restoration site many die due to transplant stress. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) may be able to shorten the time the restoration plants need to stay in the nursery …

Detection Of Hydrogen In A Two-Phase Cryogen Flow Stream With Thermal Protection Design Configurations, Anton Dmitrievitch Netchaev

Master's Theses

All commercial liquid-propelled rockets use hydrogen as means to reach outer space. These rocket boosters are tested on the ground and use hydrogen as means of purging the remaining explosive gasses left in the test tanks. To conserve helium, a non-renewable resource, a test fixture was developed to characterize and test sensors that could improve the accuracy and response of the current system. By improving response time of the system, helium waste during the purge process can be minimized. The test fixture was constructed to simulate temperatures and pressures that are encountered at the testing facilities. The test fixture is …

Ornamentation, Behavior, And Maternal Effects In The Female Northern Cardinal, Caitlin Winters

Master's Theses

This study seeks to understand the relationship between ornamentation, maternal effects, and behavior in the female Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). Female birds possess ornaments that indicate a number of important known aspects of quality and are usually costly to maintain. However, the extent to which female specific traits, such as maternal effects, are indicated is less clear. It is predicted by the Good Parent Hypothesis that this information should be displayed through intraspecific signal communication. Specifically, androgens and carotenoids are of interest in this study because both are linked to ornamentation, and are also important egg components that …

Individual Differences In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Behavior: Implications For Personality, Christina Nicole Toms

Master's Theses

Individual differences (IDs) in zebrafish (Danio rerio) behavior were examined across time and contexts in order to investigate personality traits. Zebrafish (N = 30) were exposed to six behavioral tasks that were collectively expected to capture (a) aggression, (b) boldness/shyness, and (c) fear. The tasks included a small open field, mirror exposure, emergence, large open field, novel object, and predator exposure tasks. IDs in behavior were found to be consistent across time for a majority of behaviors and consistent across contexts for all but two behaviors. Convergent and discriminate evidence was examined for the three constructs. There was …

Possibility Of Consolidated Wetland Mitigation In A Multi-Layered Legislated State, Juan P. Correa

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Synthesis And Characterization Of Cdse-Zns Core-Shell Quantum Dots For Increased Quantum Yield, Joshua James Angell

Master's Theses

Quantum dots are semiconductor nanocrystals that have tunable emission through changes in their size. Producing bright, efficient quantum dots with stable fluorescence is important for using them in applications in lighting, photovoltaics, and biological imaging. This study aimed to optimize the process for coating CdSe quantum dots (which are colloidally suspended in octadecene) with a ZnS shell through the pyrolysis of organometallic precursors to increase their fluorescence and stability. This process was optimized by determining the ZnS shell thickness between 0.53 and 5.47 monolayers and the Zn:S ratio in the precursor solution between 0.23:1 and 1.6:1 that maximized the relative …

Flexural Behavior Of Interlocking Compressed Earth Block Shear Walls Subjected To In-Plane Loading, Bradley James Stirling

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates the flexural behavior of interlocking compressed earth block (ICEB) shear walls. In-plane cyclic tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of three flexure dominant large scale ICEB specimens: a slim wall with a 2:1 height to width aspect ratio, a flanged wall, and a wall with an opening at the center. Following the experimental investigation, two types of analyses were conducted for calculating the ultimate strength of flexure dominant ICEB walls: a nonlinear static analysis model assuming lumped plasticity and a plastic analysis model. In addition, incremental dynamic analysis was conducted to address the seismic performance of …

Creating Software Libraries To Improve Medical Device Testing Of The Pacing System Analyzer (Psa) At St. Jude Medical, Joel Canlas

Master's Theses

Software testing, specifically in the medical device field, has become increasingly complex over the last decade. Technological enhancements to simulate clinical scenarios and advancements in communicating to medical devices have created the need for better testing strategies and methodologies. Typical medical device companies have depended on manual testing processes to fulfill Food and Drug Administration (FDA) submission requirements specifically Class III devices which are life supporting, life sustaining devices. At St. Jude Medical, software testing of Class III devices such as implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs), pacemakers, and pacing analyzers are given top priority to ensure the highest quality in each product. …

Investigation Of Mirnas Expression In A Citron-Kinase Mutant Model Of Microcephaly, Shan Parikh

Master's Theses

Mutation of Citron-Kinase (Cit-K) in rodents causes substantial reductions in the number of neurons generated in the CNS and results in a primary microcephaly-like phenotype. Evidence from drosophila genetics has further established a genetic link between Cit-K and a protein Argonaut 1 (AGO1), which is required for proper functioning of the miRNA machinery (2). Experiments characterizing the role of miRNAs in the developing cortex demonstrate the requirement of miRNAs for differentiation of neural progenitor cells starting at embryonic day 12.5 (3). Together, this evidence links the role of miRNAs to neurogenesis and thus this relationship warrants further investigation. Here miRNA …

A Comparative Analysis Of Different Fields Of View In Cone Beam Computed Tomography Imaging To Identify The Inferior Alveolar Nerve Canal, Ibrahim Yamany

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Reconfigurable Sampling For Enhanced Energy Efficiency In Power-Constrained Wireless Systems, Timothy Kurp

Master's Theses

Advancement in microelectronics and wireless communications has nurtured the development of low power and low cost wireless systems such as sensor networks. Each node is typically driven by a battery, which has a limited energy capacity that directly constrains node, and network lifetime. This presents a bottleneck for the widespread exploitation of wireless sensing technology. Therefore, improving the energy efficiency of wireless sensing devices is of critical importance and has attracted the attention of the research community.

In this work, a data-driven method has been proposed and systematically investigated. Specifically, this technique reconfigures, in real time, the rate of data …

Investigation Of The Effect Of Xanthophyll Composition On Energy Transfer And Quenching In Light-Harvesting Complexes From The Diatom, Phaeodactylum Tricornutum, Jose L. Robinson Duggon

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Open Space Planning; Utilizing Green Infrastructure To Preserve Community, Cynthia V. Reynolds

Master's Theses

Current sprawl development patterns typical of contemporary development in the United States are unsustainable. The uniform development guidelines prevent context sensitive community design, degrading our communities and consuming large amounts of natural and cultural resources. Significant progress has been made in reorganizing community planning towards sustainable development practices. However, these alternatives still work under the misconception that there is a disconnect between planning open space networks and planning development. Through a comprehensive land use planning approach, this project explores combining concepts of landscape ecology, green infrastructure planning and conservation subdivision patterns to design an integrative open space/community network.

The Power Of Networks: Social Capital And Its Influence In College Student Perceptions Of Sexual Harassment Of Female Sports Reporters, Brittany M. Perotti

Master's Theses

For decades, women have sought legal remedy as they tried to break through the metaphorical glass ceiling in a male-dominated workforce. In their efforts to make it to higher positions of power, many endured the subtle taunts and comments, while others struggled with blatant discrimination and environments that clearly did not welcome women (Hardin & Shain, 2005a; 2005b), including their own place of work (Hardin & Whiteside, 2009). In multiple studies, female sports journalists admitted to sexual harassment, but dismissed it as part of the job (Hardin & Shain, 2006; 2005a; 2005b). Public outcry over this phenomenon is minimal, and …

Three-Dimensional Evaluation Of The Effect Of Maxillary Incisor Retraction On The Palatal Bone And Root Resorption, Jessica R. Lynch Dmd

Master's Theses

Introduction: The objective of this study was to compare pre-treatment and post-treatment cone-beam computed tomography images of patients to quantitatively evaluate the effect of orthodontically retracting maxillary incisors on the height and labiolingual thickness of labial and palatal alveolar bone and incisor apical root resorption. Methods: Maxillary central incisor apical root resorption, labial and palatal alveolar bone height, and labiolingual thickness were assessed on pre-treatment and post-treatment cone-beam computed tomography scans of 59 subjects (mean age, 13.00 years) with premolar extractions and 63 subjects (mean age, 13.40 years) who were treated with non-extraction therapy. Results: The mean incisor apical root …

Applied Control Strategies At A Cogeneration Plant, Joseph William Burns

Master's Theses

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the effectiveness of “classical strategies for dynamic control” on authentic cogeneration processes. These strategies are applied to several processes at the University of Connecticut’s cogeneration plant. Case studies of their applications are presented in this paper. Strategies that are applied include the following:

1) The classical SISO feedback structure

2) The First Order Plus Dead Time (FOPDT) process model

3) The Internal Model Control (IMC) correlations for PI controller tuning

4) Static feed forward with feedback trim

5) Cascade Control

Energy Harvesting From Exercise Machines: Forward Converters With A Central Inverter, Nicholas Keith Lovgren

Master's Theses

This thesis presents an active clamp forward converter for use in the Energy Harvesting From Exercise Machines project.  Ideally, this converter will find use as the centerpiece in a process that links elliptical trainers to the California grid.  This active clamp forward converter boasts a 14V-60V input voltage range and 150W power rating, which closely match the output voltage and power levels from the elliptical trainer.  The isolated topology outputs 51V, higher than previous, non-isolated attempts, which allows the elliptical trainers to interact with a central grid-tied inverter instead of many small ones.  The final converter operated at greater than …

Developing Digital Field Guides For Plants: A Study From The Perspective Of Users, Emily Roseanne Schwarz

Master's Theses

A field guide is a tool to identify an object of natural history. Field guides
cover a wide range of topics from plants to fungi, birds to mammals, and shells to minerals. Traditionally, field guides are books, usually small enough to be carried outdoors . They enjoy wide popularity in modern life; almost every American home and library owns at least one field guide, and the same is also true for other areas of the world.

At this time, companies, non-profits, and universities are developing computer
technologies to replace printed field guides for identifying plants. This thesis
examines the state …

Cluster Thinning Effects On Methoxypyrazine, Resveratrol And Berry Chemistry In Vitis Vinifera Cv. Cabernet Sauvignon, Thomas Jerome Fertel

Master's Theses

Cabernet sauvignon is the most widely planted red wine grape in California and is valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Cabernet sauvignon grapes, when severely vigorous or overcropped, can contain vegetal aromas and flavors when harvested. 3-alkyl-methoxypyrazines are the volatile compounds responsible for this effect and can lower the perceived quality of the wine. Resveratrol is a phytoalexin that has many medical and health benefits and can be found in red wines. An experiment was conducted in Paso Robles, CA to assess the effects of five yield levels, manipulated through cluster thinning, on methoxypyrazine and resveratrol concentrations. Berry …