Digital Commons Network^™

Are Maximum Ground Forces And Leg Compression In Phase? A Test Of The Classical Spring Mass Model Of Running Gaits, Seth Donahue

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The mechanical understanding of human running has classically been described as a spring-mass system, with subsequent models predicting the movements of the body’s center of mass and the forces applied by the leg against the ground. A central requirement of any spring system is the phasic relationship between the length of the elastic elements and the forces applied to these structures. Specifically, elastic elements compress under load and extend as the load is released. We tested whether this model applies to individuals with specialization for extreme performance in human gait. Recent work from elite level sprint runners suggest that their …

Cationic Latex Nanoparticles In Electrokinetic Chromatography: Synthesis, Characterization, And Application To The Separation Of Explosives, Julie Rebecca Mcgettrick

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Electrokinetic chromatography (EKC) is a powerful analytical technique that uses the instrumentation of capillary electrophoresis (CE) and the principles of chromatography to separate ionic and neutral analytes. A capillary is filled with background electrolyte (BGE), and when a voltage is applied ionic species migrate to the electrodes. Neutral compounds have no mobility, so a pseudo-stationary phase (PSP) is added to the BGE that consists of an ionic group to provide mobility and a hydrophobic group to interact with analytes. Analytes interact with the PSP which changes their apparent mobilities, leading to a separation. It is possible to coat the negatively …

Subjective Experience Of Empathy In Schizotypy Elicited By Literary Fictional Narrative, Christa "Anahata" Neuman

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The elaborate and multidimensional systems that are involved in the personal and subjective experience of empathy are largely unexplored. Nevertheless, when empathy is measured as a static trait there is considerable evidence that individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and schizotypy demonstrate altered and reduced empathic abilities respectively (Thirioux, 2014). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect that the context of reading literary fiction has on a portion of the process of empathic responding in relation to schizotypal traits, taking into consideration personal factors including current mood. A new measure for the use of momentary assessment of empathy was …

Violence, Catastrophe, And Agency In Nepal: A Deeper Understanding Of The 2015 Earthquakes And Border Blockade, Kassandra D. Viers

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In 2015, Nepal was struck by two catastrophes. First, on April 25, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, followed by hundreds of aftershocks, struck in Gorkha. Then, in September, a blockade was formed that prevented goods from passing through trade checkpoints between India and Nepal. Both of these events highlight social suffering, a form of suffering that refers to the systems of oppression, unequal distribution of resources, and broad social structures that serve to keep certain people impoverished and subjugate. The earthquake caused the most damage to vulnerable people, people already suffering the effects of structural violence. The blockade was created by …

Enhancing Conservation With High Resolution Productivity Datasets For The Conterminous United States, Nathaniel Paul Robinson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Human driven alteration of the earth’s terrestrial surface is accelerating through land use changes, intensification of human activity, climate change, and other anthropogenic pressures. These changes occur at broad spatio-temporal scales, challenging our ability to effectively monitor and assess the impacts and subsequent conservation strategies. While satellite remote sensing (SRS) products enable monitoring of the earth’s terrestrial surface continuously across space and time, the practical applications for conservation and management of these products are limited. Often the processes driving ecological change occur at fine spatial resolutions and are undetectable given the resolution of available datasets. Additionally, the links between SRS …

Potentially Dangerous Enemy Aliens: Experiences At Fort Missoula And Transformative Immigration Policy In The United States, Daniel Smith

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In this paper, I attempt to comprehend the experiences of Italian and Japanese internees who were detained at Fort Missoula’s Alien Detention Center during World War II. Furthermore, I draw upon historical patterns of United States’ immigration policies that greatly affected perspectives and social values between various ethnic groups. Simultaneously, national immigration policies shifted across space and time reflecting ethnocentric ideals and discriminatory campaigns that altered past cultural, political, and economic landscapes. The events that produced the internment of Italian and Japanese men at Fort Missoula varied greatly and are critical to examine through historical records. Such records pertain to …

Separation Of Powers Metatheory, Aziz Huq

Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers

Scholarship and jurisprudence concerning the Constitution’s separation of powers today is characterized by sharp disagreement about general theory and specific outcomes. The leading theories diverge on how to model the motives of institutional actors; on how to weigh text, history, doctrine, and norms; and on whether to characterize the separation-of-powers system as abiding in a stable equilibrium or as enthralled in convulsively transformative paroxysms. Congress’s Constitution—a major contribution to theorizing on the separation of powers—provides a platform to step back and isolate these important, if not always candidly recognized, disputes about the empirical and normative predicates of separation-of-powers theory—predicates that …

Intelligent Design, Christopher Buccafusco, Mark A. Lemley, Jonathan S. Masur

Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers

When designers obtain exclusive intellectual property (IP) rights in the functional aspects of their creations, they can wield these rights to increase both the costs to their competitors and the prices that consumers must pay for their goods. IP rights and the costs they entail are justified when they create incentives for designers to invest in new, socially valuable designs. But the law must be wary of allowing rights to be misused. Accordingly, IP law has employed a series of doctrinal and costly screens to channel designs into the appropriate regime— copyright law, design patent law, or utility patent law—depending …

Gradient-Based Optimization Of Wind Farms With Different Turbine Heights, Andrew P.J. Stanley, Jared Thomas, Andrew Ning, Jennifer Annoni, Katherine Dykes, Paul Fleming

Faculty Publications

Turbine wakes reduce power production in a wind farm. Current wind farms are gen- erally built with turbines that are all the same height, but if wind farms included turbines with different tower heights, the cost of energy (COE) may be reduced. We used gradient-based optimization to demonstrate a method to optimize wind farms with varied hub heights. Our study includes a modified version of the FLORIS wake model that accommodates three-dimensional wakes integrated with a tower structural model. Our purpose was to design a process to minimize the COE of a wind farm through layout optimization and varying turbine …

Optimal Combined Long-Term Facility Design And Short-Term Operational Strategy For Chp Capacity Investments, Jose Mojica, Damon Petersen, Brigham Hansen, Kody Powell, John Hedengren

Faculty Publications

This work presents a detailed case study for the optimization of the expansion of a district energy system evaluating the investment decision timing, type of capacity expansion, and fine-scale operational modes. The study develops an optimization framework to find the investment schedule over 30 years with options of investing in traditional heating sources (boilers) or a next-generation combined heat and power (CHP) plant that provides heat and electricity. In district energy systems, the selected capacity and type of system is dependent on demand-side requirements, energy prices, and environmental costs. This work formulates capacity planning over a time horizon as a …

The Autocrine Role Of Proteoglycan-4 (Prg4) In Modulating Osteoarthritic Synoviocyte Proliferation And Expression Of Matrix Degrading Enzymes, Ali Alquraini, Maha Jamal, Ling Zhang, Tannin Schmidt, Gregory D. Jay, Khaled A. Elsaid

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Lubricin/proteoglycan 4 (PRG4) is a mucinous glycoprotein secreted by synovial fibroblasts and superficial zone chondrocytes. Recently, we showed that recombinant human PRG4 (rhPRG4) is a putative ligand for CD44 receptor. rhPRG4-CD44 interaction inhibits cytokine-induced rheumatoid arthritis synoviocyte proliferation. The objective of this study is to decipher the autocrine function of PRG4 in regulating osteoarthritic synoviocyte proliferation and expression of catabolic and pro-inflammatory mediators under basal and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β)- stimulated conditions.

Methods: Cytosolic and nuclear levels of nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) p50 and p65 subunits in Prg4+/+ and Prg4-/- synoviocytes were studied using western blot. Nuclear …

A Conceptual Framework On Self-Employment In Later Life: Toward A Research Agenda, Cal J. Halvorsen, Nancy Morrow-Howell

Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging

Older adults consistently have a higher rate of self-employment than their younger counterparts, and the rates of self-employment among workers continue to rise as age increases from the “young old” to the “old old.” However, we know relatively little about why older adults decide to pursue self-employment in later life, the self-employment experience itself, and the individual and societal outcomes of this growing type of work. Additionally, we know very little about how age itself is a factor in the decision to pursue this type of work in later life, how age impacts the type of self-employment pursued and its …

Thematic Patterns In International Blended Learning Literature, Research, Practices, And Terminology, Kristian J. Spring, Charles R. Graham

Faculty Publications

The goal of this research was to discover and compare themes of the top blended learning (BL) articles from seven different regions of the world. Top cited articles in BL from these regions show strong similarities in research processes, practice, terminology, and focus. Small differences are apparent among the regions and top articles in general, but similar patterns demonstrate that themes might promote collaboration and exchange between regions and that the most cited articles from around the world could fit well within the topical, research, and publication practices of the field. Our results suggest that although different regions must have …

Unm Strategic Plan 2017 Refresh, Office Of The President

UNM HLC 2018-19 Assurance Argument Evidence

This document represents the university's reflection on the strategic goals of UNM2020 in the 2017 academic year. In its general overview of the progress the university has made in the seven goals of its long term strategic plan, it mentions among other initiatives recent capital investments such as the Smith Plaza Renovation (5).

The Value Of A Master’S Degree To Recreation Professionals, Camilla J. Hodge, Brian J. Hill, Christian Brinton

Faculty Publications

This study assessed the nature of the relationship between earning advanced degrees and career outcomes such as salary, job satisfaction, social capital, and human capital among professionals in the parks and recreation field. The sample (n = 196) was drawn from parks and recreation agencies located in the United States. Agencies, excluding educational institutions, were identified via an Internet search for parks and recreation agencies in urban areas. Findings indicated there was a positive relationship between earning a master’s degree and salary. Earning a master’s degree, however, was not significantly related to job satisfaction, social capital, or human capital. Furthermore, …

Interpreting A Private Ancestral Pueblo Artifact Collection From Montezuma County, Colorado: A Case Study In Identifying Collector Bias And Cultural Heritage Value, Ryan C. Dudgeon

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Through a case study, this research examines the ethical issues and potential value of private artifact collections that are made available to professional archaeologists. The context of this study is the Mesa Verde Region in the Four Corners of the United States. Specifically, it considers the Ancestral Pueblo archaeology of Montezuma (MT) County, the core area of the Mesa Verde Region, generally considered the most archaeologically dense region in the U.S. These archaeological resources benefit the local and global community by promoting research, education, tourism and cultural heritage. For example, Mesa Verde National Park draws hundreds of thousands of tourists …

Real-Time Internal Temperature Estimation And Health Monitoring For Igbt Modules, Ze Wang

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Field experiences have demonstrated that power semiconductor devices, such as insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), are among the most fragile components of power electronic converters. Thermomechanical stresses produced by temperature variations during operational and environmental loads are the major causes of IGBT degradation. As the devices are often operated under complex working conditions, temperature variations and the associated damage are difficult to predict during the converter design stage. A promising approach—online health monitoring and prognosis for power semiconductor devices—that can avoid device failure and effectively schedule maintenance has attracted much interest.

This dissertation research focused on real-time accurate internal temperature estimation …

The Discrete Spring Transform: An Innovative Steganographic Attack, Aaron T. Sharp

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Digital Steganography continues to evolve today, where steganographers are constantly discovering new methodologies to hide information effectively. Despite this, steganographic attacks, which seek to defeat these techniques, have continually lagged behind. The reason for this is simple: it is exceptionally difficult to defeat the unknown. Most attacks require prior knowledge or study of existing techniques in order to defeat them, and are often highly specific to certain cover media. These constraints are impractical and unrealistic to defeat steganography in modern communication networks. It follows, an effective steganographic attack must not require prior knowledge or study of techniques, and must be …

Racial Identity, Phenotype, And Self-Esteem Among Biracial Polynesian/White Individuals, Kawika Allen, Patton O. Garriott, Carla J. Reyes, Catherine Hsieh

Faculty Publications

This study examined racial identity, self-esteem, and phenotype among biracial Polynesian/White adults. Eighty-four Polynesian/White persons completed the Biracial Identity Attitude Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Inventory, and a Polynesian phenotype scale. Profile analyses showed participants identified more with their Polynesian parent. A mediation analysis revealed that phenotype did not mediate the relationship between biracial identity and self-esteem.

Modeling Effects Of Annealing On Coal Char Reactivity To O2 And Co2, Based On Preparation Conditions, Troy Michael Holland, Sham Bhat, Peter Marcy, James Gattiker, Joel D. Kress, Thomas H. Fletcher

Faculty Publications

Oxy-fired coal combustion is a promising potential carbon capture technology. Predictive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are valuable tools in evaluating and deploying oxyfuel and other carbon capture technologies, either as retrofit technologies or for new construction. However, accurate predictive combustor simulations require physically realistic submodels with low computational requirements. A recent sensitivity analysis of a detailed char conversion model (Char Conversion Kinetics (CCK)) found thermal annealing to be an extremely sensitive submodel. In the present work, further analysis of the previous annealing model revealed significant disagreement with numerous datasets from experiments performed after that annealing model was developed. The …

Semi-Empirical Model For Fire Spread In Shrubs With Spatially-Defined Fuel Elements And Flames, Dallan Prince, Chen Shen, Thomas H. Fletcher

Faculty Publications

A semi-empirical model was developed which forms shrub geometries from distinct fuel elements (e.g. leaves) and describes flame spread from element to element. Ignition, flame growth and flame decay patterns were based on combustion data of single leaves. Extension of the model to various heating conditions was achieved by scaling the flame growth parameters using physics-based heat transfer models. The resulting model offers a novel approach to examine fire spread and to explicitly describe both distinct fuel elements and fire behavior. This approach balances computational speed and modeling detail while providing a unique perspective into fire spread phenomena. Comparisons of …

Modeling Soot Oxidation And Gasification With Bayesian Statistics, Alexander Jon Josephson, Neal D. Gaffin, Sean T. Smith, Thomas H. Fletcher, David Lignell

Faculty Publications

This paper presents a statistical method for model calibration using data collected from literature. The method is used to calibrate parameters for global models of soot consumption in combustion systems. This consumption is broken into two different submodels: first for oxidation where soot particles are attacked by certain oxidizing agents; second for gasification where soot particles are attacked by H2O or CO2 molecules. Rate data were collected from 19 studies in the literature and evaluated using Bayesian statistics to calibrate the model parameters. Bayesian statistics are valued in their ability to quantify uncertainty in modeling. The calibrated consumption model with …

Multicultural Literature: Changes In Perceptions And Attitudes In Fourth Graders, Luis A. Pelayo Zepeda

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In 1954, the Supreme Court voted to end segregation in American public schools. However, this landmark decision did not end racism, discrimination, and inequality. Students of color continue to be invisible across the curriculum. This study is a qualitative teacher action research. The purpose of the study was to assess school personnel perceptions and attitudes toward multicultural education in a rural northern California district, and how the implementation of multicultural literature changes perceptions and attitudes in fourth grade students. The setting for the study took place in Steelhead Elementary, located in a rural section of Northern California. Participants included K-8 …

Study Potential Of Indigenous Pseudomonas Aeruginosa And Bacillus Subtilis In Bioremediation Of Diesel-Contaminated Water, Mohammad-Saeed Safdari, Hamid-Reza Kariminia, Zahra Ghobadi Nejad, Thomas H. Fletcher

Faculty Publications

Petroleum products which are used in a wide variety of industries as energy sources and raw materials have become a major concern in pollution of terrestrial and marine environments. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential of indigenous microbial isolates for degradation of diesel fuel. Two most proficient bacterial strains among five isolated strains from polluted soil of an industrial refinery were studied. The isolates then were identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis using biochemical tests and 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses. P. aeruginosa showed higher biodegradation efficiency than B. subtilis in shaking flask containing diesel-contaminated …

Technical And Economic Potential Of Microgrids In California, Pramod Singh

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Microgrids are being investigated across the U.S. as a solution to support greater reliability, resiliency, and security of electricity supply. This thesis evaluates the potential of developing technically feasible and economically viable microgrids for selected customer categories in California.

Customer categories selected for this study are deemed suitable for microgrid applications by previous studies. For a customer to be technically suitable for microgrid adoption, this study defined a minimum energy requirement threshold. In order to determine the economically viable potential, a benefit-cost analysis was done to assess microgrid benefits compared to the base case of exclusive reliance on grid electricity. …

Habitat Use And Movement Patterns Of Two Redwood Forest Salamanders, Aneides Vagrans And Ensatina Eschscholtzii, With An Examination Of The Efficacy Of Pit Tags For Marking Small Plethodontids, Christian Brown

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The habitat use and movements of small, secretive salamanders are generally poorly understood, in part due to the difficulty associated with marking and recapturing such animals. This study was designed to test the efficacy, both in the laboratory and in the field, of using passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags to mark and track two small-bodied plethodontid salamander species native to coastal northwestern California, Aneides vagrans, the Wandering Salamander, and Ensatina eschscholtzii, the Ensatina Salamander.

Aneides vagrans inhabits tree crowns. Using cover objects and visual encounter surveys, I searched for A. vagrans in the angiosperm understory canopy at least twice …

The Effects Of Bicycling Exercise On The Metabolic Cost Of Walking In Older Adults, Daniel Hugo Aslan

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Impaired walking performance is a key determinant of morbidity among older adults. A distinctive characteristic of impaired walking performance among older adults is a greater metabolic cost compared to young adults. Specifically, healthy older adults have been shown to have a 15-20% greater metabolic cost of walking compared to young adults. However, a recent study suggests that older adults who routinely run for exercise have a lower metabolic cost of walking compared to older adults who walk for exercise. Yet, it remains unclear if other aerobic exercises such as bicycling elicits similar improvements on walking metabolic cost among older adults. …

An Investigation Of The Hydraulics In A Prototype Pool-And-Chute, Vortex Weir Fishway For Anadromous Fish Passage., Brendan Foster

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This thesis presents the hydraulic characteristics and simulated passage efficiency of a hybrid pool-and-chute, vortex weir fishway designed by Michael Love & Associates. A physical 1:15 scale model was constructed and evaluated at an 8% slope over three prototype flow rates representing high and medium fish passage flows. The highest velocities and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) values were concentrated along the fishway centerline at the high and medium flow rate and the pool sides showed lower velocities and TKE. Large eddies spin laterally and longitudinally throughout each pool. The velocity vector directions at the lowest flow rate measured differed from …

Economic Analysis For Residential Solar Pv Systems With Battery Storage In Pg&E Territory, Jayati Thakor

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Electricity storage can be used as a tool to help with a variety of issues related to electric grid management. Declining costs and state incentives could allow fast penetration of battery storage. Distributed PV systems are now widely used, and battery storage has potential to address issues related to generation intermittency. This thesis assesses the financial potential of PV systems with behind-the-meter battery storage in two communities in Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) territory. An analysis is performed to calculate annual savings for four cases. The batteries are used to avoid peak period charges under a time-of-use (TOU) rate plan. …

Retrospective Analysis Of Contact Sport Participation On Cognitive Function In Healthy Athletes, Lisa C. Martinez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This study explored the effects of contact and limited contact sport participation on neurocognitive function in non-concussed collegiate and adolescent athletes over time. Athletes participating in contact and limited contact sports have an increased risk of sustaining neurocognitive injuries, known as subconcussive blows, compared to non-contact sport athletes. We hypothesized that athletes participating in contact and limited contact sports, would exhibit a deficit in neurocognitive function following multiple seasons of play when compared to athletes participating in non-contact sports. Using a mixed repeated measures MANOVA statistical design, we analyzed computerized neurocognitive baseline ImPACT composite scores (verbal memory, visual memory, visual …