Digital Commons Network^™

Are People Reading Local News? A Content Analysis Of Popular News Stories On Nine Newspaper Websites, Peter Shiang Chen

Master's Theses

The news industry has come under tremendous pressure in the last decade. None more so than the newspaper industry, which has seen all aspects of its operation: readership, revenue, staff, distribution and reputation decline dramatically. This study uses content analysis to examine the reading habits of news consumers from nine newspaper-based websites from the Advance Publishing chain. The samples were the stories in the “most popular this hour” list, examined every 5 days from August to September, 2014. These stories were separated into categories such as news, sports, business, etc., and further coded based on their proximity to the news …

Examining The Benefits Of Prior Heat Exposure On Gastrointestinal Temperature, Heart Rate, And Race Day Finish Time Using A Heat Stress Score Ratio., Cynthia A. Torres

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Determining The Need For Diabetic Risk Assessment In An Academic Dental Clinic, Nancy Wong

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a need to incorporate a diabetic risk assessment in an academic dental clinic. An analysis of existing patient records and a survey administered to new patients seeking care at the University of Connecticut Health Center dental clinics were utilized to determine: a) what was the prevalence of diabetic patients; b) how many patients were at increased risk for developing Type 2 diabetes; and c) whether their oral health knowledge relating to diabetes varied by their diabetic status. The survey was administered over a four-month time period, in which 200 …

Role Of Health Insurance Status On Emergency Department Utilization And Subsequent Hospitalization In The Connecticut Emergency Mobile Psychiatric Services Population, Ran Zhao

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Exploring Sexual Differentiation In The Tammar Wallaby Using Transcriptomics, Jenny Y. Kwok

Master's Theses

Sex determination and sexual differentiation are some of the most well studied topics in human development. Sex determination is the point where the undifferentiated gonad becomes committed to the ovarian or testicular pathway. This event can be triggered genetically or environmentally. Sexual differentiation occurs after sexual determination and involves the maturation of the gonad, which in turn, coordinates the corresponding physical and behavioral phenotypes. Disorders of sexual development (DSD) are among the most common congenital abnormalities seen in humans and are increasing at an alarming rate. Congenital DSDs can be caused by genetic, hormonal, and/or environmental stimuli. Increased exposure to …

Gradient Effects Of Reading Ability On Talker-Specific Perceptual Learning, Shayna R. Marmon

Master's Theses

Abstract

The acoustic signal of speech is a complex signal that simultaneously cues the linguistic content of a talker’s message and the identity of the talker. Traditional models of speech perception proposed that the properties of the acoustic signal that cue linguistic meaning and talker identify were distinct. However, a growing body of evidence challenges this traditional view, indicating that linguistic and talker-specific phonetic information are tightly linked in language comprehension. One of these benefits is increased intelligibility of the spoken message when listening to a familiar talker compared to an unfamiliar talker. Just as experience with a talker’s voice …

Changes In Hospital Utilization Among Seriously Mentally Ill Patients Following Enrollment In An Integrated Primary And Behavioral Health Care Program, Christopher L. Steele

Master's Theses

Persons diagnosed with serious mental illness (SMI) suffer from significant health disparities with respect to mortality, morbidity and health care access. The SMI population frequently over-utilizes hospital services, especially emergency department care, and often lacks adequate primary care. This retrospective longitudinal study investigated whether SMI patients changed their hospital utilization patterns when enrolled in an integrated primary care and behavioral health program and how these changes affected hospital costs. The study tracked the hospital utilization of 343 patients for up to 12 months before and after their enrollment. Results showed a significant decrease in total ED visits and the number …

Evaluating Urban Design Strategies For Climate Change Adaptation In Los Angeles, Kerby Andrew Olsen

Master's Theses

Human interference with the Earth’s climate, through the release of greenhouse gasses (GHGs), is estimated to have already increased average statewide temperatures in California by 1.7° Fahrenheit (F), with a further 2.7°F of warming expected by mid-century. The negative impacts of increased temperatures may be especially acute in mid-latitude cities that currently enjoy a mild climate, such as Los Angeles (LA), which are projected to warm to a point that will significantly affect human health and well being. The built environment increases urban temperatures through building materials that readily absorb heat from the sun, a lack of vegetation, a lack …

A Generalized Logic-Based Approach For Intelligent Fault Detection And Recovery In Power Electronic Systems, Weiqiang Chen

Master's Theses

This thesis presents a generalized logic-based approach for intelligent fault diagnosis in power electronic converters based on correlation between faults and basic measurements. Fault recovery is then applied based on this correlation by using specific signals and quantities from existing measurements. The main purpose is for power electronic systems to cope with the notion of a smart grid and its different smart components. Existing intelligent control of power electronic systems is reviewed along with various short- and open-circuit faults in major power electronic components. Two methods are established to diagnose faults and engage redundancy for fault recovery with one method …

Making Contact: Towards An Understanding Of The Reach Of A Peer Delivered Health Intervention To Reduce Hiv Risk Among African Americans And Hispanics Involved With Drugs In Hartford, Connecticut, Christopher Heneghan

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Optimizing The Pistachio Supply Chain And Logistics Network For Fresno County Using Geographic Information Systems Network Analysis Method, Farnaz Daneshpour

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Optimizing the Pistachio Supply Chain and Logistics Network for Fresno County Using Geographic Information Systems Network Analysis Method

Farnaz Daneshpour

This study aims to optimize the transportation of pistachios from orchards to processing centers in Fresno County, California to improve logistics efficiency and reduce environmental impacts. This study evaluates the current transportation situation and compared it with the case in which a new processing center is built. Also, this study evaluates transportation efficiency based on calculations of total driving distance, driving time, fuel cost, and Co2 emission and assesses how much of these variables will be saved if a …

Vibration-Based Health Monitoring Of Rotating Systems With Gyroscopic Effect, Nenad Gavrilovic

Master's Theses

This thesis focuses on the simulation of the gyroscopic effect using the software MSC Adams. A simple shaft-disk system was created and parameter of the sys-tem were changed in order to study the influence of the gyroscopic effect. It was shown that an increasing bearing stiffness reduces the precession motion. Fur-thermore, it was shown that the gyroscopic effect vanishes if the disk of system is placed symmetrically on the shaft, which reduces the system to a Jeffcott-Ro-tor. The second objective of this study was to analyze different defects in a simple fixed axis gear set. In particular, a cracked shaft, …

Outdoor Adventure Therapy To Increase Physical Activity In Young Adult Cancer Survivors, Elizabeth C. Gill, Suzanne Phelan, Marni Goldenberg, Heather Starnes

Master's Theses

Physical activity (PA) has numerous benefits for cancer survivors, but limited research exists on PA interventions in young adult cancer survivors. Outdoor adventure therapy is a potential method of increasing PA in this demographic. The primary purpose of this non-randomized parallel group study was to determine whether the outdoor adventure camp experience (vs. wait list control) would increase participants’ PA levels immediately following the 7-day camp, as well as three months later. Secondary aims examined correlates of greater PA, including pre-post camp changes in sedentary behavior, exercise self-efficacy, environmental change self-efficacy, perceived barriers to exercise, physical activity enjoyment, and physical …

Bicycle Tourism Plan For Economic Development: A Template For Rural Agricultural Towns And A Case Study For The City Of Winters, California, Marisa Rene Lee

Master's Theses

Bicycling is a method of tourism transportation that is healthy, non-invasive, environmentally responsible, and economically sustainable. It allows freedom, mobility, and sightseeing potential that is not made possible by other modes of transit. Thousands of bicycle tourists travel from all over the globe annually to explore California on touring bikes via established cycling routes and robust determination. Thousands of additional domestic and international visitors take weekend trips, plan family vacations, travel for business, or tour California from abroad, many of whom are excellent candidates for local and regional bicycle touring at a more gentle intensity level.

The increasing popularity and …

Increasing Expression Of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen In Maize Through Breeding, Erin Suzanne Miller

Master's Theses

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a common virus, with two billion people infected worldwide. It causes approximately 600,000 deaths each year, despite the availability of an effective vaccine since 1982. Maize as a platform for oral vaccination can supply a heat stable vaccine, which does not require syringes or trained personnel to administer. The Hepatitis B Surface antigen was transformed into maize and this seed was used to evaluate expression levels through the breeding process. The transgene was transferred into two elite maize inbreds by backcrossing. Highest expressing ears were selected each generation until approximately 99% commercial parent was …

Conservation Through Limited Development: An Approach For Land Conservancies, Catherine Joy Tarone

Master's Theses

The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County is interested in determining the approach that it may take if it decides to pursue conservation and limited development as a strategy to preserve land. In using conservation and limited development, the Conservancy may put into practice its core values by employing this intensely-collaborative conservation tool and informing itself about development, conservation, collaboration and financing, in order to meet multiple community needs.

Information about the limited development process was collected from books, news articles and personal communications with professionals to determine its components. Each chapter of this report analyzes one component, putting …

A Three-Dimensional Anatomically Accurate Finite Element Model For Nerve Fiber Activation Simulation Coupling, Shain Ann Fischer

Master's Theses

Improved knowledge of human nerve function and recruitment would enable innovation in the Biomedical Engineering field. Better understanding holds the potential for greater integration between devices and the nervous system as well as the ability to develop therapeutic devices to treat conditions affecting the nervous system. This work presents a three-dimensional volume conductor model of the human arm for coupling with code describing nerve membrane characteristics. The model utilizes an inhomogeneous medium composed of bone, muscle, skin, nerve, artery, and vein. Dielectric properties of each tissue were collected from the literature and applied to corresponding material subdomains. Both a fully …

A Wearable 1.6ghz Non-Invasive Midfield Wave-Based Blood Glucose Sensor, Danielle Nishida

Master's Theses

A non-invasive glucose sensor has been sought after by millions of Americans living with diabetes and scientists alike. Current blood glucose sensors approved by the FDA involve an invasive collection technique coupled with costly chemical analysis materials, which continue to bring pain to the growing diabetic population in America. Previous research of non-invasive sensing methods has shown promise, but the difficulty of transmitting power through tissue has degraded the sensing consistency and accuracy needed to reach the consumer market. This has been overcome with recent research in midfield wave power transmission at Stanford University, which has provided an opportunity for …

Does Scenic Make Cents?, Sara Ann Sanders

Master's Theses

The stretch of California Route One (Highway 1) from the City of San Luis Obispo reaching north to the Monterey County line is one of the most scenic drives in the United States. This stretch of highway is a destination in its own right; so much so, the San Luis Obispo North Coast Scenic Byway is federally designated as an All-American Road, the highest scenic designation of any road or highway in the nation. There has been a history for funding the preservation and enhancement of these roads; however, it was removed in 2012. Even with the lack of current …

Improved Detection Of Gold Nanoparticle Labels For Paper-Based Analytics, Brian Taylor Daugherty

Master's Theses

Point-of-care diagnostic devices are well-suited, and typically designed, for remote and/or resource-limited environments. The obvious application is for healthcare in the developing world; however, other additional important uses exist, including for security (biothreat agent detection) and human health and research during future manned deep space exploration missions.

The objective of this thesis was to develop, and experimentally validate, techniques for improved quantified detection of labels used in lateral flow assays. Limits of detection were characterized for: (a) optical approaches, i.e., unaided eye, mobile electronic device camera images and microscope images with image analysis software developed through this thesis, and (b) …

Passive Tick Surveillance For Ixodes Scapularis And The Incidence Of Lyme Disease In Connecticut, Tsa J. Shelton

Master's Theses

Lyme disease is a tick-borne disease, transmitted to humans via the bite of an Ixodes scapularis tick infected with the spirochetal bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. This disease is endemic in Connecticut and has been increasing in prevalence throughout New England for the past 30 years. Data collected from I. scapularis ticks submitted by the public to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory for B. burgdorferi testing from 2002 to 2012 were compared with Lyme disease case data from the Connecticut Department of Public Health to determine the capacity at which passive tick surveillance can …

Do I Matter: What Protects Individuals From Threats To A Sense Of Mattering?, Login George

Master's Theses

Research on a sense of meaning in life has burgeoned in recent years and studies have shown that meaning is associated with many important variables, such as coping, well-being, and physical health. An important research question that has yet to be adequately addressed, however, is what helps individuals maintain a sense of meaning even in the face of situations that challenge meaning. In the current study, we specifically examined a sense of mattering, an important dimension of meaning, and asked, what buffers the impact of threats to individuals' sense that their life matters? Based on previous research, we hypothesized that …

Methods And Observations For The Influence Of Temperature On Volatile Loss From Wine Fermentation, David Martin Goldfarb

Master's Theses

Background and Aims: Volatile loss of carbon dioxide, ethanol, esters and other compounds occurs during wine fermentation. When collected nondestructively, valuable ethanol and aroma compounds can be preserved for various uses while mitigating production restrictions and regulations regarding volatile organic compound (VOC) loss from wine production. Knowledge of the volume of volatiles lost during wine fermentation contributes to a better understanding of the magnitude of possibilities for resource recovery/aroma recovery, the implications of volatile loss on wine composition as well as a more clear understanding of the possible effect of alcoholic fermentation on air quality. The aim of this study …

Host Plant Feeding Preferences Of The Adult Asiatic Garden Beetle, Maladera Castanea Arrow (Coleoptera:Scarabaeidae), Laura E. Eckman

Master's Theses

The Asiatic garden beetle (AGB), Maladera castanea Arrow, is an invasive pest of crops, ornamentals, and turfgrass that has been minimally studied since the 1930s. Experiments were performed in 2011 and 2012 to investigate adult AGB feeding preferences and seasonality in Connecticut, with the goal of supporting informed planting and monitoring decisions. A common garden field experiment involved counting beetles on three cultivars each of basil, beet, carrot, eggplant, kohlrabi, parsnip, hot pepper, sweet pepper, and turnip. A no-choice laboratory experiment produced values of mass and area of leaf disks consumed. This included the same basil, beet, and kohlrabi varieties …

Indoor Location Tracking And Orientation Estimation Using A Particle Filter, Ins, And Rssi, Cameron Ramin Nouri

Master's Theses

With the advent of wireless sensor technologies becoming more and more common-place in wearable devices and smartphones, indoor localization is becoming a heavily researched topic. One such application for this topic is in the medical field where wireless sensor devices that are capable of monitoring patient vitals and giving accurate location estimations allow for a less intrusive environment for nursing home patients.

This project explores the usage of using received signal strength indication (RSSI) in conjunction with an inertial navigation system (INS) to provide location estimations without the use of GPS in a Particle Filter with a small development microcontroller …

Embedded Power Active Contact Lens, Benny Ng

Master's Theses

This thesis designed and fabricated an active contact lens that notifies the user during the detection of an external wireless signal. The lens contained a printed antenna to communicate with a 2.4GHz system and provide inductive charging operating at 13.56 MHz. The lens utilizes a CBC005 5µAh thin film battery by Cymbet as a power source. A custom IC was designed using the On Semiconductor CMOS C5 0.6 µm process to manage the battery and drive the display. A printed single element display using electrochromic ink was chosen as it is able to indicate the user when activated while staying …

Experimental Evolution Of Specialism In A Wild Virus, Alexander Kula

Master's Theses

A pathogen's ability to successfully replicate and persist within a new host population is fraught with obstacles. While an expanded host-range allows for a greater chance at successful replication, such generalists are typically outcompeted by species which have specialized and adapted host-specific features. Although the most ubiquitous species on earth, very few bacteria-infecting viral species (bacteriophages) with truly broad host-ranges have been identified; this is partially due to the fact that only a small fraction of bacteria (and thus likely hosts) are amenable to laboratory conditions. Nevertheless, the processes of expanding as well as narrowing host-range are not well understood …

Sustainable Chicago 2015: A Political Analysis, Zachary A. Brown

Master's Theses

Over the last decade, many of America's urban areas have developed "sustainability plans" focusing on the long-term viability of their communities. Although many local governments have concentrated on environmental issues, others have incorporated economic and social policies. A new subset of literature has emerged highlighting equity and social justice within the sustainability dialogue. Scholars and practitioners alike argue that true sustainability requires equal access to all three pillars of sustainability for all groups.

Through interviews with public and private actors, as well as content analysis of the plan, this study investigates the structure of the governance network responsible for the …

Shifting The Stress Curve: Using "Stress Inoculation" And Exercise To Promote Resilience, Mikyung Kim

Master's Theses

Problem

Stress influences an organism’s physiological systems via an inverted u-shaped curve: An optimum amount of stress will optimize body functions, but too little stress or too much stress for long periods of time can impair body functions. Researchers have been very interested in exploring the mechanisms that may “delay the tipping point” between the positive and negative effects of stress. A rightward shift in the stress curve would allow one to maintain optimal performance even at higher or more prolonged stress levels. The molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie this rightward shift could result in resilience, clinically defined as …

The Television Viewing, Dating, And Academics Of Young Adults, Michael D. Milmine

Master's Theses

Purpose of the Study

More than ever before, young adults have access to television content. Television programs are no longer relegated to the television set, but can be accessed on desktops, laptops, tablets, and even smartphones. The accessibility of television has increasingly allowed young adults to spend a significant portion of their day viewing these programs. Gathering information on how this viewing is related to their dating and academic habits is important to better understand the decision-making and outcomes for young adults in these two central areas of their lives. The purpose of this study was to measure the relationship …