Low Cost Neurochairs, Frankie Pike

Master's Theses

Electroencephalography (EEG) was formerly confined to clinical and research settings with the necessary hardware costing thousands of dollars. In the last five years a number of companies have produced simple electroencephalograms, priced below $300 and available direct to consumers. These have stirred the imaginations of enthusiasts and brought the prospects of "thought-controlled" devices ever closer to reality. While these new devices were largely targeted at video games and toys, active research on enabling people suffering from debilitating diseases to control wheelchairs was being pursued. A number of neurochairs have come to fruition offering a truly hands-free mobility solution, but whether …

Effect Of Short-Term Estrogen Depletion On Compact Bone Microdensitometry In The Ewe, Cailyn Bugbee

Master's Theses

Osteoporosis affects the human skeleton through the direct effects of the disease on the function and structure of bone. Individuals who are affected by osteoporosis may be subject to serious fractures and it is estimated that annually approximately 1.5 million fractures can be attributed to this disease [1]. The disease is categorized as the direct side effect of increased bone porosity and bone loss and is directly linked to estrogen deprivation [2]. Animal models are often used to make initial conclusions about the effects of the disease or pharmacological treatments. In this study, sheep were chosen as a representative animal …

Effects Of Seawater On The Mechanical Behavior Of Composite Sandwich Panels Under Monotonic Shear Loading, Thomas Robert Woo

Master's Theses

Abstract

Salt water environments are very harsh on materials that are used within them. Many issues are caused by either corrosion and/or internal degradation to the materials themselves. Composites are better suited for this environment due to their high strength to weight ratios and their corrosion resistance, but very little is known about the fracture mechanics of composites. The goal of this study is to gain a better understanding for the behavior of a composite boat hull under a shear loading, similar to the force water applies on the hull as the boat moves through the water; then attempt to …

Bioflocculation Of Wastewater Treatment Pond Suspended Solids, Louis Lefebvre

Master's Theses

Bioflocculation of Wastewater Treatment Pond Suspended Solids

Louis Lefebvre

Wastewater treatment lagoons and high rate algae ponds (HRAPs) can provide cost effective wastewater treatment, but they commonly have high effluent concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS). In this thesis algae pond effluent was treated in a beaker testing apparatus (mixed and aerated) with various mixtures of activated sludge and primary effluent simulating differing activated sludge aeration basin compositions then was allowed to settle to assess settleability. Conventionally, microalgal suspended solids are removed by chemical coagulation followed by separation methods that often have a high cost relative to the low cost …

House Finches, Carpodacus Mexicanus: Hormones, Stress, And Song Control Regions, Katherine Olivia Ganster

Master's Theses

Song production in songbirds is controlled by parts of the brain known as the song control regions (SCRs). During spring, gonads increase in size, males sing to attract mates, and SCRs become larger. This neuroplasticity is controlled by the change in day length and increased plasma testosterone (T) levels. Plasma T can be reduced by stress through the production of corticosterone (CORT), through the production of beta-endorphin, or through direct effects on the testes via the nervous system. We determined the T, estradiol, and CORT hormonal profiles of wild House Finches by capturing and sampling blood from the finches every …

Performance Of A Wastewater Treatment Pond System With Microfiltration, Eric Todd Martin

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

PERFORMANCE OF A WASTEWATER TREATMENT POND SYSTEM WITH

MICROFILTRATION

Eric Martin

The Woodlands Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWWTP) treats wastewater from the Woodlands housing community near Nipomo, California. The treated effluent is recycled for irrigation of a golf course within the community. The treatment facility consists of three facultative ponds in series followed by a microfiltration system and chlorine disinfection. Microfiltration of wastewater pond effluent is a fairly new, and potentially challenging, application of microfiltration. This thesis describes the operating conditions and behavior of the WWWTP pond system followed by a microfiltration system for the purpose of producing recyclable water …

The Impact Of Outward Remodeling On Vasodilation In Skeletal Muscle Resistance Arteries, Ryan Robert Gallagher

Master's Theses

Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) is an ischemic disease characterized by narrowing of the peripheral arteries due to the accumulation of atherosclerotic plaque in the inner lining of the vessels, which disrupts blood flow to downstream tissues. Blood can be redirected into collateral vessels, natural bypasses around arterial occlusions, causing shear-induced outward remodeling of the vessels. The enlarged vessels facilitate transfer of increased blood flow to downstream tissues. The remodeling process, however, may impair vasodilation, which in turn may cause or contribute to intermittent claudication- transient pain brought on by locomotion. To stimulate the growth of collateral arteries, the femoral …

Exclusion And Xenophobia: Norwegian Society's Influences On Anders Behring Breivik's Counter-Jihadism, Anna Katariina Oraviita Eriksen

Master's Theses

On July 22^nd 2011 Norway was shocked by the first terrorist attacks on Norwegian soil since the German occupation during World War II. As Norway is internationally renowned as a peaceful and idyllic society the terrorist attacks, questions of why the attacks took place in Norway arose. My thesis examines which societal factors in Norway have contributed to Anders Behring Breivik's terrorist attacks in Oslo and on Utøya, July 22^nd 2011. To do so, I have employed qualitative content analysis of newspaper articles which has allowed me to extract themes relevant to determine which factors in the Norwegian …

Preparation Of Nitrogen-Containing Heterocycles Via Cyclization Of Pyridine-Tethered Organolithiums, Elizabeth Archer

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Design And Synthesis Of Fluorescence Turn-On Probes For Iron, Randy K. Jackson

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Optimizing The Mechanical Characteristics Of Bamboo To Improve The Flexural Behavior For Biocomposite Structural Application, Jay Lopez

Master's Theses

Global awareness and preservation have spurred increasing interest in utilizing environmentally friendly materials for high-performance structural applications. Biocomposites pose an appealing solution to this issue and are characterized by their sustainable lifecycles, biodegradable qualities, light weight, remarkable strength, and exceptional stiffness. Many of these structural qualities are found in applications that exhibit flexural loading conditions, and this study focuses on improving the bending performance of engineered biocomposite structures. The current application of biocomposites is increasing rapidly, so this expanding research explores other natural constituent materials for biocomposite structures under flexural loading.

The renewable material investigated in this study was experimentally …

Validation Of The Self-Compassion Scale: Correlations With The Beck Depression Inventory-Ii, Pär Daniel Andréasson

Master's Theses

Self-compassion denotes a compassionate and empathic attitude toward oneself (Neff, 2003b). In the past decade, the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) has been used to measure self-compassion in individuals and its effects on social, psychological, and physiological functioning. While many studies have found positive effects of high self- compassion showing promise for the use of the construct in clinical and empirical applications, there is a dearth of literature regarding the psychometric properties of the SCS. Furthermore, previous studies have not evaluated the individual subscales of the SCS as they relate to other inventories. This study evaluated the SCS and its subscales in …

The Impact Of Water On Girls' Formal Education: A Study Of Kenyan Secondary Schools, Jennifer Emick

Master's Theses

This study applies a human rights lens to view how the lack of access to potable water in Kenya’s rural areas impacts girls’ education. This research is intended to serve as a baseline for iteration and expansion, with the long-term goal of developing a greater understanding of the ways in which water development projects and the smarter provision of basic resources can be used as strategies for achieving gender equality in both education and civic participation.

Effects Of Experimentally Increased Testosterone On Movement And The Effects Of Sex And Age On Relative Cortical Volumes In The Northern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus O. Oreganus), Julius A. Frazier

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Effects of Experimentally Increased Testosterone on Movement and the

Effects of Sex and Age on Relative Cortical Volumes in the Northern Pacific

Rattlesnake (Crotalus o. oreganus)

Julius A. Frazier

Hormones have been shown to play a crucial role in vertebrate reproductive behaviors. Androgens such as testosterone (T) stimulate male sexual behaviors such as mate-searching. Increases in movement and sex differences in navigational demands associated with increased movement are positively related to the volumes of cortical brain regions associated with navigational ability. In mammals and birds, the development and morphology of the hippocampal region, a structure within the …

Efficient Algorithms For Improving The Accuracy In Motifs Prediction, Jerlin C. Merlin

Master's Theses

Analysis of sequence homology has always played a major role in the understanding of biological factors such as protein domain identification, gene product relationships, and gene function determination. Short contiguous protein sequences that are conserved across proteins provide important information about such factors, and are of at most 15 residues in length. These segments of proteins are known as minimotifs. Identifying minimotifs has been of much use in the formulation of the hypothesis about the biological functions that otherwise might be uncharacterized. Mechanisms of motif predictions such as Minimotif Miner are widely used for predicting minimotifs. However, due to the …

Hydrodynamic Focused Passive Separation Under Continuous Flow In A Microfluidic Chip, Jad Kanbar

Master's Theses

A continuous flow, passive separation device was designed using an equivalent circuit to create variable flow rates for hydrodynamic focusing to drain channels and collection outlets. By varying the diameter of the sample inlet connection into the reservoir, the particle position was influenced significantly, which enabled desired separations. Additionally it was noted that the relative, horizontal position of the inlet also had a significant influence on particle position within the device. A dimensionless number, the Characteristic Sample Inlet, was developed to relate geometric properties of the inlet reservoir to downstream particle distribution. It was found that a 2:1 ratio between …

Responding To Dangerous Accidents Among The Elderly: A Fall Detection Device With Zigbee-Based Positioning, Michael R. Putnam

Master's Theses

The following paper describes a fall detection and activity monitoring system with position detection based on Zigbee transceivers.The main objective is to reduce the time taken for emergency personnel to respond to falls among the elderly. Especially when the victim is unconscious or delirious, position tracking reduces location determination time within a busy hospital or nursing home environment and facilitates immediate treatment. Reduced response times correlate to decreased morbidity and mortality rates. Background is provided on the major wireless network advances currently deployed in a healthcare setting for asset and personnel tracking, etiology of falls, and several methods of detecting …

Development Of Repressible Systems To Control Gene Expression In Vaccinia Virus, Allison Titong

Master's Theses

Two vaccinia virus (VACV) expression systems that contain elements from the lactose (lac) and the tetracycline (tet) operons of E. coli were developed to repress the expression of a reporter gene, enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), in the presence of tet operon inducers. In the first system, lac and tet operon elements were arranged in a gene circuit, and in the presence of increasing concentrations of a lac operon inducer (isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactoside, IPTG), EGFP expression increased in a dose dependent manner and at high IPTG concentrations, expression reached the same levels as a positive control virus. Importantly, in the …

Raf-1 Kinase Inhibitor Protein Regulates Cell Migration And Proliferation Of Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts, Donghui Song

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Movement, Habitat Use And Detection Probability Of Bridle Shiner Estimated By Patch Occupancy Modeling In A Connecticut Watershed, Timothy Jensen

Master's Theses

The bridle shiner (Notropis bifrenatus) is believed to have once been an important prey item throughout its native range; however, recent reports suggest populations have declined significantly and the species is now widely considered as imperiled. Habitats that are associated with this species are typically difficult to sample using traditional methods, making it unclear how much of the observed range reduction could be actual or perceived. My objectives were to estimate detection probability of bridle shiner, evaluate the importance of habitat on their distribution, and determine patterns of movement among habitat patches. I employed a repeated surveys design …

Identifying Barriers To Adherence For Hiv+ Patients Placed On Renal Dosing, Richard S. Colon Jr

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Biochemical Evaluation Of Srh Analogs As Potential Luxs Inhibitors, Richa Gupta

Master's Theses

Quorum sensing in bacteria is a process of cell-to-cell communication facilitated by small molecules called autoinducers. Interspecies quorum sensing is facilitated by the autoinducer AI-2. The enzyme LuxS catalyzes the formation of AI-2 from S-ribosyl homocysteine (SRH) in a wide variety of bacterial species. Inhibition of LuxS would therefore inhibit interspecies quorum sensing. The goal of this project is to establish biochemical assays for the evaluation of small molecules as potential LuxS inhibitors. The first assay is a conventional colorimetric assay that utilizes Ellman’s reagent to quantify the homocysteine byproduct of DPD production by LuxS. For this assay purified …

Green Tea Extract Protects Against Fibrogenesis Associated With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease In Diet-Induced Obese Rats, Allyson M. Bower

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Salt On Denitrification Potential In Roadside Environments, Nakita A. Lancaster

Master's Theses

Urban systems are impacted by changes in hydrology and water chemistry, altering their ability to mitigate detrimental impacts to coastal water bodies, particularly those that result from high volumes of stormwater runoff. The elevated level of impervious cover increases not only runoff but also contaminant loading of nutrients, metals, and road salt used for deicing in cold weather climates. Current stormwater management strategies, while focused on managing the changes in hydrology associated with urbanization, also are designed to mitigate the pollutant loading. Here we investigate the impact that road salt will have on nitrogen removal in roadside environments. Sediments were …

Efficient Algorithms For Sorting On Gpus, Seema M. Munavalli

Master's Theses

Sorting is an important problem in computing that has a rich history of investigation by various researchers. In this thesis we focus on this vital problem. In particular, we develop a novel algorithm for sorting on Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). GPUs are multicore architectures that offer the potential of affordable parallelism. We present an efficient sorting algorithm called Fine Sample Sort (FSS). Our FSS algorithm extends and outperforms sample sort algorithm presented by Leischner[2], which is currently the fastest known comparison based algorithm on GPUs. The performance gain of FSS is mainly achieved due to the quality of the samples …

Single Liquid-Liquid Extraction Of Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol And 11-Nor-Carboxy-Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol At An Acidic Ph, Meghan Ann Tanner

Master's Theses

Because of the high occurrence of marijuana usage in the workplace and in driving under the influence cases, it is important to test for both delta-9-THC and delta-9-THCA in order to determine current and recent usage. The laboratory preparation and analysis of delta-9-THC and delta-9-THCA in urine should be as cost and time efficient as possible. Current extraction of delta-9-THC and delta-9-THCA from urine requires two separate techniques for each. Because delta-9-THC is nonacidic, while delta-9-THCA is acidic, the extractions involve two separate pH levels, while GC/MS analysis requires two separate methods. This separation requires a great deal of time …

Effects Of Hurricane Disturbance On The Stopover Ecology Of Intercontinental Landbird Migrants In Coastal Louisiana, Emily Johanna Lain

Master's Theses

Few studies have considered the impact of weather events on migratory birds during stopover, and essentially none on how hurricanes affect their stopover biology during spring passage. About two thirds of eastern North American forest breeding bird species migrate twice annually between temperate breeding areas and subtropical and tropical wintering grounds, and movement in relation to the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) is a conspicuous and important part of that migration system. During inclement weather or winds inconsistent with travel direction, migratory birds oft.en/a/lout and concentrate by the thousands in forest patches that occur along the northern coast of the GOM. …

Producing Data To Support The Detection And Understanding Of Early On-Set Corrosion In Accelerated Weathering, Stephanie Suzanne Messer

Master's Theses

The goal of the research reported herein was to generate data towards the development of methods and protocols for detecting, quantifying, and understanding early on-set corrosion events on and above aluminum 2024-T3. The studies focused on incorporating two main fluorescent probes into a few model epoxy and/or urethane coatings to detect X and Y axis specific pH changes occurring upon and above the substrate during pre-macroscopic corrosion. The primary fluorophore used was fluorescein, a pH sensitive probe capable of detecting the changes, mainly increases in pH that accompanies aluminum corrosion. The second molecular probe, rhodamine B, was utilized to better …

Immunostimulatory And Cellular Toxic Effects Of Single-Stranded Rna On Cancer Cells, Chengwen Teng

Master's Theses

Whether 5'-triphosphate-single-stranded-RNA (5 '-ppp-ssRNA) is immunostimulatory was controversial in the literature. In order to clarify the immunostimulatory effect of 5'-ppp-ssRNA, we synthesized ssRNAs and tested the IFNp (interferon-beta) level and cellular toxicity of ssRNAs in SKOV3 cells. In this work, we confirmed that 5'-ppp-ssRNA (~ 60nt) was immunostimulatory and toxic in SKOV3 cells. 5'-ppp-ssRNA (~ 60nt) led to IFN-P induction and apoptosis in SKOV3 cells. Longer 5' ppp- ssRNA tended to have a higher immunostimulatory effect and cellular toxicity than shorter 5'-ppp-ssRNA. 5'-ppp-ssRNA was more immunostimulatory and toxic than 5'- 0H-ssRNA. If the incubation time of ssRNAs increased, the toxicity …

Determining The Trophic Role Of Gulf Menhaden (Brevoortia Patronus) Using Carbon And Nitrogen Stable Isotopes, Zachary Olsen

Master's Theses

Gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) play multiple roles in the Gulf of Mexico coastal ecosystem as filter feeders and as an important food source for many recreationally and economically important finfish. Gulf menhaden also support a large commercial fishery, and little is known about the impact of fishing on the role of this species as a filter feeder in the food web. This study examines the spatial, temporal and ontogenetic dynamics of food selectivity and trophic role observed in Gulf menhaden. The most important dietary item for juvenile fish was found to be phytoplankton (75.7% dietary composition) while that of subadults …