Digital Commons Network^™

Influence Of Nanosilver Surface Charge On Cytotoxic Efficacy Against Cancer Cells, Elliot Frey

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

Silver and silver-based products are known to cause cytotoxic effects to both microbes and eukaryotic cells. Because of this property, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are being studied for their potential in targeted tumor treatments. Previous studies with microbes suggest that AgNPs with cationic capping agents possess enhanced cytotoxicity by virtue of Coulombic attraction between the nanoparticle and the negatively-charged cell wall. Since animal cells possess similar negatively-charged plasma membranes, this research hypothesized that human cells would be more susceptible to positively-charged AgNPs than to negatively-charged AgNPs. To investigate this hypothesis, cancerous cervical cells (HeLa) and healthy fibroblast cells (3T3) were subjected …

The Effect Of Hormones And Hormonal Contraceptives On The Antibiotic Resistance Of Escherichia Coli, Chase Bowen, Rianna Flores

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

Main Conclusions (Experiment 1-Hypothesis: Induction of efflux pumps by hormone) • The growth rates of wild-type and K12 E. coli strains are significantly inhibited by the presence of ciprofloxacin. The addition of 100ug/ml hormone slightly reduced the growth in the presence of antibiotic which suggests that hormone does not induce or activate efflux pumps. • The 0.0015ug/ml ciprofloxacin concentration used in this experiment was too low for CFT073, a uropathogenic strain, but 0.003ug/ml did cause some growth inhibition. Growth with and without hormone was essentially the same suggesting that the higher efflux activity of CFT073 could rid the cells of …

Marine Virus Isolation For Use In Phage Templating Of Nanoparticles, Pranav Santan, Morgan Smith-Boeck, Siddharth Prabhu

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

Over the course of the past year, we experimented with bacteriophage (phage) isolation from both fresh and marine water. We also tested two different chemical flocculation techniques, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and iron chloride. Furthermore, we tested different vesicles in which chemical flocculation occurs, such as separation funnels, centrifuge tubes, and Erlenmeyer flasks. We analyzed the effectiveness of flocculation via florescent microscopy. Each flocculated sample was visually compared to the original unconcentrated sample by staining the DNA with SYBR-Green. A successful concentrated viral sample yielded a >10 fold increase in overall fluorescence. We found that both iron chloride and PEG were …

Development Of An Automatous Ground Robot For Strawberry Yield Monitoring, Charlie Ross, Shane Thulin

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

The objective of this project was to design and build an autonomous agricultural robot platform that is ready to be adapted for strawberry yield predication. The robot was required to have an all-electric drivetrain as a requirement for the project. A key requirement for this robot is to have the flexibility to be used with different crops and with different applications. It is also designed to be able to change width for use in fields with varying row spacing. The end product of these design requirements is a robot platform that has the capability of supporting a payload in excess …

Quantifying Reproductive Output Of Marine Benthic Species Kelletia Kelletii Surrounding The 2016 El Nino Event, Justin Palmer

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

Nearly all of the marine fish and shellfish living along coastlines release microscopic larvae into the open ocean. The larvae then disperse for weeks to months before settling back into coral reefs and kelp forests. The larvae are too small and they travel too far to be tracked directly. Yet, knowing where these larvae settle is important for conservation and management. By quantifying the origins of a reef’s population, one can determine the extent to which that reef is dependent on other fish and shellfish populations for the replenishment of the next generation. Understanding these patterns of “connectivity” and “dependency” …

Investigating The Mechanism By Which Southern Sea Otters (Enhydra Lutris Nereis) Facilitate The Invasion Of An Exotic Fouling Bryozoan, Maggie Jenkins

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

I made progress on satisfying the objectives I set out to accomplish for my thesis project. Since spring of 2016, I designed and built predatory exclusion cages, deployed cages at the North T-Pier, and trapped crabs and maintained them at the Cal Poly pier. Additionally, I led over 30 scientific dives and collected sea otter foraging data weekly. I still need to run the foraging data through the Sea Otter Foraging Analysis (SOFA) program develop by Dr. Tim Tinker. However, based on my observations, clams comprise a majority of the sea otter diet in Morro Bay, but crabs still seem …

Theses And Professional Projects Abstracts

Focus

For fulfilment of the MCRP degree, the CRP department offers the student a choice between a final comprehensive planning studio, a thesis, or a professional project. The following abstracts represent master’s theses and projects approved during the 2015/2016 academic year. They are all available from Cal Poly’s Kennedy Library at http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses.

The Impact Of A Smarter Lunchrooms Makeover On Children's Food Choice And Consumption, Polina Zhuzhina

Master's Theses

Childhood obesity has tripled over the past three decades and poses a serious public health problem. The Smarter Lunchrooms Movement aims to increase healthy eating by incorporating low-cost to no-cost alterations to the school lunchroom in an effort to increase consumption of healthier foods, such as fruits and vegetables, by making them more attractive and convenient.

Our study implemented Smarter Lunchrooms interventions at two primarily Hispanic elementary schools in Paso Robles, CA. The interventions focused on increasing the appeal of the salad bars, including installation of age-appropriate signage highlighting fruits and vegetables, as well as branding of fruits and vegetables …

Romberg Tiburon Center (Rtc) Head House 2016, Thomas Fowler, Iv

Architecture

No abstract provided.

Solution Casting And Mechanical Testing Of Arabinan-Cellulose Nanocomposites, Kevin Su, Alina Lusebrink

Materials Engineering

The purpose of this work was to investigate methods to produce consistent, reliable, and testable thin films of arabinan-cellulose nanocomposites. Mechanical properties and composition of the Opuntia ficus-indica cactus spines served as motivation for this research. The high specific strength and stiffness, biodegradability, and sustainability of these spines inspired the creation of composites fabricated from the same materials found in cactus spines: arabinan and nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC). Arabinan serves as the matrix material and NCC as the reinforcement. To explore the feasibility of using a non-toxic solvent, different solution casting techniques with water as a solvent were investigated. Ultrasonication was …

Market Lamb Sae Handbook, Meagan Dunlap

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to create an educational booklet to guide agriculture students through their market lamb SAE project. It is intended to be used as a resource for both novice exhibitors and agriculture teachers. The handbook contains information on how to select, raise, and show a market lamb for a local county fair. The goal of the project was to provide students and teachers with one resource that contains all of the necessary research to complete a market lamb SAE project. It is hoped that the handbook will give novice exhibitors a competitive advantage in the show …

Effect Of The 2013-2015 California Drought On Small Mammal Abundance And Diversity In Chaparral, Oak Woodland And Riparian Habitats, Nicole Desideri

Biological Sciences

Long-term biodiversity surveys are a useful tool for assessing the impacts of stochastic events on wildlife and their communities. A recent stochastic event to affect the state of California is the historic 2013-2015 drought. This drought, described as a one-in-one-thousand year event, brought precipitation to a historic low; the statewide rainfall reaching 34% below average (Swain et al. 2014). While humans are feeling the impact of this water shortage, the effects on native ecosystems and wildlife populations are poorly documented. Baseline small mammal biodiversity data collected in 2011, before the drought, allows us the opportunity to study the impacts of …

Reducing Food And Packaging Waste Through Developing Edible Fruit Based Packaging Prototypes, Melanie Thatcher

Materials Engineering

Packaging is used to contain, preserve, protect, and advertise both manufactured and natural products. In 2013 it was reported that over thirty percent of solid waste in the United States was from packaging. One way to reduce the impact of packaging on the environment is to create a solution that is edible and sourced from a waste or secondary food product that is not currently being utilized. Food-contact packaging made from recycled materials must meet strict U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations to be utilized as raw material for packaging. Fruit pomace is a candidate material since it may …

Graduate Internship In Agricultural Education: Santa Maria High School, Amanda L. Rodriguez

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

This graduate internship report includes validation documents 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 Santa Maria High School conducted by representatives of the California Department of Education. The internship included the planning and development of a fully equipped agriscience laboratory to be utilized as a way to enhance the curriculum and instruction for various agriscience classes within the department.

Graduate Internship Report Agricultural Education: Patterson High School, Samantha Cahill

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

A Rhetorical Criticism Of Blackfish: Making Waves In Orca Activism, Lindsay Beisheim

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

#Likeagirl: Realizing The Communicative Potential Of Fourth Wave Feminism, Samantha Keville

Communication Studies

Although the notion of feminism has existed among humanity for centuries, it continues to remain one of the most ambiguous and controversial terms in today's society. Throughout history, there have been numerous efforts enacted among humanity aimed at honing women's rights, typically falling under the categories of first, second, and third wave feminism. Recent discussion has taken place regarding the emergence of a new wave of feminism existing today, known as fourth wave feminism. Fourth wave feminism is a movement characterized by the utilization of technology to enhance feminist ideals. Many companies have developed an association with the feminist movement …

Using Hadoop To Identify False Positives In Bacterial Strain Typing From Dna Fingerprints, Colin C. Adams

Computer Science and Software Engineering

Pyroprinting is a novel technique used by the Department of Biological Sciences to obtain “fingerprints” from the DNA of E. coli isolates in order to categorize them into strains. To determine the number of false positives that occur in the pyroprinting process, isolates with the same pyroprints needed to be sequenced to see if their underlying alleles match. If they do match, this shows they are indeed the same strain and are a true positive. If the alleles don’t match, they are different strains and are a false positive. To do this 100 isolates with nucleotide identifiers were sequenced. Over …

How-To Understand And Create Hip-Hop Art, Joshua Wolcott

Graphic Communication

Typography is an essential component of Graphic Communication. The purpose of this study was to bridge typography with hip-hop art. To bridge the two disciplines, hip-hop art was presented in the context that it is actually practiced by these artists. The use of a questionnaire and a drawing lesson was intended to bring the subject within its true context. Presenting the art form in its true context enabled participants involved in the study to understand the art form with the perspective that the discipline, like typography, involves the use of lettering. Participants that were interested in drawing were able to …

Biomimetic Seal Flipper Test Rig, Gordon D. Belyea, Laura Kawashiri, Dylan Rinker, Kurt Beske

Mechanical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Chiquita Ridge Specific Plan City Of Rancho Santa Margarita, Rachel Du Mont

City and Regional Planning

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Myth Of Allelopathy In California Blue Gum Plantations, Kristen Marie Nelson

Master's Theses

It is widely accepted that allelopathy is not only significant, but more or less singular, in the inhibition of understory vegetation in California Eucalyptus globulus (blue gum) plantations. However, there is no published documentation of allelopathy by blue gums against California native species. Here, we present evidence that germination and early seedling growth of five California native species are not inhibited by chemical extracts of blue gum foliage, either at naturally-occurring or artificially concentrated levels. In the greenhouse, seeds were germinated in field-collected soil from mature blue gum plantations and the adjacent native, coastal scrub communities. In petri plates, seeds …

Regrowth Of Chlorella Sorokiniana On Recycled Media With Replenished Nutrients, William H. Spence

Master's Theses

Growth media recycling during algae cultivation is necessary to increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of biofuel production from algae feedstocks. Without recycling media, the cost of algae based biofuel production would be prohibitively high and large scale algae based biofuel production would not be economically viable. The ratio of media recycled to media wasted assumed for algae farms is generally calculated to maintain salt concentrations below growth inhibitory levels, ignoring the influence of secondary metabolites which might decrease productivity. Secondary metabolites, which include allelopathic or auto-inhibitory biological contaminants, might lead to the accumulation of growth-inhibiting compounds in recycled …

Influence Of Chelating Agents On Proteolysis Of Micellar Casein Slurries, Azucena Becerril Diez

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Influence of chelating agents on proteolysis

of micellar casein slurries

Azucena Becerril Díez

The focus of this research was to analyze the effect of Ca chelators on the proteolytic activity of rennet during ripening of a micellar casein slurry. This research was divided in two phases. During the first phase, preliminary studies were performed to understand the behavior of rennet and the milk system in the presence of chelating agents. A solution of reconstituted skim milk at 10% (w/v) was prepared. Individual samples of this solution were divided in two study groups, samples with chelators and rennet and samples …

The Chorro Valley Trail From Cal Poly To Cuesta College, Nichole M. Garner

City and Regional Planning

No abstract provided.

Design And Testing Of An Autonomous Ground Robot For Agricultural Applications, Lukas L. Hannemann

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This senior project discusses the design and testing of an autonomous ground robot for agricultural applications such as strawberries. The vehicle will feature a robotic arm that will be programmed to perform various tasks, such as collecting soil and leaf samples of the crop or measuring soil moisture and salinity. Various components were chosen to be implemented on the vehicle due its power requirements and operating environment. Finite Element Analysis testing was done on the frame of the vehicle to ensure the adequacy of the design.

A Fish Out Of (Open) Water: A Close Textual­-Intertextual Analysis Of The Monterey Bay Aquarium, Danielle Berton

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Lgbtqia Representation In College Media, Alexis Mccoy-Caso

Journalism

This study and project looks at LGBTQIA representation in college media and how there can be more and better. The purpose is to improve LGBTQIA representation college media outlets. The study includes three interviews with experts as well as a review of literature.

Healthy Eating Standards And Communication Strategies: An Assessment Of California Polytechnic State University’S Campus Dining, Emma Kuchera

Journalism

This study focuses on various aspects of the lack of healthy food options on college campuses, specifically looking at food offered at the dining facilities at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.

Design Of An Aquaponics System, Jesse Birsinger

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

This Senior Project discusses the design, cost analysis, and evaluation of an aquaponics system. The system incorporates aquaculture and hydroponics to create a source of fish protein and various crops. The system was sized based off a minimum requirement of pounds of fish available per week. The system designed is capable of generating 2080 pounds of catfish, and 16,000 pounds of produce annually. The first year of operation the system will operate at a loss due to the significant cost of the components of the system, however, the project is projected to generate a minimum stream of revenue of $10,600 …