Digital Commons Network^™

Enhancing Group Social Perceptiveness Through A Swarm-Based Decision-Making Platform, David A. Askay, Lynn E. Metcalf, Louis Rosenberg, Gregg Willcox

Industrial Technology and Packaging

Swarm Intelligence is natural phenomenon that enables social animals to make group decisions in real-time systems. This process has been deeply studied in fish schools, bird flocks, and bee swarms, where collective intelligence has been observed to emerge. The present paper describes swarm.ai—a collaborative technology that enables swarms of humans to collectively converge upon a decision as a real-time system. Then we present the results of a study investigating if groups working as “human swarms” can amplify their social perceptiveness, a key predictor of collective intelligence. Results showed that groups reduced their social perceptiveness errors by more than half when …

Predictors Of Resilience Among Infants At Risk For Rapid Weight Gain, Alison K. Ventura, Kristen Thompson

Kinesiology and Public Health

Objective: The study objective was to investigate factors associated with resilience to rapid weight gain (RWG) among predominantly bottle-fed infants.

Methods: Data came from 1,353 mothers who participated in the Infant Feeding Practices Study 2. Mothers completed a prenatal questionnaire and monthly surveys of infant feeding and growth between birth and 12 months. Infants were classified as resilient if they were predominantly bottle fed but did not exhibit RWG between birth and the latter half of infancy (≥ +0.67 change in weight-for-age z score).

Results: Thirty-five percent of the sample (n = 467) was predominantly bottle fed but did …

A Decade Of Change: A Case Study Of Regulatory Compliance Costs In The Produce Industry, Lynn Hamilton, Michael Mccullough

Agribusiness

Regulatory pressure is a source of increasing concern to the California agricultural industry. In the decade since 2006, new rules at both the state and federal levels have imposed significantly higher regulatory burdens on growers, specifically with respect to food safety, water quality, labor wages, air quality; and worker health and safety. Additional regulations are in process as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act is developed at the local levels for implementation in 2022, and minimum wage and overtime laws for farmworkers are phased in, also by 2022.

Previous studies regarding the regulatory environment in California have quantified the total cost …

Section 199a: Job Creator Or Tax Giveaway?, Rodney P. Mock, David G. Chamberlain

Accounting

In this report, Mock and Chamberlain discuss section 199A and its inconsistencies regarding job creation policy.

Academic Senate - Agenda, 12/04/2018, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Robo-Advisors - A Future Way To Invest?, Viraj Vishwarupe, Tommy Vu

Finance

Research Question: Are robo-advisors the future of investing?

As the capabilities of technology continue to advance, alternatives to conventional practices are created in an attempt to boost convenience and efficiency. This paper will focus on one such alternative, robo-advisors, an automated investment advisor platform. The technology is evaluated to answer the research question above and to assess whether it holds promise in the world of finance as well as the potential to ultimately outpace traditional forms of investment advice. To accomplish this goal, in-depth research is provided covering a broad range of topics concerning robo-advisors including the platform’s history, analysis …

Fresh Squeezed Fitness: A Case Study On The Marketing Of Orangetheory Fitness, Emma Schmidt

Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration

The fitness industry has grown immensely in the past decade as a form of health management. The industry has expanded to offer niche fitness facilities that cater to individuals’ specific needs and motivations. The purpose of this study was to examine the best marketing and branding practices utilized by Orangetheory Fitness. The research for this study was collected using a case study matrix, developed by the researcher, to evaluate Orangetheory Fitness’ marketing strategies. The study resulted in findings indicating the importance of technology advancement and brand differentiation pertaining to the success of Orangetheory Fitness. It is crucial for Orangetheory Fitness …

Radio Frequency Identification In The Beef Cattle Production Cycle At Livestock Services Inc., Edwin Mendoza

Agricultural Education and Communication

As time and technology has progressed, precision tracking has led many in the livestock industry to look into the next type of technology available to make their operations more efficient. This technology allows producers to individually track animals, with information ranging from weight, vaccinations used and pasture movements throughout the whole production cycle.

Applying Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology early in the production cycle can show that there is a higher accuracy in traceability that will decrease losses, and incorporate a better management style (Nääs, 2006).

Although this technology is in the initial testing stages in the multiple variations it …

Creating An Efficient Business Plan For Longview Club Lambs, Karlee J. Dornbush

Agricultural Education and Communication

Longview Club Lambs is a small startup business located in Lincoln, California. Longview Club Lambs has the goal to maintain a high of level efficiency and productivity to compete with other club lamb businesses within the next three years (Longview Club Lambs, 2018). In order to do this, Longview Club Lambs will need to evaluate its current practices and determine the necessary adjustments that should be made to their business plan.

To create this new business model, the business will need to re-evaluate all its management practices and make the needed changes to adjust to a larger scale operation. Implementing …

Graduate Internship Report- Maxwell High School, Amber Charter

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 Maxwell 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 Maxwell High School, the agriculture program and the community.

Comparison Of Organic And Inorganic Solar Photovoltaic Systems, Khulan Orgil

Electrical Engineering

This senior project report addresses the consumer’s need for accurate and easily accessible information when making a solar panel purchasing decision. Thus, the project analyzes and compares the costs and benefits of organic and inorganic photovoltaic systems during their life cycle. The cost comparison includes analysis of the environmental and economic costs of materials, production, installation, and disposal. The benefit comparison includes analysis of the economic, environmental, and social benefits accrued during the system’s lifetime. With the project’s data, consumers can make more informed decisions to fit their specific needs.

Engineering Yeast To Evaluate Human Proteins Involved In Selective Rna Packaging During Hiv Particle Production, Ryan M. Bitter

Master's Theses

Despite recent advances in antiretroviral therapy, nearly 37 million people continue to live with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Basic and applied research on the assembly of HIV could be enhanced by using a genetically tractable organism, such as yeast, rather than mammalian cells. While previous studies showed that expression of the HIV Gag polyprotein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae spheroplasts resulted in the production of virus-like particles (VLPs), many questions regarding the utility of yeast in HIV assembly remain uninvestigated. Here, we report use of S. cerevisiae for both the production of VLPs with selectively packaged RNA and to evaluate the human …

Application Of Data Analytics For Prediction Of Suicide Rates At The State And National Levels, Derek Benson

Master's Theses

The increasing suicide rate in the United States has amplified the need to assure that regions with high suicide risk receive adequate funding for programs and related resources for prevention methods. The way in which organizations dedicated to preventing suicides distribute funding could be improved with the development of predictive models for suicide rates. In this study, a multiple linear regression model at a national level was developed to identify relevant factors associated with suicide. The national level model was developed in two phases; the first using response variable data and explanatory variable data from the same time period, and …

Presence Of Antibiotic Resistant Salmonella Spp. In Backyard Poultry And Their Environment, Nicole Land

Master's Theses

As keeping backyard poultry rises, human contact with zoonotic pathogens will increase. One such pathogen that backyard enthusiasts have exposure risks to is Salmonella spp. which may cause a potential public health threat due to its increasing multidrug resistancy. Salmonella spp. were present in 33 of 50 samples collected from 29 sites with backyard poultry coops in San Luis Obispo County during March to May in 2014. Two different Hardy-CHROME™ Salmonella Selective Media plates were used to culture and isolate positive samples of Salmonella spp.. Each positive isolate was tested for antimicrobial sensitivity to 6 standard antibiotics: Ampicillin, Bacitracin, …

Dc-Dc 4-Switch Buck-Boost Converter For Energy Harvesting From Elliptical Machines, Alexander C. Samietz, Gustavo Guzman

Electrical Engineering

The senior project report documents the process of replacing the network of resistors inside an elliptical machine with a DC-DC buck-boost converter. The buck-boost DC-DC converter accepts a wide input range of 5-60 Volts, with an output of 36 Volts for the most efficient use of the already available microinverter. The microinverter reclaims the lost energy and safely distributes it back to the electrical grid. The addition of this project reduces heat emissions from wasted energy and shrinks the carbon footprint of its users.

Test Bench Design For The Fontana Gaf Facility, Dalton Paul Wunderlich

Electrical Engineering

This senior design project consists of designing and building a test bench set up in the GAF facility located in Fontana CA. The project creates an area where testing of different configurations of equipment takes place before implementing the equipment on the production line. Having this isolated environment allows the engineers and technicians to follow several design build test iterations on new systems. The design has the versatility to handle different equipment set ups and test a large quantity of diverse situations. The test bench implements Allen Bradley ControLogix, PLC-5, multiple Powerflex drives and multiple Kinetix servo drives simultaneously. The …

Nanosatellite Launch Data-Logger (Sync), Christopher Martin Gerdom

Master's Theses

CubeSat designers are increasingly looking to incorporate delicate structures and optics into their payloads. These delicate payloads, however, may not survive the required absolute-worst-case launch vibration testing needed for flight certification. To help address this problem, and to better match testing conditions to real-world launch environments, this thesis introduces Sync, a compact 1/4U CubeSat payload designed to collect data on the vibrations and thermal environments CubeSats experience inside a deployer on the way to orbit. This data can be used to better understand the launch environment for different vehicles, and help develop new, more realistic testing guidelines that could enable …

Grid-Tied Solar System, Virginia Yan

Electrical Engineering

Distribution level solar energy generation has gained importance and popularity, because it helps create a sustainable electricity system while reducing the harmful environmental impacts our current power systems have. This project proposes an alternative energy source, a laboratory-scale grid-connected photovoltaic system. A KC120-1 solar panel produces 120 Watts maximum. A grid-tied solar power inverter does DC-to-AC conversion and minimizes energy transfer losses. The inverter also has an anti-islanding feature, which senses a power outage and prevents back-feeding through isolating the circuit. The circuit breakers isolate electrical components and protect the circuit. Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories SEL-751 feeder protection relay and SEL-735 …

3d Signal Strength Mapping Of 2.4ghz Wifi Networks, Brett D. Glidden

Electrical Engineering

Many commercial businesses operate out of multi-story office buildings. These companies often use many Wi-Fi access points to set up their own wireless network. IT personnel determine proper Wi-Fi access point placement using Wi-Fi strength maps. Conventional Wi-Fi strength maps only provide a two-dimensional view representing the wireless access point's effective range. The signal quality and strength measurements do not include changing vertical elevation. Efficient network layout in a multi-story building requires a system calculating signal quality metrics in three dimensions.

This project involves designing and prototyping a system to achieve 2.4GHz Wi-Fi signal quality measurements in a three-dimensional reference …

Water Fun At Exploration Station Final Design Report, Brandon Dean Puccini, Sarah Rose Means, Natasha Tamlin O'Connell-Mackay

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Wireless Ekg, James Kerman, Chin Chao, Galen Wu, Eric Burstedt

Mechanical Engineering

In 2016, Dr. Ahmad Nooristani identified a need for a personal EKG that is cheaper and simpler than hospital grade systems, but more accurate than personal devices currently on the market. Two previous teams did significant background research, prototyping, focusing on ease of use, portability, and physical specifications. However, neither team was able to produce a device with electrodes that could successfully collect an EKG signal and transmit it to a phone or tablet, one of the main requirements from the Dr. Nooristani. This team focused on designing a six lead, five electrode EKG device to transmit EKG data from …

Improving Ductility Of Slender Reinforced Concrete Shear Walls With Frp Sheets And Splay Anchors, Luke M. Ostrom

Architectural Engineering

The Sylmar earthquake of 1971 caused significant damage to slender, non-ductile reinforced concrete (RC) shear wall buildings in California. A later survey by the Concrete Coalition in 2011, under the guidance of EERI members, indicated that there are over 3000 vulnerable concrete buildings in California [8]. This led to City of Los Angeles (LA) Ordinance 193893 enacted in 2015, which requires mandatory upgrades to these concrete buildings by 2035. Current practice to meet the requirements of this ordinance, with respect to RC wall buildings, involves adding new shear walls to the building plan or increasing the cross-sectional area of existing …

Automation Of Post-Earthquake Civil Infrastructure Reconnaissance, Jack Bergquist

Architectural Engineering

Traditionally post-earthquake structural engineering reconnaissance consists of a team of experts who are deployed to the field to record and capture earthquake damage data, which is later uploaded into online repositories. Despite many advances to these data archives in recent years, the entries in online repositories often have limited metadata which make it difficult and time consuming to extract specific damage evidence that can be used for meaningful analysis. This report outlines the author’s contributions to overcoming these challenges via the development of a neural network that automatically filters and classifies post-earthquake civil infrastructure damage data after a seismic event. …

Single Arm Recumbent Bicycle, Alexander Borsotti, Ryan Westermann, Sean Liston

Mechanical Engineering

The goal of this report is to outline and cover the scope of work for the Single Arm Recumbent Bicycle Senior Project. The report will give an introduction of the problem, a background of the existing research or products relating to our project, the objectives of our project, our project management plan, our final design, manufacturing, testing, our project management, and final recommendations for improving the final design. The team is being supported by the Quality of Life Program, a non-profit organization that works to improve the lives of those injured in duty while serving our nation.

Up until now, …

A Stormwater Management Model For California Polytechnic State University Campus, Hsuan-Wen Chu

Master's Theses

Developments that have been taking place on Cal Poly campus over the years have altered the natural hydrology of the area. Stormwater management practices could help reduce the impacts of these developments. Computer models can help to design effective and economical stormwater management solutions at a watershed scale. As such, the objective of this study was to develop a stormwater management model for Cal Poly campus. The model was developed based on the utility data obtained from the university and other watershed data available from open sources. Field surveys were conducted to address some anomalies in the utility data, and …

Unexpected Setbacks When Excavating – Using Gpr For Mitigating Risk: A Case Study, Samuel L. Marcum

Construction Management

Whether constructing on undeveloped land or on an existing developed site, there is a risk of encountering unexpected objects when excavating. With today’s technology in Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), this risk can generally be mitigated. Using Whiting-Turner’s construction of Stanford University’s new ChEM-H & SNI Building as an example, this case study discusses the use of GPR for underground mapping, as well as various ways to implement GPR technology. The ChEM-H & SNI site had many underground utilities that required precise pot-holing to verify locations. Although pot-holing is widely used, it is a destructive method, it is time and labor …

Noise Induced Hearing Loss Accountability On Jobsites Within The Construction Industry, Joseph O. Lamphere

Construction Management

Noise induced hearing loss is a major issue on jobsites within the construction industry. Every day workers are exposed to hazardous levels of noise, but they are not being properly managed to mitigate this issue. Workers have misconceptions about the topic, but more surprisingly are sometimes indifferent to the effects; believing hearing loss is inevitable, or it can be cured with a hearing aide. Construction has inherent dangers that workers have to deal with every day. Hearing loss might not be on the top of their lists, but the effects are permanent, and they cannot be cured with a hearing …

Growing Grounds Nursery - Outdoor Plaza And Education Space, Keenan Brekke

Construction Management

This paper describes the planning, both design and financing, as well as the construction of an 800 square foot outdoor plaza area and education space. After six months of Planning and Fundraising, the scope of work included clearing and grubbing, relocation of irrigation lines, site grading and footing excavation, forming and pouring four architectural board form concrete benches and a planter, installing a perimeter French drain for site drainage, and installation of serpentine rock retaining walls, steel planters, a sail shade structure, outdoor string lights, a koi pond, and all significant landscaping. The author, over 100 volunteers, and various industry …

Hard Hat Safety By California Contractors, Jonathan G. Hernandez

Construction Management

The hard hat is the quintessential item of PPE, and yet it often gets overlooked when ensuring safety standards are being met. We all expect our hard hat to protect us, but many never inspect it to ensure that it is properly fulfilling its purpose. This disregard to inspection and maintenance can lead to serious injury or death in the event of an accident. While organizations such as OSHA and the hard hat manufacturers themselves post information on this topic, it is unclear if this information is actually being received by the people involved in a construction project. This research …

Improving Ductility Of Slender Reinforced Concrete, Luke M. Ostrom

Construction Management

The Sylmar earthquake of 1971 caused significant damage to slender, non-ductile reinforced concrete (RC) shear wall buildings in California. A later survey by the Concrete Coalition in 2011, under the guidance of members of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), indicated that there are over 3000 vulnerable concrete buildings in California [8]. This led to City of Los Angeles (LA) Ordinance 193893 enacted in 2015, which requires mandatory upgrades to these concrete buildings by 2035. Current practice to meet the requirements of this ordinance, with respect to RC wall buildings, involves adding new shear walls to the building plan or …