Digital Commons Network^™

Modulating The Release Of Therapeutic Agents From Plga Coated Cancellous Allografts, Seth Malinowski

Master's Theses

Bone grafts are used in 2 million annual surgeries with that statistic expected to rise due to the increasing elderly population as well as sports related injuries. At a certain size bone fracture or defect, the body is unable to heal spontaneously, and a bone graft must be implanted into the defect site. Allografts are used as bone grafts due to their availability and elimination of donor site morbidity, however they show poor bioactivity and bone regeneration. This study utilizes a degradable poly(lactic-co-glycolide) (PLGA) polymer coating applied to cancellous allografts, loaded with a variety of therapeutic agents aimed to improve …

Behavioral Modeling Of Motor Drive Systems Efficiency, Artur Ulatowski

Master's Theses

While power losses and efficiency of single components of electric motor drive systems were researched extensively, the overall system efficiency has been rarely approached. The wide-spread applications of electric machines make them the largest electrical energy consumers, thus the efficiency of motor drive systems is of fundamental effect on global energy consumption. Analytical efficiency modeling of motor drive systems is a very difficult task due to complex interactions in a motor drive system (electrical, mechanical, magnetic, thermal, etc.). In this thesis, a novel method of applying black-box approaches for motor drive efficiency modeling is presented. The proposed methodology is flexible …

Increasing Sleep Duration In Collegiate Athletes: A Behavioral Intervention Involving Sleep Education, Self-Tracking, Goal Setting, And Self-Reinforcement, Leslie Greer

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a behavioral intervention on sleep duration in a group of Division I student athletes from a women's rowing team. This participant pool was specifically selected because they have early morning practice due to several scheduling constraints, which can make adequate sleep duration more difficult to obtain. Further, the participants in this pool were selected because they had the lowest previous nights sleep and perceived average sleep duration, and therefore in most need of this type of intervention. A multiple baseline design was used to determine if a functional relationship …

Changes In Power And Movement Strategy Over One Athletic Season, Alison C. O'Connor

Master's Theses

Context: Female collegiate soccer athletes sustain injuries at a concerning rate, often with severe short and long-term consequences. Identifying changes in movement control and power that inherently occur over an athletic season may improve our ability to predict and ultimately prevent injury. Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate movement control and power over the course of an athletic season in female collegiate soccer athletes. Design: Repeated measures Setting: Field Study Participants: 25 female athletes (age: 20±1years, mass: 66.5 ±6.6kg, height: 1.7±0.1m) Intervention(s): None Main Outcome Measure(s): Participants performed jump-landing and vertical jump (VJ) tasks …

Assessing Factors Related To Clinicians’ Attitudes Towards Suicide Prevention, Amanda L. Johnson

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Low-Energy Impact Of Human Cartilage: Predictors For Fracturing The Network Of Collagen, Bilal Kaleem

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Exploring Maternal Emotion Masking As A Contribution To Kindergartener's Emotion Regulation, Erin Donohue

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Technological And Managerial Gaps In The Adoption Of Improved Groundnut Seed Varieties In Uganda, Neha Paliwal

Master's Theses

The international community has successfully developed improved varieties of seeds that yield high returns in the presence of drought, pests, and disease. This effort is in response to the persistent concern of food security, especially in regions that are most vulnerable to climate change. This study uses cross-sectional data from the World Bank Living Standards Measurement Survey to obtain estimates for the adoption of improved groundnut varieties (IGVs) in Uganda as well as gaps in farmer managerial capacity (alternatively known as technical inefficiency). To do so, this study employs an adoption logit model, in conjunction with a stochastic production frontier …

A Study Of Native Parasitoids And Rearing Diet Efficacy For The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Halyomorpha Halys, Zachary R. Donais

Master's Theses

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) Halyomorpha halys (Stål), (Hemiptera; Pentatomidae) is an insect native to Asia. It was first discovered in the United States in the mid-1990s near Allentown, Pennsylvania. It was found in Connecticut in 2008 and since then numbers have continuously grown to where the pest is becoming an agricultural problem. A study was done to detect what native parasitoids attack the BMSB. Two different parasitoids were detected along with numerous accounts of egg predation. A second study focused on the effect of rearing diets on BMSB development. Time to maturation and longevity were significantly affected by …

Strain And Dislocations In Nitride-Based Heterostructures, Johanna Raphael

Master's Theses

This work provides a computational tool for predicting strain and dislocation density in nitride-based heterostructures at equilibrium. The framework and computational tool reviewed in this thesis has yielded critical layer thickness (CLT) results for nitride-based heterostructures such as InxGa1-xN/GaN (0001), InxGa1-xN/GaN (11-22) and AlxGa1-xN/GaN (0001). The presented CLT results are compared with calculations via established CLT models and empirical data. Dislocation density and strain profiles calculated for InxGa1-xN/GaN (0001) and InxGa1-xN/GaN (11-22) in linearly graded configurations are provided. These results demonstrate that with modification J. Tersoff’s zinc-blende based analysis of dislocation confinement to compositionally graded layers in multi-layer heterostructures is …

Measuring And Modeling Oceanic Air-Sea Fluxes, Aaron M. Rosenberg

Master's Theses

There have been numerous studies evaluating model representation of the latent heat flux (LHF) over terrestrial surfaces due to LHF’s role in weather prediction, heat balance, and the hydrological cycle. However, LHF model representation over the ocean, where 86% of global evaporation occurs, has been largely untested due to the scarcity of in-situ measurements and difficulties associated with open ocean observations. This study evaluates the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) latent heat, sensible heat and momentum surface fluxes over the Sub-tropical North Atlantic Ocean from September 16 to October 30, 2012 under various surface layer and planetary boundary layer …

Ultra-High Resolution Steady-State Micro-Thermometry Using A Bipolar Direct Current Reversal Technique, Jason Y. Wu

Master's Theses

The suspended micro-thermometry technique is one of the most prominent methods for probing the in-plane thermal conductance of low dimensional materials (nanowires, nanotubes, and nanoplates), where a suspended mircrodevice containing two built-in platinum resistors that serve as both heater and thermometer is used to measure the temperature and heat flow across the sample. In previous lock-in-based measurement schemes, the thermal conductance resolution of this method is on the order of 1 nW/K. The presence temperature fluctuations in the sample chamber, background thermal conductance through the device, residual gases, and radiation are significant sources of error when the sample thermal conductance …

The Relationship Between Secondhand Tobacco Smoke Exposure And Asthma Severity Among The Pediatric Population In Connecticut, Christtopher Hammel

Master's Theses

Background: Secondhand tobacco smoke exposure (STSE) has been associated with an increased incidence of asthma exacerbations, but the relationship between STSE and asthma severity is less clear.

Objective: To determine whether STSE is associated with asthma severity in children living in Connecticut who have physician-diagnosed asthma and to examine whether it is modified by common markers of community-level socioeconomic status (SES) using the Five Connecticuts study.

Methods: The Easy Breathing database identified 32,691 children with physician-diagnosed asthma living in 161 towns in Connecticut. This large database was linked by participant zip code to census data, allowing classification by community, with …

Mechanical Stimulation And Stiffness Characterization Device For Electrospun Cell Culture Scaffolds, Soliman A. Alhudaithy

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Can Portable Band Sawmill Operators Help Address Connecticut’S Small Scale Forest Management Needs?, Frances E. P. Champagne

Master's Theses

The shrinking average size of Connecticut forested land parcels, as well as increased interest in roadside forest management activities and small-acreage treatments for wildlife habitats, all necessitate scale-appropriate management methodologies for tree harvesting and vegetation management. Corresponding value-added processing for wood products, such as with portable band sawmills, has the potential to foster local markets and utilization of wood products in the small quantities produced. A survey of portable band saw mill operators (PBSOs) in Connecticut was conducted to help determine the capacity for PBSOs to assist in addressing the state’s small-scale forest management needs. Results of the survey revealed …

Applications Of Advanced Signal Processing Techniques In Pure And Applied Geophysics, Robert W. Mehl

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Impacts Of Surface Conditions On Sea Breezes Over Coastal Connecticut, Eric Zachary Sinsky

Master's Theses

Sea breezes are mesoscale atmospheric coastal circulations that develop in response to diurnal variations in the land-sea thermal gradient resulting in cooler air temperatures in coastal regions. Accurate numerical model hindcasts and forecasts of sea breezes, used to study and predict these circulations, are important for a variety of communities beyond the atmospheric sciences. For example, sea breezes can influence marine processes such as oceanic upwelling, estuarine circulation, and air-sea fluxes, as well as impact the energy, aviation, and air quality industries. Representations of the coastline and sea surface temperature (SST) in the numerical model can influence simulated sea breezes. …

The Effect Of Vitamin D On Blood Pressure At Rest And In Response To A Peak Graded Exercise Test, Braden Armstrong

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Separation And Characterization Of Reconstituted Skim Milk Powder Treated With Mineral Chelators, Amy Kringle

Master's Theses

The proteins found in milk are largely important in the functionality of many dairy products and dairy processes. The casein micelle system in milk is a complex and highly studied system. The micelle is thought to be a sponge like structure containing four caseins, α_s1, α_s2, β, and κ casein, and bound together with colloidal calcium phosphate. When a chelating agent such as a citrate, phosphate, or polyphosphate are added to milk systems, the CCP is bound to the chelator and removed from the micelle. It has been shown through past research that the use of …

Effect Of Lactose Source, Lactose Level, And Type Of Emulsifying Salts On The Properties Of A Processed Cheese Product, Gabrielle Alyss Gunter

Master's Theses

Previous studies on the use of nonfat dry milk, whey protein concentrate 34 and lactose powders in processed cheeses or cheese analogs found that increasing the percentage of lactose was associated with an increase in browning and crystallization. There has been little work done of the effects of lactose in processed cheese functionality. Therefore, the objective of this research is to build on and understand the effects of lactose from by three commercially produced dairy powders (nonfat dry milk (NFDM), whey protein concentrate 34 (WPC), lactose) and two different emulsifying salts on properties of processed cheese. Processed cheeses were made …

The Effect Of Weighted Body Armor On Close Combat Reaction Time And Core Muscle Activation 2016, Christopher Banta

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to measure the choice reaction time and myoelectric activity of the right and left rectus abdominus, and right and left external obliques required to initiate movement in response to a visual stimulus that signaled performance of four different closecombat movements (left or right cross and left or right dodge). Reaction time and myoelectric activity were then compared with performing the movements in response to the visual stimulus while wearing a weighted vest that simulated wearing tactical body armor. Myoelectric activity was measured as the average root mean square (RMS) of the surface electromyography (sEMG) …

Power Output And Loads On The Lumbar Vertebrae During A Power Clean 2016, Joseph Keleher

Master's Theses

The purpose of the present study was to compare the peak resultant torque, shear, and compressive forces acting at the L3/L4 junction of the lumbar vertebrae and the peak power output during 40% one repetition maximum (1RM) and 80% 1RM attempts of the power clean. It was hypothesized that performance of a power clean at 80% 1RM will result in greater peak resultant compressive force, torque and shear force at the L3/L4 junction of the lumbar spine than that of a 40% 1RM attempt. Power cleans at 80% 1RM will also result in higher maximum instantaneous power outputs than that …

Do Running Kinematics Change On The Alter-G Treadmill? [2016], Brittany Lavaute

Master's Theses

The Alter-G lower body positive pressure treadmill, also known as the antigravity treadmill, provides a unique means of exercising for rehabilitation patients and low-impact training in athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine the interaction effect of four different treadmill weighted conditions and three different running velocities (2.68 m.s-1, 3.13 m.s-1, and 3.58 m.s-1) on the kinematic variables of step length, step rate, contact time, and flight time on the Alter-G treadmill (AG) and on the regular treadmill (TM). Fifteen participants completed two separate days of testing. All individuals ran at four different conditions (100%, 80%, 60%, and …

Determining The Optimal Combination Of Lifting Method And Intensity For Power Production During The Hang Clean 2016, Thomas P. Murray

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal combination of lifting method and load intensity for power production during the hang clean. Twenty college students (18 male, 2 female) performed one set of three repetitions of the hang clean at four different intensities for each method while standing on a force platform embedded in the floor. Intensities were set at 50%, 60%, 70%, and 80% 1RM and the methods tested were Contact, where the participant maintained contact with the force platform throughout the lift, and Jump, where the participant jumped through the pull phase of the lift and …

Diagnoses By Gender: The Consequences Of Treatment Of The Mentally Ill In Virginia Woolf's The Waves And Mrs. Dalloway 2016, Erika Nichole Jackson

Master's Theses

“Insanity is purely a disease of the brain…The physician is now the responsible guardian of the lunatic, and must ever remain so.” Sir John Charles Bucknill (1897)

Mental illness has consistently been and continues to be a subject that is viewed as taboo by society, especially when it comes to diagnosing a patient. Instead of acknowledging a person’s actions, thoughts, and words, society continually disregards mental illness as something that is negative and to be feared. The fact that this area of medicine can be difficult and distressing makes it all the more important to continue research. It is true …

"Do Not Fashion The Other": Representing Contemporary Haudenosaunee Literature 2016, Michael Patrick Brewster

Master's Theses

Historically, the issue of representation in postcolonial studies is one of some contention. While scholarship might recognize the necessity for highlighting the plights and struggles attendant to postcolonial societies, the primary literature being studied is most often written by natives of those societies themselves. This gap is especially evident with Indigenous cultures, because there are relatively few Indigenous scholars working in the academy. We are at the point now when we have a multiplicity (but not a plurality) of Indigenous voices writing literature (poetry, memoir, fiction, film, etc.) and academic criticism. However, there is value in non-Natives reading and writing …

The Effects Of Whole Body High-Intensity Interval Training On Collegiate Female Soccer Players 2016, Whitney Frary

Master's Theses

Soccer is considered a high intensity sport that requires a high level of both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. A whole body high-intensity interval training adaptation has been shown to benefit both of these systems over a short period of time. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a five week whole-body high intensity interval training program on female collegiate soccer players performance in speed, acceleration, agility, vertical jump, aerobic capacity, physical self perception, and physical enjoyment. Participants were from the SUNY Cortland women’s soccer team who participated in a five- week training protocol three days a …

The Effect Of Descriptive Norms On Resistance Exercise Self-Efficacy In College-Aged Females 2016, Justin Kompf

Master's Theses

Resistance training is a form of physical activity that provides substantial health benefits. Despite these widespread benefits, participation in resistance training is considerably low, particularly among females. To engage in a skill-related activity such as resistance training, individuals need to have confidence in their abilities. Self-efficacy is a cognitive construct that is used to describe situation-specific self-confidence. Descriptive norms are a type of social norm that describes the behavior of others. Descriptive norms have been useful in positively changing health related behaviors. The exact mechanism of how descriptive norms alter behavior is unknown. However, it has been show in research …

'The Letter Killeth': The Obscurity Of Language And Communication In Thomas Hardy's Jude The Obscure 2016, Victoria T. Corning

Master's Theses

While the epistolary novel is a genre closely associated with 18th century England, 19th century Victorian literature also incorporates letter writing as a significant form of communication. Written messages convey what can often not be said out loud, as it is easier to hide behind a pen and paper, write in solitude, and be absent when the letter is read by the recipient. Impulsive and emotional thoughts and feelings can be written down immediately and then later edited, which makes writing an unstable form of communication. Is the author conveying true feelings or concealing true feelings? Layering multiple modes of …

An Evaluation Of The Effectiveness Of The National Alliance Of Mental Illness's Ending The Silence Program, Sarah L. Taniyama

Master's Theses

The National Alliance of Mental Illness’s Ending the Silence (ETS) program focuses on the epidemic of mental illness stigma among school- aged youth. The program is targeted specifically at high school- age youth, and aims to educate, dispel myths about mental illness and instill a message of hope and recovery all while encouraging students to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. A trained presentation team containing two people, one of whom is a young adult who is living with mental illness or recovered from mental illness, delivers the program. Participants (n=142) completed assessments measuring their thoughts and attitudes towards …