41530 research outputs found
Sort by
Reducing Carbon Emissions with Returned Concrete
Get PDFThe concrete industry is one of the most energy-intensive sectors of construction. Specifically, the cement production aspect is the most energy intensive, and produces the most carbon emissions. Concrete, a material ubiquitous with nearly every facet of construction; certain types of structures are composed of nearly all concrete. Production of cement is one of the biggest contributors to emissions within the industry. There have been initiatives to reduce or offset emissions from this process, through things like carbon capture, and the purchase of carbon or emissions credits. The objective of this paper was to investigate a new method of carbon sequestration which utilizes returned concrete to enhance the earth’s natural process of weathering. Through interviews with industry stakeholders, perspectives on returned concrete use was examined. This paper found that there are current uses for returned concrete which help to reduce overall emissions within the industry, and require fewer resources compared to the new method. Through the interviews, it was found that there are other sources of concrete waste that could be used for carbon sequestration while reducing waste in landfills. The use of returned concrete for carbon sequestration is promising, on a small scale, especially with recycled material
Megan Thee Stallion’s Southern Black Feminist Poet(ic)s and the #HotGirlSemesterSyllabus
Get PDFIn this critical commentary, I celebrate the artistry, activism, and career of Megan Thee Stallion and explore the #HotGirlSemesterSyllabus as a pedagogical tool for a course on Southern Black Feminist Poet(ic)s. I also introduce #HotGirlSemesterSyllabus Accompaniment: Performance, Literary, and Visual Art as a syllabus companion and arts integration resource
Effects of Anthropogenic Noise on the Provisioning Behavior of Western Bluebirds and Artificial Light at Night on Nestling Development
Get PDFSensory environments are rapidly changing due to increased human activity in urban and non-urban areas alike. For instance, background sounds can interfere with parent-offspring communication and mask cues reflective of predation risk, resulting in elevated vigilance at the cost of provisioning. In chapter 1, we studied nestling provisioning behavior among Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) in response to short-term (1 hr) and long-term (continuous exposure throughout nesting period) noise exposure. Provisioning rates were lower at nests exposed to short-term experimental traffic noise compared to exposure to ambient background sounds. Trial order strongly influenced provisioning behavior, with the decline in provisioning during noise playback occurring only during the second broadcast period of sounds. In contrast, provisioning rates increased with sound levels among nests exposed to long-term noise. Additionally, birds nesting in areas with high levels of noise returned to the nest more quickly than those in quiet areas following a simulated predation attempt. This study suggests that behavioral responses to short-term, experimental exposure to noise may not always be reflective of responses to longer-term noise exposure in real-world settings. It is essential to be cognizant of potential differences between experiments and real-world conditions as urbanization and sensory pollutants increase.
The pervasive spread of artificial light at night has been documented to disrupt natural rhythms with varying consequences on wildlife. Disruption to the night sky can alter nestling development either through indirect exposure to light or due to changes in adults’ behavior, both having potential physiological costs or benefits. In chapter 2, we experimentally manipulated light outside of Western Bluebird nesting cavities and investigated whether exposure to light at night affects nestling development and adult behavior. Our results found no evidence of light at night affecting the onset or cessation of adult daily activity. However, we found that nestlings exposed to light have smaller wing chords and lower mass, but better overall body condition than those in the control. The number of chicks in the nest also strongly influenced the effect of the light at night: nests exposed to light with brood sizes of three nestlings had smaller wing chords and better body condition than nests without lights, but there were no strong differences between light exposed and dark nests with five chicks. Although light exposure appears to improve chick body condition, the chicks were smaller overall. These findings suggest that indirect artificial light outside the nesting cavity is enough to have consequences on the development of nesting birds, and ecologically relevant light exposure appears to alter chick condition without a temporal shift in parental behavior
GRC: A Mustang Quest
Get PDFThe main purpose of this study is to define the overall effectiveness of visual marketing through animation and storytelling narration. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo has dozens of potential majors that interest students, thus leading to specific programs such as Graphic Communication (GRC) gaining fewer numbers compared to other College of Liberal Arts (CLA) fields. By analyzing what key elements are necessary for gaining outside attention and intrigue about a college program, I can better understand what information needs to be presented in my video project. This video will focus on defining what Graphic Communication is as a major, community, and springboard for success in a practical method. Understanding how to appeal to widespread audiences will help sell this advertisement for GRC and stimulate more visual marketing implementation throughout the program. Visual storytelling paired with animation have fueled marketing campaigns for decades, so it makes sense that a well-respected college program could capitalize on the skill artists have and learn to advertise more with videos than printed posters
Spotlight Magazine
Get PDFIn response to challenges faced during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Political Science (POLS) department at Cal Poly halted the distribution of its annual publication, Alumni Connections. Recognizing the need for a more captivating and accessible platform, the POLS department initiated a project to revive the publication. For my senior project, I will be leading design efforts for this new publication entitled Spotlight. Through this project, I plan to revitalize the magazine into a dynamic quarterly newsletter, balancing brevity and frequency to effectively connect with the target audience
Toward Generative Artificial Intelligence in Circuit Design
No full textIn recent years, there has been an explosion of advancements in artificial intelligence, especially in language models. These models have become essential in aiding and providing information for various tasks. This study explores five proprietary and open-source large language models (LLMs) and examines their reliability and accuracy in selecting parts and constructing connections of ten circuit design tasks from our benchmark. During our investigations, we assessed that the default textual outputs from these LLMs could lead to ambiguous responses that are either too general or open to multiple interpretations. To enhance clarity, we developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based pipeline that translates responses from LLMs into netlists, eliminating the need for further training or fine-tuning. Our study aims to highlight the reliability and accuracy of the default responses, develop a solution that provides a more explicit netlist description, and compare default and netlist outputs
It’s not on the Syllabus: The case for policy writing in modern graduate education
Get PDFGraduate students gain experience in a variety with different forms of writing while completing their studies; however, policy writing is less common although it is applicable to a variety of disciplines. Policy writing is an extension of theory and needs to be approached from a feminist perspective. Policy writing can be conceptualized as a critical feminist praxis where graduate students use their disciplinary skills in more applied work to engage in important conversations related to their field of study. This article provides some strategies for policy writing for graduate students that use existing skills such as forming arguments and applying empirical evidence, but notes differences in policy writing that need to be considered such as audience, tone, purpose, and format
Tackling Networked Misogyny Through Graduate Curriculum Design
Get PDFThis paper explores the importance of sharing feminist research through digital projects. One of the barriers of digital projects is the networked misogyny that graduate students face. This paper offers several strategies for addressing networked misogyny, including teaching about digital privacy, strategies for documenting harassment, collective engagement, and integrating trauma-informed pedagogy