Digital Commons Network^™

Iris Biometric Identification Using Artificial Neural Networks, Kevin Joseph Haskett

Master's Theses

A biometric method is a more secure way of personal identification than passwords. This thesis examines the iris as a personal identifier with the use of neural networks as the classifier. A comparison of different feature extraction methods that include the Fourier transform, discrete cosine transform, the eigen analysis method, and the wavelet transform, is performed. The robustness of each method, with respect to distortion and noise, is also studied.

The Development And Validation Of Sinatra: A Three-Dimensional Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (Dsmc) Code Written In Object-Oriented C++ And Performed On Cartesian Grids, David Matthew Galvez

Master's Theses

The field of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) primarily involves the approximation of the Navier-Stokes equations. However, these equations are only valid when the flow is considered continuous such that molecular interactions are abundant and predictable. The Knudsen number, $Kn$, which is defined as the ratio of the flow's mean free path, $\lambda$, to some characteristic length, $L$, quantifies the continuity of any flow, and when this parameter is large enough, alternative methods must be employed to simulate gases. The Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is one which simulates rarefied gas flows by directly simulating the particles that compose the …

More Rapid Increase In Bmi From Age 5–15 Is Associated With Elevated Weight Status At Age 24 Among Non-Hispanic White Females, Katherine N. Balantekin, Emily E. Hohman, Elizabeth L. Adams, Michele E. Marini, Alison K. Ventura, Leann L. Birch, Jennifer S. Savage

Kinesiology and Public Health

Background: A rapidly increasing BMI trajectory throughout childhood is associated with negative health outcomes in adulthood such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. The purpose of the current study was to assess whether BMI trajectories from age 5–15 predicted changes in weight and BMI from adolescence to adulthood, and dieting-related behaviors in young adulthood.

Methods: Non-Hispanic White female participants from Early Dieting in Girls (n=182), a longitudinal cohort study, were followed from age 5 to 15 and completed a follow-up survey at age 24. Participants were classified by age 5–15 BMI trajectory groups: UPC, accelerated weight gain from age …

A Zoopolean Look At Animal Research Ethics, Andrew T. Fenton

Between the Species

I will discuss how animal laboratory research can be ethically analyzed using Donaldson and Kymlicka’s political theory of animal rights. To accomplish this, I will not presuppose their strong animal rights framework. Donaldson and Kymlicka’s approach revolves around some basic human-animal relationships, reflecting the relational turn in applied ethics writ large. However, they do not discuss laboratory animal research in any detail, and so an extension to that domain of animal use is in order. Donaldson and Kymlicka’s emphasis on human-animal relationships is useful for reminding ourselves that in laboratories various staff or personnel can develop bonds with captive animals …

Water Hammer Protection For Pumped Turnouts On Aging Pipelines, Charles M. Burt, Zachary C. Markow

BioResource and Agricultural Engineering

Water hammer in an irrigation district pipeline is typically caused by sudden changes in turnout flow rates. A sudden shutoff of a booster pump, or a rapid closure of a turnout valve, can potentially cause surge damage. The problem occurs if the pressure exceeds the pressure rating of the pipeline. As pipes age, their pressure rating typically declines. This report describes three different solutions that utilize a combination of these techniques/devices to provide district pipeline protection from water hammer.

Inducing Ni Sensitivity In The Ni Hyperaccumulator Plant Alyssum Inflatum Nyárády (Brassicaceae) By Transforming With Cax1, A Vacuolar Membrane Calcium Transporter, Rasoul Ghasemi, Hoorieh Share, Roza Sharif, Robert S. Boyd, Nishanta Rajakaruna

Biological Sciences

The importance of calcium in nickel tolerance was studied in the nickel hyperaccumulator plant Alyssum inflatum by gene transformation of CAX1, a vacuolar membrane transporter that reduces cytosolic calcium. CAX1 from Arabidopsis thaliana with a CaMV35S promoter accompanying a kanamycin resistance gene was transferred into A. inflatum using Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Transformed calli were subcultured three times on kanamycin-rich media and transformation was confirmed by PCR using a specific primer for CAX1. At least 10 callus lines were used as a pool of transformed material. Both transformed and untransformed calli were treated with varying concentrations of either calcium (1–15 mM) or …

The Effect Of Destoning And Enzymatic Pretreatments On The Biofuel Production From Olive Cake, Patrick Tai

Master's Theses

More than 16,000 tons of olive cake was produced in the United States in 2017. Olive cake is a by-product of olive oil extraction, which has limited animal feed potential, and poses an environmental threat when landfilled due to its high organic load and polyphenol content. This residue has potential for biofuel (bioethanol and biomethane) production because it is rich in polysaccharides such as pectin, hemicellulose, and cellulose. Yet, olive cake contains olive stones that can impede its conversion to biofuel. Therefore, two methods of destoning, centrifugation and screening by horizontal screw press, were first compared. Both methods removed an …

Virunga Coffee/Cocoa Co-Op, Anugrah Govil Gupta, Caleb Masaru Azevedo

Architectural Engineering

Through the help of Journeyman International, local cooperatives, and the Empowering Villages Organization, a large part of Rwanda is being redesigned and rebuilt. Changes hope to enable access to electricity, and will empower communities with leading socio-economic development solutions in energy, environment, entrepreneurship, and education. These efforts have led to the vision of the Virunga Coffee/Cocoa Co-op along the Mukungwa River in the Northern Province of Rwanda. This project consists of a team of two Architectural Engineering students, an Architecture student, and a Construction Management student from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, CA, working with a local …

Logistics And Funding Plan For The Simpson Strong-Tie Lab Crane, Arya Ghourchian

Construction Management

In the recent years, there has been interests regarding an overhead crane to be erected inside of Cal Poly Simpson Strong-Tie Lab (Building 187). This under-running single girder crane system will be used for construction classes and to lift heavy equipment. The installment of this 2-ton indoor crane will be crucial to provide modular pieces, for whom that lost their homes due to the California fires. Additionally, there has been previous senior project researches; reference SST Preconstruction Services and Structural Analysis of SST Lab. I am in charge of collecting information regarding: Bid Estimate Comparison, Advertisement Strategy, Permit Compliance. This …

Beyond Human Intelligence: Redefining Intelligence, Jens Pohl

Architecture

The digital revolution driven by global connectivity, computing as a utility, artificial intelligence, and information sharing on an unprecedented scale is forcing the redefinition of intelligence in a broader context that extends beyond human intelligence. This paper addresses the principal characteristics of biological intelligence, as it exists on planet Earth and the form it may take in an extraterrestrial context. Human intelligence, as the most evolved form of biological intelligence on Earth, is treated as the aggregation of multiple intelligences that cannot be encapsulated in a single metric such as an Intelligence Quotient (IQ). The concept of a postbiological civilization …

Celebrating 20 Years Of The Exceed Teaching Workshop, Allen C. Estes, Stephen J. Ressler, Camilla M. Saviz, Brock E. Barry, Carol L. Considine, Dion Coward, Norman D. Dennis Jr., Scott R. Hamilton, David S. Hurwitz, Tanya Kunberger, Thomas A. Lenox, Tonya Lynn Nilsson, Leslie Nolen, James J. O'Brien Jr., Robert James O'Neill, David A. Saftner, Kelly Salyards, Ronald W. Welch

Architectural Engineering

In response to the clear need for faculty training, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) developed and funded Project ExCEEd (Excellence in Civil Engineering Education) which is celebrating its twentieth year of existence. For the past two decades, 38 ExCEEd Teaching Workshops (ETW) have been held at six different universities. The program has 910 graduates from over 267 different U.S. and international colleges and universities. The ExCEEd effort has transformed from one that relied on the grass roots support of its participants to one that is supported and embraced by department heads and deans. This paper summarizes the history …

Adjusting To The New Abet Criteria 3 And 5: It’S Really Not Very Hard, Allen C. Estes, Peter Laursen, Pamalee A. Brady

Architectural Engineering

ABET has revised the criteria 3 (Student Outcomes) and 5 (Curriculum) of the general criteria. These changes have made it through the rigorous approval process and will be effective for the 2019-20 academic year. This paper analyzes the differences between the existing criteria and the proposed changes. Through a specific detailed example, the paper illustrates how an existing assessment system can seamlessly be adjusted for the new criteria. Most of the embedded indicators and direct measures of attainment can still be used. The results simply need to be organized differently.

Seismic Performance Of Slender C-Shaped Walls Subjected To Unii- And Bi-Directional Loading, Anahid A. Behrouzi, A. Mock, D. Lehman, L. Lowes, D. Kuchma

Architectural Engineering

Reinforced concrete structural walls are common as the primary lateral load resisting system in modern mid- and high-rise buildings constructed in seismic regions, yet few research programs have investigated the seismic performance of modern, slender walls with nonplanar cross-sectional geometries. Three large-scale, C-shaped wall specimens, designed per ACI 318-08, were tested under uni- and bi-directional loading at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). This paper presents experimental results including the cyclic load-deformation response and measured versus nominal flexural/shear strengths as well as a description of damage sequence. Final failure occurs due to a flexure-tension failure of boundary elements where …

Deep Learning For Automated Image Classification Of Seismic Damage To Built Infrastructure, B. Patterson, G. Leone, Maria Pantoja, Anahid A. Behrouzi

Architectural Engineering

The amount of structural damage image data produced in the aftermath of an earthquake can be staggering. It is challenging for a few human volunteers to efficiently filter and tag these images with meaningful damage information. The proposed solution is to automate post-earthquake reconnaissance image tagging activities by training a computer algorithm to classify each occurrence of damage per building material and structural member type. The approach is based on deep learning (DL), a subset of machine learning loosely based on the operation of a biologic neural system, which aims to learn and extract accurate representations from large data sets. …

Photo Tagging Tool For Rapid And Detailed Post-Earthquake Structural Damage Identification, Anahid A. Behrouzi, Maria Pantoja

Architectural Engineering

A significant task in earthquake reconnaissance is to conduct rapid and accurate assessments of damage to built infrastructure. This can be accomplished, in part, by analyzing the large volumes of high-resolution image data collected after a seismic event. However, detailed image tagging remains a task for trained human volunteers, which is both time-intensive and error prone. The authors developed a software tool to simplify and standardize the process of assigning damage and structure pairs to sub-regions of images. The goal of the tool is to facilitate the tagging of thousands of images from historic and recent earthquakes to train a …

Alumni Grassroots Leadership Enables Sponsored Course Development, Vladimir I. Prodanov, John Greene

Electrical Engineering

This paper presents a lab-centric course development where alumni, employed by an IAB member company, play a pivotal role. Recently the lead author of this paper qualified for a sabbatical leave and the college enthusiastically approved the proposal (a 400-level elective in networked sensors). He considered two class structures: lecture-only and lecture-lab. While lecture-lab is the desired mode of instruction, the development of such a course would take at least 2 quarters. Since extended sabbaticals are only partly funded by the university the creation of a lecture-lab course hinged on the availability of a sponsor. Simultaneously an alumnus, now with …

Multidisciplinary Research Efforts In Post-Earthquake Civil Infrastructure Reconnaissance, Jack Bergquist, Anahid A. Behrouzi

Architectural Engineering

To address existing challenges with filtering and classification of post-earthquake structural damage images, the authors are engaged in a multidisciplinary project to develop and train a machine-learning algorithm that identifies relevant photographs and assigns damage tags to those images. The research team is predominantly comprised of undergraduate students and is led by a structural engineering and a computer science faculty. While machine-learning algorithms have been successfully used for image tagging in a variety of fields (health care, manufacturing, etc.), the extension of this approach for earthquake reconnaissance is only just beginning. As such, the creation and development of this tool …

Software Toolset To Enable Image Classification Of Earthquake Damage To Above-Ground Infrastructure, Anahid A. Behrouzi, Maria Pantoja

Architectural Engineering

A critical task after a significant earthquake is determining the extent of damage to infrastructure networks. The decision-making process to dispatch emergency, repair, and in-field reconnaissance teams depends on whether road/railways and bridges are passible. Another concern is the rapid identification and resolution of physical disruptions to large-volume gas and water pipeline systems. After large seismic events, citizens, amateur photographers, and journalists now post thousands of photographs to formal/social media platforms. In the past, these images would have had to be reviewed by trained volunteers or expert engineers to evaluate whether: road/rail ways were significantly impacted by ground fracture, heaving, …

Academic Senate - Meeting Minutes, 6/5/2018, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Academic Senate - Agenda, 6/5/2018, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Surface Modification Of Polyurethane-Urea Elastomers With Colloidal Gold Nanoparticles, Kyle Aidukas, David Bilger

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

This proposal for EXCELLENCE IN PROJECT-BASED LEARNING and STUDENT SUCCESS outlines a one-year interdisciplinary plan concerning the mechanical properties of elastomers with variable conductivity (CVE’s) for biomedical applications. We seek to discover the structure-property relationships necessary for the production of biomedical sensors through collaboration of undergraduate and graduate (MS) students within the Cal Poly Departments of Science and Engineering. Our key innovation is to simultaneously adhere conductive nanoparticles to elastomers while altering their backbone microstructures. This backbone alteration will significantly effect the elastomer’s macroscopic properties, allowing for the optimization of biomedical sensor applications. This research will be accompanied by equipment …

Comparative Analysis Of Physiological Measurements And Environmental Metrics On Predicting Heat Stress Related Events, Mckenzie Barlow

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

Exposure to high heat and humidity can lead to serious health risks, including heat stroke and other heat-stress related events. Wet Bulb Globe Temperature has historically been used to predict heat stress events, but individualized factors are not included in the measurement. It has been shown that there is a relationship between cardiovascular measurements and heat stress, which could be used to measure on an individual level. Research has been done to find relationships between cardiovascular metrics in a workplace environment, however the study did not include the use of a controlled environment as a baseline. Our study will provide …

Preparation And Characterization Of Eva/Cort Microparticles For Rattlesnake Endocrinology Studies, Alexander C. Pauer

Materials Engineering

No abstract provided.

In Situ Sem Solidification Study Of Ga And Egain: A Characterization Technique For Monitoring The Microstructural Evolution Of Liquid Metals, Jeremy Geovann Del Aguila

Materials Engineering

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) video recording is used to characterize the solidification of small volumes of 99.999% pure gallium (Ga) and eutectic gallium-indium (eGaIn) under a high vacuum environment. Specimen are superheated to 55℃ using a hot plate, cast into spherical droplets, and cooled in situ by means of a Peltier cooling stage. Special attention is given to the preparation of the specimen prior to viewing because of gallium and its alloys’ nature to form an oxide layer when melted and air cooled. The oxide acts as a skin that inhibits the observation of microstructural features during solidification. Heated samples …

Column Tests Of Nitrate Breakthrough Behavior In Subsurface Sediments To Understand Transport In The Root-Zone, Rebecca Sally Haworth, Emma Rose Goodwin

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Nitrate has become an increasingly ubiquitous pollutant in surface and groundwater, posing a threat to hu- man health and ecosystems. Nitrogen is a necessary nutrient for plant growth and is limiting in many soils. As a result, farmers often add nitrogen to soil in a usable form such as nitrate, nitrite, or ammonia through the addition of fertilizer.

Genetic Algorithm Amplifier Biasing System (Gaabs): Genetic Algorithm For Biasing On Differential Analog Amplifiers, Sean Whalen

Computer Engineering

Genetic Algorithm Amplifier Biasing System (GAABS) - Senior Project Analysis

Summary of Functional Requirements

This project integrates LTSpice with a python script that runs a genetic algorithm to bias a differential amplifier. The system biases the amplifier with 2 different voltages, the base voltage for the PNP BJTs of the active loads and a voltage controlling the current of the current sink. The project runs via a python script, gets data from LTSpice’s command line call, and iteratively runs until the system is biased to achieve the greatest gain on an arbitrary input voltage.

Primary Constraints

Some of the main …

Hosting The Third Annual Young Women In Agriculture Career And Leadership Seminar, Emma E. Morris, Madyline J. Braught

Agricultural Education and Communication

Agriculture has traditionally been a male-dominated industry; however, recent years have shown a significant growth in female presence. Women are beginning to take leadership roles both on the farm and within advocacy, lobbying, and business entities in the industry. According to the latest agricultural census data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in 2012, women farmers controlled seven percent of the nation’s farmland (Census, 2014). Additionally, women held leadership roles in 14 percent of the nation’s two million farms (Census, 2014). This data is several years old, and likely the numbers have grown since the last census was …

Agriculture Ambassador State Conference, James Andrew Broaddus, Quincie A. Gourley

Agricultural Education and Communication

The Agriculture Ambassador organization at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo focuses on promotion of higher education, agriculture, and professional development among its members and community contacts. In 2018, the organization hosted the Agriculture Ambassador State Conference to bring together Californian Agriculture Ambassadors and industry professionals for workshops and advocacy planning. “Exposure to the different forms of leadership through out-of-classroom involvement offers concrete experiences and background knowledge upon which students can draw as they integrate leadership theories and skills,” (Fritz, S., 1998, p.58). Industry professionals have cited the need to emphasize soft skill development through college level education (Robles, …

The Future Of Strawberry Production, Audrey Rebecca Ponce

Agricultural Education and Communication

California’s agriculture industry is greatly diverse, with strawberries as a sector that most native Californians wouldn’t recognize as a large contributor to California’s agricultural economy. Within the last couple of years, strawberry production has undergone massive changes that are rapidly modifying the way strawberries are cultivated. The future of strawberry production will have completely new methods for growing, fumigating, and harvesting in just five to ten years (Guthman, 2016). The Cal Poly Strawberry Center opened in 2014 with a mission to “increase the sustainability of the California strawberry industry through research and education that addresses industry needs” (Cal Poly Strawberry …

An Evaluation Of Ultrasonic Shot Peening And Abrasive Flow Machining As Surface Finishing Processes For Selective Laser Melted 316l, Rhys Gilmore

Master's Theses

Additive Manufacturing, and specifically powder bed fusion processes, have advanced rapidly in recent years. Selective Laser Melting in particular has been adopted in a variety of industries from biomedical to aerospace because of its capability to produce complex components with numerous alloys, including stainless steels, nickel superalloys, and titanium alloys. Post-processing is required to treat or solve metallurgical issues such as porosity, residual stresses, and surface roughness. Because of the geometric complexity of SLM produced parts, the reduction of surface roughness with conventional processing has proven especially challenging. In this Thesis, two processes, abrasive flow machining and ultrasonic shot peening, …