Digital Commons Network^™

From Our Laps To The Laps Of Luxury: The Development Of Pet-Keeping In Twenty-First-Century America, Jamie Boonjakuakul

History

No abstract provided.

Fully Self-Contained, Enclosed, Mobile Welding Trailer, Nicholas T. Alvarado

Agricultural Education and Communication

The Purpose of this project was to create a fully self contained, enclosed, mobile welding trailer for Alvarado Land and Cattle in Shandon, CA. The trailer was created to help bridge the financial gap between growing seasons. The added income from the mobile welding operation would provide much needed financial support to allow for more investment and expansion. Alvarado Land and Cattle reasoned that diversifying their operations by adding a mobile welding operation would be a smart step towards the success of the company. This trailer when completed will fulfill the need generated by the diversification.

Profitability Of Feeding Holstein Calves Raw Whole Milk Versus Powdered Milk, Which Have Varying Costs And Components, Derek Van Grouw

Agribusiness

No abstract provided.

Fabrication And Testing Of Arabinan Cellulose Nanocomposites, Ross Johnson, Austin Rosso, Nick Semansky

Materials Engineering

Inspired by the structure and composition of cactus spines found in nature, arabinan-cellulose nanocomposites were fabricated into thin films and tested for mechanical stiffness. The composites consisted of varying amounts of nanocrystalline cellulose reinforcement suspended in an arabinan matrix. Both materials are polysaccharides and are known to be biodegradable and food safe. The thin film samples were tensile tested using a dynamic mechanical analysis machine both as-cast and after a heat-treatment. The heat treatment of the arabinan itself resulted in an order of magnitude increase in stiffness, while the cellulose reinforced composites increased roughly six fold. The arabinan-50 wt% cellulose …

Rabbit Project Manual, Kelsey Fernandez

Agricultural Education and Communication

No abstract provided.

The Economic Feasibility Of Establishing A Pine Nut Orchard In California, Jason Joseph Colombini

Agribusiness

The purpose of this project was to determine where pine nuts could be grown in California and if they would be economically feasible to grow in California.

There is very limited information for growing pine nuts in a domesticated orchard. Areas where there was a lack of information were completed with assumptions using costs for walnuts. Once all costs were determined, they were entered into an Excel spreadsheet for analysis.

It has been concluded that pine nuts could be grown in California, mainly in the far northern intermountain regions such as Modoc County. The breakeven for the enterprise would not …

Simulating Influenza Transmission With Network Data, Henry V. Bongiovi

Statistics

Simulating Influenza Transmission with Real Network Data

Henry Bongiovi BS Statistics, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

[email protected]

Keywords: Network Data, Simulation, Education, Influenza, Epidemic

Disease has been humanities arch rival since the dawn of our existence. As such, we have been trying our best to understand its spread and proliferation. One of the most common diseases, Influenza, is also one of the most complex. To understand the complexities of its spread would greatly improve our ability to combat it and other diseases like it. Using R in conjunction with the package statnet, I have created a simulation of …

Micro-Irrigation Design For Avocado Orchard In California, Michael C. Meyer

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This project encompasses the design and recommendations for a micro-irrigation system on an avocado orchard owned by Underwood Family Farms in Somis, California. The main objective of this report is to improve the existing irrigation system’s efficiency and uniformity with the new design and recommendations. The analysis includes information about good irrigation practices, irrigation system design and all the processes herein. Although there are many opinions on growing, irrigating and maintaining an avocado orchard, all of the methods, procedures and suggestions must be based on accurate data to provide reliable information to the grower. Evaluating the irrigation system and suggesting …

Sustainability: An Examination Of Trends In The Floral Industry, Emily Gaul

Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration

Sustainability in the floral industry is a constantly changing subject. As more products are created for florists to use in their designs, sustainability will evolve and be redefined. The purpose of this study was to examine the sustainable trends in growing, designing, and marketing within the floral industry. As seen in the companies analyzed, each business plan constitutes a different set of practices that are utilized for the benefit of that company. An applied best practices analysis was conducted on the floral industry’s trends in sustainability. In the floral industry, businesses are shifting away from importing and focusing on local …

Metal Release From Serpentine Soils In Sri Lanka, Meththika Vithanage, Anushka Upamali Rajapaksha, Christopher Oze, Nishanta Rajakaruna, C. B. Dissanayake

Biological Sciences

Ultramafic rocks and their related soils (i.e., serpentine soils) are non-anthropogenic sources of metal contamination. Elevated concentrations of metals released from these soils into the surrounding areas and groundwater have ecological-, agricultural-, and human health-related consequences. Here we report the geochemistry of four different serpentine soil localities in Sri Lanka by coupling interpretations garnered from physicochemical properties and chemical extractions. Both Ni and Mn demonstrate appreciable release in water from the Ussangoda soils compared to the other three localities, with Ni and Mn metal release increasing with increasing ionic strengths at all sites. Sequential extraction experiments, utilized to identify “elemental …

Vision For Embarcadero North, Morro Bay, California, Crp 553 Project Planning Lab

CRP 553 Project Planning Laboratory

No abstract provided.

Pre-R: Making Health Care Healthier, Grant Ramil, Mark Corpuz, Eliot Mestre, Akshay Rangnekar, Alex Lin

Computer Engineering

The Pre-R project provides a central database of medical service fees offered by hospitals across the United States. The database is crowdsourced and all data points are provided by end users or by hospital providers themselves. The fees are searchable through a website (www.pre-r.com) and iOS and Android applications. The mobile applications also provide a way for users to capture a picture of any medical bill and upload it for analysis and entry to our database.

Multi-Team Strategic Game Development, Alvin Bokun Feng

Computer Engineering

No abstract provided.

Fire Analysis Of The Walter F. Dexter Building- Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Jeff Jenkins

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

The purpose of this report is to provide a fire analysis of the Walter F. Dexter Building on the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Campus. The report will detail egress analysis, notification systems, and building construction in a prescriptive approach. The report will also include a performance based analysis of the building with a designed fire scenario. This performance based analysis will show that in one of the most likely fire scenarios for the building, there is still ample time for the occupants to escape safely.

Fire Protection And Life Safety Evaluation- Hinesville Cboc Va Clinic, Jeff Dew

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

The Hinesville MOB will be analyzed throughout the course of this report to determine if it meets the prescriptive-based requirements set forth by local and national regulating bodies. Further, a performance-based approach will be taken to assess the buildings ability to sustain life while a safe and timely evacuation occurs. It will be determined that the Hinesville MOB does comply with all regulations set forth for fire and life safety. In some cases its construction and systems may exceed the required minimum standards. It will contain 100% coverage with an automatic sprinkler system, be equipped with adequate emergency notification system, …

Relationship Between Bagging Methods And Pre-Weld Holding Times On Porosity Formation In 2219 Aluminum Ac-Tig Welds, Mariah Grace Head, Tyson Daniel Mobley

Materials Engineering

The purpose of this study was to determine relationships between bagging methods and pre-weld holding times on the formation of porosity when AC-TIG welding 2219 aluminum. Considering the strict guidelines and specifications required within the aerospace industry, maintaining quality welds is of paramount importance to control part integrity for aerospace applications. This project focused on two parameters involved in the preparation of aluminum parts for welding: bagging method and pre-weld holding time. Welding geometry was simplified to bead-on plate instead of the standard joint welds. Radiographic analysis of the samples showed that all levels of both parameters produced “passing welds.” …

Characterization Of Pressure Driven And Electro-Kinetically Driven Flow In A Micro-Fluidic Chip Using Particle Imaging Velocimetry, Alexis Paige Weckel

Materials Engineering

The goal of this research is to compare electro-kinetic and pressure driven flow rates and velocity profiles (near wall vs. middle) in a microfluidic chip made of PDMS using particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) of an aqueous solution of fluorescent polystyrene (PS) particles using a laser confocal microscope (LCM). Microfluidic channels were fabricated out of PDMS using a SU-8 mold to be 25mm long and 180um by 1000um. Pressure-driven data did not show the expected parabolic profile because of the large width to depth ratio. In addition, data showed a calculated average significantly higher than the projected particle velocity through the …

Material Composition And Toxicology Of Cosmetic Products, Hilda Gonzalez

Materials Engineering

In today’s modern society, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates many industries to protect consumers’ health; the cosmetics industry is not one of them. Through self-regulation, companies continue to sell products for topical use on the body that have been known to contain toxic chemicals with little to no testing on the effects they have on the human body. The purpose of this project was to determine the content of such known toxins in five different brands of face powders. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) was used to verify the primary component and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emissions Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) was used …

Prediction Of Tribological Behavior Of Candidate Materials For Rotor Seals, John W. Franzino, Will F. Michul

Materials Engineering

To reduce high costs associated with manufacturing and testing materials for rotor seals, a procedure needs to be developed to quickly and accurately test candidate materials as they are released. The test should reduce the amount of fabrication required and model working conditions in order to accurately assess the tribological behavior of candidate materials. A possible solution was examined that utilized a rig meant to model operational stresses and wear. Compression modulus data was then taken in order to quantify the accumulation of damage due to microcracking, the primary mode of failure, through a damage index parameter. Testing results concluded …

Characterization Of A Thin Film Composite Membrane: Fluorinated Copolymer In A Carbon Nanotube Matrix, Eric P. Bonaventure, Michael A. Brew, Cynthia R. Shannon

Materials Engineering

IDEX Health and Science has created a thin-film composite membrane consisting of a carbon nanotube matrix impregnated with a fluorinated copolymer called Teflon® AF 2400. This membrane is being studied for use in degassing chambers of analytical instruments such as a High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) degassing modules. The level of impregnation of the Teflon® in the carbon matrix affects the diffusion properties which are crucial for the performance of the membrane. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) characterization techniques were used to measure the outer Teflon® and the inner carbon matrix layer thickness. The outer Teflon® and inner carbon matrix layer …

Development Of Low Temperature, Aqueous Synthesis Method Of Lead Sulfide Quantum Dots, Albert Nakao, Colin Yee

Materials Engineering

Quantum dots have become an active area of research in the past decade due to their unique properties. Quantum confinement effects allow for efficient spectral conversion and size tunable fluorescence and absorption peaks. Near infrared spectral converting lead sulfide quantum dots have potential applications in solar power, biological imaging and communications technology. However at Cal Poly, lead sulfide dots have not been synthesized. The quantum dot synthesis currently adapted at Cal Poly encompasses organometallic precursors at high reaction temperatures, producing cadmium selenium dots. The organometallic approach has been found to produce nanocrystals with high quality photoluminescence, but due to its …

The Effect Of Temperature And Extraction Technique On The Binding Interactions And Hydrolysis Of Β-Lactoglobulin With Milk Fat Globule Membrane (Mfgm), Corbin R. Kembel

Master's Theses

Whey protein, containing predominately b-Lactoglobulin (b-LG), is a popular choice among consumers looking for an excellent protein source. Likewise, fat is a natural component in milk and dairy products. Lipids are packaged within a membrane called the Milk Fat Globule Membrane (MFGM). The MGFM contains a variety of lipids and proteins. Although b-LG has been extensively characterized, the function of the protein is largely unknown. The objectives of this study were to assess the enzymatics of b-LG in an isolated system, evaluate the propensity of b-LG to bind to MFGM, determine the effects of temperature and fat extraction method on …

Beef Export Price Response To Sanitary Status And Traceability Systems: Implications For Paraguay, Silvana Careaga

Master's Theses

Global beef markets are highly influenced by sanitary issues, mainly related to animal health and food safety, which have been determining levels and trends in global beef trade. Food safety issues affecting human health such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) associated with Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease (vCJD) in humans, and other diseases affecting production such as foot and mouth disease (FMD) has encouraged putting these issues to beef trade attention. A way to address these concerns and comply with international standards is the use of traceability systems in order to quickly identify hazard sources and assure beef quality and safety. The goal …

Merry-Go-Round Human Powered Generator, Sarah Lorraine Ashe, Salvador Navarro

Electrical Engineering

How do you bring electricity to families who have limited resources in a developing country? The DC House project, advised by Dr. Taufik, provides a way for kids to have fun, exercise and generate power for their homes – play-park human powered generators. This project intends to create a more efficient and cost effective way for playground equipment to be implemented for power generation. The redesigned and reconstructed merry-go-round human powered generator converts mechanical energy into electrical energy to power the DC house. This was a fully functioning generator that needed a better voltage gain, as well as, a more …

Early Forest Fire Detection System, Princepal Singh Buttar, Arshdeep Singh Gill

Electrical Engineering

This project aims at building a prototype of a land-based early forest fire detection system using a long-wave infrared camera, powered by a 12 V motorcycle battery. It uses a system engineering approach by putting different software and hardware blocks together to come up with a unique automated system that detects fire in the field of view. The fire can be detected, from a distance of 232 feet if the fire is from a small stove or 64 feet if the fire is from a candle about the size of a quarter, within a second and sends a warning email …

Human-Powered Swing Generator, Danny Cai, Timothy Lai, Brandon Wong

Electrical Engineering

Many developing countries lack sufficient resources to provide enough electricity for every family to live with a satisfying level of comfort and convenience. Our project proposes a solution that provides families with an alternative access to electricity using a playground swing. This project addresses the design and construction of the Human-Powered Swing Generator, which converts mechanical energy to electrical energy for charging a battery. The charged battery serves as a source of DC energy for potential DC purposes, such as charging a cell phone.

Integration Of Pv & Simulated Dc Sources For The Dc House, Arvind Ramesh, Kevin Gingrich, Scott Chau

Electrical Engineering

The DC House, an ever improving project, uses only pure DC power which most renewable energy sources generate, from solar to wind power. The DC House and this project expect a donation of photovoltaic modules to supply a constant source of DC power. At the moment, the DC House desperately needs power sources because not only does the house have various loads unaccounted for, but the distribution system to determine proper power flow needs a redesign. The project chose to account for these issues by implementing a solar panel onto the DC House and a power distribution module to have …

Rfid Door Lock, Ralph Ting, Mackenzie Keane

Electrical Engineering

The RFID Door Lock is a lock that is simple to install and allows the user to easily lock and unlock doors. It will contain a RFID reader/writer and a magnetic door lock for simple use. All the user will need is an RFID tag to be able to unlock and lock the door. A LED will be used to let the user know when the door is in fact locked. The components included in the module are small and compact. Additionally, the door lock is simple and easy to install. It does not require the consumer to disassemble the …

Low Temperature Battery Monitoring And Control System – Lithium-Ion Low Temperature Case Study, Aaron Lee, Richard Tham, Ken Huynh

Electrical Engineering

This open-ended research project, co-advised by Dr. Prodanov and Dr. Dolan, studies electronic and battery failures at low temperatures (between -70 ºC to 0 ºC). The main battery technology used for this project is Lithium-ion. The research project consists of two systems: the monitoring system and the actuating system. This project accomplishes the first part and assesses the feasibility of measuring the internal impedances of batteries for low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites as a means to monitor battery health. It also monitors the effects caused by low temperature conditions through internal impedance measurements from 0 ºC through -70 °C. It includes designing …

Temporary Hvac Load Shedding Characterization And Comparison, Peter Rubis

Electrical Engineering

No abstract provided.