Browsing by Subject "University Honors Program"

Now showing 1 - 14 of 14

Analysis of a Treadmill Based Human Power Electricity Generator
(2012-08-27) Mankodi, Harsh;
The modern challenge faced with the global energy situation is the growing energy demand and the strong dependence on unsustainable fossil fuels. Another concurrent issue is the adverse health and socio-economic implications of adult obesity. Human Power Generation, which uses metabolized human energy to generate electrical power, could potentially address both these challenges. The treadmill, one of the most popular exercise machines, presently consumes large amounts of energy while dissipating a majority as heat. The purpose of this thesis project was to design and develop a human powered treadmill generator and determine its power generation potential. The developed treadmill was based on a manual flatbed treadmill using an electromagnetic dynamo generator coupled to a front axle flywheel. A heavy duty rechargeable battery pack was used to store the generated energy and additional components to measure the generated power were included. The power generating potential of the generator was determined for varying belt speeds and angles of inclination, and compared with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) metabolic walking and running prediction equations to determine efficiency. The generator was able to deliver 140W peak power for a short period of time. Regression equations related the power generated to the belt speed, covering values ranging from an average 10.8±0.36W at 1.83±0.045m/s to 90.3±3.04W at 2.38±0.054m/s. The angle of inclination did not have a significant impact on energy generation. The max average efficiency obtained for the system in this study was 37.9±2.63%, assuming 25% gait efficiency. Possible applications for this concept include energy saving equipment in a gym, low-cost, simple to operate, and low maintenance solutions for developing nations, and as a tool to educate energy conservation. Also, the need for exercise in space with low gravity makes the treadmill generator a possible source for secondary power in future extraterrestrial environments.
Behavioral Finance: A Study of Gender Affects on Investing Decisions
(2012-08-27) Fish, Jenna;
There is a current debate in the literature as to whether females are more risk averse than males. The studies finding females to be more risk averse studied male and female behavior in the realm of retirement fund selection, while research finding that females exhibit similar levels of risk as males were studies comparing male and female mutual fund managers. In addition to these distinctly different contexts, much of the research that found females to exhibit similar risks as males were completed more recently. To further research the relationship between risk aversion and gender I am investigating what factors affect a person’s risk aversion and whether or not risk aversion is related to gender. My research comes from a study of college-aged students (ages18-22) participating in a classroom investing assignment where students were divided into groups randomly based on gender and given a hypothetical $500,000 to invest in the market with a goal of earning the highest returns. I find that females are shown to be more risk averse. Even when controlling for financial knowledge and experience, females were more risk averse.
Computational Modeling of Deep Brain Stimulation in the Globus Pallidus Internus
(2012-08-27) Malaga, Karlo;
Neuromodulation is the functional modification of neural structures through the use of electrical stimulation1. Clinical applications include deep brain stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of neurological movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor. The general procedure involves placing small electrodes in regions of the brain exhibiting pathological activity and then stimulating those regions with continuous pulses of electricity. Treatment outcome is strongly dependent on the precise placement of the electrodes and subsequent adjustment of the stimulation settings to fine-tune the therapy. DBS is now being used for treating dystonic movement disorders, where sustained muscle contractions cause twisting and repetitive movements and/or abnormal postures. One target of DBS for dystonia is the posteroventral globus pallidus internus (GPi). Stimulation of the GPi has yielded promising results for people with dystonia; however, specific stimulation settings providing maximum GPi activation and having minimal side-effects have yet to be determined. Here we use computational models to show how altering parameters such as electrode configuration, DBS lead placement and orientation, and stimulation voltage affects GPi modulation and activation of the cortical spinal tract (CST), the side-effect pathway. In one model, the electrode configuration of the lead was varied. Another model had the DBS lead translated 1 mm medial, lateral, anterior, and posterior from its original position to make predictions of possible motor side-effects in a non-human primate animal model. Such models can provide a framework for neurosurgeons and neurologists to improve current steering techniques that will optimize treatment outcome.
Cross-Cultural Differences in Financial Risk Preference between Chinese and American College Students
(2012-08-27) Zhang, Tianshi;
Generally, people can easily get an impression that Chinese people are very conservative in making monetary decisions. Empirical evidence shows that China’s saving rate is one of the highest in the world. However, are Chinese people really more risk-averse than Americans? Contradicted to the traditional stereotype, the Cushion Hypothesis suggests that people in collectivist culture, such as China, are likely to be more risk-seeking in making financial decisions. Because the closer social networks in such society serve as the “cushions” if they fall. The goal of this thesis is to investigate whether there are cross-cultural differences in financial risk preference between Chinese and American college students. If so, what role does culture play in influencing people’s risk preference? By using basic statistical tools, this study found that Chinese students were significantly more collectivistic and risk-seeking than American students and there was a positive relationship between collectivism and risk-seeking preference.
The Current Limitations of Archaeomagnetic Testing Pertaining to the Authentication of Displaced and Unprovenanced Ceramics: An Examination for Archaeologists
(2012-08-27) Kaping, Daniel;
The current state of archaeomagnetic testing, as applied to orphaned ceramic materials, has been assessed in this dissertation. More specifically, the combination of archaeointensity measurement and magnetic susceptibility testing has been examined as a prospective authentication method. Intended to elevate awareness and comprehension for archaeologists and museum professionals unfamiliar with archaeomagnetic testing, this study has been created in the hope that expanding accessibility will also expand the scope of its application. Interdisciplinary cooperation and research, fostered through increased access to excavation materials and data, will be integral to improving testing methods. In order to demonstrate the immense effort required to improve the ease and reliability of testing methods and the integrity of data models, the difficulties restricting the use of archaeomagnetic testing as a means of authentication have also been discussed in extent.
Distinguishing Pyramid Schemes and Multilevel Marketing
(2012-08-27) Beasley, Jennifer;
The number of multilevel marketing organizations has been increasing, and the number of people involved is increasing exponentially. As more people become a part of the multilevel marketing business model, the negative impacts of some multilevel marketing organization practices on people’s lives is growing due to the high potential for moral hazard amongst multilevel marketing organization leadership. It is my contention that new legislation to protect people involved in this type of organization is critical to dramatically reduce the potential for moral hazard. This paper contends that the practices of some multilevel marketing organizations currently can be comparative to pyramid schemes, which is known to have high moral hazard. But the franchise model, which originally had the potential for similar moral hazard, has been greatly reduced through prudent legislation. The ability of this model to minimize the potential for moral hazard maximizes fairness for all parties involved. Therefore, the franchise model guidelines will be examined to provide for a new model for dramatically reducing the potential moral hazard issues posed currently by multilevel marketing organizations.
Icon Under Fire: The Giant Canada Geese of Rochester, Minnesota
(2012-03-06) Eckberg, Daniel
For over 30 years the giant Canada goose was thought to be extinct, but in 1962 the species was rediscovered in Rochester, Minnesota. Ever since, the city has held a special bond with the species and specifically its local flock. As the goose population has grown, it has become, in some eyes, an intolerable nuisance and a public health threat. In response to complaints, local officials have taken steps to limit human contact and stymie the flock’s growth, polarizing people supporting and opposing the measures and leaving the city at a crossroads. By analyzing the diverse actions and outcomes of communities across North America that have faced similar issues with Canada geese and acknowledging the unique cultural and economic ties between Rochester and its geese, a course of action is developed and recommended. Such a plan would balance the well being and contentment of the city’s residents with the local connections to the flock, and thus necessarily retain at least some of the geese, while improving their management.
Investment Bubble: Exploration of the Clean Technology Industry
(2012-08-27) Yang, Zehuan;
The clean technology industry (including recycling, renewable energy, information technology, green transportation, electric motors, green chemistry, lighting, etc) has been one of the fastest growing sectors, and billions of dollars have been poured into the industry from investors and governments worldwide. Having been through two boom-bust cycles in the 21st century alone, many investors are worried whether the industry is worth the investment. The concern mainly comes from overheated investment into the industry and investors’ overly high expectations. This study will compare the clean technology industry with the dot-com industry in 2000, and perform an industry valuation analysis and then compare the result with the current investment level. By building a discounted cash flow model of selected companies in the solar photovoltaic (PV) sector, the equity value is calculated and compared with the current market cap of the company set. In addition, this thesis will see what assumptions have to be met for the current investment level, and whether those assumptions are realizable.
Lemonaid
(2012-08-27) Etzkorn, Cory;
Lemonaid is a simple web application that helps students collaborate on projects of their choosing. Students can start a business, nonprofit, band, or club and handpick the perfect team members. This thesis contains the following deliverables: } The design of the Lemonaid identity and visual elements } The design of collateral and supporting brand extensions } The design and information architecture of the Lemonaid web application } The front-end and back-end development of the Lemonaid web application } Reasoning and process supporting the application's design
Minutes: Faculty Consultative Committee: January 31, 2008
(University of Minnesota, 2008-01-31) University of Minnesota: Faculty Consultative Committee
Promoting Healthy Relationships in Women with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
(2012-08-27) Limper, Nicole;
Women with intellectual and developmental disabilities are at a far greater risk to experience abuse within their life span. At the Arc Greater Twin Cities, advocates are attempting to address this problem through resource development, policy support, and education. Throughout this past year, I have completed over 180 hours at the Arc Greater Twin Cities in the areas of abuse prevention and public policy. I provided the Arc with support through developing, collecting, and organizing resources, developing partnerships with local community organizations, engaging in public policy work, and developing curriculum for use in “Girl Talk”, an abuse prevention effort for women with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This thesis will explore the issues at hand and the alarming rate of abuse against persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In the methods section, I explore my work at the Arc Greater Twin Cities. The conclusion of my thesis is the curriculum that I designed for “Girl Talk”. This curriculum is split into six modules exploring different types of relationships, boundaries within these relationships, and how self-advocates can be engaged with supporting abuse prevention efforts in this population. This curriculum is designed to address the fact that many women with disabilities feel that they themselves and their relationships are not valued. It gives these women a chance to advocate for themselves, to interact with other women, and to learn about different relationships and systems impacting their lives. The work that I contributed at the Arc Greater Twin Cities is imperative to the Twin Cities community, because unfortunately, there is insufficient support for women with intellectual and developmental disabilities to assist them in developing healthy relationships.
Sarbanes-Oxley: How do perceptions of this legislation vary across organizational levels?
(2012-08-27) Debele, Jeffrey
When the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) legislation was passed in 2002, it was uncertain how companies would react to the new requirements. More specifically, many people wondered what the impact would be from Section 404 of the Act and its requirement that companies document, maintain, and test their own internal controls. Recent studies focus on the value of SOX as perceived by executives and directors. There are also other, non-related studies which focus on how employees view executives and managers. The context for this strand of research is that employees will perceive leadership differently based on a variety of factors. This study will combine these two points and fill in current gaps in the literature by investigating the difference in employee perceptions of SOX across different ranks in an organization. It will also analyze how these perceptions change due to the amount of time spent by each employee on SOX activities. For this study, I have interviewed 16 employees from three different organizational levels from a large, private Midwestern firm. A qualitative analysis of the results is conducted in order to examine the differences in perception based on hierarchical rank and time spent on SOX and its related activities. The results support a higher perceived net benefit of SOX from employees at higher hierarchical levels within the selected organization.
Social Justice and Water Policy in an Era of Climate Change: A case study of Israel/Palestine water relations
(2012-08-27) Cowles, Erin;
This paper is a product of concerns for social justice for Palestinians, particularly in their needs and rights to freshwater in Israel/Palestine. This must be approached in relation to colonialism and water rights, as these cannot be divorced from social justice. First, the existing freshwater resources in Israel/Palestine need to be examined, along with how they might change in the future. This will create an understanding as to where water is located and how climate change might influence water resources in the future. Next, examining how geopolitical struggles have been formed is important to showing the differences between the Israelis and Palestinians, particularly in the colonial past of Israel/Palestine. These geopolitical struggles, seen as a type of colonialism, can be examined through existing water policies and water usage. Finally, with this colonial present in Israel, it is important to attempt to look at all sides fairly. Even with these struggles over territory, whether or not Israelis and Palestinians can come to a peaceful solution regarding Palestinian independence, the human right to and the need for water must be considered. Therefore, the ways of thinking about solutions need to be examined to protect these rights and needs. This kind of analysis can then be applied to other conflicts over freshwater – a matter of importance in the era of climate change.
Why States Enact Environmental Legislation: An Examination of Renewable Portfolio Standards in Massachusetts, Minnesota and Texas
(2012-08-27) Case, Samuel;
In light of the failure of the federal government to enact substantial environmental policies, many states have passed their own legislation addressing these concerns. One common policy is a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), which requires retail electric utilities within a state to produce a certain percentage of their electricity from renewable energy sources. However, not all states have enacted an RPS or other form of environmental legislation. Three theories have emerged to attempt to explain why this is the case; these three theories can be referred to as political ideology, regional diffusion and internal determinants. This paper explores the political factors that led to RPS programs in Massachusetts, Minnesota and Texas in hopes of revealing which of these three theories is most convincing. The discovery is that political ideology does play a role in environmental legislative success at the state level, while regional diffusion does not emerge as a significant factor in these three cases. What appears to be most telling are the unique internal determinants of each state that interacted during the legislative process of RPS development.

University Digital Conservancy

Browse by Subject

Browsing by Subject "University Honors Program"