Digital Commons Network^™

Thermal Envelope Substitution: Energy And Cost Implications Of Using Structural Insulated Panels In The Manufactured Housing Industry, Brendan Sean Dwyer

Master's Theses

Currently 10% of all single family homes produced in the U.S. are manufactured homes with 75% of these households making less than $50,000 in annual income (Manufactured Housing Survey). Manufactured homes typically use twice as much primary energy per square foot than site built homes yet there is no agenda within the industry or its governing bodies to address this excess energy consumption. The research presented in this thesis compares the thermal envelope performance of the typical wood stud framing used in the manufactured home industry to the thermal envelope of structural insulated panels (SIPs). This comparison examines the energy …

The Effect Of Corticision And Different Force Magnitudes On Orthodontic Tooth Movement In A Rat Model, Christopher A. Murphy Dmd, Mds

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of The Association Between Ependymal Integrity And Ventriculomegaly, Meredith Halling

Master's Theses

The ventricles of the brain are lined by a monolayer of ciliated ependymal cells that act as an interface between the circulating cerebrospinal fluid and the underlying tissue. Along the lateral walls of the lateral ventricles, the ependymal cells have additional significance as they are considered one of the cell types that comprise the subventricular zone (SVZ) neurogenic niche. Since lateral ventricle expansion is a well documented occurrence in not only a variety of neurological disorders but also with normal aging, it is important to consider the effect of this expansion on the ependyma. By combining MRI-based 3-D reconstructions of …

Changes In Facial Esthetics And Lower Facial Height With Increases In Occlusal Vertical Dimension In Dentate Models, Noah Philip Orenstein Dmd

Master's Theses

Materials and Methods:

Twenty models with class I occlusion of White, Black, Asian, and Asian-Indian racial background had mandibular overlays of 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, and 5mm thicknesses fabricated.

Each model had clinical measurements made from pro-nasale to soft tissue menton for each of the following OVD above their normal bite 0mm, 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, and 5mm.

The same models described above had frontal and profile facial digital images recorded in maximum intercuspation (MIP) and wearing each of the four mandibular overlays. The digital images of 8 models were selected and displayed to 60 judges (30 laypeople, 15 general dentists, and …

Chronic Kidney Disease As A Modifier Of The Periodontitis-Associated Microbiome And The Response To Periodontal Therapy, Michel Araujo

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Efficiency Of Piezotome-Corticision Assisted Orthodontics In Alleviating Mandibular Anterior Crowding - A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial, Rana Mehr

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the duration of mandibular-crowding alleviation with piezotome-corticision orthodontics compared with conventional orthodontics and the accompanying effects on patient’s pain and satisfaction.

Materials and Methods: 14 subjects were selected based on the following inclusion criteria: adult patients 18 or older, single arch or double arch treatment, non-extraction treatment in the mandibular arch, presence of a full complement of dentition from mandibular first molar to first molar, no spaces in the mandibular arch, mandibular anterior irregularity index greater than 5, patient with healthy periodontium and attachment loss of up to 2mm, the …

Enhancing Graduate Landscape Architecture Education Through Transdisciplinary Research Approaches: A Case Study At The University Of Connecticut, Julissa Mendez

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Chelating Agents On Texture Of Lowfat Cheddar Cheese, Mariela Fernanda Poveda

Master's Theses

Effects of two types of chelating agents on proteolysis and texture properties of low fat Cheddar cheese (LFC) were analyzed and compared to full fat Cheddar (FFC) control during ripening for 120 days at 8°C. We hypothesized that chelating agents would bind calcium ions from cheese matrix to give a softer curd due to a decrease of protein-protein interactions and simultaneously increasing moisture content. Cheese milk containing (0.59% fat) was divided into three lots (A, B & C). Sodium citrate (3Na) and disodium EDTA (EDTA) were added to A & B at the rate of (0.02% and 0.2% respectively. C …

Women And Their "Food Time" An Investigation Into Food Purchases, Preparation, And Consumption Atmosphere Using Smartphone Survey Technology, Garland Jaeger

Master's Theses

Women’s food purchasing and eating habits have been studied in detail, but are still not entirely understood. Prior research has sought to segment the female food shopper market, but typically use only demographic characteristics. In this study, fifty females were recruited in San Luis Obispo, CA from March 2012 to May 2012 to keep an electronic food-time diary for one week. By collecting information through surveys distributed using a smartphone application, SurveySwipe, the study investigated the amount of time expended for each meal, as well as the manner in which the meal was prepared or purchased, and the context surrounding …

A Study To Determine The Agricultural Perceptions Of High School Students For The "I Love Farmers…They Feed My Soul!" Organization, Mindy N. Burris

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to identify a target market of the “I Love Farmers…They Feed My Soul!” (ILF) organization and establish marketing techniques for the organization. ILF is a non-profit organization committed to connecting the younger generations with information about agriculture and how food is produced.

This study thoroughly investigated the markets in three geographic areas throughout California. Surveys were administered to three high school’s English classes to gather data for analysis. The analysis identified the target market of the ILF organization and the associations between each target market and responses to questions regarding their agricultural knowledge, social …

The Fabrication & Characterization Of An Electrokinetic Microfluidic Pump From Su-8, A Negative Epoxy-Based Photoresist, Nash Anderson

Master's Theses

Microfluidics refers to manipulation, precise control, and behavior of fluids at the micro and nanoliter scales. It has entered the realm of science as a way to precisely measure or mix small amounts of fluid to perform highly controlled reactions. Glass and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) are common materials used to create microfluidic devices; however, glass is difficult to process and PDMS is relatively hydrophobic. In this study, SU-8, an epoxy based (negative) photoresist was used to create various electrokinetic microfluidic chips. SU-8 is commonly used in microelectromechanical design. Spin coating of various SU-8 formulations allows for 1 μm to 100 μm …

Escherichia Coli Strain Diversity In Humans: Effects Of Sampling Effort And Methodology, Emily R. Neal

Master's Theses

Studies investigating Escherichia coli strain diversity and demographics in human hosts are frequently inconsistent regarding sampling effort and methodology while current strain typing methods are often expensive or laborious. To rectify these inconsistencies, sampling effort was investigated by comparing the diversity of 15-isolate collections to 100-isolate collections from 3 human subjects. Temporal variation in E. coli strain diversity was also studied by collecting 15 isolates once every 6 months. Additionally, strain identification and diversity collected by different sampling methods (fecal swabs vs. anal swabs collected at different times around defecation) were compared to identify any inherent biases in sampling method. …

A Generic Decision Making Framework For Autonomous Systems, Connor Lange

Master's Theses

With the rising popularity of small satellites, such as CubeSats, many smaller institutions previously incapable of developing and deploying a spacecraft have starting to do so. Institutions with a history of space flight, such as NASA JPL, have begun to put projects on CubeSats that would normally fly on much larger satellites. As a result, the institutions with space flight heritage have begun to port spacecraft software that was previously designed for much larger and more complex satellites to the CubeSat platform. Unfortunately for universities, who are the majority of all institutions devel- oping CubeSats, these ported systems are too …

Stabilization Of Nepheline Syenite Filler In A Uv-Cure Polyurethane Dispersion Wood Coating And Viscosity Stabilization Of Tinted Latex Architectural Coatings, Maung Ye Htet

Master's Theses

PART I ABSTRACT

STABILIZATION OF NEPHELINE SYENITE FILLER IN A UV-CURE

POLYURETHANE DISPERSION WOOD COATING

Nepheline syenite is a naturally occurring, silica deficient, sodium potassium aluminum silicate functional filler used in polymeric coatings, adhesives, and inks. Due to its unique optical characteristics, it can be utilized in formulating a low-viscosity polyurethane dispersion UV-cure clear wood coating system to enhance its functional properties. However, when the coating is formulated with the ultrafine filler, especially at a high loading level (e.g. >10% solids), the filler rapidly settles after formulated, forming a densely packed sediment layer shortening its shelf-life. Suspension of the filler …

How Land Use Regulations Inform Sustainable Development: A Look At Commercial Development In Bakersfield, California, Darcy Marie Reed

Master's Theses

This research analyzes the relationship between local land use regulations and commercial development in the City of Bakersfield, California, specifically focusing on how the regulations are used to inform commercial development to be sustainable or not. This research contributes to similar research efforts through its contribution of the Sustainable Development Indicator Checklist, the tool used to measure sustainable development within the regulations as well as the built environment. Analysis of six case study locations falling under the C-B (Central Business), C-C (Commercial Center), and PCD (Planned Commercial Development) zone designations indicated the local land use regulations were not informing development …

Cplop: The Cal Poly Library Of Pyroprints, Jan Lorenz Villaceran Soliman

Master's Theses

To date, microbial source tracking (MST), i.e. determining the source of microbial contamination based on the specific strains observed in the environment, often uses methods that are time-consuming, expensive and not always reliable. The biology department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo has developed a new method for MST called pyroprinting. Pyroprints can be used as DNA fingerprints for identifying sources of fecal contamination and studying bacterial populations in host animals. The MST method consists of two parts: the pyroprinting process and a database of pyroprints. The Cal Poly Library of Pyroprints (CPLOP) was developed to provide a database application …

Computational Modeling To Evaluate Helical Electrode Designs For Use In Vagus Nerve Stimulation, Anthony W. Cowley

Master's Theses

An estimated 0.5% of world’s population has been diagnosed with epilepsy. Of these patients 20-30% will be unable to achieve seizure control with anti-epileptic drugs. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) may be an appropriate treatment option for some patients with pharmaceutically refractory, partial-onset seizures.

VNS therapy uses a helical electrode to interface between the implantable pulse generator and the vagus nerve. While there have been several studies related to the mechanical and electrical safety of such electrodes, little work has been done toward understanding the effectiveness of the helical electrode in nerve stimulation. A better understanding of the voltage field and …

City Of Los Angeles Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Plan: Parking Management Strategies, Miriam L. Thompson

Master's Theses

This study examines the state of off-street parking in the Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Plan (CASP) area of the City of Los Angeles. The focus is on discovering relevant strategies to strengthen the plans ability to reduce parking supply and demand.

Research has shown a causal relationship between planning policies and the oversupply of parking. An auto-centric approach to land use and urban form creates societal problems such as traffic congestion, air pollution, inflated development costs, and hostile pedestrian landscapes. Further issues that are directly associated with parking include: poor water quality, neighborhood livability, and ambient temperature. Additionally, an overabundance …

Dairy Manure Flushwater Treatment By Packed-Bed Anaerobic Digesters, Neal Cary Adler

Master's Theses

Wastewater treatment performance of three pilot-scale packed-bed anaerobic digesters with walnut shell medium was researched for treating dairy freestall barn flushwater. Reciprocation mixing was evaluated as a means to lessen channelization in the media bed and to improve biogas production and organic matter removal at ambient temperatures. Reciprocation has been used in biological nitrogen removal systems to introduce air into the system to repeatedly oxygenate nitrifying biofilm along with mixing (Behrends et al. 2003), but the anaerobic systems benefit from mixing. Two tanks were used in each system, where one was full and one was empty at any given time. …

Nutrient Removal Using Microalgae In Wastewater-Fed High Rate Ponds, Matthew N. Rodrigues

Master's Theses

This thesis discusses the mechanisms associated with the removal of organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus in wastewater-fed high rate algae ponds (HRAP) designed to operate as triplicates. Research was conducted at the San Luis Obispo Water Reclamation Facility (SLOWRF) as a pilot-scale study of nine 30-square meter ponds one foot in depth. During period of study, triplicates were operated at hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 4, 3 or 2-days. Main objectives for the study were to determine minimum HRTs required to achieve secondary and tertiary treatment. Experimental conditions such as CO₂ supplementation, nighttime aeration and operation of ponds in …

Applied Hw/Sw Co-Design: Using The Kendall Tau Algorithm For Adaptive Pacing, Kenneth W. Chee

Master's Theses

Microcontrollers, the brains of embedded systems, have found their way into every aspect of our lives including medical devices such as pacemakers. Pacemakers provide life supporting functions to people therefore it is critical for these devices to meet their timing constraints. This thesis examines the use of hardware co-processing to accelerate the calculation time associated with the critical tasks of a pacemaker. In particular, we use an FPGA to accelerate a microcontroller’s calculation time of the Kendall Tau Rank Correlation Coefficient algorithm. The Kendall Tau Rank Correlation Coefficient is a statistical measure that determines the pacemaker’s voltage level for heart …

Establishment And Validation Of A Novel Fucci (Fluorescent Ubiquitination-Based Cell Cycle Indicator) In An In Vitro Chronic Myeloid Leukemia Model, Jane Marie Isquith

Master's Theses

The deregulation of the cell cycle is important in the leukemic transformation and in the continued discovery of more efficient targeted therapies. After elucidation of the role of the RNA editor ADAR1 in the malignant reprogramming of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) progenitors to leukemia stem cells (LSCs) during the chronic phase to blast crisis stages of the disease, current research seeks to uncover the mechanism of action of ADAR1 in this process. To study the potential role ADAR1 plays in the changes to cell cycle during this disease progression, a novel Fucci (fluorescent ubiquitination-based cell cycle indicator) system was introduced …

Baby Boomer Living: Designing A Modern Continuing Care Retirement Community, Ryan Michael Wassum

Master's Theses

With the largest U.S. generation in the midst of retirement, the Baby Boomer cohort is vastly changing the senior housing landscape. As the housing market gradually improves and the development of senior housing chases the increasing demand, Baby Boomers are a highly selective cohort with more buying and spending power than their predecessors, are healthier and more active, and are demanding an unconventional modification of alternative senior housing. The “traditional” senior community is outdated and no longer seen as a viable choice for retirement, and new and innovated models have surpassed the old-fashioned establishments.

Among the innovative senior community models, …

A Complete Streets Analysis And Recommendations Report For The City Of Bakersfield, California, Sherie L. George

Master's Theses

Driven by California State legislation, the City of Bakersfield is taking steps to introduce Complete Streets to the community. Working in collaboration with the Bakersfield City Planning Department, this project was prompted by the CIty's forthcoming update of its Metropolitan Bakersfield General Plan Circulation Element, with purpose to meet the California Complete Streets Act (AB1358) requirement to plan for a balanced, multimodal transportation network. This professional project intends to provide Bakersfield city officials, staff, and residents with tools and information needed to assess and implement Complete Streets within the Community.

The project provides in depth background research on the Complete …

The Effect Of A Triphasic Pulse On Scs To Icd Crosstalk, Ryan James Wensley

Master's Theses

It is a known problem that a Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) can interact with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) when both devices are implanted in the same patient. Interactions between the SCS and ICD can cause inappropriate therapy which can be harmful to the patient. While ICD devices have a distinct narrowband sensing bandwidth, the pulse configurations that current SCS devices deliver were not designed with this frequency region in mind. In this thesis, I recommend a new pulse configuration for SCS devices that will minimize the interaction between the two devices. I produce a theoretical equation for each pulse …

The Effect Of 2d And 3d Menus On Memory Retention In User Interface Design, Angela Michelle Muscat

Master's Theses

The increasing use of 3D user interface elements, particularly 3D menus, demonstrates the need to expand research in the field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) as it pertains to 3D user interfaces. The results of this thesis contribute to the understanding of the cognitive impacts of using 3D menus. Multiple application areas for 3D menus have been identified where memory retention is a critical success factor, but little research has been done in the area of memory retention for 3D menus. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate if the use of 3D carousel menus increases retention of information …

Auto-Motives: Unraveling The Riddle Of Alternative Transportation To School, Mikki Amano Mcdaniel

Master's Theses

Over the last 40 years, there has been a dramatic increase nationwide in the rate of children being driven to school in a private vehicle in the U.S., exacerbating problems from traffic congestion to childhood obesity. While many studies have focused on walking and cycling for the trip to school, few explore parental decision making and the interaction between all travel modes. This study conducts a survey of parents of children attending six elementary schools in San Luis Obispo regarding their children’s travel to school. It explores factors in mode choice, establishes local travel patterns for children, and describes parents’ …

Speed And Agility Training The Mustang Way: The Development Of An Instructional Dvd For Cal Poly Athletes' Summer Training, Gary D. Heron

Master's Theses

SPEED AND AGILITY TRAINING THE MUSTANG WAY:

THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INSTRUCTIONAL DVD FOR CAL POLY ATHLETES’ SUMMER TRAINING

Gary Douglas Heron

The purpose of this project was to create an instructional DVD of speed and agility training for Cal Poly student-athletes. The DVD is for athletes’ use when they are away from campus during summer break and contains information about the same drills and information the strength and conditioning coaches provided while athletes were on campus. The project was filmed and edited by the graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach for Cal Poly intercollegiate athletics. The DVD contains 74 …

Algorithms For Library-Based Microbial Source Tracking, Aldrin Montana

Master's Theses

Pyroprinting is a novel, library-based microbial source tracking method developed by the Biology department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. This method consists of two parts: (1) a collection of bacterial fingerprints, called pyroprints, from known host species, and (2) a method for pyroprint comparison. Currently, Cal Poly Library of Pyroprints (CPLOP), a web-based database application, provides storage and analysis of over $10000$ pyroprints. This number is quickly growing as students and researchers continue to use pyroprinting for research. Biologists conducting research using pyroprinting rely on methods for partitioning collected bacterial isolates into bacterial strains. Clustering algorithms are commonly used …

Social Isolation And Cell Phone Use By College Students, Nichol Elise Myers

Master's Theses

In our technologically ever-advancing world, cell phones can either help us remain socially connected or can contribute to social isolation by substituting for face-to-face contact. This study examines the levels of social isolation in terms of the state of loneliness and trait of shyness and their correlations with academic achievement in 206 community college and university students to examine the connection between social isolation, GPA and cell phone use in college students. Two instruments used in the collection of data were the Revised Cheek and Buss Shyness Scale (RCBS) and the DeJong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Correlational analysis was used …