Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Predictors Of Hypertension And Prehypertension In Cal Poly Students, Toria Mock

Statistics

This study analyzed predictors of hypertension and prehypertension in Cal Poly students. Hypertension and prehypertension are known to increase the risk of blood clots, plaque buildup, and tissue/organ damage from blocked arteries. Researching predictors of hypertension and prehypertension can help to determine methods of minimizing the probability of hypertension and prehypertension in a patient. Data from the FLASH study was used to analyze associations between possible predictor variables, such as stress and physical activity, and hypertension/prehypertension. BMI, bodyfat, and the interaction between videogames per weekend day and gender were found to be significantly associated with hypertension and prehypertension in Cal …

Determining Ancient Movement Of The Sur–Nacimiento Fault Zone Using Detrital Zircon Geochronology, Jennifer Per Lee

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Middle Cretaceous movement along the Sur–Nacimiento Fault has implications for our understanding of how convergent tectonic margins evolve and for the architecture of forearc basins. Traditional explanations suggest an autochthonous California Mesozoic Forearc that underwent sinistral or thrust displacement; although recent research suggests either an allochthonous forearc or an isolated Nacimiento Block that experienced significant dextral displacement. Detrital zircons obtained from the Great Valley Group within the Nacimiento block provide age distribution patterns that can help identify sources of sediment deposition and therefore the past location of the Nacimiento block. Using U-Pb detrital zircon geochronology, we have discovered a dominance …

The Effects Of Biochar Age And Concentration On Soil Retention Of Phosphorus And Infiltration Rate, Emilie Schneider

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Changes in land use and land management practices are regarded as one of the main factors in altering the hydrogeological system, causing changes in runoff, surface supply yields, and the quality of receiving water (Tong and Chen, 2002). Phosphorus is a significant contributor to accelerated eutrophication of fresh water and is largely sourced from agricultural runoff (Sharpley et al., 1994). The dominant processes controlling solution composition in agricultural soils are primarily ‘chemical’ for P (i.e. adsorption/desorption and dissolution/precipitation) (Edwards and Withers, 1998). Biochar has chemical characteristics that have the potential to adsorb P or influence precipitation of P insoluble pools …

A Study Of Enhanced De-Chlorination And Bio-Remediation: Molasses Injections Into Groundwater, Brent Anderson

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Factors Influencing Landslides In The Bittercreek Wildlife Refuge, David Mceachern

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

A Discussion Of Factors Involved In The Formation Of Slab Avalanches And An Analysis Of Avalanche Risk In The Sierra Nevada Mountains Using Gis, Kevin C. Howen

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

As winter recreational activities increase in mountainous environments, the need for a better understanding of snow avalanches is necessary. This project consists of a study into the physical factors that contribute to slab avalanche formation, and a GIS analysis of an avalanche prone area within the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The primary physical factors that contribute to the conditions that lead to avalanches include the slope of a mountain face, the aspect, and bare ground conditions lacking thick forest vegetation. ArcGIS is a powerful software tool that was used to map each of these factors, and then combine them to create …

Modeling Glacial Termination, Michael Murphy

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

Examines possible cause of the glacial termination or ice age cycle using a numerical model created by Tziperman et al. Also explores possible physical mechanisms causing the observed cycle of slow cooling followed by rapid warming.

The Invasion Of California Grasslands: Past, Present, And Future Implications, Danielle Simone Caziarc

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Polarization And Ingan Quantum Well Shape In Multiple Quantum Well Light Emitting Diode Heterostructures, Patrick M. Mcbride

Master's Theses

Previous research in InGaN/GaN light emitting diodes (LEDs) employing semi-classical drift-diffusion models has used reduced polarization constants without much physical explanantion. This paper investigates possible physical explanations for this effective polarization reduction in InGaN LEDs through the use of the simulation software SiLENSe. One major problem of current LED simulations is the assumption of perfectly discrete transitions between the quantum well (QW) and blocking layers when experiments have shown this to not be the case. The In concentration profile within InGaN multiple quantum well (MQW) devices shows much smoother and delayed transitions indicative of indium diffusion and drift during …

Tacky Golf, Robert Crosby

Computer Science and Software Engineering

This project implements a simple miniature golf game in 3d for the iPhone. Using a modular approach the game engine was written in several modules to handle its various functions and for cross platform potability. Four major modules are described in detail about their design choices and how they work. Ultimately the game and its engine are intended to be sold on the Apple App store and to be used for future games and applications on the iPhone.

Blunt Impact Performance Evaluation Of Helmet Lining Systems For Military And Recreational Use, Jaclyn Siniora, Ryan Taylor, Darren Suey

Industrial Technology and Packaging

With the increasing problem in collegiate athletes experiencing injuries to the brain, different helmet liners where put to the test to see which liner provided athletes the greatest protection under specific conditions.

This senior project evaluates five different liners in football helmets. Each of the helmet liners were tested at three different temperatures: hot, cold, and ambient. Each helmet had seven different impact locations which were put to the test. The project was designed to be used to test ACH military combat liners as well. Due to shipping bottle necks the ACH combat liners have been left to future Cal …

Reducing The Enviromental Impact Of Horse Keeping, Amanda R. Shere

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Inductive Metal Identification, Paul Maggi

Electrical Engineering

This project focuses on creating a device to differentiate between various types of metals via magnetic induction. Magnetic induction is used because it is both non-optical and non-contact. It achieves this by generating a varying magnetic field, which induces eddy currents in the metal. These eddy currents produce small disturbances in the surrounding magnetic field, which can be sensed with Hall Effect Sensors (HES). The primary challenge in this project was generating a sufficiently strong magnetic field to detectable disturbances. In order to achieve better results, a stronger magnetic field must be used as well as more sensitive Hall Effect …

Teaching Introductory Programming Concepts: A Comparison Of Scratch And Arduino, Anne Beug

Master's Theses

Computing has become an integral part of modern America. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that between 2008 and 2018, the United States will have 1.4 million job openings in computing fields [1]. Since the early 2000's (just after the "dot com bust"), the number of students enrolled in computing majors (Computer Science, Computer Engineering, etc.) dropped precipitously by over 50%, only starting to rise again in 2009 [2]. One way to rectify to this gap between demand and supply is to start training students in computational thinking during high school. While the Computer Science Advanced Placement AB test has …

The Search For Charged Massive Supersymmetric Particles At The Lhc, Aleksey Pavlov

Physics

Charged Massive Particles (CHAMPs) are predicted in the Supersymmetry (SUSY) extension of the Standard Model though they have never been ob- served. We look for CHAMPs in the ALICE Detector at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. While the main purpose of ALICE is to study Quark- Gluon Plasma, we take advantage of the tracking and time of flight capabilities of several sub-detectors in ALICE to look for signs of CHAMPs. These elusive particles are characterized by their slow velocity, high transverse momentum and therefore heavy mass. Our research found a small handful of candidates among a large sample size …

Studying Beam Dynamics At Cesrta, Matthew (Matt) Randazzo

Physics

The Cornell Electron Storage Ring Test Accelerator (CesrTA) is a particle accelerator acting primarily as a laboratory for studying accelerator physics under a variety of conditions. Here, the experimental program on electron cloud effects is one of the highest-priority research and development projects during the International Linear Collider (ILC) Technical Design Phase 1. These electron clouds are of particular concern for the design of future low emittance rings like those in the ILC because of how they can adversely affect the performance of accelerators. The impact of electron clouds on the dynamics of individual bunches along a train known as …

Gaussian Beam Steering On A Target Plane Via High Speed Orthogonal Mirror-Mounted Galvanometers, Keith Gresiak

Physics

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Focal-Plane Measurements For Veritas Telescopes, William Hemmo Schuur

Physics

In this experiment we measured the Point Spread Function (PSF) of the telescope at different image locations using a python GUI and servo motors to automate a screen along the focal axis of the telescope. Our results show that the telescope T4 has a well-defined image distance at each elevation, but this distance shifts as the telescope is lowered. Additionally, off-axis telescope orientations are degraded by aberrations and at low elevation possibly some structural warping of the mirror. The VERITAS Telescopes are located in Southern Arizona at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory.

Digital Holography And Applications In Microscopic Interferometry, Cody Jenkins

Physics

In this project I demonstrate recording holograms using an electronic camera as the photosensitive element and subsequent numerical reconstruction in a digital computer. The technique is employed to show extended depth of field imaging as well as phase contrast imaging via microscopic interferometry.

Estimates Of The Density Contrast At Earth’S Inner-Core Boundary Beneath Central Mexico, Wade Kelley

Physics

Seismograms recorded in the western United States from a Guatemalan earthquake are examined for matching pairs of PKiKP and PcP waveforms for use in estimating the density contrast at earth’s inner-core boundary via a PKiKP/PcP amplitude ratio analysis. Examination of waveforms from the SN, SC, TA, US and CI arrays finds 68 visually identifiable PKiKP and PcP pairs from which 17 were judged to be of sufficient quality (low signal-to-noise ratio) for use in the PKiKP/PcP amplitude ratio analysis. The epicentral distance range of the selected data spans epicentral distances from 22 – 37 degrees inside of which stations are …

Multipolymer Interactions In Bulk Heterojunction Photovoltaic Devices, Grant Olson

Physics

Multipolymer photovoltaics, single layer devices made up of multiple photoactive polymers, can create organic photovoltaics (OPVs) with a wider spectral response than single polymer systems without the difficult fabrication of a tandem. Our group has successfully created multipolymer solar devices with 2% power conversion efficiency. We have analyzed the optical and electrical properties of these devices, and found that it may be possible for polymers to assist each other with charge extraction, though combining polymers disrupts single polymer crystallinity.

Orbital Velocities In The Broad Line Region Of Seyfert 1 Galaxies, Rebecca Renee Rosen

Physics

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are among the most energetic objects in the Universe and are believed to be powered by supermassive black holes. By studying optical spectra of these AGNs, information can be acquired about the central black hole and its surroundings. Specifically the broad component of the Hβ emission line can be used to find the velocity of gas in the broad line region, a necessary step in determining the mass of the central black hole. In this thesis, I present the results of using a python code to measure the broad component of Hβ in the spectra of …

Day/Night Band Imager For A Cubesat, Eric Stanton

Electrical Engineering

Day/Night Band (DNB) earth sensing and meteorological systems like the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Operational Linescan System (OLS) provide visible wavelength imagery 24 hours a day that is used primarily for cloud imaging in support of weather forecasting. This paper describes a compact push-broom imager that meets low light imaging requirements for DMSP OLS and the NOAA/NASA Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) as documented in the Integrated Operational Requirements Document [1] (IORD) including the imager design, system level concepts of operation for data collection, radiometric and spatial calibration, and data transmission to Earth. This small, lightweight imager complies with …

Point-Spread Function Assessment Of Sg-Dbr Based Swept Source For Oct Imaging, David Wilkey Gilbert

Master's Theses

Swept Source Optical Coherence Tomography (SS-OCT) is a medical imaging technique that requires high repetition rate, widely-tunable coherent laser sources. Sampled grating distributed Bragg reflector (SG-DBR) lasers are proven in telecom applications and are expected to fulfill the requirements for SS-OCT at a significantly lower cost than alternative solutions.

Constructed entirely on a semiconductor substrate, SG-DBR lasers require four synchronized waveforms to modulate the output wavelength and intensity. Because of this unique tuning mechanism, there are a number of systematic and noise sources that can affect the quality of the OCT point-spread function (PSF). Based on these noise sources, software …

Improvement Of Statistical Process Control At St. Jude Medical's Cardiac Manufacturing Facility, Christopher Lance Edwards

Master's Theses

Sig sigma is a methodology where companies strive to reproduce results ending up having a 99.9996% chance their product will be void of defects. In order for companies to reach six sigma, statistical process control (SPC) needs to be introduced. SPC has many different tools associated with it, control charts being one of them. Control charts play a vital role in managing how a process is behaving. Control charts allow users to identify special causes, or shifts, and can therefore change the process to keep producing good products, free of defects.

There are many factories and manufacturing facilities having implemented …

Suffix Trees For Document Retrieval, Ryan Reck

Master's Theses

This thesis presents a look at the suitability of Suffix Trees for full text indexing and retrieval. Typically suffix trees are built on a character level, where the tree records which characters follow each other character. By building suffix trees for documents based on words instead of characters, the resulting tree effectively indexes every word or sequence of words that occur in any of the documents. Ukkonnen's algorithm is adapted to build word-level suffix trees. But the primary focus is on developing Algorithms for searching the suffix tree for exact and approximate, or fuzzy, matches to arbitrary query strings. A …

Gpu-Accelerated Point-Based Color Bleeding, Ryan Daniel Schmitt

Master's Theses

Traditional global illumination lighting techniques like Radiosity and Monte Carlo sampling are computationally expensive. This has prompted the development of the Point-Based Color Bleeding (PBCB) algorithm by Pixar in order to approximate complex indirect illumination while meeting the demands of movie production; namely, reduced memory usage, surface shading independent run time, and faster renders than the aforementioned lighting techniques.

The PBCB algorithm works by discretizing a scene’s directly illuminated geometry into a point cloud (surfel) representation. When computing the indirect illumination at a point, the surfels are rasterized onto cube faces surrounding that point, and the constituent pixels are combined …

Development Of A Quantitative High Throughput Method For The Early Detection Of Corrosion On Coated Aluminum, Jeffrey Clayton Foster

Master's Theses

Eight fluorescent indicators were evaluated for their ability to detect the corrosion of aluminum metal substrates. The fluorophore Rhodamine-salicylaldehyde (RSA) was selected as a candidate for further study based on its ability to bind and detect aluminum ions at low concentrations, its selectivity for aluminum ions, its long-term stability, its solubility in our solvent-based epoxy formulation, and its compatibility with our testing method.

A recent publication suggested that an alternative method of fluorescence activation was possible—an acid-promoted ring opening that occurred in the absence of metal ions. To prove the capability of RSA to bind aluminum ions, thorough ¹H …

Flexrender: A Distributed Rendering Architecture For Ray Tracing Huge Scenes On Commodity Hardware., Robert Edward Somers

Master's Theses

As the quest for more realistic computer graphics marches steadily on, the demand for rich and detailed imagery is greater than ever. However, the current "sweet spot" in terms of price, power consumption, and performance is in commodity hardware. If we desire to render scenes with tens or hundreds of millions of polygons as cheaply as possible, we need a way of doing so that maximizes the use of the commodity hardware we already have at our disposal.

Techniques such as normal mapping and level of detail have attempted to address the problem by reducing the amount of geometry in …

Cuda Web Api Remote Execution Of Cuda Kernels Using Web Services, Massimo J. Becker

Master's Theses

Massively parallel programming is an increasingly growing field with the recent introduction of general purpose GPU computing. Modern graphics processors from NVIDIA and AMD have massively parallel architectures that can be used for such applications as 3D rendering, financial analysis, physics simulations, and biomedical analysis. These massively parallel systems are exposed to programmers through in- terfaces such as NVIDIAs CUDA, OpenCL, and Microsofts C++ AMP. These frame- works expose functionality using primarily either C or C++. In order to use these massively parallel frameworks, programs being implemented must be run on machines equipped with massively parallel hardware. These requirements limit …