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Master's Theses

San Jose State University

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Homelessness And Taphonomy: A Multidisciplinary Study, Chloë Angst Jan 2023

Homelessness And Taphonomy: A Multidisciplinary Study, Chloë Angst

Master's Theses

In this thesis, I present multidisciplinary research applicable to deceased unhoused individuals in urban San José, California. I present the problem of homelessness through a “hybrid collectif,” a conceptual framework that encompasses the factors that drive homelessness in life and death. I use taphonomic methodology to examine the problem of homelessness in this urban region by experimentation with porcine carcasses in simulated death scenarios. I utilize total body score (TBS), accumulated degree days (ADD), and predictive entomological species identification to examine decomposition trends. I also introduce “human survival scavenging” as an agent of decomposition, provide an account of ecological succession …


Trophic Ecology And Mercury Concentrations Of Canary Rockfish (Sebastes Pinniger) In The California Current System, Michaela M. Melanson Jan 2023

Trophic Ecology And Mercury Concentrations Of Canary Rockfish (Sebastes Pinniger) In The California Current System, Michaela M. Melanson

Master's Theses

Canary rockfish are a profitable fishery resource that has failed and successfully recovered in the 21st century. This study aimed to evaluate their trophic ecology through stomach content and stable isotope analysis and relate these to their mercury concentrations, biological traits, and environmental conditions. Canary rockfish consume mostly krill and teleosts with their geographic location affecting the proportion of prey items, suggesting regional environmental effects: chlorophyll-a, relief, port, and depth impact dietary choices. Mean ??13C values (-17.18 ± 0.54) significantly increased in individuals residing in deeper depths, higher latitudes, higher productivity, and higher temperatures, and in sexually mature individuals. Mean …


The Mediating Role Of Perceived Organizational Support On The Relationship Between Wellness Programs And Job Satisfaction, Andy Tran Jan 2023

The Mediating Role Of Perceived Organizational Support On The Relationship Between Wellness Programs And Job Satisfaction, Andy Tran

Master's Theses

The purpose of the current study was to examine the mediating role of perceived organizational support (POS) on the relationship between wellness programs (participations and availability) and job satisfaction. A total of 83 employees participated in the study, which utilized online survey distribution. Results showed that POS fully mediated the relationship between both participation and availability of wellness programs and job satisfaction. In other words, employees who participated in a wellness program felt more supported by their organization, leading to greater job satisfaction. In addition, the results suggested that when organizations offered more wellness programs, employees were more likely to …


Habitat Value Of Stormwater Retention Basins For Avian Species In The South San Francisco Bay, Maya D. Briones Jan 2023

Habitat Value Of Stormwater Retention Basins For Avian Species In The South San Francisco Bay, Maya D. Briones

Master's Theses

Shorebird populations are declining worldwide due to habitat fragmentation, degradation, and loss. A potential, understudied set of resources that might be used to benefit waterfowl, especially breeding shorebirds, are artificial wetlands such as stormwater retention basins. This study evaluated the habitat value of stormwater retention basins in the San Francisco Bay Area by measuring species abundance, richness, and behavior. Seston, or biota and other suspended material, was collected and tested for mercury contents. Additionally, the habitat features within each basin were recorded and tracked for changes over a year. The stormwater retention basins supported a higher diversity of bird species …


No Kidding: The Moderating Role Of Childcare Responsibility On The Relationship Between Perceived Work-Life Balance Policy Culture And Job Outcomes, Ziwei Gao Jan 2023

No Kidding: The Moderating Role Of Childcare Responsibility On The Relationship Between Perceived Work-Life Balance Policy Culture And Job Outcomes, Ziwei Gao

Master's Theses

The societal assumption that everyone will or should have children at some point is deeply ingrained in many cultures. This often results in a lack of recognition and understanding of the experiences of childfree individuals, particularly within professional settings. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the moderating effect of childcare responsibility on the relationship between perceived work-life balance policy culture and job outcomes. A sample of 161 participants completed an online survey measuring perceived work-life balance policy culture, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions. Results showed that employees with high levels of perceived work-life balance policy culture reported …


Melt Inclusion Record Of Submarine Caldera Formation On Axial Seamount, Juan De Fuca Ridge, Destiny Kapule Jan 2023

Melt Inclusion Record Of Submarine Caldera Formation On Axial Seamount, Juan De Fuca Ridge, Destiny Kapule

Master's Theses

This study contributes to understanding magmatic processes and the plumbing system of submarine volcanoes before, during, and after caldera formation with the use of melt inclusions (MIs). Major, trace and volatile geochemistry from both olivine and plagioclase-hosted MIs taken from volcaniclastic deposits around Axial Seamount reveal information about the storage conditions, ascent rates and eruption styles of magmas. Magma crystallizes in the subsurface, capturing MIs, and ascends where some host glasses may interact with seawater during eruption. Oversaturation in volatiles and low vesicularity show quick ascent rates. By analyzing chemical data within a pre-existing stratigraphic context this study can assess …


Micro-Scale Laser-Induced Fluorescence Thermometry For Multiphase Flow In Porous Media, Samuel J. Simmons Jan 2023

Micro-Scale Laser-Induced Fluorescence Thermometry For Multiphase Flow In Porous Media, Samuel J. Simmons

Master's Theses

In this thesis the use of Laser-Induced Fluorescence (LIF) thermometry was evaluated as a temperature measurement for multiphase flow in porous media. This optical temperature measurement technique utilizes the temperature-dependent emissive properties of fluorescent dyes to measure temperature. This research evaluates the accuracy, spatial resolution, and temporal resolution of LIF thermometry compared to existing temperature measurements. In this research water-soluble and oil-soluble fluorescent dyes are evaluated in terms of their temperature sensitivity. The ability of these dyes to measure temperature is compared to an Ansys FEA simulation of a fixed temperature gradient. For multiphase flow, the fluorescent dyes were both …


Impacts Of Synoptic-Scale Dynamics On Cloud Properties And Radiation In High Southern Latitudes, Tyler R. Barone Jan 2023

Impacts Of Synoptic-Scale Dynamics On Cloud Properties And Radiation In High Southern Latitudes, Tyler R. Barone

Master's Theses

Predicting future climate change relies on accurate representations of the earth’s surface radiation budget. Complex interactions between large-scale dynamical conditions (e.g., low-pressure systems) and microscale processes (e.g., cloud properties) are key contributors to energy budget biases within global climate models. Proper estimation of cloud microscale processes and their responses to synoptic-scale dynamics will greatly improve the accuracy of the simulated energy balance within global climate models. High-latitudinal clouds have significant influences on the Earth’s radiative balance. We examined observations from two field campaigns at Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean and McMurdo Station in Antarctica. Two global climate models are …


Common Pattern Generation For The Detection Of Lolbin Attacks, Alaa Abushqeir Jan 2023

Common Pattern Generation For The Detection Of Lolbin Attacks, Alaa Abushqeir

Master's Theses

The cybersecurity environment is constantly evolving as attackers deploy progressively advanced methodologies. The utilization of Living Off the Land Binaries (LOLBins) represents a notable strategy in which normal system utilities are exploited for the purpose of executing malicious actions. This approach poses difficulties in terms of both detection and mitigation. The primary objective of this study is to examine LOLBins, which are a specific category of tactics falling under the broader concept of ”Living Off the Land” (LOL). In LOLBins, malicious actors exploit pre-existing tools in order to maintain a covert presence and circumvent security measures. Defending against LOLBins is …


The Inverse Association Between Prebiotic Consumption And Depression Status In American Adult Females, But Not The Greater Population Or In Males: Nhanes 2015-2018, Cassandra L. Boyd Jan 2023

The Inverse Association Between Prebiotic Consumption And Depression Status In American Adult Females, But Not The Greater Population Or In Males: Nhanes 2015-2018, Cassandra L. Boyd

Master's Theses

It is unknown if a relationship exists between prebiotic intake and depression status. Using 2015-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey cycles data, adult American estimated mean daily prebiotic intake across demographic groups, gender, and depression status were reported. Additionally, the 10 highest prebiotic content Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies foods were identified. Adults (≥ 18 years) with adequate sleep and at least one day of dietary recall data were included. Participants with excessive alcohol intake, BMI ≤ 18, BMI ≥ 30, or current depression medication use were excluded. The confounding variables were inadequate sleep, unemployment, and age. …


Qualifying Quantifiers: A Usage-Based, Diachronic Analysis Of Quantifier Constructions, Danielle Miles Angier Jan 2023

Qualifying Quantifiers: A Usage-Based, Diachronic Analysis Of Quantifier Constructions, Danielle Miles Angier

Master's Theses

Adnominal quantifiers have been a source of contention in existing research, owing to their unique distributional patterns that do not match those of adjectives or determiners. Traditional accounts have typically focused on one aspect of quantifier behavior without looking at the group as a whole, and existing theories are disparate and inconsistent. This study tackles the problem of quantifier variation from a diachronic, usage-based, constructionist perspective. The goal of this paper is to identify patterns of change that can explain the variation exhibited by quantifiers today, focused on whether they are best classified as adjectives, determiners, or both; why every …


Effect Of Spatial Uniformity Of Platelet Aggregates On The Stress-Strain Behavior Of Blood Clots, Tamara Kawa Jan 2023

Effect Of Spatial Uniformity Of Platelet Aggregates On The Stress-Strain Behavior Of Blood Clots, Tamara Kawa

Master's Theses

Blood clots are a leading contributor to deaths and cardiovascular complications; however, they also play a critical role in wound healing. Though treatments inhibiting platelet activity help prevent thrombosis, they also affect the contractile forces exerted by platelets and, potentially, their distribution. The stiffness of the fibrin matrix that maintains the clot structure is also affected. The hypothesis of this investigation is that blood clots with uniform platelet distribution exhibit higher resistance to deformation than clots with clustered distributions, specifically because of local strain stiffening by platelets. The hypothesis was tested by conducting finite element analysis (FEA) simulations of platelet-rich …


Partnering With International Peers To Promote Young Children’S Social And Emotional Learning: Students’ Experiences During An International Service Learning Program, Danica D. Mavroudis Jan 2023

Partnering With International Peers To Promote Young Children’S Social And Emotional Learning: Students’ Experiences During An International Service Learning Program, Danica D. Mavroudis

Master's Theses

International Service Learning (ISL) has been used increasingly across fields of study in higher education to enhance student’s learning outside the classroom. ISL programs often encourage students to reflect on their experience to promote experiential and transformative learning. Previous research on ISL has found benefits to students’ professional and personal development. While the process may be helpful to participating students, there may be a lack of lasting benefit to the host community. There also is a gap in the literature of how mental wellness services could be delivered using ISL. In hopes to extend program benefits and provide mental wellness …


Quantifying Bromocarbon Emissions From Seaweed Aquaculture In California, Jessica C. Metter Jan 2023

Quantifying Bromocarbon Emissions From Seaweed Aquaculture In California, Jessica C. Metter

Master's Theses

Feeding ruminant livestock seaweed rich in bromoform (CHBr3) is an emerging strategy to reduce methane emissions from the livestock sector to meet climate targets. Consequently, there is a strong interest in farming bromoform rich seaweeds (e.g., Asparagopsis taxiformis) on a large scale which may impact the atmospheric inventory of bromine and in return induce catalytic ozone destruction. However, to date, only three studies have measured bromoform emission rates from Asparagopsis seaweeds which vary by order of magnitude. To fill this gap, the most comprehensive data set of bromocarbon emissions from A. taxiformis, a leading candidate for enteric methane reduction in …


The Statue That Started It All: The Aphrodite Of Knidos, Amereece Sterba Jan 2023

The Statue That Started It All: The Aphrodite Of Knidos, Amereece Sterba

Master's Theses

In this thesis, I argue that The Aphrodite of Knidos statue has had a significant impact on the perception of the female nude in art throughout history because of this statue's iconic nature; it lent itself to be easily copied by artists, which has allowed artists to alter the Knidian image for cultural purposes. This thesis explores why this statue became the canon in Antiquity and continued to be replicated in subsequent eras. The first chapter examines how Praxiteles created the formula that would become the canon. By looking at Knidian and other ancient statues that take inspiration from the …


How Should I Fall Apart For You? A Critical Autoethnography Exploring Embodied Trauma, Julie R. Terebkov Jan 2023

How Should I Fall Apart For You? A Critical Autoethnography Exploring Embodied Trauma, Julie R. Terebkov

Master's Theses

Defining and naming trauma is a layered and nuanced process but hegemonic medical and media discourses have forced trauma into a system of binary terms and categories. This study begins with an exploration of how hegemonic discourses define trauma and how focusing on embodied trauma disrupts the limiting language presently available. I use Lisa Blackman’s (2008) work on embodiment to explore how our bodies move, take on, and shed trauma as a form of disruption to oppressive language. Blackman’s theory is used to examine my own embodied trauma through a critical autoethnography using prose and narrative I developed in narrative …


Adaptive Windowed Sinc Filter For Image Interpolation, Dang Nguyen Jan 2023

Adaptive Windowed Sinc Filter For Image Interpolation, Dang Nguyen

Master's Theses

In this thesis, an image interpolation scheme using an adaptive windowed sinc, which varies in length and frequency response guided by the Laplacian operator, is proposed to improve quality and accuracy. First, an optimization is performed to minimize the squared error for each sliding window by sweeping a range of windowed sinc filters with varying filter lengths. The relationship between the windows, filter length, and edge intensity is analyzed to determine the optimal beta value and filter length. This analysis inspires an image interpolation approach that uses the Laplacian of each sliding window to choose the optimal beta and filter …


Controllability-Constrained Deep Neural Network Models For Enhanced Control Of Dynamical Systems, Suruchi Sharma Jan 2023

Controllability-Constrained Deep Neural Network Models For Enhanced Control Of Dynamical Systems, Suruchi Sharma

Master's Theses

Control of a dynamical system without the knowledge of dynamics is an important and challenging task. Modern machine learning approaches, such as deep neural networks (DNNs), allow for the estimation of a dynamics model from control inputs and corresponding state observation outputs. Such data-driven models are often utilized for the derivation of model-based controllers. However, in general, there are no guarantees that a model represented by DNNs will be controllable according to the formal control-theoretical meaning of controllability, which is crucial for the design of effective controllers. This often precludes the use of DNN-estimated models in applications, where formal controllability …


Prediction Of Thrombin Inhibitor Peptides From Various Habitats Using Machine Learning, Nivedha Balakrishnan Jan 2023

Prediction Of Thrombin Inhibitor Peptides From Various Habitats Using Machine Learning, Nivedha Balakrishnan

Master's Theses

Thrombin is the key enzyme in the pathogenesis of most cardiovascular diseases. A new class of anticoagulation drugs, direct thrombin inhibitors (DTI) have greatly improved patient care. Despite minimum off-target effects and immediacy of action of DTI, the risk of bleeding and pharmacokinetic issues has limited their applicability, and thrombotic complications remain a major concern. In an effort to increase the pipeline of DTI, we developed a two-staged machine learning pipeline to identify and rank peptide sequences based on their effective thrombin inhibitory potential. The positive dataset for our model consisted of thrombin inhibitor peptides and their binding affinities (KI) …


Reconstructing Auditory Evoked Cortical Response With Fewer Trials, Zoey Y. Zhang Jan 2023

Reconstructing Auditory Evoked Cortical Response With Fewer Trials, Zoey Y. Zhang

Master's Theses

Auditory evoked fields (AEF) paradigm is a common research tool to study human auditory responses by using Magnetoencephalography (MEG), a neuroimaging tool. AEF paradigm requires repetition over many trials to achieve adequate signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), but Autistic children and some other populations cannot tolerate prolonged exam time due to various reasons. To address these challenges, this project uses a novel machine learning algorithm, Champagne with baseline noise learning, to reconstruct AEF data with fewer trials (80%, 60%, 40%, 20%) but produce the same results as using all AEF trials (100%). The results show that this novel machine learning algorithm can …


Cloud Phase Distribution At A Global-Scale And The Governing Factors Using Satellite And In-Situ Airborne Observations, Dao Wang Jan 2023

Cloud Phase Distribution At A Global-Scale And The Governing Factors Using Satellite And In-Situ Airborne Observations, Dao Wang

Master's Theses

Cloud thermodynamic phase distributions play a crucial role in accurately representing cloud radiative effects and feedback in a changing climate. The partitioning of cloud thermodynamic phases (ice, liquid, and mixed phase) significantly influences Earth's surface temperature and its ability to mitigate the impact of global warming. Satellite-based cloud phase data are frequently used for the evaluation of global climate models, yet validation of them against in-situ observations is still lacking. This study examines global cloud phase distributions and their determinant factors by validating three satellite-based cloud phase products against an extensive in-situ airborne dataset. CALIPSO exhibits the most similar ice …


Detecting The Onion Routing Traffic In Real-Time By Using Reinforcement Learning, Dazhou Liu Jan 2023

Detecting The Onion Routing Traffic In Real-Time By Using Reinforcement Learning, Dazhou Liu

Master's Theses

Anonymous networks have been popularly utilized to protect user anonymity and facilitate network security for a decade. However, such networks have been a platform for adversarial affairs and various network attacks including suspicious traffic generators. As a result, detecting anonymous network traffic is one critical task to defend a network against unpredictable attacks. Many new methods using machine learning and deep learning techniques have been proposed. However, many of them rely heavily on a vast amount of labeled data and have complicated architectures. Since network traffic always fluctuates under different network environments, those techniques may degrade in performance due to …


Cirrus Microphysical Properties And The Controlling Factors Using A Machine Learning Approach, Derek D. Ngo Jan 2023

Cirrus Microphysical Properties And The Controlling Factors Using A Machine Learning Approach, Derek D. Ngo

Master's Theses

Cirrus clouds are located at high altitudes and are composed of ice crystals. The unique location of cirrus clouds and their large variability in-cloud microphysical properties allow them to have either warming or cooling effects on Earth’s surface and affect the Earth’s energy budget on a global scale. The examination of cirrus radiative effects is further complicated by multiple factors affecting their formation and evolution, including the effects of thermodynamic, dynamic, aerosol, and chemical tracer variables. In this work, we developed a composite aircraft-based in-situ observation dataset based on seven National Science Foundation (NSF) and five NASA flight campaigns that …


Deep Learning In Ai Medical Imaging For Stroke Diagnosis, James Mario Guzman Jan 2023

Deep Learning In Ai Medical Imaging For Stroke Diagnosis, James Mario Guzman

Master's Theses

Enhancing medical imaging stroke diagnosis applications with artificial intelligence (AI) tools to determine lesion volume, location and clinical metadata is vital toward guiding patient treatment and procedure. A major hardship in developing stroke diagnosis AI tools is the scarcity of publicly available clinical 3D stroke datasets. Through working with Johns Hopkins University, University of Michigan’s ICPSR data repository and SJSU research, we gained access to potentially the largest 3D MRI stroke dataset with clinical metadata annotated by neuroradiologists known as ICPSR 38464. With the ICPSR 38464 dataset recently being available through institutional review board (IRB) approval or exemption, we were …


Motivated Reasoning In Technology Workers, Kory Feath Jan 2023

Motivated Reasoning In Technology Workers, Kory Feath

Master's Theses

The goal of this study is to investigate cognitive predictors for motivated reasoning, the process in which evidence evaluation is influenced by prior beliefs, in technology workers. Two hundred and twenty-one technology workers were recruited using Prolific and word-of-mouth to evaluate the conflicting evidence of social media causing digital harm. Past research has found that many individual cognitive styles do not predict motivated reasoning, but by using structural equations modeling to investigate the latent variable analytical/reflective thinking styles, I predicted that more active thinking styles will reduce motivated reasoning and be mediated by prior belief strength. A structural equations model …


Educational Attainment And Employment Status Of Medical Cannabis Users In The Bay Area Of California, Kristi M. Sadler Jan 2023

Educational Attainment And Employment Status Of Medical Cannabis Users In The Bay Area Of California, Kristi M. Sadler

Master's Theses

This research assesses whether participants’ responses align with the literature concerning cannabis use on educational attainment and employment outcomes. Mainly, cannabis use in adolescence is associated with lower educational attainment, and cannabis use in general may lead to poor employment outcomes, as described in the literature. Participants were medical cannabis dispensary patients with a California medical cannabis card residing in 11 counties in or near the San Francisco Bay Area. Data were collected via an internet survey from October to December 2017 via 32 medical cannabis dispensaries. Medical cannabis users reported having bachelor’s degrees at double the current national average. …


An Analysis Of Fire-Induced Conditions During Large Wildfires And Within Steep Canyons, Justin Mirabilis Haw Jan 2023

An Analysis Of Fire-Induced Conditions During Large Wildfires And Within Steep Canyons, Justin Mirabilis Haw

Master's Theses

For this study, fire-induced winds from a wind-driven fire (Thomas Fire) and a plume dominated fire (Creek Fire) were analyzed. Then, the small-scale fire-induced circulations within steep canyons were examined. This study used two different WRF-SFIRE simulations, one without the fire present, and the other with fire. The fire-induced conditions were calculated by subtracting a given variable from the “No Fire Run” from the “Fire Run” (Fire - No Fire). Wind speed and geopotential height fields were analyzed to assess spatial and temporal variability. Furthermore, cloud water mixing ratio, precipitation, and fuel moisture were analyzed for the Creek Fire to …


Electronic And Optical Properties Of 2d Materials And Their Van Der Waals Heterostructures Using Density Functional Theory, Paridhi Bisht Jan 2023

Electronic And Optical Properties Of 2d Materials And Their Van Der Waals Heterostructures Using Density Functional Theory, Paridhi Bisht

Master's Theses

Layered 2D materials offer unique physical and chemical properties, including high surface area-to-volume ratios, layer-dependent electronic and optical traits, and scalability. Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) represent a versatile class within 2D materials, with metals, semiconductors, insulators, and superconductors. Weak van der Waals forces between layers enable easy exfoliation and stacking for vertical heterostructures, promising electronic and optical device manipulation. This thesis investigates monolayer graphene, h-BN, MoTe2, WTe2-2H, WTe2-1T', and their heterostructures using DFT-based calculations. Results show stable heterostructures, particularly Gr/WTe2-2H as a Schottky n-type junction for FETs and magnetoresistance devices. Strain-induced bandgap modulation and redshifts offer potential for bandgap engineering …


Where And Why Do Ecosystem-Based Adaption Projects Take Place In California?, Daniel K. Jacobson Jan 2023

Where And Why Do Ecosystem-Based Adaption Projects Take Place In California?, Daniel K. Jacobson

Master's Theses

California is experiencing the harmful impacts of climate change and will continue to do so for generations. As a result, municipalities have been forced to turn to adaptation solutions to help local residents adjust to inevitable impacts such as sea level rise, extreme heat, and extreme weather. Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), the use of nature and ecosystem services to help human systems adapt to climate change impacts, is an increasingly popular, cost-effective, and multi-benefit adaptation strategy. While prior research has shown that other forms of adaptation, often referred to as ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ strategies, disproportionately benefit whiter and wealthier populations, there …


Intrinsic Motivation By The Principles Of Non-Linear Dynamical Systems, Phu C. Nguyen Jan 2023

Intrinsic Motivation By The Principles Of Non-Linear Dynamical Systems, Phu C. Nguyen

Master's Theses

The design of appropriate control rules for the stabilization of dynamical systems can require quite substantial domain knowledge. Modern AI methodologies, such as Reinforcement Learning, are often used to mitigate the need for such knowledge. However, these can be slow and often rely on at least some hand-designed reward structure, and thus human input, to be more effective. Here, we propose an alternative route to construct rewards requiring only minimal domain knowledge, essentially relying on the structure of the dynamical system itself. For this, we use truncated Lyapunov exponents as rewards to calculate the stabilizing controller from samples. Concretely, the …