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Smart Spine Tape: Active Wearable Posture Monitoring for Prevention of Low Back Pain and Injury
No full textBack pain and injury are a global health issue and are a leading cause of work and activity absence. Prevention would not only save those affected from the burden of pain and discomfort, but would also save people from loss of over 290 million workdays annually and save the healthcare system billions of dollars in expenses per year. Successful research and development of a wearable technology capable of comprehensively monitoring spinal postures that are leading causes of back pain and injury can result in prevention of mild to severe back pain and injury for high-risk people. To accomplish this, the Smart Spine Tape is being developed with specific focus on accuracy, usability, and accessibility, all of which are important factors to consider when engineering for a wide array of populations. Accuracy was assessed using three human participants, with spinal angle data of the Smart Spine Tape being compared to established motion analysis technology data. Prototypes of the device showed promise in the ability to accurately measure spinal postures, but inconsistencies between samples and trials indicated that further development is necessary. Usability and accessibility were assessed using ten human participants who completed one workout each and reported on the tape’s comfort, durability, and ease of use, as well as their thoughts on how much they would be willing to pay for a fully functional version of the device. Participants reported high comfort, high durability, and moderate ease of use throughout their experiences, with the average price range that they would be willing to pay being between 75. Future directions have been identified that address inconsistencies in data collected by the Smart Spine Tape, possibly caused by inconsistent resistive properties of the piezoresistive ink and plastic deformation of the tape during testing. These future directions involve modifying testing, material, and fabrication methods
AS-948-22 Resolution on the Tenure Retreat of Former CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro to Cal Poly
Get PDFCalls on Former Chancellor Joseph I. Castro to abort his tenure retreat rights to Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in the Orfalea College of Business due to the mismanagement of the sexual harassment allegations case against Frank Lamas
Fabrication of Thin-Film Composite, Reverse-Osmosis Membranes with Polyethylenimine Modifications for Enhancing Membrane Fouling Resistance
Get PDFIncreasing water reuse opportunities for communities has become increasingly important as access to clean water is becoming more scarce. Reverse Osmosis (RO) is an advanced treatment technology used in water recycling wastewater for potable reuse applications. RO is a promising technology; however, the membranes have limitations including their high energy demand and their susceptibility to membrane fouling. The main objective of this study was to develop a reproducible method for the fabrication of RO membranes with enhanced flux and reduced susceptibility to fouling. Literature contains numerous publications on fabrication of thin film composite (TFC) RO membranes with high performance. However, the reports lacked all the details needed to fabricate a TFC RO membrane, making it difficult to replicate those published fabrication protocols. Based on the efforts of this study, the membrane fabrication procedures utilized did not yield the same quality and performance as reported in these articles. In this study, five TFC RO control membranes were replicated and compared. The membranes produced an average water flux of 21.9 ± 3.6 L/m2h (LMH) and an average salt rejection of 97.6% ± 2.0%. Based on these results, it was concluded that a reproducible fabrication technique was developed for fabricating consistent and reliable TFC RO membranes. Furthermore, this study investigated the role of fouling on TFC RO membrane performance. Enhancing membrane resistance to fouling helps maintain membrane selectivity, lifespan, and permeability. There has been an increasing interest in the modification of the RO membranes for enhanced hydrophilicity, which leads to improvements in fouling resistance. In this study, a positive and high charge density polymer, polyethylenimine (PEI), was introduced into the membrane matrix in varying layers of the membrane structure. PEI-1 was fabricated in-situ by grafting the PEI onto the polysulfone (PSf) support, while PEI-2 was fabricated via grafting of the PEI onto the membrane PA surface. The resulting membranes were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and Goniometry. PEI-2 produced a more hydrophilic membrane when compared to PEI-1, however, PEI-1 performed better in terms of flux and selectivity. Multiple model foulants were used for investigating the modified membrane fouling performance. These model foulants were tested at varying concentrations, pH values, and with and without the presence of Ca2+ ions. The model foulants used were bovine serum albumin (BSA), sodium alginate, and humic acid. None of the model foulants resulted in a decrease in performance for the membrane over the duration of the tests (up to 13 hours). Future research is needed to develop a robust protocol for testing the fouling of the produced RO membranes within a reasonable timeframe
AS-951-22 Resolution On Minors and Semesters
Get PDFCalls on the Academic Senate to recommend approval of the resolution to revise size and structure of minors in semesters at Cal Poly
Synthetic Design and Anisotropic Conductivities of Polymeric Mixed Ion- Electron Conductors
Get PDFOur project documented, in extensive detail, the liquid crystalline (LC) assembly pathway from solution to solid state in the supramolecular complexes of the mixed ionic-electronic conducting polymers (MIECPs) prepared from carboxylated poly(3-alkylthiophene) and ionic liquid surfactant. Using UV-visible spectroscopy we have shown that the complexation is accompanied by the surfactochromism showing colorimetric response and conformational transitions as a function of the IL surfactant mole ratio. Additionally, we have demonstrated via Polarized Optical Microscopy (POM), that the equimolar solution exhibits rodlike conformation and its hydrogel spontaneously forms a 2D smectic LC mesophase with a lamellar periodicity. Defect-free LC domains were produced by a method of mechanical shearing, and uniform LC alignment was retained in the solid- state film that possesses a unidirecXonal electronic transport channel along the conjugatedbackbone and ionic transport channel along IL moieties in the smectic layer, leading to the high anisotropy in electronic conductivities and ionic conductivities. The system demonstrated high mixed-conduction with electronic conductivities on the order of 10-3 S/m and ionic conductivities on the order of 10-4 S/m at ambient temperature. This project has produced significant results of broad merit, as the supramolecular LC design and the LC assembly pathway from solution to solid state in this work would provide useful methodologies for construction of film morphologies and structures in MIECPs that can simultaneously achieve fast electronic and ionic transport. Hence, the conclusions of this project will allow for the production of high-performance electrochemical devices
Design, Fabrication, and Testing of Mechanical Hinges with Snap-Fit Locking Mechanisms in Rigid Origami Structures
Get PDFThe ancient art of ‘origami’ has recently become the source of inspiration for engineers to create structures that can unfold from a compact state to a fully deployed one. For instance, researchers have currently adopted origami designs in various engineering disciplines, including aerospace engineering, robotics, biomedical engineering, and architecture. In particular, architects have been interested in designing origami-inspired rigid walled structures that can be deployed as disaster-relief shelters. This type of design has three main advantages: transportability, constructability, and rigidity. Although there has been increased interests in deployable structures, limited research has been conducted on evaluating their structural performance, specifically the mechanical performance of the hinges that allow for the rotation of the rigid panels. To address the limitation, this thesis proposes a novel design of hinge connections for rigid origami structures. The hinges utilize snap fit connections to allow for the structure to achieve and maintain a locked state once unfolded without the need for any additional connections. Prototypes of the hinge design were fabricated using a 3D printer and their flexural strength was experimentally and computationally studied. It was concluded that the design could resist typical flexural loads for residential structures, and future research should be performed to minimize deflection
TOAST PASTRY STUDIO: Bakery Brand and Pastry Packaging Concept
Get PDFTOAST PASTRY STUDIO is a fictitious bakery branding concept made to host an innovative pastry packaging system. The aim of the conceptualized package is to offer additional functionality to bakery consumers by implementing a perforated knife unit directly into the box. The overall idea of the project stems from a long-term appreciation toward bakery culture/aesthetic as well as clever packaging design
Building Dialogue in Feminist Classrooms, Part 2: Student-Generated Discussion Points
Get PDFIn Part 2 of these linked Original Teaching Activities, we turn to dialogue and the use of student-generated discussion points to further build community in the feminist classroom. Once students have mastered a common vocabulary, we argue, this informal discussion points homework exercise offers rich opportunities for students to practice terms and concepts, engage in productive dialogue and active listening with their instructor and peers, interpret and analyze the course materials, and build problem-solving skills by navigating moments of conflict
A Review of Rebirthing a Nation: White Women, Identity Politics, and the Internet
Get PDFThis is a review of Rebirthing a Nation: White Women, Identity Politics, and the Internet by Wendy K. Z. Anderson
Using Project Production Methodology to Compare Onsite Prefabrication Steel Erection to Traditional Stick-Built
Get PDFProject production management provides continuity, predictability, and optimization of a process in comparison to the traditional approach of project management. Prefabrication is an example of project production management in which there is continuity of the product, reduced variability, and where the assembly process can be altered for best results. This paper will examine the benefits of project production management and compare two methods of steel erection in which one method performs an onsite prefabrication process while the other method employs the traditional stick-built process. The two methods will be modeled by a tool that replicates a repetitive process similar to a production system through the use of symbols. This tool also enables data like the duration of tasks, the required demand of the system or assembly, the amount of inventory available to be inputted, and can also calculate the capacity utilization of machinery or crews working. The two different methods will be analyzed through the scope of project production management using a tool called a Process Mapper. The resulting conclusion will be that the onsite prefabrication method will be shown to better utilize labor resources and be a safer approach in comparison to the traditional method