Digital Commons Network^™

Determining Upper Extremity Posture Using A Simplified Marker Configuration For Biomechanical Risk Evaluation During Tool Use, Tarek A. Tantawy

Master's Theses

Representing upper extremity posture has posed a great challenge in the field of analytical biomechanics due to their great freedom of motion, which allows for large rotations in multiple directions. The Euler and quaternion methods, which are two commonly used methods for describing joint angles and body segment postures and movement, have great limitations when dealing with upper extremities. The planar projection method has also been used to represent joint angles and body segment postures and movement. The advantages of this method over other common methods are that it yields rotations with anatomical meaning that make it easy to understand …

The Effect Of Different Set-Repetition Protocols On Squat Technique In Resistance Trained Individuals, Ashley Pandit

Master's Theses

The effect of different set-repetition protocols on squat technique in resistance trained individuals.

Pandit, AL, Kraemer, WJ, Hooper, DR.

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether or not the increase in repetitions within a set will change the technique of the exercise, and how repetition number in a set affects exercise technique in resistance trained individuals in three different set-repetition protocols equated by total volume.

Methods: 10 men (24.3 ± 2.8 yrs; 179.7 ± 5.7 cm; 85.5 ± 12.5 kg) and 10 women (23.9 ± 2.4 yrs; 166.2 ± 9.1 cm; 66.8 ± 8.4 kg) were the …

Advanced Design Optimization For Composite Structure: Stress Reduction, Weight Decrease And Manufacturing Cost Savings, Shayan Ahmadian

Master's Theses

An injection moldable chopped fiber composite actuator with detailed drawing and tolerances was designed within one year. A vendor was selected and a quote for injection molding tooling cost for production was obtained and the first prototype was built in addition of six months. The risks are identified and material characterization tests are proposed.

The objective of this project was redesigning an aluminum made actuator with a continuous fiber composite for weight saving purposes. After searching the literature and consulting with experts in the field it was concluded that manufacturing costs associated with continuous fiber composite are 3 times as …

Food Security, Food Assistance Program Participation And Diet Quality Among Food Pantry Participants In The North End Of Hartford, Julie L. Menounos

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Critical Node Analysis For Water Distribution System Using Flow Distribution, Michael Hopkins

Master's Theses

The expansive nature of water distribution system makes them susceptible to threats such as natural disasters and man-made destructions. Vulnerability assessment research efforts have increased since the passing of “Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act” in 2002 to harden WDS. This study aimed to develop a method that locates critical nodes without hydraulic analysis of every failure scenario, applicable for any size WDS, incorporates critical infrastructure, and capable of verifying method accuracy. The Flow Distribution method is the application of the gravity model, typically used to predict traffic flows in transportation engineering, to a distribution system. Flow distribution predicts the amount …

Modeling And Analysis Of A Photovoltaic System With A Distributed Energy Storage System, Anthony Winston Ma

Master's Theses

As California continues to integrate more renewable energy into its electrical system, the state has experienced a corresponding rise in photovoltaic system installations. PV arrays are a unique source of power generation in that they are affected by the location of the sun, shading, and temperature changes. These characteristics make solar one of the most highly variable forms of renewable energy. In order to improve solar power’s consistency, PV systems require a supplemental source of power. The primary focus of this paper is to determine if distributed energy storage systems can be used to reduce the effect of solar intermittency. …

Mode Water In The Sea Of Japan: A Study On The Reproducibility Of Mode Water In The Data-Assimilating Regional Navy Coastal Ocean Model, Lea Kristen Locke

Master's Theses

Mode water in the Sea of Japan (SOJ) is associated with anti-cyclonic eddies that form in the quasi-stationary meanders of the offshore Tsushima Warm Current. Previous work in this region has shown free-running, advanced ocean models are able to capture the physical processes that generate mode water; however, data assimilation is seen to ,I have a negative impact. A 3.5km resolution Regional Navy Coastal Ocean Model is used to assess the ability of a data-assimilating model to reproduce the mode water structure in the SOJ. The model's response to the assimilation of in-situ and synthetic profiles, derived from remotely sensed …

Friend-Zone With Benefits: The Parasocial Advertising Of Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Anette Lueck

Master's Theses

This research focuses on the social media-driven convention of advertising, and seeks to analyze the type of communication that occurs between celebrity endorsers and audiences within social media. Kim Kardashian is used as the most current and successful celebrity endorser. A content analysis, including posts and responses from April and May 2011, is used to analyze the type of advertising messages and celebrity/audience interaction. The goal of the study is to establish whether Parasocial Interaction could improve the effectiveness of advertising. Due to findings that yielded a high amount of endorsements embedded into personal stories, as well as female approval …

Mass Spectrometry Based Free Radical Induced Fragmentation Study Of Chemically Modified Cysteine Containing Peptides, Veronika Vitalyevna Dubniakova

Master's Theses

Modification of cysteine containing peptides by the thiol group of cysteine with radical precursors allows a simple and localized generation of radical species in the collision cell of mass spectrometer. The proof of principle and the analysis of the radical derived fragments of a set of different model peptides are described further in the manuscript as well as the importance and potential applications of the method.

Rapid Approximation Of Bilinear Forms Involving Matrix Functions Through Asymptotic Analysis Of Gaussian Node Placement, Elisabeth Marie Palchak

Master's Theses

Technological advancements have allowed computing power to generate high resolution model s. As a result, greater stiffness has been introduced into systems of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) that arise from spatial discreti zation of partial differential equations (PDEs). The components of the solutions to these systems are coupled and changing at widely varying rates, which present problems for time-stepping methods. Krylov Subspace Spectral methods, developed by Dr. James Lambers, bridge the gap between explicit and implicit methods for stiff problems by computing each Fouier coefficient from an individualized approximation of the solution operator. KSS methods demonstrate a high order of …

A Comparison Of Two Boundary Methods For Biharmonic Boundary Value Problems, Jaeyoun Oh

Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to solve biharmonic boundary value problems using two different boundary methods and compare their performances. The two boundary methods used are the method of fundamental solutions (MFS) and the method of approximate fundamental solutions (MAFS). The Delta-shaped basis function with the Abel regularization technique is used in the construction of the approximate fundamental solutions in MAFS. The MFS produces more accurate results but needs known fundamental solutions for the differential operator. The MAFS can provide comparable results, and is applicable to more general differential operators. The numerical results using both methods are presented.

Comparison Of The Observed Mixe Layer Depth In The Lee Of The Hawaiian Island To The Modeled Mixed Layer Depth Of The Regional Navy Coastal Ocean Model, Jeffery Todd Rayburn

Master's Theses

Accurately modeling the depth of the surface mixed layer in the lee of the Hawaiian Islands is important to naval operations because the area hosts numerous training exercises. Providing an accurate picture of the environment aids naval operators in making important tactical decisions. This study evaluates the ability of the Hawaii Regional Navy Coastal Ocean Model to accurately predict the depth of the surface mixed layer in this complex, wake island environment. The model was compared to CTD data collected from sea gliders and tests for correlation were conducted. For mixed layer depths that did show correlation, match paired t …

Ph-Responsive Polymers For Biosurfaces: An Investigation Of Solution Properties And Surface Modifying Performance, Yuhong Wei

Master's Theses

Gantrez® copolymers are used widely in the personal care industry, but their mechanisms of interaction with dental surfaces are poorly understood. In this study, we determined a number of the solution and polymer properties that control deposition, adsorption and adhesion in Gantrez® polymer aqueous solutions to model dental surfaces. QCM studies specifically showed that polymer adsorption to model hydroxyapatite surfaces occurred only in solutions with polymer concentration above c*. Adsorption and adhesion was greater in solutions of higher pH, where greater charge density along the polymer backbone was expected. For films prepared via spin-coating onto mica surfaces, addition of surfactants …

Techniques To Characterize Vapor Cell Performance For A Nuclear-Magnetic-Resonance Gyroscope, James Julian Mirijanian

Master's Theses

Research was performed to improve the procedures for testing performance parameters of vapor cells for a nuclear-magnetic-resonance gyroscope. In addition to summarizing the theoretical infrastructure of the technology, this research resulted in the development and successful implementation of new techniques to characterize gyro cell performance.

One of the most important parameters to measure for gyro performance is the longitudinal spin lifetime of polarized xenon atoms in the vapor cell. The newly implemented technique for measuring these lifetimes matches results from the industry standard method to within 3.5% error while reducing the average testing time by 76% and increasing data resolution …

Autonomous Tracking And Following Of Sharks With An Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, Esfandiar Manii

Master's Theses

This thesis presents the integration of an acoustic tracking system within an autonomous underwater AUV (AUV) to enable real-time tracking of sharks tagged with artificial acoustic sources. The tracking system consists of two hydrophones and a receiver unit that outputs a measurement of the relative angle to the tagged shark. Since only two hydrophones are used, the sign of the relative angle measurement is unknown. To overcome this ambiguity, a particle filter algorithm was developed to estimate the position of the acoustic source. When combined with an active control system that drives vehicle to obtain different orientations with respect to …

Mechanical Properties Of Bone Due To Sost Expression: A 3-Point Bending Assessment Of Murine Femurs, Kainoa John Peterson

Master's Theses

Sclerostin, a protein coded for by the SOST gene, is an osteocyte-expressed negative regulator of bone formation. The absence of SOST in the genome may have an effect on bone formation both during skeletal maturation and full maturity. This study attempts to determine significant differences in the mechanical properties of bone that expresses SOST compared to bone that does not. One hundred femur samples from 6, 8, and 12 month old mice were obtained from Lawrence Livermore National Labs and loaded until failure using three-point bending. Results showed significant differences in treatment group effects for cross sectional area, yield force, …

Approximation Of Elements Of Exponentials Of Differential Operators With Rational Quadrature, Daniel Elwood Lanterman

Master's Theses

We explore the possibility of improving the accuracy of approximations of elements of exponentials of differential operators, by using a rational function, instead of a polynomial function, as the interpolating function. Since a rational function behaves more like a decaying exponential function, it seems logical that the approximation should be more accurate. Through the use of high accuracy rational interpolants, we experiment with a numerical integration method to determine explicitly whether the error produced by a rational type approximation will indeed be less than that produced by a polynomial type approximation.

The Synthesis Of A Homologous Series Of Alkyl Lumazines And Their Application To The Dispersion Of Carbon Nanotubes, William P. Kopcha

Master's Theses

In this thesis, the synthesis of a series of alkyl lumazine surfactants (LC_n) is reported. Their application to the dispersion of both CoMoCAT and HiPco single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) is examined in detail and the thermal stability and chirality selection properties of dispersions made with these surfactants were compared both between themselves and with an alkyl flavin surfactant (FC₁₂). Lumazine alkyl chain length exhibited some control over the quality and the quantity of SWNTs dispersed. LC₁₀ was deemed most appropriate for comparison with FC₁₂ based on considerations of solubility and nanotube individualization. …

Improved Synthesis Of The Longtailed Mealybug Pheromone, Johanna M. Bakonyi

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Strawberry Growth, Yield, Fruit Nutrition, And Control Of Verticillium Wilt With Pre-Plant Soil Fumigants, Ozone, And Biological Control, Justin J. Scurich

Master's Theses

Verticillium wilt is a widespread soilborne disease of strawberry historically controlled by soil fumigation with methyl bromide (MB). MB was banned by the United Nations in 1995 and will be completely phased out by 2015. Research has concentrated on alternative methods of disease control without finding a single alternative able to replace MB in widespread disease control and yield increase. For the current study, strawberries were greenhouse grown in container pots filled with soil from both infested and non-infested areas of a commercial strawberry field in Watsonville, CA. Treatments included pre-plant soil fumigation with commercially available formulations of methyl bromide, …

Evaluating Alternative Hydraulic Solutions To Limit Nutrient Contamination Of An Aquifer In Southern California, Jake Mendoza Perry

Master's Theses

Many small communities depend on groundwater sources for drinking water and they often use septic tanks for their sewer system needs. However, nitrates and other pollutants from septic systems can percolate to the aquifers and deteriorate quality of the groundwater, threatening the public health. This study has developed a groundwater model using Visual MODFLOW for an aquifer that is used as a water supply source for the cities of Beaumont and Cherry Valley, California. Septic systems are the suspected major source of nitrate contamination of the aquifer. The model has been developed to clarify the extent of interactions between nitrate …

Digital Inspection Of Fixed Curvic Coupling Contact Pattern, Bradley James Nielson

Master's Theses

This report focuses on providing a foundation for further investigation into the inspection of fixed CURVIC coupling contact pattern by way of modern metrology techniques. Previous bodies of research have utilized coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) to analyze specific features of these couplings, but not the interaction between mating couplings at the areas of contact. It is hoped that this report will provide a basis for further research to improve the efficiency and reduce the ambiguity inherent in the current contact pattern inspection technique. This report contains a comparison between the results of traditional contact pattern inspection and those obtained by …

Nonlinear Uav Flight Control Using Command Filtered Backstepping, Brian M. Borra

Master's Theses

The aim of this effort is to implement a nonlinear flight control architecture, specifically flight path control via command filtered backstepping, for use in AME UAS's Fury® 1500 unmanned flying wing aircraft. Backstepping is a recursive, control-effort minimizing, constructive design procedure that interlaces the choice of a Lyapunov function with the design of feedback control. It allows the use of certain plant states to act as intermediate, virtual controls, for others breaking complex high order systems into a sequence of simpler lower-order design tasks.

Work herein is a simplified implementation based on publications by Farrell, Sharma, and Polycarpou. Online approximation …

Dc Dielectrophoretic Assisted Anti-Fouling Filtration System, Nathan M. Cohen

Master's Theses

Filtration processes, whether on the microfluidic, clinical treatment systems, or industrial scale (e.g., point-of-care diagnostics, dialysis, and biopharmaceutical manufacturing, respectively), are often inseparable from membrane clogging (fouling). As a consequence, most, if not all, filtration systems require frequent maintenance to maintain functionality and efficiency. The thesis of this project hypothesizes that Dielectrophoresis can be combined with standard filtration to reduce filter fouling, extending membrane life, and enabling continuous operation. This project investigates a method to reduce fouling, add specificity and efficiency, and decrease the cost and challenge of filtration based biofluid separations.

To substantiate this thesis, we designed, fabricated, and …

Responsive Materials Via Diels-Alder Chemistry, Gregory Alan Strange

Master's Theses

The corrosion of infrastructure imposes a significant monetary cost, and at times human cost, upon society. Methods to improve corrosion resistance of materials are described herein which utilize the reversibility of the Diels-Alder reaction to impart thermal responsiveness upon materials. Such stimuli responsiveness can potentially play a role in self healing properties which lead to reduced cracking and thus increased corrosion protection.

Reversible Diels-Alder chemistry was utilized to manipulate the surface energy of glass substrates. Hydrophobic dieneophiles were prepared and attached to glass slides and capillaries to yield a nonwetting surface. Thermal treatment of the surfaces cleaved the Diels-Alder linkage, …

Evaluating Geomorphic Change In Little Creek Using Repeated Cross-Sectional And Longitudinal Profile Surveys, Drew Allen Perkins

Master's Theses

Six geomorphic study reaches were established in 2002 along a forested mountain stream (gradients range from 0.02 to 0.05) on Cal Poly's Swanton Pacific Ranch in Santa Cruz County, California. These study reaches are a component of paired and nested watershed studies in the approximately 500 hectare Little Creek watershed. The overall goal of this study was to monitor water quality and channel conditions before, during, and after a selective harvest of redwood. A selective harvest occurred in the North Fork of Little Creek in Summer 2008. In August 2009, approximately 90% of the Little Creek Watershed was burned in …

Bacterial Source Tracking Of E. Coli In A Constructed Wetland, Rose M. Martin

Master's Theses

Bacterial source tracking was used to identify sources of fecal contamination in a constructed wetland. Nucleotide sequence differences in the Escherichia coli malate dehydrogenase (mdh) gene were used to distinguish between strains isolated from pigeon and cattle feces. Fourteen E. coli isolates were taken from cattle and pigeon fecal samples and sixteen E. coli isolates were taken from wetland water samples. A region of the E. coli mdh gene was amplified via PCR and sequenced. Twelve distinct sequences were obtained. Water samples indicated the presence of both pigeon and cattle fecal contamination in the wetland. Six sequences distinct …

Polar Field Oriented Control With 3rd Harmonic Injection, Martin Todd Hess

Master's Theses

Abstract

POLAR FIELD-ORIENTED CONTROL

with

3^RD HARMONIC INJECTION

Martin Todd Hess

Field Oriented Control (FOC), also known as vector control, is a widely used and well documented method for controlling Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM) and induction motors. Almost invariably the orientation of the stator and rotor (field) fluxes are described in rectangular coordinates. In this thesis we explore the practicality of using polar coordinates.

Third harmonic injection is also a well-known technique that allows full utilization of the bus (DC-link), thus allowing the motor to run to full base speed without the use of field weakening. This technique potentially …

Experimental Investigation Of Suction Slot Geometry On A Goldschmied Propulsor, Nicole M. Thomason

Master's Theses

The Goldschmied Propulsor concept combines boundary layer suction and boundary layer ingestion to improve propulsive efficiency and reduce drag on an axisymmetric body. This investigation of a Goldschmied Propulsor aimed to determine influential characteristics of the suction slot geometry to aid in better slot geometry design and to decrease the suction flow requirements for maintaining attached flow over the entire model surface. The Propulsor model was 38.5 inches in length with a max diameter of 13.5 inches. Three suction slot geometries were investigated with the addition of aluminum cusps to the slot entrance. The cusps varied in the distance they …

The Multi-Scale Dynamics Of Executive Function, Jason Anastas

Master's Theses

Cognitive control is a central issue in developmental psychology. Traditional theories of psychology solve this problem by positing a top-down central executive, which coordinates cognitive resources in pursuit of goals. We propose an alternative explanation: cognitive control arises from physical interactions across many different timescales within the system. College and preschool aged participants were asked to complete a simple executive function task, card sorting. We found that multi-scale physical interactions differed depending on experimental constraints, and that executive function in these cases was driven primarily by flexibility in multi-scale interactions, rather than the dominance of one scale. This suggests that, …