Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Life Sciences Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 601 - 630 of 2152

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Do Marine Protected Areas Affect Emerging Fisheries Population Density?, Jennifer Greene, Katherine O. Grady, Crow White, Danielle Zacherl Aug 2015

Do Marine Protected Areas Affect Emerging Fisheries Population Density?, Jennifer Greene, Katherine O. Grady, Crow White, Danielle Zacherl

STAR Program Research Presentations

Kellet’s whelk, Kelletia kelletii, were observed at sample sites throughout their range from Baja California, Mexico, to Monterey, CA to determine patterns of population density. Sample sites in each region were either located within California marine protected areas where take of the Kellet’s whelk in prohibited, or in non-protected areas where the whelks can be fished both commercially and recreationally. Kellet’s whelk population density was compared between all MPA and non-MPA sample sites. These mean densities were also found for sites in Santa Barbara and San Diego near active fishing ports and compared to data from the same sites collected …

Go to article

Using High Throughput Genomic Sequencing To Predict Ecological Impacts On Sea Turtle Populations, Lesley Anderson Aug 2015

Using High Throughput Genomic Sequencing To Predict Ecological Impacts On Sea Turtle Populations, Lesley Anderson

STAR Program Research Presentations

Marine turtles are long-lived, migratory vertebrates that encounter a variety of human and natural stressors throughout their lives. Understanding the biology and threats of these animals is challenging because they are hard to observe, and can migrate across whole ocean basins. Minimally invasive sampling techniques (e.g., blood samples) allow us to learn about their physiology, genetics, and the environmental conditions they have experienced. In this project, we developed a novel method to extract the RNA from whole green and loggerhead turtle blood from animals inhabiting a variety of sites across the Pacific Ocean. Some habitats are more pristine, while others …

Go to article

The Effect Of Drought On Stomatal Conductance In The Biosphere 2 Rainforest, Justin Gay, Joost Van Haren Aug 2015

The Effect Of Drought On Stomatal Conductance In The Biosphere 2 Rainforest, Justin Gay, Joost Van Haren

STAR Program Research Presentations

Drought is a major climate change concern for the Earth’s rainforests; however little is currently known about how these forests and individual plants will respond to water stress. At the individual level, the ability of plants to regulate their stomatal conductance is an important preservation mechanism that helps to cool leaves, regulate water loss, and uptake carbon dioxide. At the ecosystem level, transpiration in rain forests is a major contributor to the feedback loop that returns moisture to the atmosphere for continued rains. Nearly 60% of atmospheric moisture in the Amazon rain forests has been traced back to origins of …

Go to article

Evaluation Of Anthropogenic Marine Debris And Sargassum Fluitans And Its Potential Impact On Sea Turtle Hatchlings At Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge, Christina Macmillan Aug 2015

Evaluation Of Anthropogenic Marine Debris And Sargassum Fluitans And Its Potential Impact On Sea Turtle Hatchlings At Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge, Christina Macmillan

STAR Program Research Presentations

Anthropogenic debris, particularly plastic, has become a significant threat for marine species with the increased use of plastics over the years. Marine birds and sea turtles, mostly green, loggerhead and leatherback turtles, are especially vulnerable to mistaking plastic debris for food and ingesting it. There has been a rise in the incidence of turtles having plastic fragments in their GI tracts; even small amounts of plastic may have major long-term health and reproductive effects. On the nesting beaches, both adults and hatchlings may become entangled in debris or have trouble navigating around beach debris during their crawl to the sea. …

Go to article

Performance Variation In Leptasterias Spp. Among Populations And Habitats, Caleb Shaw, Laura Melroy, Janet Bair, Sarah Cohen Aug 2015

Performance Variation In Leptasterias Spp. Among Populations And Habitats, Caleb Shaw, Laura Melroy, Janet Bair, Sarah Cohen

STAR Program Research Presentations

Leptasterias spp. are six rayed sea stars that are found in rocky intertidal habitats ranging from the California coast to Alaska. In central California, Leptasterias spp. can be found in a variety of intertidal habitats in mixed populations. There are multiple clades that represent these populations and it is thought that they may vary behaviorally, including habitat preference. To investigate this individuals were collected from Pigeon Point, San Mateo, CA and characterized into two habitat categories according to where they were found: rocky habitat and pool habitat. To test for behavioral variation among habitats, righting response was used as a …

Go to article

Determining Antimicrobial Activity In Hydrolysates Obtained From Buttermilk Substrates By Trypsin And Pepsin, Deborah Kim, Karen Ramun, Stephanie Carpintero, Suyapa Padillo, Antonio-Jose Trujillo, Rafael Jimenez-Flores Aug 2015

Determining Antimicrobial Activity In Hydrolysates Obtained From Buttermilk Substrates By Trypsin And Pepsin, Deborah Kim, Karen Ramun, Stephanie Carpintero, Suyapa Padillo, Antonio-Jose Trujillo, Rafael Jimenez-Flores

STAR Program Research Presentations

Milk proteins within their structure and sequence, contain peptides that exhibit antithrombotic, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, antihypertensive, and other bioactivities. These peptides are released as the enzymes cleave milk proteins at certain locations of the amino acid chains. In this research, four different substrates were hydrolyzed with the gastrointestinal enzymes, pepsin and trypsin. The substrates were buttermilk (BM) and whey buttermilk (WBM), which are waste products of butter and cheese production, and supercritical CO2 fluid (SFE) treated buttermilk (S-BM) and whey buttermilk (S-WBM). SFE acts as a solvent which removes triglycerides from the substrates and changes the overall composition of samples. …

Go to article

Monitoring Abundance Of Carcinus Maenas Developmental Stages In Seadrift Lagoon, Andrea M. Fieber Aug 2015

Monitoring Abundance Of Carcinus Maenas Developmental Stages In Seadrift Lagoon, Andrea M. Fieber

STAR Program Research Presentations

Able to tolerate a wide range of habitats, temperatures, and salinities, Carcinus maenas thrives in much of its non-native range, out-competing native crabs for resources while diminishing food supplies for a variety of marine and estuarine organisms. In Seadrift Lagoon, a manmade inlet of Bolinas Lagoon in Marin County, California, green crabs comprise a significant portion of benthic fauna, and trapping efforts began in 2009 to eradicate them. We analyzed several years of trapping data to monitor demographic changes for this closed population, performed larvae and megalopae sampling with pot scrubbers, and counted eggs on ovigerous females captured in Seadrift …

Go to article

Performance Variation In Leptasterias Spp. Among Populations And Habitats, Caleb Shaw, Sarah Cohen Aug 2015

Performance Variation In Leptasterias Spp. Among Populations And Habitats, Caleb Shaw, Sarah Cohen

STAR Program Research Presentations

Leptasterias spp. are six rayed sea stars that are found in rocky intertidal habitats ranging from the California coast to Alaska. In central California, Leptasterias spp. can be found in a variety of intertidal habitats in mixed populations. There are multiple clades that represent these populations and it is thought that they may vary behaviorally, including habitat preference. To investigate this individuals were collected from Pigeon Point, San Mateo, CA and characterized into two habitat categories according to where they were found: rocky habitat and pool habitat. To test for behavioral variation among habitats, righting response was used as a …

Go to article

Characterization Of Putative Wnt3a-Inducible Enhancers, Katelynn C. Lee, Nicholas Hum, Aimy Sebastian, Gabriela Loots Aug 2015

Characterization Of Putative Wnt3a-Inducible Enhancers, Katelynn C. Lee, Nicholas Hum, Aimy Sebastian, Gabriela Loots

STAR Program Research Presentations

The Wnt signaling pathway has been previously shown to play a major role in regulating bone metabolism and it is emerging as a target for the therapeutic intervention of bone thinning disorders such as osteoporosis. Several Wnt proteins have been shown to be expressed in bone and mutations in Wnt pathway members such as Wnt co-receptor Lrp5 and Wnt inhibitor Sost have been shown to be associated with low or high bone mass disorders, however, very little is known about specific roles played by different Wnt ligands in bone development, repair and remodeling. To identify downstream targets of Wnt signaling …

Go to article

How Many Particles Are Present In The Air? Bioaerosol Detection Using An Air Particle Counter, Angie Pamela Rivera, Parag Vaishampayan Aug 2015

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 …

Go to article

Radiocarbon Isotopic Classification Of Deep Tropical Forest Soils, Brooke Butler, Karis J. Mcfarlane, Jennifer Pett-Ridge, Katherine A. Heckman Aug 2015

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 …

Go to article

Collecting Diverse Microorganisms From Rover Spacecraft, Jennifer I. Jacobs, Arianna Jefferson, Heidi Aronson, James Tan, Wayne Schubert, Parag Vaishampayan Aug 2015

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 …

Go to article

Winter Freeze Decreases The Emergence Of Fauna And Flora In California Vernal Pools, Korena S. Hendryx, Jamie Kneitel Aug 2015

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 …

Go to article

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 Aug 2015

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) …

Go to article

An Investigation Of The Effect Of Malathion On Adaptive Plasticity Of Pseudacris Sierra, Michael Jonathan Maples Aug 2015

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 …

Go to article

Identification And Abundance Of Jellyfish In The San Francisco Estuary, Carrie Fong Aug 2015

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 …

Go to article

Mindless Feeding: Is Maternal Distraction During Bottle-Feeding Associated With Overfeeding?, Rebecca B. Golen, Alison K. Ventura Aug 2015

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 …

Go to article

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 Jul 2015

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 …

Go to article

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 Jul 2015

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 …

Go to article

The Pioneer Of Santa Rosa Island, Andrea Martinez, Michael Perez, Kathryn Mceachern, Sarah Chaney, Ken Niessen Jul 2015

The Pioneer Of Santa Rosa Island, Andrea Martinez, Michael Perez, Kathryn Mceachern, Sarah Chaney, Ken Niessen

STAR Program Research Presentations

Santa Rosa Island which is part of the Channel Islands in California has a ranching history that goes as far back as the year 1843. While rich in history, the island is no longer “rich” in native plant populations due to the sheep, cattle and other livestock that once occupied the island. As a result of these grazers that the ranchers livelihood depended on, a great disturbance in the native plant population took place. It is up to plants such as Baccharis pilularis, commonly known as Coyote brush, to assist these endangered and threatened plants to once again flourish …

Go to article

Traversing Swanton Road, 20th Ed., James A. West Jun 2015

Traversing Swanton Road, 20th Ed., James A. West

Academic, Government & Associated Organizational Research Resources

Situated at the northwest end of Santa Cruz County and occupying circa 30 square miles of sharply contrasted terrain, the Scott Creek Watershed concentrates within its geomorphological boundaries, at least 10-12% of California's flora, both native and introduced. Paradoxically, the use/abuse that the watershed has sustained over the past 140+ years, has not necessarily diminished the biodiversity and perhaps parallels the naturally disruptive but biologically energizing processes (fire, flooding, landslides and erosion), which have also been historically documented for the area for +60 years. This is an early edition of an extensive document by James A. West. Please visit the …

Go to article

Determining Colonization Efficacy Of Commercial Mycorrhizae Products And Fragaria X Anannassa ‘Albion’., Tommy Jue, Alexandra Wollenman Jun 2015

Determining Colonization Efficacy Of Commercial Mycorrhizae Products And Fragaria X Anannassa ‘Albion’., Tommy Jue, Alexandra Wollenman

Horticulture and Crop Science

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Orchard Management Practices And Handbook, Brian A. Snyder, Kellie M. Mancino Jun 2015

Orchard Management Practices And Handbook, Brian A. Snyder, Kellie M. Mancino

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to develop an SAE start-up handbook for the Hollister FFA program's orchard. The orchard was being underutilized by the chapter and the hopes are that the chapter will supply students with this handbook allowing for a more diverse group of SAE projects within the chapter. Implementing the steps outlined in this handbook would also create a more competitive chapter in the areas of proficiencies and degrees.

Go to article

A Livestock Employee Manual For Junior Livestock Shows, Kylin Costa Jun 2015

A Livestock Employee Manual For Junior Livestock Shows, Kylin Costa

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project was to create a manual for junior livestock show staff to abide by for the duration of a county fair’s show. By implementing the manual, the show process should run smoother, and should alleviate turnover problems with each new barn steward that comes into the fair. The author hopes that this manual will be of use at fairs statewide.

Go to article

Simangus Crossbreeding Proposal, Kaity Arburua Jun 2015

Simangus Crossbreeding Proposal, Kaity Arburua

Agricultural Education and Communication

The purpose of this project is to develop a proposal for a crossbreeding plan specifically oriented towards a Central Valley beef producer interested in SimAngus cattle. In this project you will find information pertaining to the Simmental, Angus and SimAngus breeds, as well as industry goals and possible outcomes. This was designed in order to create tangible evidence and information, such a pamphlet/brochure, for the producer to evaluate; in hopes that the beef producer will implement this crossbreeding plan.

Go to article

Introduction Next Contents Vol 63(4) Global Research On Ultramafic (Serpentine) Ecosystems (8th International Conference On Serpentine Ecology In Sabah, Malaysia), Antony Van Der Ent, Nishanta Rajakaruna, Robert Boyd, Guillaume Echevarria, Rimi Repin, Dick Williams Jun 2015

Introduction Next Contents Vol 63(4) Global Research On Ultramafic (Serpentine) Ecosystems (8th International Conference On Serpentine Ecology In Sabah, Malaysia), Antony Van Der Ent, Nishanta Rajakaruna, Robert Boyd, Guillaume Echevarria, Rimi Repin, Dick Williams

Biological Sciences

Since 1991, researchers from approximately 45 nations have participated in eight International Conferences on Serpentine Ecology (ICSE). The ICSE conferences are coordinated by the International Serpentine Ecology Society (ISES), a formal research society whose members study geological, pedological, biological and applied aspects of ultramafic ecosystems worldwide. These conferences have provided an international forum to discuss and synthesise multidisciplinary research, and have provided opportunities for scientists in distinct fields and from different regions of the world to conduct collaborative and interdisciplinary research. The 8th ICSE was hosted by Sabah Parks in Malaysia, on the island of Borneo, and attracted the largest …

Go to article

Virulence Gene Expression Of Vibrio Parahaemolyticus In The Viable But Nonculturable State, Tiffany Pui-Yun Tse Jun 2015

Virulence Gene Expression Of Vibrio Parahaemolyticus In The Viable But Nonculturable State, Tiffany Pui-Yun Tse

Master's Theses

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a food-borne pathogen commonly associated with the consumption of raw or undercooked seafood resulting in primary infections of the human gastrointestinal tract. It is estimated to cause about 4500 illnesses each year in the United States. However, infection from this food-borne pathogen can be avoided if this organism is detected in the implicated food, prior to consumption. Current standard methods of detecting this organism are dependent on the culturability of the bacteria. Detection based on an organism’s culturability may be problematic as V. parahaemolyticus has been known to exist in a viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state. Bacteria …

Go to article

High Moisture Extrusion Of Oatmeal, Brandon F. Coleman Jun 2015

High Moisture Extrusion Of Oatmeal, Brandon F. Coleman

Master's Theses

Oats are considered to be a highly nutritious breakfast food available to consumers. Heightened consumer interest in functional food products and advances in human nutrition have led to increased levels of interest in the development of new oat based products (Webster and Wood 2011). Developments in technology have led to manufacturing of instant oatmeal, making the product more convenient to consumers. Low moisture extrusion processing is one of the most widely used methods to produce ready to eat breakfast cereals; however, there has been little research carried out to determine if high moisture extrusion methods would be viable. This study …

Go to article

Wireless Sensor Mesh Network For Irrigation Systems, Rosana Cheruvelil, Oswaldo Garcia, Nabil Haque, Justin Ignacio, Stanley Thomas Jun 2015

Wireless Sensor Mesh Network For Irrigation Systems, Rosana Cheruvelil, Oswaldo Garcia, Nabil Haque, Justin Ignacio, Stanley Thomas

Electrical Engineering

Pepper Oak Farms, a company that grows their own olives for olive oil and has approximately 40,000 olive trees, is in need of an efficient way to monitor the soil and atmospheric conditions that are critical to the cultivation of their trees. The company at the moment only has two sensors and has to manually place the sensors at different locations to collect data on soil moisture and temperature. This is expensive, time consuming, and a lot of effort on the owner’s part to go out on the fields to collect this data. As a solution, the company would like …

Go to article

Sports For Nathan, Delaney Bales, Joseph Garrett, Chris Harter Jun 2015

Sports For Nathan, Delaney Bales, Joseph Garrett, Chris Harter

Mechanical Engineering

Nathan Cooper is a local boy with spinal muscular atrophy. He enjoys playing games and being active. One assistive device that Nathan uses is his Standing Dani, a motorized mobile stander. Nathan enjoys playing golf and kickball, and prior to this project he had no way of playing golf and no safe way of playing kickball. The purpose of this project was to design and build a golf attachment for Nathan’s Standing Dani that allows him to putt, and a kickball attachment that allows him to play kickball safely. First, the design team researched and defined the problem in terms …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last