Confined Mixing Of Multiple Transverse Jets, Allen J. Bishop

Master's Theses

The mixing performance of multiple transverse jets has been evaluated experimentally. Measurement techniques included laser Doppler velocimetry and planar laser induced fluorescence. Basic findings are consistent with results presented in literature for single jet mixing behavior. Mixing performance has been compared to literature for the single jet case and the Holdeman parameter has been re-evaluated for effectiveness at low jet numbers. A single jet in a confined crossflow was found to have a local minimum at B(d⁄D) = 0.721. Results for two jets indicate monotonically decreasing unmixedness for the range of conditions tested, with no local optimum apparent. Data for …

Vehicle-To-Grid (V2g) Bidirectional Power Converter Design And Integration For 2011 Chevrolet Volt – Extended Range Electric Vehicle (Erev) Drivetrain, Rithy-Newton Mao Chhean

Master's Theses

This thesis proposes of an integrated two-stage V2G bidirectional power converter for the 2011 Chevy Volt’s EREV drivetrain. The power converter consists of a four switch bidirectional buck-boost DC-DC converter, 2-legged HB bidirectional DC-AC converter, and LCL grid filter. Designs in literature have integrated DC-AC converter via traction inverter, but this design also integrates DC-DC converter via modified secondary traction inverter. The proposed structure allows battery charging and V2G functionality to be integrated into existing electronics of the 2011 Chevy Volt; only the following additional components are needed: GFI, a few passive components, diodes, and relays. The converter structure is …

Pullout Strength Of Epoxy Anchors Installed Underwater, Jeffrey Lee Blanchette

Master's Theses

This work presents the development of a test program and the results from the final round of testing to better understand the effect a submerged anchor installation has on the pullout strength of epoxy anchors. Two different epoxies were tested at embedment depths of two, four, and six bar diameters. These tests utilized three distinct installation procedures under dry and submerged conditions. The testing program occurred over five phases, with the final round used in analysis consisting of 24 anchor pullout tests. These tests showed that the presence of water did not have an effect on the epoxy bond when …

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 …

Circulator Shuttle Implementation Plan For The City Of Pittsburg, California, Justin Shiu

Master's Theses

This study examines how a shuttle system can meet transportation needs in Pittsburg. A circulator shuttle connecting major commercial nodes, public facilities, and residential locations, can increase travel options and improve accessibility to key locations. A review of best practices and transit planning standards provides a means to determine the cost of a shuttle service. The base costs of service are then applied to three alternatives for different shuttle route alignments: 1) a north-south route along Railroad Avenue only, 2) a north-south route along Railroad Avenue and an east-west route to Century Plaza, and 3) a north-south route along Railroad …

Development Of Simulation Platform For Oropharyngeal Airway Placement And Design Evaluation Of The Bardo Airway, Lewis On Hang Lee

Master's Theses

Off-label use of traditional Oropharyngeal Airway (OPA) as a bite-block, and the subsequential procedure of force exertion of the device by physician has caused many cases of patient’s teeth damage and monetary loss, as the patient’s incisors were damaged while clenching on the OPA during an adverse scenario called “Emergency Clenching”. To remedy this harmful situation, Bardo OPA was developed by Dr. Theodore Burdumy. The Bardo airway has unique design to transfer the clenching force from incisor to the molar. However, the Bardo OPA is one-sized, and cannot fit most of the patients like the commonly-used OPAs, such as the …

Calibration And Characterization Of Cubesat Magnetic Sensors Using A Helmholtz Cage, Justin Dean Foley

Master's Theses

Small satellites, and CubeSats in particular, have quickly become a hot topic in the aerospace industry. Attitude determination is currently one of the most intense areas of development for these miniaturized systems and future Cal Poly satellite missions will depend heavily on magnetometers. In order to utilize magnetometers as a viable source of attitude knowledge, precise calibration is required to ensure the greatest accuracy achievable. This paper outlines a procedure for calibrating and testing magnetometers on the next generation of Cal Poly CubeSates, utilizing a Helmholtz cage to simulate any desired orbital magnetic field that would be experienced by a …

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 …

Amaethon – A Web Application For Farm Management And An Assessment Of Its Utility, Tyler Yero

Master's Theses

Amaethon is a web application that is designed for enterprise farm management. It takes a job typically performed with spreadsheets, paper, or custom software and puts it on the web. Farm administration personnel may use it to schedule farm operations and manage their resources and equipment. A survey was con- ducted to assess Amaethon’s user interface design. Participants in the survey were two groups of students and a small group of agriculture professionals. Among other results, the survey indicated that a calendar interface inside Amaethon was preferred, and statistically no less effective, than a map interface. This is despite the …

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 …

Design And Simulation Of Passive Thermal Management System For Lithium-Ion Battery Packs On An Unmanned Ground Vehicle, Kevin Kenneth Parsons

Master's Theses

The transient thermal response of a 15-cell, 48 volt, lithium-ion battery pack for an unmanned ground vehicle was simulated with ANSYS Fluent. Heat generation rates and specific heat capacity of a single cell were experimentally measured and used as input to the thermal model. A heat generation load was applied to each battery and natural convection film boundary conditions were applied to the exterior of the enclosure. The buoyancy-driven natural convection inside the enclosure was modeled along with the radiation heat transfer between internal components. The maximum temperature of the batteries reached 65.6 °C after 630 seconds of usage …

An Exploration Into The Perceived Effects Of International Volunteering And Service On Host Communities In The Global South, Katelyn Kerrigan

Master's Theses

Presently, we are witnessing an unprecedented expansion of Western youth participating in short-term (1 to 2 week) international volunteering and service (IVS) programs in developing countries located predominantly in the Global South (Lough, 2012; Sherraden et al., 2008). Current academic literature around the impacts IVS has on receiving host communities in developing countries is highly controversial. This study utilizes ethnographic research, involving a combination of participant -observation and semi-structured interviews, to gain the perspectives of the Fijian Highland villagers from the IVS host community, on the positive and negative effects of hosting American (aged 14-18) participating in short-term (one-week) international …

Spatial And Temporal Variability Of Particulate And Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter Absorption In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Ashley Ann Lojek

Master's Theses

Coastal regions influenced by large freshwater inputs exhibit large variability in absorption and associated optical properties. Therefore, understanding coastal ecosystem processes requires intensive, ongoing sampling. Analysis of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River plumes took place on board the RIV Pelican on two separate cruises. MagMix-1 occurred from May 1 to May 8, 2008 and corresponded to the highest discharge periods for both rivers for 2008; MagMix-11 took place October 31 to November 6, 2008 and corresponded to the lowest discharge periods for both rivers for 2008. Samples were collected along four transects in the northern Gulf of Mexico and were …

The Effects Of Check-In/Check-Out And Check-In/Check-Out In Combination With Social Skills Training For Students Who Exhibit Disruptive Classroom Behavior, Aimee Maldonado

Master's Theses

The purpose was to investigate the additive effects of Social Skills Training (SST) to Check-in/Check-out (CICO) on academic engagement of students. Participants were 3 elementary students who exhibited disruptive behavior who were nominated by teachers. The two dependent variables were the level of Appropriately Engaged Behavior (AEB) of the student as well as the student's behavior ratings indicated by teacher responses on the Daily Behavior Report Card (DBRC) with and without SST. A noncurrent multiple baseline across students design was used to examine both dependent variables. Goldstein and McGinnis' program, Skillstreaming the Elementary School Child, was used during SST. The …

Profession Of Faith: Congressional Websites And Religious Expression In The 112th Congress, Molly Jaye Mcguffee

Master's Theses

The idea of culture wars in politics suggests that American voters have polarized according to their positions on moral issues, and a religious gap in the electorate also contends that voters are polarized on these issues according to their religious beliefs and practices. Research shows that members of Congress send cues about their faith to their constituents, who in turn use the information to assess their representatives and determine their members' position on these moral issues. To determine how these cues are delivered and who delivers the information, I combed 100 Senators' and 435 Representatives' from the 1121 h Congress …

Improved Numerical Quadrature Over General Two-Dimensional Domains Utilizing Curvature Based Domain Decomposition, Eva Lynn Comino

Master's Theses

Herein we improve upon QUAD2D, an algorithm for numerical quadrature on a general two-dimensional domain presented by James Lambers. QUAD2D eliminates the error of approximation inherent in general polygonal methods due to the variance between an estimated polygon boundary and the domain boundary. The QUAD2D method achieves quadrature accurate to within machine precision for sufficiently smooth integrands, but has two weaknesses which are addressed in our proposed curvature based algorithm. The first weakness is that the boundary node location method utilizes a one-dimensional change of variable, causing it to be dependent on domain orientation. The second is that the domain …

Life History Of The Southern Kingfish, Menticirrhus Americanus, From The North-Central Gulf Of Mexico, Samuel Dee Clardy

Master's Theses

Southern kingfish, Menticirrhus americanus, is a common sciaenid along the north-central Gulf of Mexico (GOM), but annual harvest has declined over the last decade. Little is known about the life history of southern kingfish in the north-central GOM, and thus the objectives of this study are to establish the spawning season, spawning frequency, fecundity, sex ratio, female size at 50% maturity, age, and standard morphometrics. Specimens were collected using hook and line in several locations within the Mississippi Sound. A total of 519 southern kingfish (434 females, 85 males) were captured from April 2008 through May 2009 by hook …

Marginalization Of Mothers In The Market: A Comparative Study Of The Limits And Opportunities For Public Policy, Jennifer Mary Crosslin

Master's Theses

Despite significant gains of women living in advanced democracies over the last several decades, sex inequality in the market still exists. Women still earn less, work less, and are less likely to be found in top leadership positions in the market, especially mothers, but disparity between men and women in terms of these outcomes varies among many countries. This study explores the relationship between government policies and the market outcomes of women in the United States and other European nations to determine if the different policies explain the variances, and consequently the necessity of state intervention for achieving gender equality. …

Carbon And Nitrogen Dynamics In High Intensity Minimal Exchange Shrimp (Litopenaeus Vannamei) Raceways, John Henry Francis

Master's Theses

Three separate shrimp (litopenaeus vannamei) growouts were examined at The University of Southern Mississippi's Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center. The objectives of this project were to (1) determine if there was a significant difference in any water quality parameters between the 2 density treatments, (2) construct carbon and nitrogen budgets to see where the carbon and nitrogen went in the system for all growouts, (3) determine if plastic media had any effects on water quality parameters and shrimp production, (4) determine if plastic media allowed for a nitrifying bacteria population to establish more rapidly, (5) determine if the …

A Place Like Home, Tabitha Denae Epperson

Master's Theses

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina changed many things. This storm destroyed buildings, businesses, places of worship, and homes. People lost their lives, possessions, way of life, and for those that survived, their lives now were measured in two eras - pre and post Katrina. Because this natural disaster turned their lives upside down, both in large and small ways, their lives would never be the same. This thesis . documents stories of those that for various reasons chose to stay on the Mississippi Gulf Coast after Katrina. Twenty-five interviews of residents of Pass Christian explore what exactly is a …

Identifying And Characterizing Non-Coding Rnas In The Dinoflagellate Karenia Brevis, Helen Namataka

Master's Theses

When algal cells proliferate and accumulate in marine and fresh water systems, they form algal blo'oms. The majority of these blooms are beneficial, but a significant number are detrimental and are known as harmful algal blooms (HABs). A number of negative effects, including closing of recreational beaches and economic loss, are observed during HABs. Predictably, the longer a bloom persists, the greater its effects on human, environmental and economic health. Karenia brevis, a mixotrophic dinoflagellate, forms HABs, and blooms caused by this organism have been known to remain several months after formation. For these reasons, research has been conducted to …

Fungal Biofilm Colonization And Succession On Artificial Reefs In The North-Central Gulf Of Mexico, Amy Leigh Salamone

Master's Theses

This study represents the first characterization of natural mixed-species fungal biofilm communities on artificial reefs in the marine environment. Previous fungal biofilm studies have failed to observe the naturally-occurring biodiversity in coastal areas, which comprise the most utilized zone of the marine environment. Artificial reefs can increase fishing yields, amplify oyster habitats, contribute to shoreline stabilization, promote good water quality, and deter pollution. Proper management practices of artificial reefs require knowledge of the colonization of these new habitats by marine organisms and their subsequent succession. Fungi, along with bacteria, archaea, protists, algae, and diatoms, quickly form a complex biofilm on …

Perceptions And Realities Of The Irish Republican Army During The Second World War, L.B. Wilson Iii

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates the British and German perception of the IRA and claims that the organization represented an insurmountable obstacle to the progress of both German intelligence and British counter-intelligence. The IRA was also the primary contributor to the political troubles oflrish neutrality during World War II. It examines the perceived threat of the IRA in the minds of the Irish Prime Minister Eamon de Valera and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and those ministers' respective governments. The thesis looks at official debates in the British Parliament and the Irish Dail as well as interwar newspapers and official records. Additionally, …

Imagining Integration, Bethany Keisner

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

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.

Negative Event Appraisals, Cognitive Processing, And Adjustment, Kristen E. Riley

Master's Theses

Appraisals of stressful events are linked to their adjustment to those stressful events. Appraisals can include perceptions of an event as threatening, uncontrollable, controllable, central, or challenging (Peacock & Wong, 1990). Many studies have examined effects of these appraisals on adjustment and cognitive processing (Aldwin, 2007; Lazarus, 1993; Tan, Jensen, Thornby, & Anderson, 2005), and a few have suggested that cognitive processing mediates relationships between appraisals and adjustment (Peacock & Wong, 1996). We tested cognitive processing in mediation models between appraisals and adjustment, and compared to active coping, in the context of ongoing stressors. Active coping appears to be particularly …