Digital Commons Network^™

Bioflocculation For Control Of Wastewater Pond Microalgae, Daniel Thomas Frost

Master's Theses

Investigates several hypotheses regarding the use of bioflocculation as a harvesting method for wastewater pond microalgae. Research performed on pilot-scale high rate ponds (HRPs) on the California Central Coast.

Application Of Parent-Child Uav Tasking For Wildfire Detection And Response, Stephen T. Kubik

Master's Theses

In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become a dominant force in the aerospace industry. Recent technological developments have moved these aircraft from remote operation roles to more active response missions. Of particular interest is the possibility of applying UAVs toward solving complex problems in long-endurance missions. Under that belief, the feasibility of utilizing UAVs for wildfire detection and response was investigated in a partnership that included NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate and Science Mission Directorate, and the United States Forest Service. Under NASA’s Intelligent Mission Management (IMM) project, research was conducted to develop a mission architecture that would …

Downtown Revitalization: Consumers' And City Planners' Perceived Barriers To Integrating Large-Scale Retail Into The Downtown, Jennifer M. Donofrio

Master's Theses

Statement of Problem

Revitalization of downtowns across America continues to be challenged by the shift to the suburbs. The barriers to integrating large-scale retail in a small, medium, and large city downtown were examined.

Forces of Data

The System View Planning Theory (Taylor, 1998) guided the study of city planners’ and consumers’ perceived barriers to integrating large scale retail into the downtown. In order to ascertain the barriers to integrating large-scale retail into the downtown intercept-surveys with consumers (n=30, responded to the intercept survey in each city) and interviews with city planners were conducted.

Conclusion Reached

Some significant differences were …

Analysis And Design Of Interleaving Multiphase Dc-To-Dc Converter With Input Lc Filter, Kevin Thomas Delrosso

Master's Theses

The future of microprocessors is unknown. Over the past 40 years, their historical trend has been for adopting smaller and more powerful designs that drive the world that we live in today. The state of the microprocessor business today faces a crossroad, wishing to continue on the historical trend of doubling the number of transistors on a chip every 18 months (Moore’s Law) but also facing the realistic task of needing to power these sophisticated devices. With the low voltages and high currents that are required for these microprocessors to operate, it poses a difficult task for the future designers …

High Speed Wavelength Tuning Of Sgdbr Lasers For Optical Coherence Tomography Applications, Benjamin Maher

Master's Theses

The application of Sample Grated Distributed Bragg Reflector (SGDBR) wavelength tunable lasers for swept-wavelength Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is explored. OCT is a method of measuring reflectivity versus distance into samples under test with a focused infrared light source. Swept wavelength OCT requires a laser light source that is capable of sweeping its wavelength quickly over the entire wavelength range of the tunable laser. Fast sweeping of the laser's wavelength enables real-time imaging of a wide surface area of the surface under test. This thesis will show that SGDBR lasers can be designed to meet the fast wavelength ramp speeds …

Control And Sensor Development On A Four-Wheel Pyramidal Reaction Wheel Platform, Jeffery Jay Logan

Master's Theses

The Pyramidal Reaction Wheel Platform, or PRWP, is used to simulate three-axis controls in a torque free space-like environment. The primary purpose of the system will be to evaluate the effects of conjoining sensors to maximize pointing accuracy. Furthermore, the system will incorporate a star tracker in conjunction with a Simulated Star Field (SSF) to better estimate the PRWP orientation. For the sake of this document, however, the goal is to implement a gyroscope, wheel rate sensors, and a make-shift accelerometer—to the PRWP—and integrate a controls algorithm such that three-axis controls are achieved for the PRWP. Three sensors were either …

Design And Optimization Of A Blood Vessel Mimic Bioreactor System For The Evaluation Of Intravascular Devices In Simple And Complex Vessel Geometries, Sara M. Leifer

Master's Theses

Coronary artery disease affects millions of people and the ability to detect and treat the disease is advancing at a rapid rate. As a result, the development of intravascular technologies is the focus of many medical device manufacturers. Specifically, coronary stent implantation is being performed in an increasing number of patients and a number of new stent designs have been introduced to the market, resulting in the need for improved preclinical testing methods. An in vitro tissue engineered “blood vessel mimic” (BVM) system has previously been established and its feasibility for the initial testing of newly emerging intravascular technology has …

An Exploration Of Tablet-Based Presentation Systems And Learning Styles, Ngan T. Phan

Master's Theses

Learning in the classroom can occur as a combination of students' personal effort to study class material, the instructor's attempt to present class material, and the interaction that takes place between instructor and students. In a more traditional setting, instructors can lecture by writing notes on a chalkboard or a whiteboard. If instructors want to display prepared lecture slides, they can use the overhead projector and write additional notes on top of these overhead transparencies. With many technological advances, various researchers are advocating towards integration between technology and learning. With the advent of tablet PCs, researchers recognize the potential usefulness …

Analysis And Design Of Multiphase Multi-Interleave Dc-Dc Converter With Input-Output Bypass Capacitor, Furqan Mubashir Saleemi

Master's Theses

The power requirements for the microprocessor have been increasing as per Moore's Law. According to International Technology Roadmap (ITRS), the Voltage Regulator Module (VRM) for the microprocessor will be 200 W(with 1V, 200A output) in 2010. With the VRMs topology of synchronous buck, serious technical challenges such as small duty cycle, high switching frequencies, and higher current demands, contribute to decreased power density and increased cost. This thesis proposes a Multiphase Multi-Interleave Buck topology to solve the technical challenges of powering future microprocessors. The critical design parameter values are selected using the theoretical design equations and calculations. The design is …

A Morphological And Hemodynamic Analysis Of Skeletal Muscle Vasculature, Stephanie Ann Wood

Master's Theses

The goal of this study was to develop analysis tools to assess skeletal muscle vasculature on a network level. In conjunction with this goal, this project also assessed whether the gracillis anterior muscle of a mouse was sufficiently thin to perform a comprehensive morphological analysis, and whether the data generated from these methods would yield reasonable computation of hemodynamic parameters. Horton's Law of Stream Numbers and the diameter-defined Strahler method were applied to assess the vasculature as a whole, and the results were comparable to previous work. The dimensional and branching characteristics of the network were similar to previous experiments; …

Predicting The Seismic Behavior Of The Dywidag Ductile Connector (Ddc) Precast Concrete System, Elizabeth Mary Kenyon

Master's Theses

Structural engineering is heavily dependent on the use of computers. When creating a building model using structural analysis software, it is required that the designer have an understanding of the system behavior and the modeling program capabilities.

Some engineers in the Southern California region are taking steps towards incorporating the Dywidag ductile connector (DDC) and super hybrid systems into building practice due to the advantages found in these systems’ construction methods and seismic performance.

As the DDC and super hybrid systems reach industry, the design engineer will need to model these systems using structural analysis programs. This report describes two …

The Effects Of Bisphosphonates On Bone Remodeling: Analysis Of Microdamage Targeting By Bmus, Bmu Velocity And Crack Surface Density, Daniel Wayne Hale

Master's Theses

Studies have indicated that microdamage in the bone matrix both activates and "steers" BMUs (Basic Multicellular Units, the groups of osteoclasts and osteoblasts that resorb and form bone respectively) toward the damage in order to replace damaged bone with new, mechanically sound bone. Also, bisphosphonate drugs have been shown to greatly suppress the remodeling process and, with such effects, are commonly used in the treatment of osteoporosis. It was hypothesized that BMUs do indeed target microdamage around them and tunnel away from the dominant lines of force in bone in order to remove the damage. Additionally it was believed that …

Spectral Conversion Of Light Using Cadmium Selenium Zinc Sulfide Core Shell Quantum Dots To Increase The Efficiency Of Photovoltaic Cells, Dan Madrid Marrujo

Master's Theses

Photovoltaics harness energy emitted from the sun. When the sun's energy is absorbed by a photovoltaic cell array, photons of light are converted into current. The amount of current produced by a photovoltaic cell is calculated by the difference between the energy of the incoming photon and the energy required for an electron to travel across the band gap of the photovoltaic cell. Traditional solar cells are commonly manufactured from silicon, which have a bandgap energy of 1.1 eV. If the photon's energy is equal to or greater than the band gap of silicon, electrons are excited from the valence …

Design And Verification Of A Sterile Incubator Volume For Maintaining Post-Deposition Cell Viability For Cell Printing Processes, Emily Hakun

Master's Theses

The growing field of tissue engineering requires the design and verification of an environmentally-controlled sterile incubator volume. As this technology advances and the field of cell printing emerges, the need for such a volume increases. This volume shall maintain post-deposition cell viability of printed cells, by maintaining volume sterility and controlling temperature. This becomes more important as more delicate cells are used. Sterility maintenance prevents contamination of the cells, while temperature regulation maintains the optimum temperature for cell viability. Several existing incubator systems are capable of regulating environmental conditions, but none are designed to function with a moving cell deposition …

A Risk Management Tool For The Reverse Supply Chain Network, Sheeva Banisalam

Master's Theses

The forward and reverse supply chains have unique characteristics that vary among different organizations. Most organizations manage and quantify risks in the forward supply chain by utilizing various available risk management tools. These risk management tools have been developed solely for the forward supply chain. This research presents the development and implementation of a risk management tool to be used to manage and quantify risks specifically in the reverse supply chain. Implementation of this tool at Company ABC demonstrates how the risk management tool is used in order to be beneficial to the organization. The tool is designed to be …

Two-Dimensional Computer-Generated Ornamentation Using A User-Driven Global Planning Strategy, Dustin Robert Anderson

Master's Theses

Hand drawn ornamentation, such as floral or geometric patterns, is a tedious and time consuming task that requires much skill and training in ornamental design principles and aesthetics. Ornamental drawings both historically and presently play critical roles in all things from art to architecture; however, little work has been done in exploring their algorithmic and interactive generation. The field of computer graphics offers many algorithmic possibilities for assisting an artist in creating two-dimensional ornamental art. When computers handle the repetition and overall structure of ornament, considerable savings in time and money can result. Today, the few existing computer algorithms used …

A Coupling-Complexity Metric Suite For Predicting Software Quality, Christopher L. Gray

Master's Theses

Coupling Between Objects and Cyclomatic Complexity have long been used to measure software quality and predict maintainability and reliability of software systems prior to release. In particular, Coupling Between Objects has been shown to correlate with fault-proneness and maintainability of a system at the class level. We propose a new set of metrics based on a fusion of Coupling Between Objects and Cyclomatic Complexity that can be superior to Coupling Between Objects alone at predicting class quality. The new metrics use Cyclomatic Complexity to 1) augment Coupling Between Objects counting to assign a strength of a coupling between two classes …

Cal Poly Super System Photovoltaic Array Universal Dc-Dc Step Down Converter, Joseph Witts

Master's Theses

Standard converter topologies are usually presented with a voltage source as the input supply to the converters. However, a photovoltaic (PV) array has the I-V characteristics of a current source not a voltage source. This thesis details the design process of modifying the standard Buck and synchronous Buck converter topologies to function with either a voltage or current source input, making them universal DC-DC step down converters. This is accomplished by placing a capacitor at the converter's input to supply the pulsating current required for the Buck topologies to function properly. The equations for determining the capacitor's size and RMS …

A Vitreoretinal Surgery System Fluidics Failure Modes And Effects Analysis, Jennifer Ann Grega

Master's Theses

Eyesight is something that is vital to all human beings. The concept of vitreoretinal surgery is an amazing achievement of modem medicine to help treat patients that might otherwise be blind. Vitreoretinal surgery has enhanced and restored vision in numerous individuals due to the forefront of new instrumentation and surgical techniques. As a manufacturer of surgical equipment it is critical that an in depth analysis of potential failure modes is completed and the necessary mitigations are put in place. A complete failure mode and effects analysis on the fluidics sub-module of a vitreoretinal surgery system is an imperative part to …

Bone Mass Preservation And Fracture Risk Assessment With Bisphosphonate Therapy During Spaceflight, Christopher Gardina

Master's Theses

Space exploration and microgravity have substantial negative effects on the human body. Symptoms of space explorers include cardiovascular deconditioning, bone loss, muscular atrophy, and impairment of neurovestibular and sensory function. The great loss of bone due long-duration spaceflight increases fracture risk, jeopardizing the success of the mission and postflight recovery. Bisphosphonates may be able to counteract this bone loss by altering the remodeling process. These drugs increase bone mass, thus reducing fracture risk, but also lead to increased levels of fatigue microdamage. Fracture risk can be lowered by increasing both bone mass (quantity) and bone quality.

The purpose of this …

Theory, Simulation, Fabrication And Testing Of Double Negative And Epsilon Near Zero Metamaterials For Microwave Applications, Neil Patel

Master's Theses

Natural structures exhibiting simultaneous negative bulk permittivity and permeability have not yet been discovered. However, research interest over the past five years has grown with the proposition that artificial structures exhibiting these properties are realizable using specially-designed metallic inclusions embedded in host dielectric bodies. A periodic structure of metallic inclusions much smaller than the guided wavelength and embedded in a host dielectric medium is known in the physics and microwave communities as a "metamaterial". Such frequency-dependent effectively homogeneous materials may be designed to exhibit negative permeability and permittivity at certain frequencies. As predicted by electromagnetic theory, such negative index or …

Design Patterns Go To Hollywood: Teaching Patterns With Multimedia, Adam Dukovich

Master's Theses

Design Patterns have insinuated themselves into the forefront of computer science and software engineering practice. To this end, there has been much scholarship about the proper way to introduce them into the classroom. Studies indicate that understanding the contexts in which design patterns are to be used is one of the most (if not the most) difficult challenge in applying design patterns. However, little research on the topic attempts to solve the problem of better illuminating this context problem, preferring instead to focus on simplification of the patterns and better examples to explain them. This paper discusses a new paradigm …

Drop Impact Reliability Testing Lead-Free Chip Scale Packages, Andrew Farris

Master's Theses

Mobile and handheld electronics devices such as digital cameras, cell phones, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) are prone to be dropped in their lifetime. The drop event may result in failure of solder joints inside these devices. The importance and widespread use of these devices in both business and leisure activities continues to increase, so device failure is increasingly costly and inconvenient. Recently the European Union (EU) Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and other countries' lead-free directives banned the use of lead in consumer electronics products. While this is a responsible environmental change for the electronics industry, it requires the …

Cfd As Applied To The Design Of Short Takeoff And Landing Vehicles Using Circulation Control, Tyler M. Ball

Master's Theses

The ability to predict the distance required for an aircraft to takeoff is an essential component of aircraft design. It involves aspects related to each of the major aircraft systems: aerodynamics, propulsion, configuration, structures, and stability and control. For an aircraft designed for short takeoffs and landings (STOL), designing the aircraft to provide a short takeoff distance, or more precisely the balanced field length (BFL), often leads to the use of a powered lift technique such as circulation control (CC). Although CC has been around for many years, it has never been used on a production aircraft. This is in …

Development Of A Cell Depositing System Using Inkjet Technology, Jason Robert Ozaeta

Master's Theses

In the past decade, advances in tissue engineering have allowed researchers to fabricate simple tissues. However, the process of creating these native tissues is a time consuming and inefficient process. A scaffold must first be fabricated then exposed to a sea of cells in the hopes of seeding. Furthermore, even though cells may have attached, more time must be spent in order to allow the cells to migrate to their ideal locations. To deal with this problem, researchers have investigated whether rapid prototyping principals could be adapted to facilitate the cell seeding process by placing cells in their respective locations …

Three-Dimensional Scaffolds For Mammary Epithelial Cell Growth, Megan M. Barry

Master's Theses

Mammary epithelial cells are highly efficient secreting cells. This natural phenomenon has triggered research efforts to focus on using these cells to assist in the production of viable liquids. The application of this technology is nearly endless. If developed successfully, mammary epithelial cells could be used by industries from farming to pharmacology.

The feasibility of culturing epithelial mammary cells which secrete within a three-dimensional scaffold was investigated and is documented within this paper. A biocompatible film with suitable mechanical characteristics and processing properties for use in a bioreactor was developed through multiple iterations. The film that was developed also withstands …

Algorithmic Approach To Warehouse Consolidation And Optimization, Sonny Nguyen

Master's Theses

This thesis presents a new methodology for warehouse consolidation to optimize the capacity, throughput, and overall efficiency of the warehouse. The application of the methodology allows an organization to become more competitive by reducing real estate and inventory holding costs. The algorithms use various quantitative techniques including statistical inference and integer programming, and apply them to material handling and facilities layout issues. The proposed methodology is independent of the warehouse management system in use. It was implemented by a Fortune 500 company, and resulted in significant cost, capacity and productivity improvements.

Rfid Antenna Coverage Optimization, Bryce Taylor

Master's Theses

This research focuses on the problem of determining the location of RFID antennas required to read RFID tags from all items in a facility, such that the number of antennas is minimized. We formulate the problem as a Set Covering optimization problem. We develop a heuristic algorithm for this NP-Complete problem. We also develop a computerized system, RFIDMIN, which enables for the automated calculation of the minimum number and location of RFID antennas, given the size of the facility and antenna specifications. RFIDMIN can be used by companies to implement an effective RFID system at lowest hardware costs.

Automotive Suspension Parameter Estimation Using Smart Wireless Sensor Technology, Samuel Chase Hoffman

Master's Theses

This thesis project demonstrates the feasibility of using a smart sensor system to estimate vehicle parameters. It includes the development of the smart sensor system and the method for which vehicle parameters are estimated using this system. The smart sensor system is a wireless computer controlled sensor array that can be easily installed onto a vehicle. Parameter estimation was accomplished using grey box code in Matlab System Identification Toolbox, a software package from Mathworks. Front and rear suspension damping rates and pitch inertia were estimated on the 2008 Cal Poly SAE Baja Car with good accuracy during testing.

A Qualitative Exploration Of Health Beliefs Among Midlife Filipino American Women In California, Lorneneth Merana

Master's Theses

Research pertaining to Filipino American health issues is growing but most remain delimited to children, college students, and older adults. The purpose of this study was two-fold. The first was to define the health beliefs of four Filipino American women who were in midlife through in-depth one-on-one interviews regarding cardiovascular diseases and in utilizing health care to prevent, diagnose, or treat those diseases. The second purpose was to conceptualize potential links between the health beliefs of those Filipino American women and their attitudes or choices about health care utilization.

Conclusively, the health beliefs of the four midlife Filipino-American women in …