Digital Commons Network^™

Seven Sisters: A Central Coast Kombucha Company, Emma Jones

Graphic Communication

Seven Sisters is an innovative, fictitious local kombucha brand that serves as a capstone project. This project will use all of the skills learned in the graphic communication department at Cal Poly. The company will be called Seven Sisters (named after the mountain range in San Luis Obispo) and imitate a small local business. By focusing my project on creating a brand, the graphic communication skills used will include: marketing, graphic design, branding, logo and product design, packaging, and social media. Further, kombucha is an intriguing product for to work with because it is a relevant and new market with …

Aged 539 Graduate Internship Report - Pacheco High School, Spencer C. Bronken

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This internship and project report includes validation documents required in meeting the quality criteria for secondary-level programs of instruction in agriculture. The supporting material includes information to receive state and local funding, outline the goals and objectives of the program, along with an overview of Pacheco High School, the agriculture program, and the community.

The Perceptions And Effects Of Nutrition On Worker Health And Productivity In Construction, Matthew Scott Howell

Construction Management

Construction workers often have poor dietary habits due to poor nutrition education, lack of nutritious food options, and social stigma. These habits often lead to health problems like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease which can decrease productivity and put workers at risk of on-site injury. This preliminary study examines how nutrition impacts worker safety and productivity. A survey was distributed to six students involved in construction work for Cal Poly’s Residential Construction course. This survey identified their eating habits and inhibitors for healthy eating. Two meals, one with high nutritional value and one with low nutritional value, were given to …

Slo Coffee Co., Catherine Yoshida

Graphic Communication

SLO Coffee Co. is a fictional coffee brand based out of San Luis Obispo, California. Specifically, I focus on the creation of a comprehensive, intentional brand that includes a logo, the designs of three coffee bags, and an Instagram page, all of which are emphasized by grounding a brand through beautiful and deliberate graphics. SLO Coffee Co. branding targets a younger demographic and residents of San Luis Obispo. This is achieved through the implementation of brighter colors, fun and playful typefaces, and graphics that communicate the essence of San Luis Obispo and beloved local spots.

A local coffee brand based …

Recurring Errors In Studies Of Gender Differences In Variability, Theodore P. Hill

Research Scholars in Residence

The past quarter century has seen a resurgence of research on the controversial topic of gender differences in variability, in part because of its potential implications for the issue of under- and over-representation of various subpopulations of our society, with respect to different traits. Unfortunately, several basic statistical, inferential, and logical errors are being propagated in studies on this highly publicized topic. These errors include conflicting interpretations of the numerical significance of actual variance ratio values; a mistaken claim about variance ratios in mixtures of distributions; incorrect inferences from variance ratio values regarding the relative roles of sociocultural and biological …

Two Distinctions About Eating Animals, A.G. Holdier

Between the Species

In this paper I describe two distinctions about what “eating animals” entails which are often confused in conversations or arguments aimed against meat-based diets and try to show how both distinctions, on their own lights, ultimately support a concern for all fellow creatures, regardless of species or other biological categories. The distinctions in question are: the distinction between moral and nonmoral actions, presumptions about which serve to define whether or not particular topics (like meat consumption) deserve moral consideration whatsoever, and the distinction between moral and immoral actions, about which suppositions bear on both reflexive and considered moral …

The Ins And Outs Of Undergraduate Research And Leadership: A Student's Perspective, Regina F. Hockert

Kinesiology and Public Health

This manuscript is a reflective write-up of Regina Hockert’s experience in completing KINE 462, Honors Kinesiology Senior Project, during the 2022 Fall Quarter. It describes their experience as an undergraduate research leader, including specific milestones and artifacts related to a broader replication study and the daily activities of Dr. Jafrā Thomas’ lab. This essay was designed to be a written reflection around their senior project presentation and the insights shared through that medium about the senior project experience. It is created to showcase lessons learned in relationship with the tasks and responsibilities required of working in-depth on student-led research. …

Slo Hard Seltzer, Abby M. Fahey

Graphic Communication

For my senior project, I created an alcoholic seltzer brand called SLO Seltzer. SLO Seltzer is marketed towards young adults of all genders ranging from the ages of 21 to 26 who are either currently living in San Luis Obispo or who have a personal connection to the area. I designed a unique logo, created eye-catching packaging prototypes, and developed a cohesive social media presence which encapsulates the business’ brand, goals, and values.

To complete this project, I began by researching the current alcoholic seltzer market to find out which business strategies have created the most successful brands and use …

Metabolic Changes Associated With Gestational Diabetes And Weight Loss, Marykate Smith

Master's Theses

Introduction: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is diabetes diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy and negatively affects the mother and her child. Research suggests a multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention may aid in the reduction of GDM and its complications. Further, the use of metabolomics is needed to understand the alterations that happen prior to GDM diagnosis to reduce its recurrence.

Objective: Metabolomics analysis was conducted at baseline and 16-weeks post-intervention for women enrolled in a pre-pregnancy lifestyle intervention study to observe metabolic changes associated with GDM occurrence and weight loss.

Methodology: Sixteen samples from the parent Gestational Diabetes Prevention trial were …

Raising Native Plant Awareness As A Method For Re-Naturalization, Meredith L. Haaker

Social Sciences

Humans are inseparable from the natural environment. We are one and the same, interconnected within the ecology of creation and care, not only destruction. By grounding ourselves in Indigenous wisdom and the principles of Traditional Ecological Knowledge, we are more able to recognize the important relational facets between humans and three native Californian plants (California black walnut, California blue elderberry, California bay laurel). In introducing Kimmerer’s concept of re-naturalization of humans, we can draw a connection to the same process a naturalized plant undergoes; immigration from a foreign place, dependence on the surrounding resources, and settlement of an area …

Beef Bull Selection And Management Affecting Breeding Season Outcomes For California Cattle Producers On Rangelands, Megan Banwarth

Master's Theses

California’s approximately 660,000 head of beef cattle are highly dependent on range bulls used to produce offspring that can perform across the state’s diverse ecological regions. While knowledge of bull breeding behavior and the technology used to monitor cattle movement and behavior is critical to maximize conception rates and the overall efficiency in natural service sires on rangelands. Bulls need to be functional on rugged coastal landscapes, rolling foothills, deserts, and in high-elevation terrain. Few data exist that indicate factors related to selection, maintenance, and longevity of bulls used in rangeland landscapes. Objectives herein, were to assess factors influencing bull …

Dietary Protein Intakes, Distribution Patterns, And Quality In Ncaa Divsion 1 Soccer Players, Jun H. Kwon

Master's Theses

Dietary protein is required to support recovery and adaptation following exercise training. While prior research demonstrates that many athletes meet total daily protein needs, intake seems to be predominantly skewed toward the evening meal. An even distribution of protein doses throughout the course of a day is theorized to confer greater skeletal muscle anabolism compared to a skewed pattern of intake. Protein quality is also an important dietary consideration for athletes, with the amino acid leucine being the primary driver of the postprandial anabolic response. The present thesis investigates the protein consumption characteristics among a selected cohort of NCAA Division …

Mediterranean-Style Diet And Exercise Improve Parameters For Management And Prevention Of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Stefani Ann Derrick

Master's Theses

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic condition recognized as the inability to maintain glucose homeostasis, typically presenting with insulin resistance and systemic inflammation. With the prevalence of T2DM and major risk factors such as prediabetes and obesity increasing each year, there is a crucial need to identify strategies for the management and prevention of this condition. Addressing lifestyle-related risk factors through consumption of a well-balanced, nutritious diet and maintaining regular moderate- to high-intensity physical activity may provide a strategy for improving glycemic control, improving metrics of body composition, and decreasing the inflammatory response associated with metabolic dysregulation. Twenty-two …

Academic Senate - Agenda, 11/29/2022, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Infant Age Moderates Associations Between Infant Temperament And Maternal Technology Use During Infant Feeding And Care, Maya I. Davis, Camille M. Delfosse, Alison K. Ventura

Kinesiology and Public Health

Previous research illustrated that infants’ temperamental traits shape parents’ behaviors, but parents’ behaviors can also elicit or intensify infants’ behaviors in ways that shape temperament. One understudied aspect of parenting that may exhibit bidirectional influences with temperament is parent technology use (e.g., use of mobile devices) within family contexts. To date, few studies have examined whether maternal technology use is associated with infant temperament and whether age-related differences in these associations exist. The present study was a secondary analysis of pooled data from three infant feeding studies. Mothers (n = 374) of young infants (age 16.2 ± 6.2 weeks) …

Vermicompost Versus Traditional Compost Amendments Leads To Different Soil Health Outcomes In A Mediterranean Vineyard, Elizabeth L. Luck

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

Compost application has become a common practice in vineyard management to increase soil and crop health, however, the environmental externalities such as greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from cropping systems that utilize organic fertilizers, such as compost, is uncertain. Vermicompost, which is compost created through the digestion of organic matter by earthworms, and its related ‘extract’ are commonly thought to provide more benefits for soil and crop health compared to standard compost. However, organic fertilizers such as vermicompost, vermicompost extract, and compost have not been compared in their effects on soil health in Mediterranean vineyards. In this two-year study, I assessed …

Impacts Of Fertility On Physiological Stress, Photosynthetic Activity, And Crop Development In Salanova Lettuce, Sarah I. Miller

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

The agricultural industry is one of the main drivers of soil degradation due to conventional crop production methods and overuse of soil which results in accelerated erosion, loss of soil fertility, acidification, and salinization (Lal, 2015). Loss of soil fertility from degradation can be detrimental to crop production as plants grown under nutrient limited conditions show signs of physiological stress and reduced photosynthetic rates leading to reduced yields (Zangani et al., 2021). Organic crop production and fertilizers are viable alternatives to conventional methods as they improve soil fertility and the physiological and biological properties of soil (Ilahi et al., 2021). …

Cofermentation, Post-Alcoholic, And Post-Malolactic Fermentation Blending Of Malbec, Merlot And Petite Sirah Wines, Armando Arturo Vega-Osorno

Master's Theses

A two-year study was conducted to assess the effects of cofermentation on red wine varietals. During the winemaking process, wines can be made from two or more varieties by picking, crushing and fermenting them together, a practice known as cofermentation. They can also be blended either after the completion of alcoholic fermentation or after malolactic fermentation. In the first year of the study, two grape varieties, Merlot (Mer), and Malbec (Mal) were cofermented. On the second year, a third varietal, Petite Sirah (PS) was also studied. Cofermented wines containing every possible binomial combination of the varietals was made and one …

Review Of Madeleine L.H. Campbell's Animals, Ethics And Us, Teddy Duncan Jr.

Between the Species

In Animals, Ethics, and Us, Dr. Madeleine L.H. Campbell offers insight into the moral landscape of human-animal relations through a specific ethical framework that rejects the rights of non-human animals, opting instead for a “qualified utilitarian approach” (2019, 9). For Campbell, animal ethics should not be bound to animal rights or the autonomy of individual animals; she asserts that animal rights should not factor into the moral consideration of animals at all. Since she does not confer animals a moral status or form of rights and instead relies on the utilitarian approach, Campbell attempts to locate the justifying logic …

Testing The Reliability Of Civic Science Data Collection Of Plant Traits In A Perennial Sunflower Domestication Experiment, Robyn A. Brooks

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

Civic science has been prevalent in environmental science for many years. The use of volunteers and the community as a helping hand in research continues to link society and science, as well as increases the magnitude and breadth of environmental studies. Assessments of data quality produced by civic science is an important component in validating the accuracy and reliability of the research. In this study, the reliability of civic science was tested by assessing the variation within data gathered from undergraduate Cal Poly students. Using a common garden experimental set up, the health of twelve wildtype silphium genotypes were assessed …

Evaluating Traditional And Novel Modalities Of Self-Monitoring In Females With Low-Literacy & Obesity: A Feasibility Study, Anita H. Kelleher

Master's Theses

This study aimed to determine the feasibility of three distinct self-monitoring modalities employed as part of a weight-loss intervention among Spanish- and Mixtec-speaking women with low-no literacy who were overweight or obese (body mass index, BMI> 25). Primary outcomes assessed include self-monitoring adherence, weight, body composition, and diet quality. Participants (n=18) were recruited from the Cal Poly Women and Infants Mobile Health Unit, and contacted if they had a BMI> 25 and did not attend school beyond elementary level (6th grade). Upon enrollment, participants were asked to attend a weekly meeting at which the lifestyle intervention was delivered by a …

Growing Character: A Model For Incorporating Sel & Social Justice In Agriculture Education, Sergio Corona-Munoz

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

Growing Character: A Model for Incorporating SEL & Social Justice in Agricultural Education is a three lesson series intended to model how agriculture spaces, specifically school gardens, can be utilized in conjunction with the principles of social emotional learning and social justice education. The goal is to create an educational experience that empowers students with the skills needed for healthy emotional management and socially conscious behavior.

Measuring Accessibility For Pedestrians, Bicyclists, And Transit Riders To Grocery Stores In The Excelsior/Outer Mission Neighborhoods Of San Francisco, Alexandra Lee-Gardner

Master's Theses

Grocery stores are an important amenity in neighborhoods and access to grocery stores is important for health and well-being. While grocery store accessibility is a popular topic of research, studies measuring access for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders are extremely rare. When a new store opened in the Excelsior/Outer Mission districts of San Francisco on a street lacking basic infrastructure for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders, the importance of this study became apparent. The Excelsior/Outer Mission neighborhood has a shocking number of collisions (over 1,100 between 2015 and 2019), elevated levels of walking, biking, and transit ridership, and minimal safe …

The Effects Of Cofermentation Of Cider And Apple Pomace On Cider Attributes, Abigail D. Affonso

Master's Theses

Phenolics are critical to the sensory attributes and health benefits of hard cider due to their contribution to the flavor, mouthfeel, and antioxidant activity. With the increase in demand for cider, the use of dessert apple varieties has become more common leaving ciders lacking in phenolics. However, a promising method to increase their phenolic content is through maceration with apple pomace. This study evaluated the effect maceration with apple pomace during cider fermentation on the extraction of phenolic compounds, as well as its effect on the sensory properties of the final product. For this study, ciders were fermented with 0% …

Montagna Restaurant Brand And Website Development, Kevin A. Shin-Wheeler

Graphic Communication

My goal for this project was to provide engaging branding and collateral for the fictitious Montagna restaurant to increase its consistency and tangibility. I wanted to create a design guideline for all aspects of the Montagna brand to ensure that Montagna’s logo, typefaces, colors, interaction elements, and other stylistic choices are aesthetically pleasing and match the brand’s identity. Next, set out to make an accessible, interactive, and exciting website for the restaurant and a cohesive menu aligning with the design specifications. Although the brand is fictitious, I wanted to design it with actual needs in mind so that somebody could …

A Comparative Study Of The Effects Of Microalgae On Poultry Production, Taylor Kaitlyn O'Lear Reid

Master's Theses

Research has shown Spirulina to be a viable feedstuff in poultry production. Other species of microalgae are being studied to determine their effects on poultry production. This project compared four microalgaes: Hydrodictyon, Vaucheria, Uronema, and Spirulina and was broken down into three trials. The first experiment investigated the digestibility of an algae species, Spirulina, in broiler chicken diets. Eighty, 25-day-old Ross 708 broiler chicks were sorted into 20 metabolism cages and received one of two diets: Control Diet or Test Diet (75% basal diet + 25% Spirulina). The apparent ileal amino acid digestibility (AIAAD) of lysine, methionine, cysteine, threonine, isoleucine, …

Smart Bottle Ble Integration, Joshua M. Rizzolo

Electrical Engineering

In 1975, four percent of children aged five to nineteen were categorized as overweight or obese. As of 2016, this figure climbed above 18 percent [1]. Researchers at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) want to investigate the effect of overeating in early childhood on later childhood obesity. This research requires collecting feeding pattern data on infants, which proves challenging. Parents cannot be relied on to regularly collect clean data due to factors including work schedule, multitasking, and general exhaustion. Thus, we have developed a tool to automatically collect data on feeding frequency and duration, as well …

The Impact Of High-Anthocyanin Berry Supplementation On Cardiometabolic Markers In Humans: A Systematic Review Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Control Trials, Mia M. Abram

Master's Theses

Relevance: Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Observational and experimental evidence has shown that fruits high in polyphenols can reduce morbidity and mortality of heart disease. Introduction: This systematic review meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the current evidence for anthocyanin-rich fruit supplementation amelioration of hypertension. Methods: Articles were identified, collected, screened, then data were analyzed via CMAv.2 for overall effect on blood pressure, nitric oxide, flow mediated dilation and pulse wave velocity. Results: The analysis showed a small, significant effect on diastolic blood pressure. No moderator groups had significant effects, though some individual subcategories showed significant effects. …

Aged 539 Binder, Sierra Spratt

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This report details the role of an assistant coach with the responsibilities of managing coaching support and events.

Aged 539 Graduate Internship Report - Cal Poly Rodeo, Delisa C. Fracchia

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This report details the role of an assistant coach with the responsibility of managing social media.