Digital Commons Network^™

Analysis And Design Of Multiphase Multi-Interleave Dc-Dc Converter With Input-Output Bypass Capacitor, Furqan Mubashir Saleemi

Master's Theses

The power requirements for the microprocessor have been increasing as per Moore's Law. According to International Technology Roadmap (ITRS), the Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) for the microprocessor will be 200 W(with 1V, 200A output) in 2010. With the VRMs topology of synchronous buck, serious technical challenges such as small duty cycle, high switching frequencies, and higher current demands, contribute to decreased power density and increased cost. This thesis proposes a Multiphase Multi-Interleave Buck topology to solve the technical challenges of powering future microprocessors. The critical design parameter values are selected using the theoretical design equations and calculations. The design is …

"Carry Me Back To Old Virginny" : Virginia And The Bonus March Of 1932, Steven Patrick Schultz

Master's Theses

On 6 May 1932 the Ways and Means Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives declined to pass along for a full vote in the House a bill that would have provided for immediate and complete payment of the Soldiers' Bonus, a small sum of money due in 1945 to veterans of World War I. In doing so it set in motion a chain of events that led to one of the most sordid affairs in American history, the Bonus March of 1932, when tens of thousands of World War I veterans traveled to Washington to ask their government for …

The Effects Of A Vegetarian Diet On Iron Status In Female Students, Kimberly G. Englehardt

Master's Theses

Iron deficiency anemia is the most common nutritional deficiency disease worldwide (Mahan & Escott-Stump, 2004). Iron deficiency anemia is of major concern especially in women of child bearing age and those who follow a vegetarian diet. The objective of this study was to compare the nutrient and hematological values related to iron status in female university students following a vegetarian versus following a nonvegetarian diet. This study took a cross sectional analysis of 39 female students at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly State University) in San Luis Obispo, CA. Of the participants 19 were following a vegetarian diet and …

A Morphological And Hemodynamic Analysis Of Skeletal Muscle Vasculature, Stephanie Ann Wood

Master's Theses

The goal of this study was to develop analysis tools to assess skeletal muscle vasculature on a network level. In conjunction with this goal, this project also assessed whether the gracillis anterior muscle of a mouse was sufficiently thin to perform a comprehensive morphological analysis, and whether the data generated from these methods would yield reasonable computation of hemodynamic parameters. Horton's Law of Stream Numbers and the diameter-defined Strahler method were applied to assess the vasculature as a whole, and the results were comparable to previous work. The dimensional and branching characteristics of the network were similar to previous experiments; …

The Effects Of Bisphosphonates On Bone Remodeling: Analysis Of Microdamage Targeting By Bmus, Bmu Velocity And Crack Surface Density, Daniel Wayne Hale

Master's Theses

Studies have indicated that microdamage in the bone matrix both activates and "steers" BMUs (Basic Multicellular Units, the groups of osteoclasts and osteoblasts that resorb and form bone respectively) toward the damage in order to replace damaged bone with new, mechanically sound bone. Also, bisphosphonate drugs have been shown to greatly suppress the remodeling process and, with such effects, are commonly used in the treatment of osteoporosis. It was hypothesized that BMUs do indeed target microdamage around them and tunnel away from the dominant lines of force in bone in order to remove the damage. Additionally it was believed that …

Two-Dimensional Computer-Generated Ornamentation Using A User-Driven Global Planning Strategy, Dustin Robert Anderson

Master's Theses

Hand drawn ornamentation, such as floral or geometric patterns, is a tedious and time consuming task that requires much skill and training in ornamental design principles and aesthetics. Ornamental drawings both historically and presently play critical roles in all things from art to architecture; however, little work has been done in exploring their algorithmic and interactive generation. The field of computer graphics offers many algorithmic possibilities for assisting an artist in creating two-dimensional ornamental art. When computers handle the repetition and overall structure of ornament, considerable savings in time and money can result. Today, the few existing computer algorithms used …

A Coupling-Complexity Metric Suite For Predicting Software Quality, Christopher L. Gray

Master's Theses

Coupling Between Objects and Cyclomatic Complexity have long been used to measure software quality and predict maintainability and reliability of software systems prior to release. In particular, Coupling Between Objects has been shown to correlate with fault-proneness and maintainability of a system at the class level. We propose a new set of metrics based on a fusion of Coupling Between Objects and Cyclomatic Complexity that can be superior to Coupling Between Objects alone at predicting class quality. The new metrics use Cyclomatic Complexity to 1) augment Coupling Between Objects counting to assign a strength of a coupling between two classes …

Cal Poly Super System Photovoltaic Array Universal Dc-Dc Step Down Converter, Joseph Witts

Master's Theses

Standard converter topologies are usually presented with a voltage source as the input supply to the converters. However, a photovoltaic (PV) array has the I-V characteristics of a current source not a voltage source. This thesis details the design process of modifying the standard Buck and synchronous Buck converter topologies to function with either a voltage or current source input, making them universal DC-DC step down converters. This is accomplished by placing a capacitor at the converter's input to supply the pulsating current required for the Buck topologies to function properly. The equations for determining the capacitor's size and RMS …

A Vitreoretinal Surgery System Fluidics Failure Modes And Effects Analysis, Jennifer Ann Grega

Master's Theses

Eyesight is something that is vital to all human beings. The concept of vitreoretinal surgery is an amazing achievement of modem medicine to help treat patients that might otherwise be blind. Vitreoretinal surgery has enhanced and restored vision in numerous individuals due to the forefront of new instrumentation and surgical techniques. As a manufacturer of surgical equipment it is critical that an in depth analysis of potential failure modes is completed and the necessary mitigations are put in place. A complete failure mode and effects analysis on the fluidics sub-module of a vitreoretinal surgery system is an imperative part to …

Bone Mass Preservation And Fracture Risk Assessment With Bisphosphonate Therapy During Spaceflight, Christopher Gardina

Master's Theses

Space exploration and microgravity have substantial negative effects on the human body. Symptoms of space explorers include cardiovascular deconditioning, bone loss, muscular atrophy, and impairment of neurovestibular and sensory function. The great loss of bone due long-duration spaceflight increases fracture risk, jeopardizing the success of the mission and postflight recovery. Bisphosphonates may be able to counteract this bone loss by altering the remodeling process. These drugs increase bone mass, thus reducing fracture risk, but also lead to increased levels of fatigue microdamage. Fracture risk can be lowered by increasing both bone mass (quantity) and bone quality.

The purpose of this …

Design Patterns Go To Hollywood: Teaching Patterns With Multimedia, Adam Dukovich

Master's Theses

Design Patterns have insinuated themselves into the forefront of computer science and software engineering practice. To this end, there has been much scholarship about the proper way to introduce them into the classroom. Studies indicate that understanding the contexts in which design patterns are to be used is one of the most (if not the most) difficult challenge in applying design patterns. However, little research on the topic attempts to solve the problem of better illuminating this context problem, preferring instead to focus on simplification of the patterns and better examples to explain them. This paper discusses a new paradigm …

Drop Impact Reliability Testing Lead-Free Chip Scale Packages, Andrew Farris

Master's Theses

Mobile and handheld electronics devices such as digital cameras, cell phones, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) are prone to be dropped in their lifetime. The drop event may result in failure of solder joints inside these devices. The importance and widespread use of these devices in both business and leisure activities continues to increase, so device failure is increasingly costly and inconvenient. Recently the European Union (EU) Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and other countries' lead-free directives banned the use of lead in consumer electronics products. While this is a responsible environmental change for the electronics industry, it requires the …

Cfd As Applied To The Design Of Short Takeoff And Landing Vehicles Using Circulation Control, Tyler M. Ball

Master's Theses

The ability to predict the distance required for an aircraft to takeoff is an essential component of aircraft design. It involves aspects related to each of the major aircraft systems: aerodynamics, propulsion, configuration, structures, and stability and control. For an aircraft designed for short takeoffs and landings (STOL), designing the aircraft to provide a short takeoff distance, or more precisely the balanced field length (BFL), often leads to the use of a powered lift technique such as circulation control (CC). Although CC has been around for many years, it has never been used on a production aircraft. This is in …

Development Of A Cell Depositing System Using Inkjet Technology, Jason Robert Ozaeta

Master's Theses

In the past decade, advances in tissue engineering have allowed researchers to fabricate simple tissues. However, the process of creating these native tissues is a time consuming and inefficient process. A scaffold must first be fabricated then exposed to a sea of cells in the hopes of seeding. Furthermore, even though cells may have attached, more time must be spent in order to allow the cells to migrate to their ideal locations. To deal with this problem, researchers have investigated whether rapid prototyping principals could be adapted to facilitate the cell seeding process by placing cells in their respective locations …

The Impact Of Being Born With Cleft And Cleft Reparative Surgery On Overall Health And Speech Outcomes, Khatansuudal Evsanaa

Master's Theses

Orofacial cleft is one of the most common and treatable birth defects in the world. If left untreated, orofacial cleft can impair normal speech development, growth, and could lead to a number of health consequences later in life. The main motivation of the study is to measure the impact of being born with cleft and the cleft reparative surgery on overall speech and health cleft for teenagers in India using difference-in-differences approach along with household fixed effects method. An overall health outcome was measured using height, weight, grip strength and BMI, and the speech acceptability was measured using a “Universal …

Three-Dimensional Scaffolds For Mammary Epithelial Cell Growth, Megan M. Barry

Master's Theses

Mammary epithelial cells are highly efficient secreting cells. This natural phenomenon has triggered research efforts to focus on using these cells to assist in the production of viable liquids. The application of this technology is nearly endless. If developed successfully, mammary epithelial cells could be used by industries from farming to pharmacology.

The feasibility of culturing epithelial mammary cells which secrete within a three-dimensional scaffold was investigated and is documented within this paper. A biocompatible film with suitable mechanical characteristics and processing properties for use in a bioreactor was developed through multiple iterations. The film that was developed also withstands …

Algorithmic Approach To Warehouse Consolidation And Optimization, Sonny Nguyen

Master's Theses

This thesis presents a new methodology for warehouse consolidation to optimize the capacity, throughput, and overall efficiency of the warehouse. The application of the methodology allows an organization to become more competitive by reducing real estate and inventory holding costs. The algorithms use various quantitative techniques including statistical inference and integer programming, and apply them to material handling and facilities layout issues. The proposed methodology is independent of the warehouse management system in use. It was implemented by a Fortune 500 company, and resulted in significant cost, capacity and productivity improvements.

A Comparative Study Related To The Effects Of Alcohol, Location And Stranger On Sexual Assault In College Women At Unc, Musleh Uddin Kalar

Master's Theses

This study explored an increase in the number of sexual assaults in students who were under the influence of alcohol. Seventy percent of students were raped when alcohol was a contributing factor at the time of assault. Location was also a major factor in the number of campus sexual assaults. Sixty-five percent of assaults were on campus; among these assaults, 90% of these sexual assaults were committed on college grounds. Acquaintance and date rapes are also very common on college campuses. Ninety percent of the victims reported by the Assault Survivors Advocacy Program (ASAP) were acquainted with the perpetrator. Chi …

Automotive Suspension Parameter Estimation Using Smart Wireless Sensor Technology, Samuel Chase Hoffman

Master's Theses

This thesis project demonstrates the feasibility of using a smart sensor system to estimate vehicle parameters. It includes the development of the smart sensor system and the method for which vehicle parameters are estimated using this system. The smart sensor system is a wireless computer controlled sensor array that can be easily installed onto a vehicle. Parameter estimation was accomplished using grey box code in Matlab System Identification Toolbox, a software package from Mathworks. Front and rear suspension damping rates and pitch inertia were estimated on the 2008 Cal Poly SAE Baja Car with good accuracy during testing.

Knowledge As Conversation: Richard Rorty And The Legacy Of American Pragmatism, Patrick Brendan Smith

Master's Theses

This thesis examines the place of philosopher Richard Rorty in the American pragmatist tradition. To locate him within this rich tradition, I outline the major tenets of classical pragmatism that constitute the core aims of the early pragmatists-Charles Sanders Peirce, William James, and John Dewey. These three figures are examined thoroughly to identify the consistencies and inconsistencies in their individual pragmatist doctrines and to define the context in which pragmatism was born. This examination serves as the jumping off point for the central portion of the thesis: Richard Rorty and the revival of American pragmatism during the 1980s.

Rorty's place …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Health Beliefs Among Midlife Filipino American Women In California, Lorneneth Merana

Master's Theses

Research pertaining to Filipino American health issues is growing but most remain delimited to children, college students, and older adults. The purpose of this study was two-fold. The first was to define the health beliefs of four Filipino American women who were in midlife through in-depth one-on-one interviews regarding cardiovascular diseases and in utilizing health care to prevent, diagnose, or treat those diseases. The second purpose was to conceptualize potential links between the health beliefs of those Filipino American women and their attitudes or choices about health care utilization.

Conclusively, the health beliefs of the four midlife Filipino-American women in …

Microwave Signal Generation Using Self-Heterodyning Of A Fast Wavelength Switching Sg-Dbr Laser, Michael A. Bernacil

Master's Theses

Microwave signal generation is demonstrated using a single-chip fast wavelength-tunable SG-DBR laser. Microwave signals are established by a delayed self-heterodyne technique. The optical frequency of the laser is square-wave modulated between two closely spaced wavelengths. These two wavelengths are made time coincident using a fiber based Mach-Zehnder interferometer. From the interferometer, the difference frequency is detected and amplified. The optical difference frequency takes on the form of a microwave signal that can be seen on an electrical spectrum analyzer. The hardware structure of the high-speed wavelength switching SG-DBR package is shown. The wavelength switching architecture and temperature robustness of the …

Portrayal Of Women In Kenya's Print Media: A Study Of Daily Nation, The Standard, And Kenya Times, June 2002 To June 2003, Beatrice P. Omari

Master's Theses

Problem Portrayal of women in Kenya‟s print media is replete with stereotype images that portray women only in their domestic roles at the expense of their roles in national development. This study is aimed at determining the extent o f this negative portrayal and the likely explanatory reasons. Method Content analysis of newspaper articles of a sample of three major dailies—Daily Nation, The Standard, and Kenya Times—was carried out for issues between June 2002 and June 2003. A total of 144 issues were identified, coded, and analyzed. Results Women and women‟s issues are allocated less space and portrayed more negatively …

Using Internet Simulation Games To Train Prehospital Providers For Mass Casualty Response, Meredith L. Moss

Master's Theses

During a disaster emergency medical services (EMS) plays a critical role in supporting mass casualty response. However, the processes and procedures used in a disaster are different than those which the prehospital providers encounter during routine emergency response. With limited time and resources, new approaches to training should be considered. This thesis presents research on EMS training, disaster response, distance learning, and instructional technology. Survey and interview results are analyzed providing a foundation for the development of a proposed software model using Internet simulation games to train prehospital providers for mass casualty response.

Disability, Advocacy And Coping : An Autoethnography On Non-Visible Disability, Dana L. Morella

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Intelligent Query For Real Estate Search, Mandeep Jandir

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Dispersal And Population Structure Of Neotrypaea Californiensis, Kenji Kozuka

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Perception Of Sexual Orientation As A Function Of Amount And Type Of Stereotype, Cecil F., Jr Abrams

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Internal Waves Over The Continental Shelf In South Monterey Bay, FrançOis Cazenave

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Electrochemistry Of Pyrenyl Iron Terpyridines On Glassy Carbon, Gold, And Cnt, Hsiao-Chu Lin

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.