Digital Commons Network^™

Characterization And Removal Efficiency Comparison Of Bioretention Soil Media Mixtures, Nathan T. Hanson

Master's Theses

Bioretention cells have become a commonly used green infrastructure technique to help infiltrate and remove contaminants from stormwater runoff. Bioretention cells are constructed from a layered or heterogeneous soil mixture designed to optimize their ability to infiltrate influent stormwater and remove contaminants carried by the water as it filters through the soil media. The soil mixture, composition, and planting vary depending the local regulatory agencies. As urbanization occurs across the United States, more natural land is converted from pervious surfaces, such as grasslands and forests, to impervious surfaces such as asphalt and concrete, to help reduce the impact of the …

25 Under 25 Film Fest, Michael Frank

Journalism

This project is a roadmap on how to create a film festival with unprecedented origins. It shows the amount of work, the amount of resources, and the amount of contacts that a student must gain in order to achieve success in an event of this nature. It details my own journey as the founder and architect of the 25 Under 25 Film Fest, a two-day film festival highlighting 25 films by filmmakers around the state of California. The festival was a highly successful event with numerous facets, which will be outlined with this evaluation. This examination of the festival will …

Karambo Micro-Industrial Complex Structural Design, Sophia E. Abshire, Stella M. Bates

Architectural Engineering

The Karambo Micro-Industrial Complex consists of 3 buildings located approximately 3.5 m above and 50 m away from the Karambo River in the Rubavu District of Western Rwanda. Each building will be constructed of concrete framework, confined masonry walls and steel trusses. The purpose of these buildings will be to serve as a classroom, library, an dd industrial work space to empower the citizens of this village. The purpose of this project was to provide a complete structural design. In this report you will find a description of the project and structural design as well as a complete structural calculation …

Anxiety Rates In Cal Poly Students: Short Documentary And Literature Review On Prevalence, Causes And Treatment, Anabelle M. Carpenter

Journalism

Anxiety is a leading mental health disorder at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Over 50% of students who visit the counseling reported feeling anxiety, and 14.8% of students met the diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorder during the 2016-2017 school year. Nationally, anxiety rates among college students have increased almost 16% from 2007- 2017 (LeViness, Bershad & Gorman, 2017). This project is comprised of two parts: a short, documentary style video on anxiety at Cal Poly, as well as a literature review. The video is a series of interviews from Cal Poly students who suffer from anxiety, and a …

Development Of Low Cost, Environmentally Friendly And High Strength Carbon Foams From Bread And Cake, Laura Mountain-Tuller

Materials Engineering

Carbon foam is a high niche material that consists of a highly porous, three-dimensional cellular network that is characterized by extremely high strength-to-weight ratios and low thermal conductivity. Due to these properties, carbon foams excel in structural and thermal applications, especially in the aerospace industry. Typically, carbon foams are formed through a heating process called pyrolysis of polymer precursors with high carbon content. This process is done at high temperatures in an oxygen free environment. These precursors are expensive to make and use toxic chemicals to produce, therefore, there is a push to find an environmentally friendly and cost-effective method …

Slm Materials Development, Justin G. Reiner, Michael T. Schembri

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

The purpose of this project was to create a procedure to efficiently determine a “recipe” of parameter values that create a desired set of mechanical properties. Research was conducted into the laser powder bed fusion process with focus on underdeveloped materials. A design of experiment was used with a set of density correlated parameters to establish a method of producing nearly dense parts. Our methods include SLM printing, metrology, and statistical analysis. An experimental procedure for materials development was designed, but unable to be validated during the scope of this project, due to unforeseen safety issues (exposure to Chromium 6, …

Object Tracking In Games Using Convolutional Neural Networks, Anirudh Venkatesh

Master's Theses

Computer vision research has been growing rapidly over the last decade. Recent advancements in the field have been widely used in staple products across various industries. The automotive and medical industries have even pushed cars and equipment into production that use computer vision. However, there seems to be a lack of computer vision research in the game industry. With the advent of e-sports, competitive and casual gaming have reached new heights with regard to players, viewers, and content creators. This has allowed for avenues of research that did not exist prior.

In this thesis, we explore the practicality of object …

Zinc Sunscreens Affect Development Of Strongylocentrotus Purpuratus Embryos, Brittany E. Cunningham, Nikki L. Adams

Master's Theses

The growing popularity of physical sunscreens will also lead to an increased release of the ingredients from zinc oxide (ZnO) sunscreens into marine environments. Though zinc (Zn) is a necessary micronutrient in the ocean, greater than natural Zn concentrations are being released into marine environments by use of sunscreens. The extent of the consequences of the addition of Zn to the ocean are not fully understood. We investigated effects of materials released by zinc oxide (ZnO) sunscreens on the development of California purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus. Embryos developed in various concentrations of Zn, the sources of which included …

Enhanced Detection Of Corrosion And Coating Aging Mechanisms Using Core-Shell Quantum Dots, Raymond Thai

Master's Theses

Understanding aging mechanisms in coatings during their servicable life is complicated, due to the inherent stochastic nature of exposure profiles, service environments, and rare weather events. Thus, the development of improved test methods for service life prediction and accelerated weathering relies on the availability of infallible degradation and exposure data, delivered as a function of cumulative time in service. In a related application, non-destructive evaluative methods rely on the premise of being able to probe or monitor in situ mechanisms within a coating system without interfering with actual aging mechanisms. Ultimately, quantumdots can be utilized as in situ sensors for …

Assessing The Photoprotective Effects Of Fluorescent Sphingomyelin Against Uvb Induced Dna Damage In Human Keratinocytes, Rebecca Marie Kandell

Master's Theses

Non Melanoma Skin Cancer (NMSC) affects 3.3 million Americans each year and results from Ultra Violet Radiation (UVR) damage to DNA in the form of pyrimidine dimers and photoproducts [1]–[5]. Cells directly detect the damage and initiate apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, or DNA repair by modulating p53 and p21 levels [6]–[9]. Current methods of photoprotection include sunscreen, but controversy over safety of some active ingredients necessitates research into more natural alternatives [10]–[12]. In particular, 24 hour incubation with bovine milk sphingomyelin (BSM) has demonstrated photoprotective potential by reducing p21 and p53 levels in keratinocytes (KRTs) after UV radiation [13], [14]. …

Tessellated Voxelization For Global Illumination Using Voxel Cone Tracing, Sam Thomas Freed

Master's Theses

Modeling believable lighting is a crucial component of computer graphics applications, including games and modeling programs. Physically accurate lighting is complex and is not currently feasible to compute in real-time situations. Therefore, much research is focused on investigating efficient ways to approximate light behavior within these real-time constraints.

In this thesis, we implement a general purpose algorithm for real-time applications to approximate indirect lighting. Based on voxel cone tracing, we use a filtered representation of a scene to efficiently sample ambient light at each point in the scene. We present an approach to scene voxelization using hardware tessellation and compare …

Prediction Of The Degradation Of Emerging Contaminants During Oxidative Treatment Via Analysis Of Reaction Rate Constants, Kellie Cochran

Master's Theses

Globally, water supplies are diminishing in quality while demand is continually increasing. The municipal water and wastewater sector has been paying increased attention to unregulated emerging organic contaminants. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), which produce hydroxyl radicles (•OH), have been developed and implemented to remove recalcitrant emerging contaminants left by conventional treatment processes. The current understanding of the removal efficacy of AOPs for emerging contaminants is limited. This study analyzes the ability of an AOP involving ozone and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in removing three specific emerging contaminants: caffeine, atrazine, and phenytoin, which were selected based on their persistence and ubiquity …

The Analysis And Study Of Power System Designs For Same Polytechnic College In Tanzania, Kevin Lum Hua

Master's Theses

The Mbesese Initiative for Sustainable Development (MISD) is a group aiming to help eliminate extreme poverty in Africa by creating educational opportunity. One project that the group is currently doing is to build Same Polytechnic College (SPC) in Tanzania. As part of the project, this thesis aims to study and analyze the electrical power system and distribution for the college. Based on the projected load profile of the college and high potential for solar generation in Tanzania, several different power systems utilizing local utility AC electricity and/or photovoltaic (PV) DC electricity are explored and simulated for their feasibility and performance. …

Study Of The Effect Of Biowish Aqua On Simultaneous Nitrification And Denitrification In A Membrane Aerated Bioreactor, Joelle Arakaki

Master's Theses

This research entails the investigation of the effects of a bioaugmentation product from BiOWiSH^® called Aqua, referred to as “Aqua” for the remainder of this paper, on the nitrogen removal rate in a membrane aerated bioreactor (MABR). This research was conducted using a MABR design that consisted of a silicone membrane and continuous flow airline with compressed air. The membrane system was designed to supply oxygen, creating an aerated layer at the membrane-biofilm interface and an anoxic layer at the biofilm-water interface. Laboratory experiments were conducted to compare the nitrogen removal rates of natural bacteria alone to natural bacteria …

Effects Of Raceway Pond Water And Nutrient Recycling On Microalgae Production And Harvesting, Christian A. Bowen

Master's Theses

To be environmentally sustainable, algae biofuel production requires extensive recycling of water and nutrients during algae cultivation. Such recycling can be in the form of reuse of external wastewaters, such as from municipal sewers, but, to achieve significant biofuels production, internal recycling at the algae farms is also needed. A potential difficulty with internal recycling is the accumulation of auto-inhibitory compounds in recycled algae pond water. An additional concern is that nutrients in the residuals from algae biofuel manufacturing will be only partly bioavailable. Both these factors can limit the extent of internal recycling. Ultimately, combining external and internal recycling …

Orbital Optimization Of Interplanetary Trajectories With Environmental Perturbations, Eric S. Woods

Master's Theses

For a detailed analysis of orbital optimization, it is desired to incorporate a spacecraft environment model in order to have maximum confidence that the analysis will produce an accurate trajectory. Such a model requires the addition of orbital perturbations, or small forces acting on the spacecraft throughout its trajectory that can eventually accumulate in large distances over time. The optimization method that this thesis is concerned with is STOpS (Spacecraft Trajectory Optimization Suite), a Matlab optimizer created by Timothy J. Fitzgerald that utilizes an Island Model Paradigm with five different optimization algorithms. STOpS was originally built to model trajectories with …

Bird Abundance At Bird Feeders In Response To Temperature, Wind Speed And Precipitation During The Winter Season, Siddhant Kahal

Master's Theses

The goal of this project is to explore how 23 different bird species respond to 3 climatic attributes. These attributes are lower than average temperatures, wind speed and precipitation level. Information about the bird species and all of the data associated with them is provided by Project FeederWatch (PFW). This is a citizen based survey study that provides key information about bird species abundance through the use of backyard and community feeders. The study volunteers from across the United States and Canada monitor these bird feeders and note important information about the species such as the number of individuals seen. …

The Gods Have Taken Thought For Them: Syncretic Animal Symbolism In Medieval European Magic, Solange Nicole Kiehlbauch

Master's Theses

This thesis investigates syncretic animal symbolism within medieval European occult systems. The major question that this work seeks to answer is: what does the ubiquity and importance of magical animals and animal magic reveal about overarching medieval perceptions of the world? In response, I utilize the emerging subfield of Animal History as a theoretical framework to draw attention to an understudied yet highly relevant aspect of occult theory and practice. This work argues that medieval Europeans lived in a fundamentally “enchanted” world compared to our modern age, where the permeable boundaries between physical and spiritual planes imbued nature and its …

Polycommit: Building Better Habits Through Gamification, Elliot Fiske

Master's Theses

Computer-assisted learning is older than Turing machines, and constantly evolves as technology improves. While some teachers are resistant to using technology in the classroom, “e-learning” techniques are becoming more common in almost every school, from K-12 to universities. As technology becomes more widespread, it becomes crucial to examine the various methodologies of computer-assisted learning and find the techniques that are most effective.

This paper explores the effectiveness of one such methodology, spaced repetition. This technique applies to homework assignments available to students online. We include an exploration of several existing apps that use this technique, and introduce our own novel …

Dynamics Simulation And Optimal Control Of A Multiple-Input And Multiple-Output Balancing Cube, Felix K. Haimerl

Master's Theses

This thesis document outlines the development of a multibody dynamics simulation of an actively stabilized multiple-input, multiple-output, coupled, balancing cube and the process of verifying the results by implementing the control algorithm in hardware. A non-linear simulation of the system was created in Simscape and used to develop a Linear Quadratic Gaussian control algorithm. To implement this algorithm in actual hardware, the system was first designed, manufactured, and assembled. The structure of the cube and the reaction wheels were milled from aluminum. DC brushless motors were installed into the mechanical system. In terms of electronics, a processor, orientation sensor, motor …

Neuro-Silicon Interface Of A Hirudo Medicinalis Retzius Cell Integrated With Field Effect Transistor, Kurt Christian Sjoberg

Master's Theses

The focus of this thesis was to measure the intracellular voltage of a living neural cell using a silicon transistor. The coupling of neurological tissues with silicon devices is of interest to the fields of neurology, neuroscience, electrophysiology and cellular biology. In previous work by Peter Fromherz, single neurons were successfully coupled to transistors [1]. This thesis aims to show proof of concept of the fabrication of a simple neuro-silicon interface using wafer processing methods currently available at Cal Poly. The types of transistors and cells used, the methods for dissecting and preparing the cells, the electrophysiology methods for validating …

Validation Of A 1d Algorithm That Measures Pulse Wave Velocity To Estimate Compliance In Blood Vessels, James Leung

Master's Theses

The purpose of this research is to determine if it is possible to validate the new 1D method for measuring pulse wave velocity in the aorta in vivo and estimate compliance. Arterial pressure and blood flow characterize the traveling of blood from the heart to the arterial system and have played a significant role in the evaluation of cardiovascular diseases. Blood vessel distensibility can give some information on the evolution of cardiovascular disease. A patient’s aorta cannot be explanted to measure compliance; therefore we are using a flow phantom model to validate the 1D pulse wave velocity technique to estimate …

Are Illegal Direct Actions By Animal Rights Activists Ethically Vigilante?, Michael P. Allen, Erica Von Essen

Between the Species

Constructed as terrorist, illegal direct actions by animal rights activists have become the subject of draconian law enforcement measures in the US and UK. Some scholars respond to this phenomenon by interpreting such actions to protect vulnerable animals not as terrorist but civilly disobedient. This approach highlights their ethical character, as a normatively relevant consideration in the state’s law enforcement response. Consistent with this approach, we argue that illegal direct actions by animal rights activists are not terrorist, although their motivations are sometimes anti-statist and anarchist. However, we also argue that civil disobedience is an awkward fit for many such …

Academic Senate - Agenda, 5/29/2018, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Executive Committee - Agenda, 5/22/2018, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Autonomy, Slavery, And Companion Animals, Heather M. N. Kendrick

Between the Species

I attempt to resolve the question of whether keeping animals as pets is akin to slavery by considering the significance of liberty to human beings and to nonhuman animals. I distinguish between two senses of liberty: preference liberty and autonomous liberty. Preference liberty is the freedom to satisfy the preferences that one in fact has. Autonomous liberty is the ability to satisfy the preferences that one might have regardless of whether one actually has those preferences. Preference liberty has a value for animals, but autonomous liberty is meaningless for them. As the core wrong of slavery is the restriction of …

Sympatric Serpentine Endemic Monardella (Lamiaceae) Species Maintain Habitat Differences Despite Hybridization, Kathleen M. Kay, Suzie Woolhouse, Brett A. Smith, Nathaniel S. Pope, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Biological Sciences

Ecological differentiation and genetic isolation are thought to be critical in facilitating coexistence between related species, but the relative importance of these phenomena and the interactions between them are not well understood. Here, we examine divergence in abiotic habitat affinity and the extent of hybridization and introgression between two rare species of Monardella (Lamiaceae) that are both restricted to the same serpentine soil exposure in California. Although broadly sympatric, they are found in microhabitats that differ consistently in soil chemistry, slope, rockiness and vegetation. We identify one active hybrid zone at a site with intermediate soil and above-ground characteristics, and …

Graduate Internship Report Aged 539, Frank C. Roche Iii

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship and project report includes documentation required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are concurrently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Corcoran High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The supporting material includes information to receive state and local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Corcoran High School, the agriculture program and the community.

Graduate Internship Report- Ceres High School, Mardel Runnels

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This Graduate Internship Report is based on an internship of teaching at Ceres High School and advising the Ceres FFA Chapter. The candidate examined and investigated the program according to the twelve Quality Criteria for Agricultural Education in the State of California. The report includes reflections and supporting documents that evaluate the quality of the Agriculture program and determine its eligibility for the Agriculture Incentive Grant funds. In addition, it demonstrates the process of creating a Comprehensive Program Plan for the Ceres High School Agriculture Program as part of the internship.

Graduate Internship Report- Salinas High School, Rachel Nicole Martinez

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This AgEd 539 Graduate Internship report includes validation documents required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The documents are currently used for the Agriculture Incentive Grant review process at Salinas High School.The internship project includes the creation of an Agriculture Advisory Committee for Salinas High School. The included information and supporting materials are required to received local and state funding. An overview of the Salinas High School Program can be found in the Comprehensive Program Plan that is included in this document.