Digital Commons Network^™

Radiographic Density Of Selected Materials At Different Thicknesses, Thien Quang Vu-Nguyen, Bernice Mills

STAR Program Research Presentations

X-rays are widely used in medicine and materials science to identify impurities or fractures within the target object. In material science, x-rays can be used to identify the thickness of samples with different material densities. The current method is to collect a radiograph using estimated conditions, evaluate the results, then make changes to the conditions. The residual image can be rescanned making it possible to obtain an image of lower radiographic density. By tabulating or graphing the effects of energy changes and rescans, a more informed choice of conditions is possible.

For this study, six materials were chosen with a …

How Many Particles Are Present In The Air? Bioaerosol Detection Using An Air Particle Counter, Angie Pamela Rivera, Parag Vaishampayan

STAR Program Research Presentations

Relative cleanliness in terms of particle abundance in spacecraft assembly facilities is determined by particle counts carried out in clean rooms during resting conditions. Particle counters assess total particles and particle size distribution, but do not distinguish inert particles from biological particles, which may include bacterial spores that are resistant to standard cleanroom sterilization procedures. Current cleanroom certifications do not fully assess the effects of human presence on spacecraft contamination since humans are known symbionts to enumerate microorganisms and assessments are performed at rest when there is no human presence. In this study, contamination risks and bioburden in spacecraft assembly …

Radiocarbon Isotopic Classification Of Deep Tropical Forest Soils, Brooke Butler, Karis J. Mcfarlane, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Katherine A. Heckman

STAR Program Research Presentations

Tropical forest soils have an important role in global carbon (C) stocks. Small changes in the cycling of C could drastically affect atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations and active cycling of carbon in a forest community. Currently, little is understood of how tropical forest soils will respond to the increasing global temperatures. To examine the effects of warming/ drought on losses of older versus younger soil C pools, we implemented radiocarbon (14C) isotopic characterization of various soil plot samples and depths from the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. 14C was measured using Accelerated Mass Spectrometry (AMS) from catalytically condensed carbon …

Hypometabolic Stasis In Snails (Cornu Aspersum) For Adaptability And Survivability Under Extreme Environmental Conditions, Jamie Lyn D. Pacada, Lauren Mc Keown, Sadaf Esteaneh, Oscar L. Ramos, Yekaterina Popova, Yuri V. Griko

STAR Program Research Presentations

NASA’s endeavor to engage in long-haul space travel, requires a human defense system against harmful environments in space. Muscle atrophy and bone mass loss are documented effects of long term exposure to space flight environment and microgravity. Our aim is to approach an adaptation to extreme environments on the biological level, rather than simulate a terrestrial environment in space. A correlation has been shown between metabolic suppression and the protection of biological organisms from damaging effects of space environments. Certain bacteria and invertebrates have indicated a link between the reduction and suspension of metabolism, and surviving exposure to cosmic radiation. …

Collecting Diverse Microorganisms From Rover Spacecraft, Jennifer I. Jacobs, Arianna Jefferson, Heidi Aronson, James Tan, Wayne Schubert, Parag Vaishampayan

STAR Program Research Presentations

. The Planetary Protection discipline at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory develops and implements procedures to prevent both forward and backward contamination between the Earth and solar system bodies. However, there will always be some microorganisms that will be resistant to the strictest of sterilization methods. In order understand the microorganisms found on spacecraft during assembly, and to rapidly identify them, a mass spectrometry approach was developed. As an experimental approach, a custom database was created for a subset of microorganisms in the Planetary Protection Archive. In order to make the database as accurate and efficient as possible, several different procedures …

Winter Freeze Decreases The Emergence Of Fauna And Flora In California Vernal Pools, Korena S. Hendryx, Jamie Kneitel

STAR Program Research Presentations

Impacts of global climate change is observed in many ecological systems. Temporary aquatic ecosystems, including California vernal pools, are especially sensitive to climatic variation, but most species are adapted to the annual fluctuations in precipitation and temperature. Since vernal pools experience an inundation and desiccation every year, species that occupy the ecosystem have adaptations to this cycle. Many species survive drought by creating resting eggs to then re-emerge upon inundation However, climate changes outside the typical range may have deleterious effects on these populations. Moreover, climate variation can have secondary effects on the community. For example, the amount of precipitation …

Resolving Emission Lines Of Sodiumlike Fe Xvi Using Ebit, Sandi Lavito

STAR Program Research Presentations

High resolution crystal spectrometers on sounding rockets and orbiting satellites, such as the Solar Maximum Mission, show strong X-ray emission from the n= 3 to 2 transitions in neon-like Fe XVII. Two of the strongest lines are the 3d to 2p resonance and inter combination lines at 15.01 Å (3C) and 15.26 Å (3D).

Intensity ratios of these solar lines range from ~ 1.6 to 2.8. The lower ratios are a result of a line from Na-like Fe XVI inner shell satellite line blending with the Fe XVII inter combination line, 3D. The wavelength of the Na-like line is not …

Designing A Remote Aerial System To Image And Analyze The Health Of Grape Crops At Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Alexander D. Vice, Dylan Benton, Adipratnia Asmady, Andrew Mercier, Andrew Meyer, Eric Belfield, Aaron Drake

STAR Program Research Presentations

In the last decade the prevalence of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has exploded; however, the presence of UAVs in research situations is still a relatively new and untested field. The autonomous flight lab (AFL) at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a new lab site that is dedicated to using UAVs to benefit research for all backgrounds. Before AFL was able to fly missions we first needed to actually receive our vehicles, create a lab space that would provide all of the necessary resources and equipment necessary to fly, and to be granted permission by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) …

Directed Energy Deflection Laboratory Measurements, Travis Brashears, Philip Lubin, Gary B. Hughes, Peter Meinhold, Jonathan Suen, Payton Batliner, Caio Motta, Janelle Griswold, Miikka Kangas, Isabella Johansson, Yusuf Alnawakhtha, Kenyon Prater, Alex Lang, Jonathan Madajian

Statistics

We report on laboratory studies of the effectiveness of directed energy planetary defense as a part of the DE-STAR (Directed Energy System for Targeting of Asteroids and exploRation) program. DE-STAR and DE-STARLITE are directed energy "stand-off" and "stand-on" programs, respectively. These systems consist of a modular array of kilowatt-class lasers powered by photovoltaics, and are capable of heating a spot on the surface of an asteroid to the point of vaporization. Mass ejection, as a plume of evaporated material, creates a reactionary thrust capable of diverting the asteroid’s orbit. In a series of papers, we have developed a theoretical basis …

Simulations Of Directed Energy Thrust On Rotating Asteroids, Janelle Griswold, Jonathan Madajian, Isabella Johansson, Krysten Pfau, Philip Lubin, Gary B. Hughes, Aidan Gilkes, Peter Meinhold, Caio Motta, Travis Brashears, Qicheng Zhang

Statistics

Asteroids that threaten Earth could be deflected from their orbits using directed energy to vaporize the surface, as the ejected plume creates a reaction thrust that alters the asteroid’s trajectory. In this situation, a critical issue is the rotation of the asteroid relative to the directed energy beam, as this will reduce the average thrust magnitude and modify the thrust direction. Flux levels required to evaporate surface material depend on the surface material composition, rotation rate, albedo, and thermal and bulk mechanical properties of the asteroid. The observed distribution of asteroid rotation rates is used, along with an estimated range …

Assessing Functional Vasodilation In The Gracilis Collateral Arteriole, Megan T. Chu

Biomedical Engineering

Peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) involves arterial occlusion due to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. It is suggested that intermittent claudication, the most frequent clinical presentation of PAOD, is caused by impaired vasodilation. Current treatments for PAOD are not directed at improving vascular reactivity and are often insufficient. Stimulating arteriogenesis in collateral arterioles has therapeutic potential for PAOD, but because arterioles are the primary site of blood flow resistance, it is important that these treatments do not impair collateral vasodilation. Before this can be evaluated, the effects of arteriogenesis on collateral function must be studied in untreated collaterals. There is …

An Investigation Of The Effect Of Malathion On Adaptive Plasticity Of Pseudacris Sierra, Michael Jonathan Maples

Master's Theses

This thesis is composed of two chapters. Chapter one reviews what is known about adaptive plasticity in response to predators, describes the physiological systems involved in such plasticity, and outlines the evolutionary consequences of adaptive plasticity. Chapter two describes a scientific experiment that investigates how malathion may impact adaptive plasticity in the Sierran Treefrog, Pseudacris sierra. Anuran tadpoles suffer high mortality rates due to predation. In response to strong selective forces relating to these high predation rates, tadpoles evolved the ability to adaptively respond to predators through morphological and behavioral plasticity. The morphological and behavioral responses are varied and depend …

Development Of Tools Needed For Radiation Analysis Of A Cubesat Deployer Using Oltaris, Marycarmen Gonzalez-Dorbecker

Master's Theses

Currently, the CubeSat spacecraft is predominantly used for missions at Low- Earth Orbit (LEO). There are various limitations to expanding past that range, one of the major ones being the lack of sufficient radiation shielding on the Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployer (P-POD). The P-POD attaches to a launch vehicle transporting a primary spacecraft and takes the CubeSats out into their orbit. As the demand for interplanetary exploration grows, there is an equal increase in interest in sending CubeSats further out past their current regime. In a collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), students from the Cal Poly CubeSat program worked …

Identification And Abundance Of Jellyfish In The San Francisco Estuary, Carrie Fong

STAR Program Research Presentations

In 2010 the delta smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), became protected under the California Endangered Species Act. Endemic to the San Francisco Estuary, their numbers have been declining since the mid 1990s. Many factors have contributed to their low numbers, such as alterations to their habitat, predation, water diversions, and prey abundance. Several invasive species of jellyfish may be sources of competition for the native delta smelt because they both eat the same food source of copepods. From July 2010 to December 2012, samples of zooplankton, including jellyfish, were taken from 9 different stations in the high and low salinity …

Wet Chemical Synthesis And Characterization Of Nanomaterials For Solar Cell Applications, Krystle N. Sy, Ramprasad Gandhiraman, Jessica E. Koehne

STAR Program Research Presentations

During long term space missions, it is necessary to have a reliable source of energy. Solar cells are an easy and reliable way to convert energy from the sun to electrical energy. NASA has used solar cells manufactured on Earth as an energy source for many of its missions. In order to develop technologies that will enable high efficiency solar cells, we are synthesizing nanostructured materials. A range of nanostructured materials, such as titanium dioxide nanowires, nickel nanoparticles, copper nanoparticles, and silver nanoparticles/nanowires, are synthesized. In this work, we are reporting on the synthesis of these nanomaterials and the electron …

Fortifying Glass, David Guo

STAR Program Research Presentations

Glass can be very fragile, and many techniques have appeared to try to resolve this problem. One technique that has been developed to fortify glass is the depositing of metal atoms into the glass. The specific term for this technique is called “doping.” By combining different metals at different composition ratios, different levels of glass fortifications can be achieved. A pump-probe is applied to the glass which expands and contracts. By shooting electrons at the glass films, an electron diffraction pattern is achieved which contains data from the contraction and expansion of the glass film. This is where this poster …

Mindless Feeding: Is Maternal Distraction During Bottle-Feeding Associated With Overfeeding?, Rebecca B. Golen, Alison K. Ventura

Kinesiology and Public Health

Mindless eating, or eating while distracted by surrounding stimuli, leads to overeating. The present study explored whether “mindless feeding,” or maternal distraction during bottle-feeding, is associated with greater infant formula/milk intakes and lower maternal sensitivity to infant cues. Mothers and their ≤24-week-old bottle-feeding infants (N = 28) visited our laboratory for a video-recorded feeding observation. Infant intake was assessed by weighing bottles before and after the feedings. Maternal sensitivity to infant cues was objectively assessed by behavioral coding of video-records using the Nursing Child Assessment Feeding Scale. Maternal distraction was defined as looking away from the infant >75% of the …

Alternative Institutional Arrangement For Urban Transit And Intercity Railway Operations: Lessons For The U.S., Seitu Akira Coleman

City and Regional Planning

Public transportation is an important part of the U.S. transportation system. After losing popularity in the U.S. during the mid-20th century, public transportation has been making a strong comeback in major metropolitan areas since the 1990s. In an effort to reduce inner-city traffic congestion, promote environmentally sustainable development patterns, rejuvenate decaying central business districts, and take advantage of all the other externalities of public transportation (i.e., reduced air pollution, a smaller urban footprint reducing sprawl, etc.), urban areas have been actively expanding their existing systems or building completely new systems. Despite the strong interest in reinvesting in public transportation and …

Design Of A Non-Contact Home Monitoring System For Audio Detection Of Infant Apnea, Daniel T. White

Master's Theses

Infant apnea is a widespread condition in which infants fail to effectively breathe, and can lead to death. Clinical solutions exist for continuous monitoring of respirations in a hospital setting and requiring constant skin contact. This thesis investigates the construction of a proof of concept device that performs in-home monitoring without skin contact and with commonly available off-the-shelf components.

The device constructed used a directional microphone to detect breathing sounds, an omnidirectional microphone to detect ambient noise as a baseline to help isolate the breathing sounds, and LabVIEW software deployed on an inexpensive laptop computer to quantify incidents of apparent …

A Concept Validation Of A Magnetometry-Based Technology For Detecting Concealed Weapons In Vehicle Door Panels, Nar Vang

Master's Theses

Acts of insurgency have become an increasing threat resulting in extensive measures being taken by the law enforcement authorities to mitigate their devastating effects on human life and infrastructure. This thesis introduces a magnetometry-based information, and signal processing methodology for detecting concealed ferrous objects in vehicle body panels. From extensive literature research, it was observed that while magnetic sensors have been used in a variety of related applications, but they have not been extensively applied to the on-road detection of firearms and explosives concealed in vehicles. This study utilized an extensive experimental protocol for preliminary concept validation. The main idea …

Composition Effects On Sheen And Spread Rate Of An Interior Flat, One Coat Latex Paint Formulation, Dana James Christensen Ii

Master's Theses

Interior flat, white latex paint is a common coating applied to walls around the world. Development of a coating with one coat hide capability is a pinnacle achievement for paint formulators as it has the potential to save consumers both time and money. One coat paints already exist on the market, but they are limited in color, coverage, and often have many disclaimers. Work done was part of a project initiated by ChemoursTM Titanium Technologies.

The goal of the project presented in this article was to create an interior flat, white latex paint that yields a spread rate of greater …

Challenges Graduates Face When Trying To Get Their First Job In Television Broadcasting, Randie Hill

Journalism

ABSTRACT

This study demonstrates the importance and best practices associated with the challenges graduates face when trying to find their first job in television broadcasting. It analyzes what the literature states on this subject and takes a closer look at what hiring experts in two designated market areas say on the matter. This study will provide insight for graduates as they transition from the classroom to the newsroom. Graduates of journalism programs are facing a unique set of challenges because of the transition taking place in newsrooms across the country from a traditional style of news reporting to a multimedia …

Social Responsibility And Public Radio: Using Community Reporters To Make News More Responsible, Spencer Marley

Journalism

Public radio has experienced a surge in listenership. With the rapid decline in newspaper readership, radio has become one of the only methods that news can be disseminated to people across a wide socio-economic stratum. The cost of a radio is cheap and most people are spending more and more time listening in their automobiles. Recent studies show 92% of Americans age 12 or older listen to the radio weekly if not more.

With the introduction of cheap digital audio recorders and broadcast quality microphones on most smartphones, it has never been easier for the general public to produce their …

Education And How It Impacts Arrest Rates, Rosie Guzman

Journalism

This study investigates the relationship between education and the number of arrests. This study looks at how education or lack of an education impacts the rates of arrests, using data from the San Luis Obispo County. It looks at different contributing factors such as income, race and police profiling while also looking at the environment of the individuals and how these factors play a part in the relationship between education and arrest rates. Education is a big factor in one’s life and can help reduce arrest rates, especially in youth because if they are involved in a positive recreational activity …

Yielding And Microstructure In A 2d Jammed Material Under Shear Deformation, Nathan C, Keim, Paulo E. Arratia

Physics

The question of how a disordered material's microstructure translates into macroscopic mechanical response is central to understanding and designing materials like pastes, foams and metallic glasses. Here, we examine a 2D soft jammed material under cyclic shear, imaging the structure of ∼5 × 10⁴ particles. Below a certain strain amplitude, the structure becomes conserved at long times, while above, it continually rearranges. We identify the boundary between these regimes as a yield strain, defined without rheological measurement. Its value is consistent with a simultaneous but independent measurement of yielding by stress-controlled bulk rheometry. While there are virtually no irreversible …

One Earth, Mary De La Valette

Between the Species

ONE EARTH

When the birds are gone

Will we care ?

Will we sit outside

And mourn the quiet ?

Will there be

A sense of loss ?

Of missing beauty ?

Of Nature diminished ?

Or will we merely

Go inside

And turn on the TV ?

When there are

No more animals

And we own the earth

What will we do ?

When the wind

Is no longer

Soft and warm

But a raging monster

Tearing off roofs

And whipping fire,

Will we curse Nature

Or ourselves ?

And, when the oceans die

And we own

The stinking …

Poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide) Hydrogels For Storage And Delivery Of Reagents To Paper-Based Analytical Devices, Haydn T. Mitchell, Spencer Schultz, Philip Costanzo, Andres W. Martinez

Chemistry and Biochemistry

The thermally responsive hydrogel N,N'-methylenebisacrylamide-cross-linked poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) was developed and evaluated as a reagent storage and delivery system for microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (microPADs). PNIPAM was shown to successfully deliver multiple solutions to microPADs in specific sequences or simultaneously in laminar-flow configuration and was found to be suitable for delivering four classes of reagents to the devices: Small molecules, enzymes, antibodies and DNA. PNIPAM was also able to successfully deliver a series of standard glucose solutions to microPADs equipped to perform a colorimetric glucose assay. The results of these tests were used to produce an external calibration …

Accuracy Of Round Meter Gates For On-Farm Deliveries, Daniel J. Howes, Charles M. Burt

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Recent California legislation requires irrigation water agencies larger than 25,000 acres to measure volumetric water deliveries within specified levels of relative uncertainty. Although the meter gate is one of the most widely used flow measurement devices in California, little investigation has been conducted into the accuracy, limitations, and uncertainties of the rating tables developed over 60 years ago. A meter gate testing facility was constructed at the Cal Poly Irrigation Training and Research Center’s Water Resources Facility capable of testing gates up to 0.76 m (30 in.). The facility was constructed with gates oriented perpendicular to the supply channel flow …

Rating Rectangular Farm Delivery Meter Gates For Flow Measurement, Daniel J. Howes, Charles M. Burt

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Traditional meter gates for farm delivery flow measurement from an open channel conveyance have traditionally incorporated round canal gates (Armco type) for control. In recent years, some irrigation water agencies (i.e., irrigation districts) have replaced deteriorating round gates with lower-cost rectangular gates that cover round holes. Similar to the situation described in a companion paper, where round gates were examined, there have been no investigations into flow measurement uncertainty using the existing rating tables for these gates. In this study, two commonly used rectangular gate sizes, 0.46 m (18-in.) and 0.61 m (24-in.), were tested under scenarios of various gate …

Towards Bioregenerative Life Support For Extended Human Exploration: Experiment Development For Testing The Fitness Of Algae In Space, Audrey Fry, R. Craig Everroad, Jessica E. Koehne, Thomas E. Murphy, Brad M. Bebout

STAR Program Research Presentations

Microbes such as algae and bacteria are promising candidates for supporting extended human space travel, as they are robust sources of food, fuel, waste cycling, and oxygen production. Growing microbes on membranes reduces the mass and water demands of a bioreactor system, both of which are important considerations in space travel. The European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) on the International Space Station (ISS) provides an ideal opportunity to test the effects of microgravity and other aspects of the space environment on algal growth on membranes. This project aims to find optimal growing conditions and measurement technologies that conform to the …