Digital Commons Network^™

How Media Framing Impacts Juror Bias In A Fictional Criminal Case, Teah Sharon Swartzon

Journalism

This study examines how media framing influences juror bias among college-aged students when evaluating a defendant's guilt in a fictional criminal case. Utilizing framing theory, the research explores whether biased news coverage can shape perceptions of a defendant's guilt before trial.

Participants, consisting of students at California Polytechnic State University, aged 18-22, were asked to read two news articles about a fictional criminal case. One framed the fictional defendant as guilty, while the other framed him as innocent. Both articles were generated using the Artificial Intelligence Platform, Claude.

Data was collected in a survey where participants indicated whether they believed …

Investigating The Viability Of A Shared Skill System Between Enemies And Players, Andrea Ng

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Over time, Japanese light novels and media inspired by it have been heavily influenced by RPGs in implementing skill systems, with one common trope arising from this being the ability to copy or steal others’ skills. However, there aren’t many games that implement this familiar trope despite how it takes advantage of an integral system to RPGs. Rather than treating enemies as simply obstacles, having to copy skills from enemies turns them into a resource. This project aims to implement the skill copy mechanic while also minimizing player-side specific handling so that skills are interchangeable between both players and enemies.

The Impact Of Human Myoblasts On Macrophage Polarization In A Coculture Model, Elisabeth Ann Stodola

Biomedical Engineering

Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) is characterized by the buildup of atherosclerotic plaque in the lower extremities that occludes blood flow, and affects over 200 million people worldwide. Without effective treatment, PAD can lead to claudication, ischemia, ulcers, and gangrene. PAD causes more amputations in the United States than any other condition, and for severe cases that require revascularization, procedures benefit fewer than 50% of patients. This demonstrates a clear need for alternative therapies. Potential therapies for PAD target expansion of collateral blood vessels around the area of occlusion – a process called arteriogenesis to compensate for loss of blood flow …

A Simulation Framework For Edge Lane Roads And Bicycle Shared Roadways, Nick Sauciur

Master's Theses

Edge Lane Roads, also referred to as Advisory Bike Lanes, are a shared roadway treatment that designates space for cyclists while allowing flexible use of the roadway by motorists. They are commonly applied on lower speed corridors and can be used both where roadway width is limited and where agencies seek to manage vehicle speeds, clarify cyclist positioning, or improve shared roadway operations. The configuration provides visually designated space for cyclists while allowing motorists to encroach into that space when yielding to opposing traffic. Although interest in these facilities is growing in North America, quantitative tools for evaluating their operational …

Immersive Experience Design In Contemporary Theme Parks: A Case Study Of Universal Epic Universe, Roi Andre F. Ramos

Experience Industry Management

The evolution of contemporary theme parks has increasingly centered on large-scale immersive environments designed to transport guests into cohesive narrative worlds. The purpose of this study was to examine the immersive design practices utilized at Universal Epic Universe. A case study was conducted to evaluate five themed lands, four attractions, and four queue environments using a researcher-developed observational instrument. The results of this study determined that Epic Universe effectively sustains immersion through architectural enclosure, intellectual property-based world-building, sensory layering, and interactive technologies that increase guest agency. The park demonstrates a cohesive “self-contained land” model that minimizes negative cues and extends …

Reimagining The Laguna Lake Driving Range, Audrey Bonifacio, Jessica Rice

City and Regional Planning

The Laguna Lake Municipal Golf Course is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and is operated by the city. Recently, the community, city staff, and the City Council have begun a conversation regarding the use of the golf course. To explore the different uses, this senior project presents four alternative developments for a selected area of the golf course. These four uses include enhancing the existing driving range, a sports facility, a children’s center, and a senior living community. To assess these alternatives, the project explores current urban planning theories, development trends, and case studies for each use. Through this …

Riverbend Ranch Mixed-Use Development Project, Anthony James Sousa

City and Regional Planning

This senior project is a proposed mixed-use development project in the City of Visalia, California. The scope of work includes site analysis and site plan development formatted in a comprehensive development package. This project aims to set a precedent for future development in the City of Visalia by increasing density to meet housing requirements and incorporating various urban agricultural uses to reconnect the urban and rural relationship. Additionally, the project includes a literature review on urban agriculture to explain its role in planning practice.

Thousand Hills Pet Resort Ada Compliant Access Ramp And Connecting Deck: Preconstruction Activities, Sonya Nahama Wijoyo

Construction Management

This paper presents the design and preconstruction of an ADA-compliant access ramp and connecting deck system for two mobile homes located at Thousand Hills Pet Resort. The primary objective was to enhance accessibility and safety for residents by providing code-compliant, durable, and functional access to the mobile homes on site. This project is interdisciplinary between construction management and architectural engineering. The project began with a site evaluation to assess existing conditions. Field measurements and site observation guided planning decisions and helped identify potential challenges. Following the site evaluation, the project proceeded into the design phase, where the ramp and deck …

Time-Dependent Amplification Of Growth Rates In A Plankton-Oxygen Model, Rapha Coutin

Master's Theses

Near-bottom hypoxia occurs when dissolved oxygen levels drop to a level that is harmful to marine biology, creating biological dead zones along the ocean floor. Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the percentage of coastal, near-bottom, hypoxic water, with the average in 2021 nearly double that of the average from 2009 to 2018 and about twenty-eight times the average from 1950 to 1980. Recent literature has linked this increase in oceanic hypoxia to the increase in upwelling-favorable winds caused by climate change. Upwelling brings low-oxygen, nutrient-rich water up to the surface, leading to plankton blooms and mass consumption …

The Application, Construction, And Validation Of Hidden Markov Model Profiles For Carbonic Anhydrase Enzymes, Samuel F. Kaplan

Master's Theses

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) catalyze the reversible hydration of CO2 and have evolved independently at least eight times, resulting in structurally distinct enzyme families (α, β, γ, δ, ζ, η, θ, ι). Traditional sequence alignment methods struggle to classify these convergently evolved proteins because their sequential similarity does not reliably indicate functional or evolutionary relationships. Many CA sequences in public databases are annotated generically without family assignments, and prior computational approaches have focused predominantly on the three well characterized families (α, β, γ), leaving the five recently discovered classes without robust classification tools. Family level assignment is often a prerequisite for …

Design And Development Of A 12-Degree-Of-Freedom Quadruped Robot, Kai De La Cruz

Master's Theses

This thesis presents the design, analysis, and experimental validation of a 12-degree-of-freedom (DOF) quadruped robot developed as a research platform for legged locomotion and control. The system builds upon the Cal Poly Legged Robotics Group’s prior 8-DOF quadruped, addressing key limitations in manipulability, load distribution, and mechanical robustness by introducing a 3-DOF leg architecture.

The mechanical design emphasizes lightweight construction, structural integrity, and modularity to support future research extensions. Static and dynamic loading models were developed to inform component sizing and material selection. A carbon-fiber chassis and redesigned leg assemblies were fabricated and validated through finite element analysis and physical …

Measurement And Control Of The Oxidation-Reduction Potential And Its Chemical And Sensory Consequences In Wines, William Jordan Wright

Master's Theses

The oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) is a measurement thought to reflect the overall ability of a solution to oxidize or reduce substances within that solution. In wine, there is no absolute agreement as to which substances control or dominate the ORP; however, oxygen, ethanol, iron-tartrate and copper-tartrate complexes, and glutathione are suspected to play key roles, while sulfur dioxide and phenolics may act as buffers. Anecdotally, some varieties of Vitis vinifera are prone to oxidation while others are prone to reduction, though the chemical basis of this remains unclear. The following works aim to further elucidate the influence of specific chemical …

Associations Between Nutrition-Related Chronic Disease And Food Insecurity: Data From The California State University, Elizabeth Ochoa

Master's Theses

Food insecurity is a growing public health concern consistently associated with elevated rates of nutrition-related chronic disease (NRCD) across the general population. Despite young adulthood being a critical window for dietary pattern formation, this relationship remains minimally explored among college students. This thesis examined associations between food insecurity and NRCD diagnosis, including hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular disease, among undergraduate students across the California State University (CSU) system. Cross-sectional data were drawn from the Spring 2021 CSU National College Health Assessment, administered across all 23 campuses. After exclusions, the analytical sample comprised 13,762 students. Bivariate analyses assessed relationships between key …

Improving Cellular Retention And Distribution To Promote Arteriogenesis In A Mouse Model Of Chronic Arterial Occlusion, Nancy Huang

Biomedical Engineering

Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease (PAOD) affects millions of people in the United States, creating pain, discomfort, and limited mobility due to restricted blood flow from obstructed arteries. While current treatments include lifestyle changes and revascularization procedures, these options are often insufficient or inaccessible because of procedural pain and socioeconomic barriers. In some cases, this can lead to critical limb ischemia and amputation as a last resort. Increasing blood flow to the extremities by enhancing collateral vessel growth, a biological process called arteriogenesis, with cell-based therapies can redirect blood flow around obstructions and has potential to mitigate and treat the effects …

Orthopedic Bone Drill, Logan G. Schmid, Matthew T. Wold, May Geng

Biomedical Engineering

This project aims to design a bone drill for orthopedic procedures which alleviates the heat generated in the bone during drilling.

To What Extent?, Carson Dangberg

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

Not A Monster, Jessica Hadley

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

The Translucent Culprit, Cammie Tolleshaug

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

In Vitro Meat: Unnatural Or Life Saving, Joseph Coplon

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

Defying Gender Roles With Friendship And Ponies, Liam Gow

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

Wild Child, Dylan Grant

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

Almost Heaven, Nicholai Busch

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

A Beautiful Failure, Lydia Kwong

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

Chipotle: "Food With Integrity", Emily Cheung

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

A Pep Talk, Kaitlyn Krautkramer

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

Not My Clay Doll, Kiana Chan

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

Have You Ever Heard Of A Louisiana Tree Dog?, Alex Batta

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

Catastrophes From Consumption: Meat Production Problems, Dana Bakke

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

They’Re Human, Too, Ashley Woo

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

Considering David Foster Wallace’S Lobster, Valeria Salazar

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.