Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Student Involvement In Afterschool Activities On Childhood Obesity, Lauren E. Van Derzee

Master's Theses

Childhood obesity has been a significant health issue in the United States since the 1970s. In an effort to combat this issue, children are encouraged to be physically active and maintain a nutritional diet. Previous sociological literature has analyzed the effects of the family and neighborhood environment in an effort to understand the socioeconomic forces influencing obesity. This study extends this literature by analyzing the effects of how children spend their time in structured, semi-structured, and unstructured afterschool activities. Building upon Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice and concept of cultural capital, I argue that afterschool activities present a particular structured …

Early Characteristics Of Children Who Lose Their Autism Diagnosis Between Age Two And Four, Emily Moulton

Master's Theses

Emerging literature indicates that a subset of children with a documented ASD lose their diagnosis and demonstrate cognitive and adaptive abilities within the average range. Multiple factors including symptom severity, cognitive and language abilities, adaptive skills and early intervention may help to predict these highly positive outcomes. Participants in the present study include 207 children diagnosed with an ASD by clinical best estimate at approximately age two (T1) and subsequently re-evaluated at approximately age four (T2). 171 (82.6%) children retained an ASD diagnosis (ASD-ASD) at re-evaluation and 19 children (9.2%) were determined to meet the following criteria for an “Optimal …

The Impact Of Local On Meat Purchasing Decisions, Steven Mclennan

Master's Theses

The research examines the target market for a meat product produced by the local university. Further, desirable attributes of meat and how consumers definition of “locally produced and/or raised” are identified. A total of 290 personal interviews were completed in San Luis Obispo County, California on the consumers’ willingness to purchase Cal Poly meat. Likely purchasers are found to be 31 percent of the San Luis Obispo population. The target buyer of Cal poly meat products are both male and females, who tend to be older, and make more than $60,000 a year. Local is defined by 31 percent of …

A Study Of Shock Analysis Using The Finite Element Method Verified With Euler-Bernoulli Beam Theory; Mechanical Effects Due To Pulse Width Variation Of Shock Inputs; And Evaluation Of Shock Response Of A Mixed Flow Fan, David Jonathan Gonzalez Campos

Master's Theses

A Study Of Shock Analysis Using The Finite Element Method Verified With Euler-Bernoulli Beam Theory; Mechanical Effects Due To Pulse Width Variation Of Shock Inputs; And Evaluation Of Shock Response Of A Mixed Flow Fan

David Jonathan González Campos

For many engineers that use finite element analysis or FEA, it is very important to know how to properly model and obtain accurate solutions for complicated loading conditions such as shock loading. Transient acceleration loads, such as shocks, are not as common as static loads. Analyzing these types of problems is less understood, which is the basis for this study. FEA …

Dcamp: Distributed Common Api For Measuring Performance, Alexander Paul Sideropoulos

Master's Theses

Although the nearing end of Moore’s Law has been predicted numerous times in the past, it will eventually come to pass. In forethought of this, many modern computing systems have become increasingly complex, distributed, and parallel. As software is developed on and for these complex systems, a common API is necessary for gathering vital performance related metrics while remaining transparent to the user, both in terms of system impact and ease of use.

Several distributed performance monitoring and testing systems have been proposed and implemented by both research and commercial institutions. However, most of these systems do not meet several …

Improving And Expanding The Capabilities Of The Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployer, David Pignatelli

Master's Theses

The Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployer (P-POD) has undergone a series of revisions over the years. The latest revision, described in this Master’s Thesis, incorporates new capabilities like EMI shielding, an inert gas purge system, and an electrical interface to the CubeSats after they are integrated into the P-POD. Additionally, some mass reduction modifications are made to the P-POD, while its overall strength is increased. The P-POD inert gas purge system successfully flew, on a previous revision P-POD. The P-POD components are analyzed to a set of dynamic loads for qualification, and successfully undergoes random vibration qualification testing. The P-POD encounters some …

Control Of A Spacecraft Using Mixed Momentum Exchange Devices, Blake J. Currie

Master's Theses

Hardware configurations, a control law, and a steering law are developed for a mixed hardware spacecraft that uses both control moment gyros and reaction wheels. Replacing one or more gyros in a spacecraft with a reaction wheel has potential for cost savings while still achieving much greater performance than using reaction wheels alone. Several simulated tests are run to compare the performance to a traditional all reaction wheel or all control moment gyro spacecraft, including analysis of failure modes and singular configurations. The mixed system performed similarly to all gyro systems, responding within 6% of the gyro system’s time for …

Effects Of Low Velocity Impact On The Flexural Strength Of Composite Sandwich Structures, Jeffrey Scott Carter

Master's Theses

The use of composite sandwich structures is rapidly increasing in the aerospace industry because of their increased strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight characteristics. The effects of low velocity impacts on these structures, however, are the main weakness that hinders further use of them in the industry because the damages from these loadings can often be catastrophic. Impact behavior of composite materials in general is a crucial consideration for a designer but can be difficult to describe theoretically. Because of this, experimental analysis is typically used to attempt to describe the behavior of composite sandwiches under impact loads. Experimental testing can still be …

Dsm-5 Autism Criteria Applied To Toddlers With Dsm-Iv-Tr Autism, Dasal T. Jashar

Master's Theses

The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) include substantial revisions, including the combination of the subcategories (Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, and PDD-NOS) into one dimensional category of ASD, combining the social and communication domains into one, and requiring two rather than one repetitive and restrictive behaviors (RRBs). Concerns have been raised about the DSM-5’s sensitivity for very young children, especially since RRBs may not manifest in this age group. In order to address concerns about the sensitivity of the DSM-5 ASD criteria in toddlers, the current study examined if toddlers who received an ASD diagnosis under the DSM-IV-TR …

Dsm-5 Autism Criteria Applied To Toddlers With Dsm-Iv-Tr Autism, Dasal T. Jashar

Master's Theses

The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) include substantial revisions, including the combination of the subcategories (Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder, and PDD-NOS) into one dimensional category of ASD, combining the social and communication domains into one, and requiring two rather than one repetitive and restrictive behaviors (RRBs). Concerns have been raised about the DSM- 5’s sensitivity for very young children, especially since RRBs may not manifest in this age group. In order to address concerns about the sensitivity of the DSM-5 ASD criteria in toddlers, the current study examined if toddlers who received an ASD diagnosis under the …

Gene Expression Analysis Of Bovine Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells In Response To Adenovirus-Vectored Foot-And-Mouth Disease Vaccine, Frank Zappulla

Master's Theses

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) gives rise to a highly contagious and economically important disease of cloven-hooved animals. Vaccination reduces the economic impact by inducing serotype-specific protection. Recently, a replication-defective adenovirus-vectored foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) subunit vaccine was developed and licensed. Serum virus neutralization (SVN) titer ≥1.5 to FMDV is the best predictor of vaccine-induced protection. However, protection does not always correlate with the presence of neutralizing antibodies. For example, some animals with high SVN titer develop signs of disease, and conversely, some animals with negligible SVN titer are protected. Categorizing cattle on the parameters of seroconversion and protection status yields four …

Increased Body Mass Index Is Associated With Atherogenic Dyslipidemias, Insulin Resistence And Low Grade Inflammation In Individuals With Metabolic Syndrome., Kolin Avery Ebron

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Hybrid Silicon Mode-Locked Laser With Improved Rf Power By Impedance Matching, Bassem M. Tossoun

Master's Theses

The mode-locked laser diode (MLLD) finds a lot of use in applications such as ultra high-speed data processing and sampling, large-capacity optical fiber communications based on optical time-division multiplexing (OTDM) systems. Integrating mode-locked lasers on silicon makes way for highly integrated silicon based photonic communication devices. The mode-locked laser being used in this thesis was built with Hybrid Silicon technology. This technology, developed by UC Santa Barbara in 2006, introduced the idea of wafer bonding a crystalline III- V layer to a Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, making integrated lasers in silicon chips possible.

Furthermore, all mode-locked lasers produce phase noise, which …

Adapting Monte Carlo Localization To Utilize Floor And Wall Texture Data, Stephanie Krapil

Master's Theses

Monte Carlo Localization (MCL) is an algorithm that allows a robot to determine its location when provided a map of its surroundings. Particles, consisting of a location and an orientation, represent possible positions where the robot could be on the map. The probability of the robot being at each particle is calculated based on sensor input.

Traditionally, MCL only utilizes the position of objects for localization. This thesis explores using wall and floor surface textures to help the algorithm determine locations more accurately. Wall textures are captured by using a laser range finder to detect patterns in the surface. Floor …

Vibration Based Planetary Gear Analysis And Damage Detection, Rene Sawatzky

Master's Theses

With this thesis the research at the engineering department is continued, based on previous thesis projects. These projects were considering the possibility of simulation gears with rigid bodies. After researches with different emphasizes on the rigid body simulation, the gained knowledge showed limitations of the rigid body model. Gear failures are very diverse and the actual simulation technique could not represent all necessary failure modes that can occur. That led to this thesis as a research project to find a way to detect and analyze the failure modes that cannot be considered with the current rigid body approach. With the …

Mechanistic Studies Of Salt Effects On Bimolecular Electron-Transfer Reactions Of Pentaamine Ruthenium Pyridyl Complexes Studied By 19f Nmr Line-Broadening And T2 Spin-Echo Techniques, Nicholas J. Magarian

Master's Theses

Kinetic salt effects on the bimolecular ET self-exchange reaction between pentaamineruthenium(II)(3-trifluoromethylpyridine)²⁺, (NH₃)₅Ru^IItfmp²⁺, and pentaamineruthenium(III)(3-trifluoromethylpyridine)³⁺, (NH₃)₅Ru^IIItfmp³⁺, have been measured using both ¹⁹F NMR line-broadening and CPMG T₂ spin-echo relaxation techniques in H₂O and D₂O. Over the equimolar reactants concentration range of 0.10 mM – 8.00 mM there was a definite “self-salting” rate increase arising from the increased solution ionic strengths due to the reactants and counterions themselves. The magnitude of this effect diverged significantly, however, …

The Effect Of Cyclophilin A On Vaccinia Virus Replication In Vitro, Kathryn Korhonen

Master's Theses

The host protein cyclophilin A (CypA) has been shown to be necessary for viral replication of several viruses, including human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus. Previous research done in the Geary laboratory, in collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, reported that cyclophilin A remains highly associated with vaccinia virus virions even after successive rounds of purification. The goal of this research is to further investigate how cyclophilin A affects vaccinia virus replication in vitro using primary tissues harvested from CypA (-/-) knockout mice to determine the difference in viral growth kinetics. Results showed different viral growth kinetics in …

Mother-Child Interactions And Emotion Regulation In Preschool Children, Courtney R. Lincoln

Master's Theses

Emotion regulation is a complex and dynamic process that begins in infancy and continues through toddlerhood and childhood with the support of parents, teachers, and other caregivers. Early caregiver-child interactions shape the way children learn to manage their emotions and the range of emotions that they express. The current study seeks to examine how maternal perceptions of preschool children’s emotion regulation and emotion lability are associated with mother-child interactions during free play. 30 mother-child dyads were recruited from two New England urban areas: one community sample and one sample recruited from Head Start locations. Dyads engaged in a free play …

Managing And Protecting Quality Turfgrass Areas: Assessing The Impact Of Leaf Compost Topdressing On Organically Managed Athletic Fields And Evaluating The Effects Of Portable Roadway Systems On Turfgrass Performance And Soil Physical Properties, Brian Tencza

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Reduction Of Obesity-Associated Oxidative Stress By Low-Fat Yogurt Consumption, Diana M. Dimarco

Master's Theses

Excess macronutrient intake leads to an increase in formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This causes an imbalance between ROS generation and the ability of the body to neutralize these radicals, a state known as oxidative stress. Previous research suggests the ability of dairy products to attenuate the postprandial response, which may reduce ROS formation. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the impact of low-fat yogurt consumption on fasting and postprandial oxidative stress in obese women.

We hypothesized that co-consumption of low-fat yogurt and a high-calorie, high-fat meal would reduce postprandial elevations in oxidative stress in obese women. To test …

An Insight To Psychological Health, Health Behaviors, And Bodyweight Among Correctional Employees, Christina Mignano

Master's Theses

Background: Correctional employees present a poor physical and mental health profile including high rates of overweight/obesity, poor health behaviors (diet, exercise, and sleep quality), high stress levels, and poor psychological health (e.g. high rates of depression, suicide, and divorce). Worse, correctional employees deny their stress and negative emotions as their occupational culture discourages expressing negative characteristics that would make one appear weak and deters seeking psychiatric help. Correctional employees are in need of effective health promotion efforts that address determinants of employee health with an all-inclusive view (mental/emotional/behavioral). Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess if stress and/or …

Social Exclusion And Casual Sex Willingness: The Role Of Gender And Relationship Status, Stephanie D. Finneran

Master's Theses

Previous research has shown that social exclusion has very negative effects on individuals, even when the excluders are out-group members. In fact, certain forms of out-group exclusion, such as racial discrimination, can have more detrimental effects on one’s health and well-being than being excluded by members of one’s in-group. The current study used Cyberball—a computer ball-tossing game—to examine the effects of gender-based exclusion (i.e., same vs. opposite sex) on willingness to engage in casual sex. Results showed exclusion by same-gender (in-group) players led to higher casual-sex willingness than did opposite-gender (out-group) exclusion. However, the effect was moderated by participant gender …

Fluvial Terraces And Post-Glacial River Incision Along The Farmington And Housatonic Rivers In Southern New England, Amberlee Nicoulin

Master's Theses

River terraces are landforms that result from hydraulic responses associated with Quaternary climate and base-level changes, as well as tectonic and geomorphic processes. They can be used to interpret paleo–river levels along longitudinal profiles and assist in revealing the processes of river incision and knickpoint migration. This study uses fill and cut-fill river terraces as markers of river incision to address lithology controls on the transient response of watersheds to baselevel and climatic changes along the Farmington and Housatonic Rivers in Massachusetts and Connecticut.

This study utilized Geographic Information System (GIS) to extract longitudinal river profiles and compile datasets for …

The Short Term Impact Of A Mediterranean-Style Diet On Bone Markers In Post-Menopausal Women, Anna E. Garrett

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Iron Oxide-Organic Matter Coprecipitates And Controls On Copper Availability, Neila N. Seda

Master's Theses

Copper availability in wetland systems is controlled by strong interactions with organic matter (OM) and highly sorptive mineral precipitates, such as iron oxides. The purpose of this study is to examine copper sorption and availability by using bench scale experiments to mimic more complex geochemical systems involving iron oxide and OM. Copper, iron oxide and OM coprecipitates were prepared by varying the molar ratio of Fe:OM from 1:0 to 1:10 with a fixed Cu concentration of 1 mg/L Cu, background of 10 mM NaNO₃, and a pH range of 4 to 7. Precipitate mass and Cu sorption per …

The Effects Of Music & Robotic Interventions On The Affective States, Interpersonal Synchrony, And Praxis Skills Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Isabel Park

Master's Theses

Background: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) present with multiple comorbidities in addition to their primary impairments. These comorbidities include difficulties with affective states as well as motor problems such as poor interpersonal synchrony and poor praxis on imitation. In the present study, I examined the effects of two types of rhythmic interventions, music and robot, on the affective states and motor skills of children with ASDs as compared to the traditional standard of care intervention. Methods: Thirty-six children with ASDs between 5 and 12 years were randomly assigned to one of three groups: music, robot, or academic. All …

The Influence Of Workaholism On Work-Life Issues Through Boundary Management: Moderating Effects Of Telecommuting, Anna K. Young

Master's Theses

There are many personality and contextual variables that can contribute to negative home-domain functioning. The current study examined the effect of two specific variables, workaholism and telecommuting, on work-life issues. A moderated mediation model was tested, in which boundary flexibility mediated the relationship between workaholism and telecommuting and work-to-family conflict and family disengagement. Additionally, telecommuting was tested as a moderator of the indirect effect of workaholism on work-life issues through boundary flexibility willingness. I recruited 494 full-time, salaried, working adults through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Though there were many significant direct effects, the data only suggested partial support for the indirect …

G9a Is Required For Normal Cerebral Cortical Development, Saranya Santhosh Kumar

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Manipulation Of Larval And Winter Habitat Reveals Potential Effects Of Urbanization And Climate Change On Wood Frogs In Connecticut, Jason H. O'Connor

Master's Theses

Human activity can result in both local and global changes in the environment which in turn can affect other organisms and may result in population declines and loss of biodiversity. At the local scale, human activity often causes changes in habitat quality. For example, development and agriculture increase water turbidity which can influence wetland communities. At a global scale, carbon emissions are altering Earth’s climate, leading to increasing air temperatures. Using Wood Frogs, Lithobates sylvaticus, a wide-ranging, pond breeding amphibian, I sought to determine how sediment input affects larval amphibians and to assess how predicted loss of snow cover …

Trophic Cascade Effects Of Deer Overabundance On Connecticut's Native Vegetation And Small Mammal Populations, Megan A. Floyd

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.