Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Daylight Saving Time Transitions On Domestic Violence Call Volume, Quynh-Nhu Pham

Master's Projects

Daylight Saving Time (DST) is a longstanding practice in many countries, involving the seasonal adjustment of clocks by one hour forward in the spring, and one hour backward in the fall. Although DST was initially introduced to promote energy conservation and maximize daylight hours, it has become a subject of debate, given its impact on physical and mental health, cognitive performance, and criminal behavior (Kountouris & Remoundou, 2014).

In 2022, Colorado enacted a law adopting year-round DST, contingent upon a federal law enabling states to maintain DST throughout the year as opposed to ST, like Hawaii and Arizona (Chasan, 2024). …

How Are Mcps Doing On Achieving Assessed Calaim Requirements? A Comparative Analysis Of Selected Not-For-Profit, Publicly Governed Health Plans In California, Junell Chen

Master's Projects

At the heart of a larger societal movement, the imperative to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is a resounding call to action across all sectors. This pressing concern underscores the need for proactive and equity-centric solutions, including within the American healthcare system. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has been instrumental in shaping policies and initiatives, such as Healthy People, aimed at promoting health equity and reducing health disparities. Similarly, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has instituted supplementary compliance requirements to hold healthcare stakeholders accountable for implementing equitable programs designed to eliminate health disparities …

Integrating Chatgpt With A-Frame For User-Driven 3d Modeling, Ivan Hernandez

Master's Projects

ChatGPT is a large language model that is capable of creating conversational text and functional code that can be integrated into various technologies, including computer graphics software. Currently, 3D modeling applications can be relatively difficult for novices to learn and understand due to the overwhelming amount of graphical user interfaces. However, we can remedy this issue by leveraging ChatGPT’s conversational language capabilities. Our project described in this report integrates ChatGPT with A-Frame, an online framework for developing virtual reality experiences, to create an immersive and user-friendly 3D modeling environment where users can create and modify 3D models through natural language …

Noteblocklib: A Library For Physics- And Animation-Driven Virtual Midi Instruments For Use In Video Games, Kevin Rotunni

Master's Projects

To better capture the relationship between the performer of a piece of music and the music itself in a video game context, I have designed NoteBlockLib, a system by which MIDI instructions are generated and processed in real time based on the motion and collision data of in-game objects. Ultimately, the movement of instruments made using this system would be driven by the animations of a character in the game. This system would thus allow the player character to interact with the performer in the game without sacrificing the relationship between the performer’s actions and the resulting music or to …

Gradual Typing For Information Flow Control In Typescript Using Es Lint, Ashish Agarwal

Master's Projects

Current state-of-the-art systems tackle data security threats by incorporating information flow control (IFC) to ensure that a piece of information reaches only its intended recipient. However, most IFC implementations introduce a custom language built on top of a well-known language. Adaptations of such languages are limited due to limited support and updates, along with difficulty in learning new syntaxes. Implementations without a custom language offer incomplete IFC support. We present a comprehensive framework by leveraging Typescript, in conjunction with ESLint and NodeJS, aiming to resolve some of the limitations of IFC and intending to facilitate acceptance by a wide range …

Comparing Balancing Techniques For Malware Classification, Ranjit John

Master's Projects

There have been many breakthroughs over the years in the field of Machine Learning to detect and classify malware threats. However, training a holistic machine learning model to effectively classify malware has been an ongoing topic of research. Datasets represent some malware types disproportionately, which can affect the performance of machine learning classifiers. Without ample data, less common but highly dangerous malware can go undetected by classifiers, leading to devastating outcomes. Data balancing techniques have proven to be effective in representing minority classes better and lessening the bias towards the majority class. Also, recent research showed that generative modeling effectively …

A Censorship Resistant News Website Using The Ethereum Blockchain, Hoang Lai

Master's Projects

Misleading information, false claims, and fabricated news articles not only misguide readers but also undermine the trustworthiness of the news platforms themselves. The blockchain provides decentralized, immutable data storage and offers a promising solution to prevent censorship on news websites. Compared to traditional news websites, a decentralized application (dApp) offers benefits such as greater stability and resistance to information manipulation. A decentralized web app is harder to attack than centralized servers since the database is stored across a blockchain network. Moreover, blockchain prevents censorship by letting readers check data across all blocks in the Blockchain, which is good for a …

A Two-Stage Machine Learning Approach For Fake News Detection And News Article Categorization, Snegdha Adusumilli

Master's Projects

This project employs machine learning techniques to develop a sequential model for detecting and categorizing fake news, aiming to mitigate its proliferation in today's digital landscape. The model operates in two phases: in the first phase, the classification algorithms like Naïve Bayes, XGBoost and Random Forest are used to distinguish between true and false news stories and in the second phase the capabilities of Naïve Bayes, XGBoost, Random Forest, and the Transformer-based BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers) model are leveraged to further categorize the news into specific topics.

The methodology encompasses several key steps: data acquisition, preprocessing, feature extraction, …

Echo: A Browser Extension That Runs Experimental Javascript, Prayuj Pillai

Master's Projects

Narcissus is a JavaScript interpreter written in JavaScript. While it is a good engine for experimenting with JavaScript’s design, it does not integrate easily into the browser. This project introduces ‘‘Echo’’, a browser add-on designed to execute Narcissus JavaScript files and scripts within web browsers. The project explores the performance of the Narcissus interpreter against native browser JavaScript engines and benchmarks the results, showcasing the trade-offs in running an experimental engine—the Narcissus interpreter—on the browser versus native JavaScript. Additionally, as a proof of concept, we implement taint tracking, a capability meant to boost security by preventing sensitive data from being …

Secured Data Storage Management With Deduplication In Cloud Computing, Ganesh Regoti

Master's Projects

In the cloud era, cloud storage has become a major service and the security of data and user privacy algorithms are becoming of great importance. This way, we make sure that the encrypted data is kept in the cloud storage. But, the challenges follow: First, storing encrypted data may result in ineffective utilization of cloud resources as in the provision of encrypted data, redundancy cannot be provided. Access control to the encrypted data is difficult as the underlying data is hidden and there is no metric with which the decision to share among users can be easily taken. Deduplication is …

Mitigating The Risk Of Reentrancy Attack In Smart Contract Development, Eric Ngo

Master's Projects

Smart contracts, while revolutionizing the blockchain with their immutable nature, are prone to attacks such the reentrancy attack. This attack allows malicious adversaries to repeately enter a contract before previous executions are completed. SpartanScript, a custom dialect of Scheme, is a way for developers to write and develop contracts in an experimental blockchain environment like SpartanGold. Compared to cryptocurrencies that use a virtual machine to run on the blockchain, SpartanScript utilizes a simplified interpreter for rapid prototyping. However, SpartanScript does not have a way to detect and warn developers of reentrancy vulnerabilities. Hence, there is a need to implement reliable …

Enhancing Environmental Health And Safety: Fine-Tuning Large Language Models For Domain-Specific Applications, Mohammad Adil Ansari

Master's Projects

This study aims to simplify Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) by leveraging the power of Large Language Models (LLMs). In this research, we focus on fine-tuning three LLMs — LLaMA, Mistral, and Falcon — using PEFT techniques such as QLoRA and SFT, to address domain-specific needs such as safety compliance, incident reporting, and knowledge dissemination. Our research methodology involves fine-tuning each LLM model on a custom dataset compiled from various regulatory agencies, supplemented by targeted web scraping and manual collection of questionnaires to capture and enrich the models with the latest regulations and guidelines. This study aims to compare the …

Instagram Data Analysis Using Machine Learning, Lakshmi Prasanna Gorrepati

Master's Projects

With enormous amount of social media content, we can draw valuable insights. In this paper, we apply different Machine Learning and Deep Learning techniques on Instagram data to determine the techniques that work well to discover the engagement class of a social media post. Out of all the social media platforms, Instagram is growing rapidly not just in the number of users but also in terms of Advertisement and marketing surpassing YouTube’s advertisement revenue. The end goal of this paper is to propose a technique to predict the engagement class. We applied Random Forest (RF), Stacking Classifier, Extreme Gradient Boost …

Parallel Powerplay: Optimizing Performance With Mapreduce And Kubernetes Fusion, Shradha Chaturvedi

Master's Projects

The combination of MapReduce (MR) & Kubernetes (K8s) strengths is not explored, and this study leverages the synergy between the two frameworks to meet the growing demands of data-intensive applications. First, this report elaborates on the existing literature work to understand the pros and cons of using MR and K8s, in what use cases these frameworks come to use, and investigates the effectiveness of research studies that explore the combination. This study aims to research the efficacy of the fusion of MR and K8s, considering these factors - application use case, infrastructure design, resource allocation, load balancing, and hypertuning parameters …

Novel Approach To Music Analysis Using Apache Spark, Nidhi Zare

Master's Projects

Music is one of the most common source of entertainment. Every user has their own taste of music and prefer to listen music that adheres to their taste and mood. There are various categories, called as music genres in which music can be classified. This research project addresses the challenge in music genre classification by using various deep learning models such as Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs), Very Deep Convolutional Networks (VGGNet), ResNet and others. The primary objective of this research is to enhance the accuracy of music genre classification using a distributed computing framework Apache Spark. …

Emulating Human Personality With Large Language Models Through Contextual Prompts And Fine-Tuning, Mrunal Zambre

Master's Projects

The quest for AI systems that can mirror the intricate aspects of human emotion and personality is crucial for enhancing their performance. This project delves into the capabilities of Large Language Models (LLMs) to mimic the Big Five personality traits in human-written essays by utilizing contextual prompts and fine-tuning methods. Diverging from traditional research in this domain, this project explores smaller, open-source LLMs, including LLaMA 2 7B chat, LLaMA 2 13B chat, and Vicuna v.15 13B, to assess their potential in personality prediction tasks, thereby making high-level personality emulation more accessible and practical for application integration. Through meticulous prompt engineering, …

Sudoku As A Proof Of Useful Work Protocol On The Blockchain, Abishek Padaki

Master's Projects

The Proof of Work (PoW) consensus used by many blockchain networks like Bitcoin has been criticized for its excessive energy consumption and lack of tangible utility beyond maintaining the network. This report proposes a Proof of Useful Work (uPoW) protocol as an alternative consensus mechanism that utilizes computational resources to solve intrinsically valuable problems. Specifically, it explores the implementation of uPoW on the SpartanGold blockchain test network, where miners must solve Sudoku puzzles to validate new blocks. The report examines the shortcomings of traditional Proof-of-Work protocols, such as their environmental impact and inefficient use of computing power. It then delves …

Rocketship Education: An Exploratory Public Policy Case Study, Vladimir Gresham Ivanovic

Dissertations

This dissertation is an exploratory case study of the finances of the Rocketship charter school chain, especially those related to real estate. Rocketship is a not-for-profit charter management organization, one of the first in Santa Clara County, California. This study seeks to determine if the financial transactions related to Rocketship charter schools yield profits for investors, despite Rocketship itself being a non-profit entity, and if they do, how and where do they do so. In order to characterize fairly and completely the profits of Rocketship Education itself and Rocketship-related entities, this study uses publicly available documents to track money flowing …

In Their Words: Voices Of High School Graduates Who Were Labeled English Learners, Yolanda K. Jimenez

Dissertations

This research captures the experiences of high school graduates who were labeled English Learners while they were enrolled in a public high school in the greater Sacramento area of California. The study examined what these bilingual high school graduates report as beneficial and detrimental experiences faced while completing the course requirements for high school graduation. This study builds on research that includes secondary classroom teachers and their perceptions of English Learners, classroom teaching and learning, and experiences of emergent bilingual students. The study expands the body of research and informs praxis pertaining to supporting emergent bilingual students as they attempt …

"Who The Hell Am I? What Am I Bringing In Here?": A Phenomenographic Exploration Of Antiracist Mentor Development, Kelly Lynn Mack

Dissertations

Teacher attitudes toward racial diversity profoundly impact students, especially when compounded by teacher and student demographic disparities. Despite the purported goal of addressing biases and deficit thinking that limit teachers' ability to support all learners, antiracist pedagogy in teacher credentialing is poorly understood. Also included in the credentialing process, newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in California engage in a two-year induction program, collaborating closely with an induction mentor to attain their clear credential. Employing a qualitative, phenomenographic approach, this study explored how mentors within a longstanding induction program understood and implemented antiracist pedagogy. The research uncovered significant insights into (a) dimensions …

Addressing Equity Gaps In Stem: A Self-Study, Prabhjeet Kaur Brar

Dissertations

The Hispanic/Latinx population is increasing nationwide and in the state of California; however, the Hispanic/Latinx population remains underrepresented in STEM professions contributing to a lack of diversity in STEM. To increase the academic success of the Hispanic/Latinx student population in STEM majors, high leverage research-based teaching strategies through the lens of historically responsive literacy were applied and examined throughout this research. The purpose of this mixed-methods self-study was to examine the impact of research-based effective strategies/high leverage practices on Latinx students’ success rates in my introductory biology classrooms. The study focused on two biology course sections with a laboratory. Each …

How Can We Do Better? Understanding Student Experiences And Support Needs During And After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kevina M. Brown

Dissertations

This dissertation study aimed to provide opportunities for students at San José State University (SJSU), to share about their experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic and to provide feedback and recommendations regarding resources and culturally engaging supports on campus. The research inquiry involved survey and interview methodology to gain insights into student experiences pertaining to financial and mental health challenges and academic disruption and social isolation during the beginning, middle and end of the pandemic, as well as their engagement with resources and supports provided on campus. Recruitment was done by flyer distribution throughout campus and via email distribution to students …

Queer A.F.: Queer Educators In Affinity Family Personal-Professional Development, James Egisto Aguirre

Dissertations

Scholarship shows that affinity groups are spaces of support, learning, and healthy career development that are responsive to the needs of a particular marginalized community. The concept of heteroprofessionalism– the implicit or explicit pressure/s queer educators feel to fit within the proverbial cisgender/heterosexual (cishet) box–is but one of a myriad issues and pressures affect queer educators across the nation. This study brings queer educators from one school district together to unpack their experiences through the lens of heteroprofessionalism. Via queer theory, qualitative, written response data was collected and subsequently analyzed in three, half-day sessions offered in spring 2024. Thirty participants …

Mapping Success: Swot Analysis Of Roots Millennium University Libraries In Pakistan, Muhammad Kabir Khan, Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Aleem, Arslan Sheikh, Mohamad Noorman Masrek

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Purpose - The primary goal of this research is to measure the present status of Roots Millennium University Libraries in view of its user’s points of view about the utilization of libraries and their services.

Research Design – Quantitative research was used in this study and data was collected from students through a survey using a structured questionnaire.

Findings - This study evaluates the internal and external conditions of Roots Millennium libraries through SWOT analysis. The undergraduate student’s opinions were taken into consideration to know the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of Roots Millennium University libraries. The investigators evaluated the …

Exploring Social Networking Trends Among School Students From Class 4th To 8th Of Kendriya Vidyalaya Dholpur, Rajasthan, Neerja Ms, Narender Chauhan Dr, Manisha Rani Ms

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The primary goal of this study was to determine how 4th to 8th-grade students used social networking sites and how much they knew about various social networking sites. A questionnaire with open ended and closed questions was distributed to the students of targeted school of Kendriya Vidyalaya Dholpur, Rajasthan. A survey in the form of a random questionnaire was conducted to 160 students. Of them, 121 completed it; the other students were unable to do so but provided verbal responses. Of the students, 111 utilized SNSs; just 10 did not use these websites. Workshops on the benefits and drawbacks of …

The Factors And Obstacles Affecting The Documentation Of Knowledge And Experiences In The Libraries Of Khorasan Razavi Provinces Universities, Alireza Atarodi, Maryam Salimi, Jamileh Naeimi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Introduction: The current study aims to assess the prioritization of factors and barriers influencing the documentation of knowledge and experiences in university libraries across the Khorasan provinces, as perceived by librarians.

Methods: This applied research employed a survey-analytical methodology, focusing on librarians with library qualifications in central academic libraries of Khorasan. 102 individuals were selected using Cochran's formula. A researcher-designed questionnaire was validated, with data analyzed using descriptive (mean) and inferential statistics (Friedman's non-parametric test).

Results: Key findings indicate that cultural infrastructure, structural provisions, legal frameworks, and technological advancements significantly impact the documentation of knowledge and experiences. …

Artificial Intelligence Teamwork For Agricultural Information Service Delivery In A Changing World: A Paradigm Shift, Taiwo Bosede Ajayi Dr, Onaade Ojo Dr, Modupe Atinuke Otuyalo, Wosilat Omolara Oyeniyi, Oluwole Ibiyem Ogunyemi Dr, Rufus Dirinfo Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

As the global agricultural landscape faces unprecedented challenges driven by climate change, population growth, and shifting consumer demands, there is a pressing need for innovative solutions to ensure food security and sustainable agricultural practices. This paper explores the transformative potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in reshaping how agricultural information is developed, disseminated, and utilized to enhance service delivery. AI-powered technologies, including machine learning, data analytics, and automation, are revolutionizing agriculture by providing real-time insights, optimizing resource allocation, and improving decision-making for farmers, policymakers, and stakeholders across the agricultural value chain. This research delves into the multifaceted applications of AI in …

Taking Environmental Responsibility Seriously: Academic Libraries, Ai, And Climate Impacts, Frank Houghton, Jennifer Moran Stritch, Lisa O'Rourke Scott

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Generative AI is a disruptive technology that offers significant potential across many fields including healthcare, health education and academic libraries. However, although many concerns are routinely cited in relation to AI, very few of these address the issue of the increased power requirements inherent in AI training and inference. Climate change resulting from human factors has already resulted in increased global warming and climate variability. In this Anthropocene era the question must be asked how libraries and other organisations will mitigate the impacts of their increased AI use? To date assessments of sustainability and energy use in libraries have not …

Promoting Traditional Festivals Using Digital Resources: The Need For Tourism Development Through E-Democracy, Grace Ugwonna, Anthony Chikadibia Ugwonna

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Inclusion and rural service delivery are critical and fundamental in a democracy. Amidst this, poverty and poor service delivery characterize the rural communities despite the many indigenous heritages that can be propagated for economic gains. The Sustainable Development Goal(s) (SDG) of lifting 100 million people out of poverty by 2030 may not be feasible without thinking of viable alternatives to its actualization through local content. This paper examines the economic and social impact of indigenous festivals in Adaba community of southeastern Nigeria and how digital resources and e-democracy can be used for its propagation. The study used a Descriptive phenomenological …

Impact Of Staff Training On Library Development, Joseph Owuraku Agyeiku, Ayishatu Iddrisu Ms

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study examines the ongoing effects of staff training to integrate library development. The study takes a conceptual approach, thematically focusing on the impact of staff training on library development. The rationale of the study was to establish the relationship between the training of library staff and the development of libraries, leading to the effective and efficient provision of library and information services. Through a systematic literature review and thematic analysis of extant literature, the paper concludes that managers of libraries must pragmatically integrate staff training into their annual budgets: it recommends the establishment of training and development programmes for …