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Magnetostatic Modeling For Microfluidic Device Design, Kirsten Marie Jackson

Master's Theses

Magnetostatic Modeling for Microfluidic Device Design

Kirsten Marie Jackson

For several years, biologists have used superparamagnetic beads to facilitate biological separations. More recently, researchers have adopted this approach in microfluidic devices [1-3]. This recent development and use of superparamagnetic particles in biomedical and biological applications have resulted in a necessity for methods that enable the understanding and prediction of their properties and actions during use. Typically, such methods would involve simple experimentation prior to in vitro experimentation, animal testing, and finally clinical testing. To better understand and unleash this technology, COMSOL®, which is a finite element analysis and multiphysics simulation …

Development And Extrapolation Of An Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment To An Elastomeric Spinal Muscular Atrophy Brace, Richard Sterling Brose

Master's Theses

Ever since the advent of polymer science, polyurethanes have played a huge role in the industrial world. They have been used in endless applications from furniture padding to aircraft coatings, to binders for insensitive munitions. It is therefore important that the chemistry of polyurethanes is well understood as well as the ability to draw relationships between the raw materials selected and the end-use properties of the polymer. Because of the multitude of practical applications, the development of an undergraduate polymer chemistry laboratory focused on polyurethane elastomers is developed and described herein. Polymer chemistry students are exposed to hydroxyterminated polybutadiene (HTPB) …

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 …

Active Pen Input And The Android Input Framework, Andrew S. Hughes

Master's Theses

User input has taken many forms since the conception of computers. In the past ten years, Tablet PCs have provided a natural writing experience for users with the advent of active pen input. Unfortunately, pen based input has yet to be adopted as an input method by any modern mobile operating system. This thesis investigates the addition of active pen based input to the Android mobile operating system.

The Android input framework was evaluated and modified to allow for active pen input events. Since active pens allow for their position to be detected without making contact with the screen, an …

City Of King West Broadway Master Plan, Christopher Anderson Read

Master's Theses

This document is a professional project and academic companion piece

completed to partially fulfill requirements for the attainment of a Masters in City

and Regional Planning at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis

Obispo. The project is the City of King West Broadway Master Plan (Plan). The

Plan was completed over the course of a year for a real-world client (The City of

King) and provides new form-based code recommendations in the Plan Area.

The Plan is included as Appendix A. The companion piece is intended to provide

additional background research that was conducted during the planning process,

but omitted …

Changing The City Landscape: From Garages To Second Residential Units, Scott Andrew Robidoux

Master's Theses

The City of Santa Maria, located between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara in California, is experiencing rapid population growth, cultural transformation, and growth in household size. The growth rate of the city has been a consistent 20% for the past 20 years. Culturally, more than 70% of the almost 100,000 city residents predominantly identified as Hispanic or Latino in the 2010 census. The household size has consistently increased for the past 20 years; currently it is 3.52 people per household.

An issue which is becoming a growing problem for the city is the prevalence of illegal housing in the …

Poroelastic Finite Element Analysis Of A Heterogeneous Articular Cartilage Explant Under Dynamic Compression In Abaqus, Kelsey Kiyo Kam

Master's Theses

A poroelastic finite element model of a heterogeneous articular cartilage disc was

created to examine the tissue response to low amplitude (± 2% strain), low

frequency (0.1 Hz) dynamic unconfined compression (UCC). A strong correlation

has been made between the relative fluid velocity and stimulation of

glycosaminoglycan synthesis. A contour plot of the model shows the relative fluid

velocity during compression exceeds a trigger value of 0.25 μm/s at the radial

periphery. Dynamic UCC biochemical results have also reported a higher

glycosaminoglycan content in this region versus that of day 0 specimens. Fluid

velocity was also found not to be …

Molecular Analysis Reveals Unique Microbiome In Ileal Pouch During Pouchitis Compared To Healthy Pouches In Ulcerative Colitis And Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Tiffany Wallingford Glavan

Master's Theses

In severe cases of ulcerative colitis (UC) unresponsive to current treatment options, patients require a complete proctocolectomy, or surgical removal of the colon. Ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA) has become the preferred surgical technique for patients who require surgery, as this method restores rectal function. This procedure is also used to treat colorectal cancers such as adenocarcinoma and familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). The surgery involves an abdominal colectomy with the construction of an ileal pouch created from folded tissue recovered from the ileal portion of the small intestine. Up to 50% of patients who require IPAA surgery experience an episode …

A Pmma Conductivity Pretreatment Microfluidics Device For The Optimization Of Electrokinetic Manipulations, Cameron Paul Purcell

Master's Theses

This project encompasses the design and development of a pretreatment microfluidic device for samples of physiological conductivity, namely a saline solution. The conductivity was reduced through the combination of dilution and ion removal using electric fields to enable downstream electro kinetic manipulations. The two major parts of this project include (1) designing a pretreatment protocol to reduce the conductivity of the sample solution to an acceptable level and (2) designing /fabricating a microchip that will effectively allow aim (1) to be performed on chip.

This project is one of the first to observe the effects of an electric field, used …

Optimizing Micronutrient Intake Of Lactating Women In Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, Through Increased Wild Edible Plant Consumption, Kerry Pearson

Master's Theses

OPTIMIZING MICRONUTRIENT INTAKE OF LACTATING WOMEN IN KWAZULU-NATAL, SOUTH AFRICA, THROUGH INCREASED WILD EDIBLE PLANT CONSUMPTION

Kerry Pearson

Micronutrient consumption in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, is insufficient to meet the needs of lactating women.  Inadequate intake negatively impacts the health of both the mother and infant.  Increasing consumption of wild edible plants has been recommended to combat these deficiencies, but information has not yet been provided on which types of wild plants should be eaten or in what quantity.  The objective of this study was to determine the optimal mixture of wild edible plants that needs to be consumed to meet …

Effect Of An Online Social Network On Perceived Social Support And Self-Efficacy To Adopt And Maintain Health Behaviors, Caitlin K. Leff

Master's Theses

Objective:  The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the effect of an online social network used as an adjunct to a behavioral weight loss intervention on participants’ perceived social support and perceived self-efficacy using constructs of Social Cognitive Theory as a basis for website development.

Methods:  13 adult women (mean age: 43 years of age, range: 25-63 years) participated in a 12-week behavioral weight-loss intervention with the option to access the Transformation Challenge Online Community (TCOC), an internet-based support and informational website.  The TCOC was developed using constructs of the Social Cognitive Theory.  Data analyzed included online site …

Harmful Algal Bloom (Hab) Communities And Co-Occurring Species In Relation To Near Shore Ocean Dynamics In San Luis Bay, California, Samuel Christopher Rankin

Master's Theses

The occurrence of phytoplankton taxa, with special focus on harmful algal bloom (HAB) taxa, was monitored for one year off the central coast of California to examine both their co-occurrence and physical and chemical variables influencing their temporal patterns. Bi-weekly samples were taken from October 6, 2008 to October 5, 2009 in San Luis Obispo Bay, CA. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) of weekly samples indicated that 46.1% of the variability in species abundance was explained by the variables in the model, higher than previous reports. Cluster analysis divided phytoplankton communities into HAB and non-HAB groups of species, while shared distribution …

Irish Hills Natural Reserve Conservation Plan Update, Bijan N. Riley

Master's Theses

The Irish Hills Natural Reserve Conservation Plan is a unique component of the City
of San Luis Obispo’s green belt that provides a number of hiking and mountain biking
trails within a short distance from the downtown core as well as ensures that valuable
habitat be preserved into the future. As the subject of my thesis project, IHNR presented the opportunity to pursue an aspect of city planning that can often be over-looked and, conservation planning. Conservation planning is an important element of the planning profession in that it incorporates such elements into the future growth of cities. With proper …

Hydrologic Alteration And Sedimentation In The Upper Henry's Fork Watershed, Amelie Jeanne Charnaux

Master's Theses

Abstract

Hydrologic Alteration and Sedimentation in the Upper Henry’s Fork Watershed

Amelie Jeanne Charnaux

The Henry’s Fork of the Snake River is venerated by the global recreational community as one of the finest trout fishing streams on the planet. Furthermore, this remarkable waterway flows within the bounds of one of the most important ecological corridors in the equally world-renowned Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. While the recreational and biological features of this corner of Idaho may capture the interest of the broader public, the waterway is equally significant to the livelihoods of local interests, such as the ranching and farming communities. With …

Impact Of Exercise On Brain Responses To Visual Food Cues: An Fmri Study, Nero Erezi Evero

Master's Theses

On the basis of a strong body of data, the Institute of Medicine currently recommends at least 60 minutes of exercise per day to prevent body weight gain overtime.  Previous studies have shown that there is no compensatory increase in food intake with this dose of exercise. Ultimately, the brain decides whether to alter food intake.  Surprisingly, no published studies have assessed the impact of exercise on brain activation.  Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and an appetite questionnaire, we investigated the effects of a single bout of aerobic exercise on brain responses to visual food cues and subjective appetite …

Anaerobic Co-Digestion Of Microalgae With Food Waste And Wastewater Sludge, Ruth E. Spierling

Master's Theses

This research sought to optimize anaerobic co-digestion of microalgae biomass harvested from a wastewater treatment pond facility with locally-available wastes.  The goal was to produce high methane yields and stable digestion without the need for supplemental alkalinity addition.  A key research question was if algae digestion could be improved via the synergistic effects of co-digestion.  Cell disruption to increase digestibility was not pursued due to its relatively high mechanical complexity and high energy use.  For the wastewater treatment ponds studied, the most practical co-substrates identified were municipal wastewater sludge and food waste (sorted organic municipal waste).  Although wastewater sludge does …

Implementation And Assessment Of Hyperglycemic Conditions For The Creation Of A Diabetic Blood Vessel Mimic, Vikramaditya Mediratta

Master's Theses

Introduction: Diabetes Mellitus is a metabolic disorder that affects a person’s ability to either produce insulin (Type I diabetes mellitus) or properly use insulin (Type II diabetes mellitus) in order to maintain adequate blood glucose levels. The most severe diabetic complications arise due to hyperglycemia – a state of extremely high blood glucose levels – such as, coronary artery disease (CAD), in which coronary stent therapy is a popular method of treatment. However, research has shown a high rate of in-stent restenosis in diabetic patients with CAD, most likely due to activation of cellular adhesion molecules on endothelial cells exposed …

The Ma-10 Cell Line As A Model Of Insl3 Regulation And Leydig Cell Function, Mary E. Strong

Master's Theses

Leydig cells produce testosterone in response to luteinizing hormone (LH) via the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/protein kinase A pathway. Additionally, these cells are responsible for producing insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3), a peptide hormone that is essential for testicular descent. The insl3 promoter in Leydig cells can be activated by cAMP through the transcription factor Nur77, which has also been shown to regulate the promoters of the steroidogenic enzymes, cyp17 and 3b-hsd. While the mechanism of LH action on testosterone production is well characterized, the effect of LH on insl3 abundance has yet to be shown directly. The MA-10 …

Efficacy Of Different Retention Types Post-Orthodontic Treatment, Monica Sonia Kaur Dosanjh

Master's Theses

Introduction: Despite major advances in orthodontic tooth movement, orthodontic retention still remains a major problem. It has been estimated that only 10% of the population who have received orthodontics are still in acceptable occlusion as judged by orthodontists 20 years after retention. (Little, Riedel et al. 1988) In addition, very little is known about patient’s perception in relation to orthodontic relapse. Therefore, the goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 3 different types of retainers (Hawley removable, Essix removable and Fixed) of the mandibular and maxillary anterior sextant and to assess patient perception of crowding. Materials and …

L1 Adaptive Control Of Uncertain Nonlinear Systems With Dynamic Constraints: As Applied To Commercial Aircraft Engines, Jennifer Hacker

Master's Theses

L1 adaptive control for a turbofan commercial aircraft engine is developed and applied in the presences of constraint limits. Turbofan engines are a highly complex system, with a wide variety of dynamics, operating under constantly changing environmental conditions. In aircraft turbofan operation many constraint requirements must be met. When constraints, such as rotor speeds, pressures, and temperatures, exceed the prescribed limits it can decrease the life expectancy of the engine, cause component failure, or even total engine failure. Additionally stall, also known as compressor surge, which occurs when the compressor is unable to work against incoming air resulting in flow …

An Analysis Of Technology And Management Gaps For Groundnut Producers In Kenya, Angelista Kihaga Ms

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Compost Tea And Milk To Suppress Powdery Mildew (Podosphaera Xanthii) On Pumpkins And Evaluation Of Horticultural Pots Made From Recyclable Fibers Under Field Conditions, Matthew Debacco

Master's Theses

Powdery mildew (caused by Podosphaera xanthii) a common problem for vegetable growers, and the cost of controlling the disease with fungicides to the growers and the environment is high. An alternative approach for control using methods approved for organic production are sprays based on teas made from compost, both actively aerated (ACT) and non-aerated (NCT) compost teas, and sprays made from diluted milk. We evaluated these sprays for control of powdery mildew on pumpkins in field trials in Connecticut in 2008 and 2009, and in greenhouse trials in 2009. We also evaluated the compost teas and milk in the greenhouse …

Optimization Of Culture Conditions For Equine Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells And Their Differentiation Into Osteoblasts, Elizabeth R. Ackell

Master's Theses

The horse industry is a multibillion dollar industry where the health of the animals is of great focus for horse owners.  Bone fractures are an aspect of equine health failure that is continually catastrophic and often fatal.  In addition to discussing fracture, this review will outline the process by which bone tissue is regularly maintained and self-healed.  Also, traditional methods of healing fractures that have limited use and success will be discussed.  The lack of success that is common with the traditional methods has led to the need for additional research to identify more successful and economical ways of healing …

Team Physicians’ Practice Beliefs Regarding The Recognition And Treatment Of Exertional Heat Stroke, Lindsey Mcdowell

Master's Theses

Recognition and Treatment of Exertional Heat Stroke: A Perspective from the Team Physician

McDowell LH, Mazerolle SM, Casa DJ, Pagnotta KD, Armstrong LE: University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

Context: Rectal temperature assessment (T_re) and cold-water immersion (CWI) are the gold standards for the recognition and treatment of exertional heat stroke (EHS), but athletic trainers (ATs) are reluctant to implement them regularly into clinical practice. ATs work under the guidance of a physician, but little information is available regarding the perceptions of the aforementioned methods from the team physician’s perspective. Objective: To investigate team physicians’ practice beliefs regarding the …

Noninvasive Assessment Of Joint Motion Over Long Durations: System Evaluation And Data Analysis Methods, Maria J. Qadri

Master's Theses

The development, progression, and treatment of degenerative musculoskeletal diseases, such as carpal tunnel and shoulder impingement syndromes, may be better characterized when joint motions are assessed over long durations outside clinical, laboratory, or rehabilitation settings that involve standardized assessment, exercise protocols, and/or regimented movements. Assessment methods for human movement capture beyond laboratory or clinical experiments are typically limited to short capture times of less than one hour. Noninvasive, long-duration measurements of joint motion in occupational settings provides more insight into movement patterns and quantitative assessments regarding joint usage, which lead to a better understanding of the cumulative effects associated with …

An Examination Of Unwritten Rule Development In Men’S Ice Hockey, Joshua M. Lupinek

Master's Theses

This research study sought to better understand at what point in the player development process did aspiring professional hockey players learn of, as well as consent to, ice hockey’s unwritten rules.  How this process occurred was also under examination.  While some research had been conducted relative to the development of unwritten rules within sport, little research to date had focused on ice hockey’s unwritten rules and none had focused on the factors associated with their development.  Research in other sport areas has indicated that knowledge and consent of unwritten rules is expected in the development of a professional athlete.  As …

The Effect Of Total Work Performed During Acute Heavy Resistance Exercise On Circulating Lymphocytes In Untrained Men, Neil A. Kelly Jr

Master's Theses

Lymphocytes are one of many leukocytes which exert a biphasic response to acute intense resistance exercise. Exercise volume (i.e. total work) has been shown to have an immunomodulatory effect. This study evaluates the effect of total work performed during an intense resistance exercise protocol on lymphocyte concentrations in the circulation. Untrained, college-aged (18-35) males who performed high amounts of work (HW) were compared to those who performed low amounts of work (LW). Resistance exercise testing consisted of 6 sets of 10 repetitions of the squat exercise with 2 minutes rest between sets. Both HW and LW performed the same relative …

Parent Education Trainings For Youth Sports: A Look Into Administrators Feelings About Need For Trainings, Christopher W. Woodside

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Individual And Combined Effects Of Dehydration, Hyperthermia, And Fatigue On Movement Patterns And Cognition, Rachel M. Karslo

Master's Theses

Individual and Combined Effects of Dehydration, Hyperthermia, and Fatigue on Movement Patterns and Cognition

Rachel M. Karslo, University of Connecticut

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the individual and combined of effects of dehydration, hyperthermia, and fatigue on movement patterns and cognition.  Secondly, we wanted to see if the effects of dehydration, hyperthermia, and fatigue lead to a combined increase in injury risk.

Methods: 12 males completed a within-subject repeated measures design to study the effects of hyperthermia, dehydration and fatigue on movement and cognition.  Subjects completed 4 randomized test sessions in different conditions: hydrated normothermic, dehydrated …

Validity And Reliability Of The Paffenbarger Physical Activity Questionnaire Among Healthy Adults, Kathleen Simpson

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.