Digital Commons Network^™

Microcapsule Containing Lactic Acid Bacteria For Treatment Of Peptic Ulcers, Brandon Jerome Hinkel

Master's Theses

Probiotics are marketed throughout the world to promote the health of the consumer by improving the microorganisms that normally occur in the intestinal tract (Tannock, 1997). It has also been suggested that probiotics can prevent pathogen infections by adhering to the intestinal mucosa (Lee, Lim, Teng, Ouwehand, Tuomola, & Salminen, 2000). While probiotics can be delivered to the infected areas in multiple fashions, microencapsulation is a newer form of delivering probiotics straight to the infected area. A whey protein microcapsule is thought to protect the probiotics from stomach acid and delivers the treatment to the affected area. To ensure this …

The Effects Of Age On Muscle Loss And Tissue-Specific Levels Of Nf-ĸb And Sirt6 Proteins In Rats, Tiev C. Laguire

Master's Theses

The objective of this study was to examine the influence of age on food intake, tissue and organ mass and NF-ĸB and SIRT6 levels in various tissues. The transcription factor, Nuclear Factor Kappa-B (NF-ĸB), is associated with both catabolic and anabolic pathways of muscle metabolism and may be involved in age-related muscle loss. SIRT6 is a member of the sirtuin family of proteins that function as protein lysine deacetylases and are associated with longevity in a number of organisms. Male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 6 months (Adult) and 21 months (Old) were fed a commercially available diet for 10-17 days. Old …

Navy Seal Prosthetic Hand, Devon Patrick Augustus

Master's Theses

Prosthetic development recently has focused mainly on myoelectrically controlled electric hands despite a majority of upper extremity amputees actively choosing body powered devices. Myoelectric hands utilize a small electric pulse generated in muscles when flexing as a signal to the hand to close. Finger flexion in these devices is controlled by electromechanical servos, requiring no strength input from the user. Body powered devices use a cable attached to a shoulder harness which causes mechanical closure of the device via tension placed on a control cable by a shoulder shrug motion or arm extension. Outfitting of active duty service personnel has …

Applying Sustainability From A Systems Perspective:, Timothy Brophy

Master's Theses

Becoming sustainable is no longer an option. Current industry methods will not be able to support the necessary changes our growing society demands. In order to keep up with ever increasing demands industry will be aimed toward making major system changes toward a fully sustainable model. As of right now only basic sustainability actions have been put in place. Industry needs to make a strategic change toward resilient systems with an end goal of evolving into fully biomimic systems. This thesis covers a brief history of production leading to the Industrial Revolution which created a need for increased sustainability efforts. …

Maternal Acculturation Levels And Their Effect On Children's Food Intake, Maternal Perceptions Of Body Size And Maternal Stress, Tracie A. Chavoor

Master's Theses

In the U.S., obesity has hit alarming rates and affects Hispanic children disproportionately. Acculturation, the shift from one culture’s values, beliefs and practices to those of a new culture, may have both negative and positive health effects on immigrants. The objectives of this study were to determine the association between the level of acculturation (low acculturation or high acculturation) of low-income Latina mothers and the foods consumed by their children (0 to 36 months old). The association between acculturation and maternal perceptions of infant and toddler body size, maternal perceptions of her own body size and maternal parenting stress were …

Urban Agriculture Stormwater Management In California Cities, Rachel L. Cohen

Master's Theses

Cities within California are beginning to incorporate urban agriculture into their land use designations. Prompted by residents and local organizations, cities are hoping to capture the benefits that urban agriculture provides. Research has shown that urban agriculture renews and beautifies neighborhoods, provides healthy food choices, increases public health, has the potential to help with stormwater runoff, creates jobs, and fosters community. In the last few years, several California cities have made headlines as they have adopted new zoning codes that include urban agriculture.

In reviewing these new zoning codes and exploring the topic of urban agriculture, it became evident that …

Eye "R" Glasses: Development Of An Infrared Sensor System For Detecting The Human Body, Rick Wong

Master's Theses

Throughout the years, sensors have been an integral part of automation, alert, and medical systems. Many of these systems measure physiological characteristics of the human body to alert themselves of their current conditions. Drowsy driver systems, for instance, measure the eyes and facial movements with a camera to determine if the driver is falling asleep at the wheel. Electroencephalography (EEG), electrooculography (EOG), and electromyography (EMG) employ electrodes on the human body to measure electrical activity of a patient’s REM sleep cycle patterns. Pulse oximeters use optical light through a process called photoplethysmography (PPG) to measure heart rate.

As diverse as …

Planning For A Coastal City: San Clemente's Local Coastal Program, Atousa Zolfaghari

Master's Theses

This professional project assesses current conditions and regulations within San Clemente’s Coastal Zone, and provides recommendations to the City and California Coastal Commission through a draft Land Use Plan. The amended Land Use Plan will be included in the certified Local Coastal Program, which will govern decisions that determine the short and long-term conservation and use of coastal resources within San Clemente’s Coastal Zone.

Local Coastal Programs (LCPs) are planning guides used by local governments for development within the Coastal Zone. They contain goals and policies for development and protection of coastal resources throughout coastal cities and counties in California. …

Greyfield Development In Vallejo, California: Opportunities, Constraints, And Alternatives, Jonathan Peter Atkinson

Master's Theses

Greyfield Development in Vallejo, California: Opportunities, Constraints, and Alternatives is a Project that determined that the regulatory framework and presence of underutilized commercial land make Vallejo, California the ideal community to facilitate Greyfield Development. The Project reviewed existing literature, determining that there are …

The City Of Morro Bay, California Sign Ordinance Update And Tourism-Oriented Directional Sign Plan, Erik Berg-Johansen

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

The City of Morro Bay, California – Sign Ordinance Update and Embarcadero District

Tourism-Oriented Directional Sign Plan

Erik Berg-Johansen

This report includes a Draft Sign Ordinance, a Tourism-Oriented Directional Sign Plan, and a background report for each product. The final products were created thought a process involving extensive research, community outreach, and detailed discussions among City of Morro Bay staff.

The Sign Ordinance

It was discovered that signs are important to business owners and residents due to their effect on both economic and aesthetic issues in communities. This report documents research of scholarly articles, case studies, and community outreach …

Design Of Portable Dc Light Bulb For The Dc House Project, Jan Marvin Perez Macairan

Master's Theses

This thesis focuses on the design and implementation of the Portable DC Light Bulb system for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s DC House Project. The DC Portable Light Bulb highlights the NiMH battery charging circuit, buck converter, and boost converter. The system is intended as a flashlight adaptor placed in between the dimmable DC light bulb and its screw base. The adaptor adds a portability feature to the DC light bulb to provide lighting wherever the user pleases. The Portable DC Light Bulb system is designed to operate with an input range of 24V-60V and regulate an output voltage of …

Administrative Draft: Sea-Level Rise & Climate Adaptation Plan For The City Of Carpinteria, Jean Long

Master's Theses

Sea-level rise (SLR) is one consequence of global climate change and given Carpinteria's location right along the coast, the City will likely face the threats of sea-level rise and other impacts in greater frequency and intensity. The intent of this administrative draft is to provide a foundation for future development of a Climate Adaptation Plan, a starting point for the City’s climate initiatives. This administrative draft consists of background information on Carpinteria, a preliminary vulnerability assessment, and a list of potential strategies for City-led implementation. An adaptation plan is sound planning that recognizes the community’s vulnerabilities and attempts to minimize …

Associations Between Alcohol Consumption And Fasting Blood Glucose In Young Adults, Julie Ann Lucca

Master's Theses

Current research shows moderate alcohol consumption is associated with decreased risk of diabetes and excessive consumption or binge drinking can cause insulin resistance and diabetes. In 2010, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United Statesand was responsible for significant health complications: blindness, kidney failure, and limb amputations, and is a large national economic burden. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) is a tool used to help diagnose diabetes. Abnormally high FBG, ≥100 mg/dl, is indicative of diabetes and pre-diabetes. Few studies have observed diabetic prevalence among young adults or college students. Studying young adults can help provide added …

High School Athletic Directors Perceptions Of Athletic Trainer's Professional Knowledge And Competence Based On Attire, Raechel N. Cunningham

Master's Theses

Very little research is available to identify how attire in the athletic training field impacts perceptions of professional knowledge and competence. The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of attire on high school athletic directors’ perceptions of an athletic trainer’s professional knowledge and competence. The researcher emailed a questionnaire to ninety-four high school athletic directors from the state of California. The questionnaire measured the effect of attire on the perceptions of skills, knowledge, approachability, experience, education level, overall competence, and representation of an athletic trainer and focused on the difference between khaki attire, professional attire, and workout …

What Comes After The Boom? Baby Boomers In Santa Maria, California A Market Study For People's Self Help Housing, Elizabeth Anne Brighton

Master's Theses

This Master’s Project is separated into two parts: the introduction and background informing an affordable senior housing market study, and a market study prepared for People’s Self Help Housing (PSHH). The introduction begins by providing current and future trends for seniors at the national and state levels. This includes discussion of the “Baby Boomer” age cohort and their rapid growth and potential impact to the housing market. The introduction then describes challenges facing developers of affordable senior housing. These challenges include the type, location, and funding sources for future senior housing projects. All federal funding sources for affordable senior housing …

Planning Sacramento's Cleantech Zone: A Case Of Policy, Practice, And Place Branding, Nicole M. Streegan

Master's Theses

Clean technologies that create a positive impact on global climate change are developed in cities and regions throughout the United States. The City of Sacramento aims to capitalize on this market trend by building partnerships between regional actors such as universities and venture capital groups, as well as identify land, and subsequently specific land uses and development guidance, to support growth in this industry. This research paper uses the single case study methodology to identify the major dynamics working to build and sustain Sacramento’s Cleantech Zone, as well as their relationship between urban planning and economic development tools.

Addressing The Administration Of Planned Developments: The Case Of Arroyo Grande, California, Matthew J. Downing

Master's Theses

The City of Arroyo Grande, California has a problem administering the

regulations of five Planned Developments in the City. This problem arises

from these regulations being included in a 167-page appendix at the back of

the City’s Development Code. This appendix includes the original approvals

for the Developments. It also includes amendments to those approvals.

These amendments are only added to the appendix. Therefore, changes to

the regulations governing the Planned Developments are not tracked. It

takes City staff considerable amounts of time to research answers when

members of the public have questions regarding development in one of these

Developments. …

Photoionization Mass Spectrometry And Photoelectron-Photoion Coincidence (Pepico) Spectroscopy Studies Of Select Biofuel Molecules, Joseph G. Czekner

Master's Theses

This thesis is the culmination of numerous experiments, performed on two different continents, investigating the spectroscopic and thermodynamic properties of several biofuels and fuel additives. It will start with an introduction about the motivation behind these experiments. The second chapter will outline the experimental details of the apparatus at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) in Berkeley, CA, followed by the Swiss Light Source (SLS) in Villigen, Switzerland. Third, the theoretical concepts and data analysis methods will be discussed in detail.

Chapter 4 will be the start of the newly obtained data. It presents some photoionization mass spectrometry studies on γ-valerolactone …

An Investigation Into The Efficacy Of Alarm Fatigue Reduction Strategies, Jeffrey Thomas Peterson

Master's Theses

Modern hospitals are plagued by excessive alarms generated by patient monitoring technologies with very high sensitivity and low selectivity leading to high rates of false and clinically irrelevant alarms. Multiple studies have shown that these false and clinically irrelevant alarm rates can negatively impact patient care and lead to "alarm fatigue". Alarm hazards have been named the number one health technology hazard by ECRI Institute for 2012 and 2013. A review by the FDA revealed 566 alarm related deaths in a recent four year period.

At a large, teaching hospital in Massachusetts, a quantitative, database driven approach to alarm management …

Response Of Phragmites Australis To Black Plastic Treatment, Jeremy D. Willcox

Master's Theses

Physiological responses of Phragmites australis (Phragmites) to the covering of black plastic were studied from 2011 to 2013 in Schoolhouse Brook Park, Mansfield, Connecticut. Nine 6 x 6 m plots were randomly established as either control, early-mid season covered, or late season covered within a monotypic Phragmites stand. Black plastic was applied from March to July 2011 and again from June to September 2012 (early-mid season). Another treatment was in place from September to November 2011 (late season). Rhizomes were sampled for their concentration of total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC) within each plot. Monthly rhizome samples were taken from a control …

Effects Of Shoe Donations On Children’S Time Allocation Toms Shoes In El Salvador, Flor Calvo

Master's Theses

What are the impacts of TOMS shoe donations in rural El Salvador? This paper tries to answer the question by studying the changes in time allocation among children age 6 to 12 years in El Salvador. By taking advantage of a Randomized Control Trial performed between January 15, 2012 and February 21, 2013 I study time allocation differences between baseline and follow-up periods among treatment and control groups. The primary findings of the study show that children part of treatment communities reduced the time spent on school related activities by approximately 0.657 hours per day while increasing the time spent …

Cash-In-Hand, Wives-In-Power: An Exploratory Analysis Of Microfinance In Jordan, Lauren Pugh

Master's Theses

Microfinance is an economic policy complimentary to advancing female empowerment. Empowerment is particularly relevant in patriarchic Islamic contexts in the Middle East, however little research exists. Due to counterfactual creation and inconsistent empowerment measurement, the true impact is debated. This research proposes intra-spousal decision-making outcomes as the appropriate proxy to empowerment and uses a nuanced approach of counterfactual creation by utilizing responses from previous microfinance borrowers. Survey data from a Jordanian MFI is used to examine the endogeneity story and cash-in-hand effects on intra-spousal decision-making outcomes. An instrumental variable estimation technique finds a weak link between microfinance and empowerment.

The Effects Of Child Sponsorship On Younger Sibling Confidence, Teddi Auker

Master's Theses

Do spillover effects occur between siblings in sponsored families? With both the approach of human figure drawings and a survey, this paper aims at identifying the possible spillover effects to non-sponsored, younger siblings of sponsored children with regards to the child’s confidence. Using the summary index method to create indices from the elements quantified in the child’s drawings and an instrumental variable OLS with clustered standard errors, children from both families with sponsored children and families with waitlisted children are interviewed. The spillover effects are then tested by taking the difference between the younger and older siblings of the sponsored …

Risk, Religion, And Islamic Microfinance, Dunia Aburish

Master's Theses

This research design creates a framework in which the risk preferences and Islamic religiosity of Jordanian borrowers can be estimated. Specifically, this study highlights the different characteristics of conventional and Islamic microfinance borrowers. Although there is extensive literature on the topics of conventional microfinance and Islamic finance individually, few studies characterize borrowers who choose between these financial products. For this study, field research was conducted in conjunction with the National Microfinance Bank (NMB) and the Development and Employment Fund (DEF) in Jordan. Overall, 143 conventional and 78 Islamic borrowers were surveyed for a total sample of 221 borrowers. To estimate …

The Fii Model As An Investment In Patience: Exploring Time Preferences In Medellin, Colombia, Jennifer Graham

Master's Theses

The motivation for this research is to explore the success behind the Oakland based Family Independence Initiative (FII) as a model for poverty alleviation. During the period of June-December 2012, nearly 200 small business owners in Medellin, Colombia participated in a field experiment intended to replicate the FII model by randomizing the treatments of setting goals, receiving conditional payments, and participating in self-help groups, as well as the combinations thereof. The data shows that the subjects in the full FII treatment group achieve more goals and have significantly higher monthly sales than those subjects in any other treatment or control …

Different Uses Of Microfinance Among Conventional And Islamic Borrowers: Evidence From Jordan, Ngan Bui

Master's Theses

The paper focuses on investment decisions made by microfinance borrowers in Jordan. While there has been a lot of literature concentrating on the level of investment after credit access was made available, there has been very limited research on the impact of Islamic microfinance. The amount of literature comparing Islamic financing and its conventional counterpart is even more uncommon. This study will look at how conventional and Islamic borrowers differ in their decisions pertaining to business investments, home improvement projects and consumer durable goods. Results show that microfinance loan take-ups do lead to a higher probability of business investments. In …

A Perspective On Work Life Balance In The Ncaa Division I Setting: From The Female Athletic Trainer, Elizabeth M. Ferraro

Master's Theses

Factors and Strategies that Contribute to Work Life Balance of Female Athletic Trainers Employed in the NCAA Division I setting

Ferraro EM, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

Context: Work life balance (WLB) can be challenging particularly for female athletic trainers (ATs). Evidence suggests female-ATs persist in the profession because of job enjoyment, increased autonomy, and social support networks. Departure factors such as long hours, travel, and inflexibility of schedules often comprise issues with WLB. Time management, support networks, and setting boundaries are strategies used to find WLB, however, little is known about the strategies female-ATs use to maintain WLB in …

The Effects Of Hydration Status On Pacing And Performance During An Ironman Triathlon, Tracy L. Hicks

Master's Theses

Context: Dehydration can negatively impact aerobic performance. Objective: To observe the effect of hydration status on Ironman Triathlete performance and their ability to maintain pace; and to observe the effect of hydration status on pacing and performance for athletes who monitor heart rate for pacing feedback. Design: Observational ironman triathlon study Setting: Lake Placid Ironman racecourse (WBGT, 22.1±2.0 °C). Participants: 41 (30 males, 7 females) triathletes (age, 39±7 yrs; height, 174.0±9.9 cm; pre-race weight, 72.4±10.1 kg; body fat, 15.3±5.6%.) divided into groups based on use(HR) or no use(NHR) of heart rate as pacing feedback, and hydrated(HY) or dehydrated(DHY); based on …

Leisure Time Physical Activity Among Non-Smoking, Normal Weight Adults: Assessing Prevalence Of Central Adiposity, Insulin Resistance, And Systemic Inflammation, Maria M. Corallo

Master's Theses

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) has been examined as a preventive intervention against pre-diabetes, diabetes, and low-grade systemic inflammation, however, it remains unknown if normal weight individuals who do not engage in regular PA are at increased risk.

METHODS: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2001-2006 were utilized. Three measures of PA (i.e., intensity level, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines for frequency, intensity, and time/duration (FIT) of PA, and ACSM recommendations for MET-Mins Per Week) were analyzed in relation to elevated waist circumference, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA), and immune system cells. In addition, …

Working In The Gay Front Line: A Model Of Workplace Heterosexist Harassment, Daniel Herres

Master's Theses

Research on harassment by sexual orientation is becoming increasingly relevant in society. Gay rights have progressed to be in the forefront of the political and social awareness, and organizations are turning their focus toward improving workplace diversity. Still, discrimination and harassment of LGB people continue to be a problem. Although a number of studies have begun to address this issue, large gaps still exist in the literature. The goal of this study was to identify antecedents and outcomes of workplace heterosexist harassment, as well as the influences of contextual and individual moderating variables. Participants from multiple organizations completed an online …