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Spartan Daily, September 11, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications Sep 2025

Spartan Daily, September 11, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 165, Issue 9


Climate Change-Related Threats To Railroads: Implications For Threat, Hazard And Risk Assessment, Frances L. Edwards, Daniel C. Goodrich Sep 2025

Climate Change-Related Threats To Railroads: Implications For Threat, Hazard And Risk Assessment, Frances L. Edwards, Daniel C. Goodrich

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Climate change has created new challenges for railroads around the world. The rail systems operate in open environments, subjecting them to increased heat, changing locations of heavy rains, developing sea level rise and storm surge, and a longer and stronger wildfire season. This research investigates how an updated threat and hazard identification and risk assessment (THIRA) can lead to the development of climate adaptation strategies that limit damage and disruption to the railroad enterprise. The THIRA analyzes which threats are of most concern in a specific rail segment, and which climate change adaptation strategies give a beneficial return on investment.


Acoustic Wave Manipulation Through Sparse Robotic Actuation, Tristan Shah, Noam Smilovich, Feruza Amirkulova, Samer Gerges, Stas Tiomkin Sep 2025

Acoustic Wave Manipulation Through Sparse Robotic Actuation, Tristan Shah, Noam Smilovich, Feruza Amirkulova, Samer Gerges, Stas Tiomkin

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Recent advancements in robotics, control, and machine learning have facilitated progress in the challenging area of object manipulation. These advancements include, among others, the use of deep neural networks to represent dynamics that are partially observed by robot sensors, as well as effective control using sparse control signals. In this work, we explore a more general problem: the manipulation of acoustic waves, which are partially observed by a robot capable of influencing the waves through spatially sparse actuators. This problem holds great potential for the design of new artificial materials, ultrasonic cutting tools, energy harvesting, and other applications. We develop …


Using Large Language Models To Investigate The Origin Of Chronic Wasting Disease, G. Kent Webb Sep 2025

Using Large Language Models To Investigate The Origin Of Chronic Wasting Disease, G. Kent Webb

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This use case reports on the impressive output, hallucinations, instability, and limitations of three Large Language Models (LLMs): ChatGPT, Gemini, and Grok. The LLMs were prompted in an investigative sequence and responses checked. The collected information supports the common theory that chronic wasting disease (CWD) in North America originated in 1967 at a research facility in Fort Collins, Colorado, where deer were reported to have been exposed to sheep with a similar disease - scrapie. Findings include that: no sheep with scrapie were detected in the area around Fort Collins prior to 1967; domestic sheep reportedly exposed to scrapie were …


Decadal Change In Deep-Ocean Dissolved Oxygen In The North Atlantic Ocean And North Pacific Ocean, Henry A. Ruhl, Christine L. Huffard, Monique Messié, Thomas P. Connolly, Thomas Soltwedel, Frank Wenzhöfer, Rodney J. Johnson, Nicholas R. Bates, Susan Hartman, Anita Flohr, Edward W. Mawji, David M. Karl, James Potemra, Fernando Santiago-Mandujano, Tetjana Ross, Kenneth L. Smith Sep 2025

Decadal Change In Deep-Ocean Dissolved Oxygen In The North Atlantic Ocean And North Pacific Ocean, Henry A. Ruhl, Christine L. Huffard, Monique Messié, Thomas P. Connolly, Thomas Soltwedel, Frank Wenzhöfer, Rodney J. Johnson, Nicholas R. Bates, Susan Hartman, Anita Flohr, Edward W. Mawji, David M. Karl, James Potemra, Fernando Santiago-Mandujano, Tetjana Ross, Kenneth L. Smith

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Declining dissolved oxygen concentrations are documented at upper and mid ocean depths, but less is known about the deep ocean. Long time-series measurements of dissolved oxygen analyzed with Winkler titration over several decades reveal regional differences at six stations in the abyssal North Atlantic Ocean and North Pacific Ocean. A significant decline in dissolved oxygen was evident at two stations in the northeast Pacific Ocean at 4000–4200 m depth (Stations PAPA and M). A similar decreasing but insignificant trend was recorded in the Arctic region of the North Atlantic Ocean (HAUSGARTEN). However, there was no significant decrease in dissolved oxygen …


Accelerating The Fusion Workforce In The Usa, Carlos Paz-Soldan, Eva Belonohy, Troy Carter, Laleh E. Coté, Evdokiya Kostadinova, Calvin Lowe, Subash L. Sharma, Sybil De Clark, Jaydeep Deshpande, Kate Kelly, Bobbi Makani, David A. Schaffner, Kathreen E. Thome Aug 2025

Accelerating The Fusion Workforce In The Usa, Carlos Paz-Soldan, Eva Belonohy, Troy Carter, Laleh E. Coté, Evdokiya Kostadinova, Calvin Lowe, Subash L. Sharma, Sybil De Clark, Jaydeep Deshpande, Kate Kelly, Bobbi Makani, David A. Schaffner, Kathreen E. Thome

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The fusion energy research and development landscape has seen significant advances in recent years, with important scientific and technological breakthroughs and a rapid rise of investment in the private sector. The workforce needs of the nascent fusion industry are growing at a rate that academic workforce development programs are not currently able to match. This paper presents the findings of the Workforce Accelerator for Fusion Energy Development Conference held in Hampton, Virginia, United States of America (USA), on 29-30 May 2024, which was funded by the National Science Foundation of the USA. A major goal of the conference was to …


Dynamics And Lipid Membrane Coupling Of The Ras-Raf Complex Revealed Via Multiscale Simulations, Timothy S. Carpenter, Fikret Aydin, Chris Neale, Que N. Van, Xiaohua Zhang, Harsh Bhatia, Jason W. Sidabras, Peter H. Frank, Konstantia Georgouli, Jeremy O.B. Tempkin, Violeta Burns Casamayor, Gulcin Gulten, Rebika Shrestha, Debanjan Goswami, Francesco Di Natale, Joseph R. Chavez, Liam G. Stanton, For Full Author List, See Comments Below Aug 2025

Dynamics And Lipid Membrane Coupling Of The Ras-Raf Complex Revealed Via Multiscale Simulations, Timothy S. Carpenter, Fikret Aydin, Chris Neale, Que N. Van, Xiaohua Zhang, Harsh Bhatia, Jason W. Sidabras, Peter H. Frank, Konstantia Georgouli, Jeremy O.B. Tempkin, Violeta Burns Casamayor, Gulcin Gulten, Rebika Shrestha, Debanjan Goswami, Francesco Di Natale, Joseph R. Chavez, Liam G. Stanton, For Full Author List, See Comments Below

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

To gain molecular and mechanistic insights into initiation of the RAS-RAF signaling cascade, we developed and used a combination of multiscale simulation and experimental approaches. The influence and impact of the membrane on RAS and RAF proteins is a factor we are just beginning to understand and appreciate in more detail. Molecular simulation is an ideal methodology to further study this complicated relationship between the membrane and associated proteins. Our previous work using Multiscale Machine-learned Modeling Infrastructure investigated different lipid compositions solely around the KRAS4b protein and the interplay between protein behavior and these membrane environments. Multiscale Machine-learned Modeling Infrastructure …


Riparian Restoration Increases Soil Microbial Biomass In Marin County Rangelands, But Soil Carbon Stock Is Less Responsive, Sherilyn Kathryn Reinhart Aug 2025

Riparian Restoration Increases Soil Microbial Biomass In Marin County Rangelands, But Soil Carbon Stock Is Less Responsive, Sherilyn Kathryn Reinhart

Master's Theses

Land use change has caused the degradation of 70% of the Earth’s soils, directly altering soil microbial communities and carbon cycling. Interest in carbon farming practices is growing, but studies that document the nuances of soil carbon flux in specific bioregions are still too few. In this study, I examined how one practice, riparian restoration, alters soil carbon stock and microbial community structure over time. Using a paired sampling time series design, I collected soil samples from twelve riparian forests and adjacent rangelands near Marin County, California. Young and mature sites ranged from five to 29 years since restoration, and …


High Abundances Of Crustose Coralline Algae Inside Cryptic Coral Habitats Linked To Coral Reef Functioning, Anna Rothstein, Orion S. Mccarthy, Sophie Luu, Emily L.A. Kelly, Philip Heller, Stuart Sandin, Jennifer E. Smith, Maya S. Devries Aug 2025

High Abundances Of Crustose Coralline Algae Inside Cryptic Coral Habitats Linked To Coral Reef Functioning, Anna Rothstein, Orion S. Mccarthy, Sophie Luu, Emily L.A. Kelly, Philip Heller, Stuart Sandin, Jennifer E. Smith, Maya S. Devries

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Cryptic habitats on coral reefs consist of crevices, tunnels, and holes that are estimated to comprise 30%–75% of the total reef surface area. These large habitats are vastly understudied because they are often difficult to access. Crustose coralline algae (CCA) are thought to perform important ecological functions, including calcium accretion, both inside cryptic habitats and on the exposed (top) reef. Using GoPro cameras, we surveyed 250 coral crevices from 13 reefs on West Maui, Hawai‘i. We compared relative CCA cover between crevice microhabitats and the well-studied top-reef and identified abiotic and biotic factors that correlated with CCA abundance. We found …


Late Holocene Paleodietary Patterns Among The Ancestral Ohlone: Ecogeographic Partitioning Of Resources Along The San Francisco Bay Eastern Shore, Melanie M. Beasley, Eric J. Bartelink, Alan Leventhal, Monica V. Arellano, Richard Massiatt, Charlene Nijmeh Aug 2025

Late Holocene Paleodietary Patterns Among The Ancestral Ohlone: Ecogeographic Partitioning Of Resources Along The San Francisco Bay Eastern Shore, Melanie M. Beasley, Eric J. Bartelink, Alan Leventhal, Monica V. Arellano, Richard Massiatt, Charlene Nijmeh

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Objectives: In the San Francisco Bay Area, Late Holocene resource intensification models predict an increase in diet breadth and a reduction in foraging efficiency associated with an increase in population, sedentism, and territoriality among fisher-hunter-gatherer populations. Here we compare bone stable carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope values of sites along the eastern bay shore to interpret how ecogeographical partitioning of resources by latitude and distance from the bay reflects differential access and control of resources. Materials and Methods: With the support of, and in collaboration with, the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay …


Use Of Cigarettes, Cannabis, And Alcohol Among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, And Pacific Islander Adults: Community-Based National Survey Analysis, Vuong Van Do, Van My Ta Park, Nhung Nguyen, Pamela May Ling, Marian Tzuang, Bora Nam, Marcelle M. Dougan, Oanh L. Meyer, Janice Y. Tsoh Aug 2025

Use Of Cigarettes, Cannabis, And Alcohol Among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, And Pacific Islander Adults: Community-Based National Survey Analysis, Vuong Van Do, Van My Ta Park, Nhung Nguyen, Pamela May Ling, Marian Tzuang, Bora Nam, Marcelle M. Dougan, Oanh L. Meyer, Janice Y. Tsoh

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) populations have diverse cultural, immigra-tion, and sociodemographic characteristics. Aggregated data could mask substantial differences in substance use between cultural subgroups in this population. Yet, studies examining substance use among the AANHPI population are limited. Objective: This study aimed to describe cigarette, cannabis, and alcohol use among AANHPI adults by cultural subgroup and sex. Methods: We analyzed data from 3411 AANHPI respondents of a multilingual national survey “COMPASS” during December 2021-May 2022. Primary outcomes were self-report current (every day or some days) use of cigarettes, cannabis, and alcohol. Cultural subgroups included Asian …


Solving A Nonhomogeneous Differential Equation And Error Analysis, Tayler Braga, Maryam Khazaei Pool Aug 2025

Solving A Nonhomogeneous Differential Equation And Error Analysis, Tayler Braga, Maryam Khazaei Pool

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Linear nonhomogeneous differential equations appear in many physical, biological, and engineering systems where input or forcing terms act on otherwisse linerar dynamics. Solving such equations helps model real-world phenomena, ranging from population growth under external influencse to the otion of damped systems with external forcing. The ability to compare exact olutions with numerical and matrix-based approximations is crucial for understanding th accuracy and limitations of each approach.


Isolation, Identification, And Antitumor Activities Of Glucosinolates And Isothiocyanates In Chinese Cabbage Seeds, Bei Zhou, Ying Liu, Xi Feng, Qian Liu, Salam A. Ibrahim, Wen Huang Aug 2025

Isolation, Identification, And Antitumor Activities Of Glucosinolates And Isothiocyanates In Chinese Cabbage Seeds, Bei Zhou, Ying Liu, Xi Feng, Qian Liu, Salam A. Ibrahim, Wen Huang

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Isothiocyanates (ITCs), which are derivatives of glucosinolates (GSLs) from Brassica plants, have been investigated as anticancer agents. An extensively studied anticancer ITC is sulforaphane, which is found in low amounts in Chinese cabbage. We aim to investigate the types and content of GSLs (precursors of ITCs with anticancer activity) in Chinese cabbage seeds. GSLs from Chinese cabbage seeds were isolated and purified using acidic Al2O3 column chromatography and preparative HPLC. GSL and ITC profiles were further identified using UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS. The antitumor activities of ITC (produced by exogenous enzymatic hydrolysis of GSLs) were evaluated in vitro. Seventeen GSLs and seven ITCs …


Book Review On Epistemology Of Modality And Philosophical Methodology (Edited By Anand Jayprakash Vaidya And Duško Prelević), Kumar Rajan Aug 2025

Book Review On Epistemology Of Modality And Philosophical Methodology (Edited By Anand Jayprakash Vaidya And Duško Prelević), Kumar Rajan

Comparative Philosophy

No abstract provided.


Moral And Ethical Nature In Confucian Liang-Zhi And Islamic Fitra: Comparative Perspectives On Innate Morality, Yanrong Shi Aug 2025

Moral And Ethical Nature In Confucian Liang-Zhi And Islamic Fitra: Comparative Perspectives On Innate Morality, Yanrong Shi

Comparative Philosophy

This article offers a comparative philosophical analysis of Confucian liang-zhi (innate moral knowledge) and Islamic fitra(primordial nature), focusing on their accounts of innate morality and moral epistemology. Drawing on classical Confucian sources—especially the praxis-oriented interpretation of Wang Yangming—and foundational Islamic texts and commentary, the study demonstrates that both traditions posit an inborn moral faculty grounding ethical universality and responsibility. Wang Yangming’s liang-zhi is conceived as an innate moral principle that, under the imperative of zhi (to actualize or extend), is continually activated through moral practice. In parallel, fitra is understood as a God-given orientation to truth, cultivated and safeguarded through …


The Conventional Emptiness Of Human Beings: Reviewing Archer’S Theory Of Agency Through Nagarjuna’S Looking Glass, Federico Podestà Aug 2025

The Conventional Emptiness Of Human Beings: Reviewing Archer’S Theory Of Agency Through Nagarjuna’S Looking Glass, Federico Podestà

Comparative Philosophy

Margaret Archer is probably the critical realist who has most significantly affected the debate around the relationship between social structure and agency. In the volume, Being Human: The Problem of Agency, she aims to better define what is meant by the properties and causal powers of agency itself, i.e., self-consciousness and reflexivity. In this paper, this theoretical attempt is reviewed through the critical standpoint of Nagarjuna. Nagarjuna’s philosophy appears to be a particularly compelling tool for criticizing Archer’s theory. Claiming the emptiness of everything, the founder of the Buddhist Madhyamaka school provides a critical perspective for revising the distinctiveness of …


How Theravāda Buddhism Enriches The Language Of Thought Hypothesis: Beyond Syntax, Juanjuan Cheng, Sumanasara Sandamadulle Aug 2025

How Theravāda Buddhism Enriches The Language Of Thought Hypothesis: Beyond Syntax, Juanjuan Cheng, Sumanasara Sandamadulle

Comparative Philosophy

The Language of Thought Hypothesis (LOTH) posits that mental states operate through a language-like representational system physically implemented in the brain. However, this purely symbolic approach faces a significant limitation: certain mental phenomena—such as intuitions, emotions, and intentions—lack the syntactically compositional structure required by LOTH and therefore cannot be adequately explained within its symbolic framework. To address this theoretical challenge, we turn to Theravāda Buddhism (TB), an early Buddhist tradition that integrates rigorous philosophical inquiry with meditative practice. Remarkably, TB began to prefigure a solution to LOTH’s limitations over 2,300 years ago. Although LOTH and TB differ …


Understanding And Evaluating Genomic Language Models, Aadit Kapoor Aug 2025

Understanding And Evaluating Genomic Language Models, Aadit Kapoor

Master's Theses

Large Language Models (LLMs) have shown remarkable capabilities in interpreting complex patterns across various domains, yet their application to genomic data remains limited. We see great potential in leveraging LLMs for vital biological tasks, such as predicting transcription factor binding sites and identifying antibiotic-resistant genes. This emergent behavior positions LLMs as powerful tools for enhancing our understanding of intricate biological language. LLMs trained specifically on genomic data, such as DNA sequences, operate distinctly compared to those trained on natural language. This difference is evident not only in the architectural landscape of the models but also in the methodologies employed by …


The Impact Of Early Life Experiences On Math Confidence, Nhu X. Hin Aug 2025

The Impact Of Early Life Experiences On Math Confidence, Nhu X. Hin

Master's Theses

Students form beliefs about their academic abilities through a combination of emotional experiences and early learning environments. While prior research has documented how math anxiety can undermine performance and how early experiences with math-typed activities can foster positive attitudes, less is known about how these factors collectively influence students’ math confidence. The present study investigates how math anxiety, engagement in childhood math-typed activities, and perceived support for math-related learning contribute to college students’ confidence in their math abilities. Participants (N = 102) completed self-report measures assessing each of these constructs. A multiple regression analysis revealed that the three predictors collectively …


International Collaboration To Explore Elements For An Effective Residential Childcare Workforce, Justyna Siemionow, Patrick M. Tyler, W. Alex Mason, Deogratias Musoke, Maia Ordonez, Jaime A. Gomez-Blaya, Joseph G. Grzywacz Aug 2025

International Collaboration To Explore Elements For An Effective Residential Childcare Workforce, Justyna Siemionow, Patrick M. Tyler, W. Alex Mason, Deogratias Musoke, Maia Ordonez, Jaime A. Gomez-Blaya, Joseph G. Grzywacz

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Residential childcare workers provide critical support to vulnerable children around the world. Building and maintaining a qualified residential childcare workforce is challenged by myriad forces, the foremost of which is recruiting and retaining staff for valuable work often misaligned with available compensation; making individual qualifications at hiring; ongoing training; supervision; and data support systems to monitor performance critical for quality care. This study explored the similarities and differences among these essential elements of staffing across distinct programs: Youth Education Centers (YEC) in Poland, CiudadEscuela Muchachos (CEMU) in Spain, and the Boys Town Family Home Program (BTFHP) in the United States. …


It Shucks To Be Inbred: Effects Of Small Population Sizes On Genomic Diversity Of Hatchery Reared Olympia Oysters (Ostrea Lurida), Anna S. Heasley Aug 2025

It Shucks To Be Inbred: Effects Of Small Population Sizes On Genomic Diversity Of Hatchery Reared Olympia Oysters (Ostrea Lurida), Anna S. Heasley

Master's Theses

Olympia oysters (Ostrea lurida), critical members of estuarine ecosystems along the California Current Ecosystem (CCE), have faced significant population declines due to historical overfishing and habitat deterioration. Today, managers from multiple estuaries across the CCE are focusing on conservation aquaculture breeding efforts to aid in restoration; however, the genetic implications of these efforts remain unexplored. As with other Ostrea spp, Olympia oysters have a viviparous reproductive strategy that creates unique challenges for aquaculture-mediated restoration. This study evaluates the genetic impact of current captive breeding practices on Olympia oyster cohorts produced in three California estuaries: Elkhorn Slough (EHS), Morro Bay (MB), …


Sea Otter Behavior And Prey Composition Across Alternative Reef States In Monterey, Ca: Applying Ecological Theory To Kelp Restoration, Carter Hawkins Aug 2025

Sea Otter Behavior And Prey Composition Across Alternative Reef States In Monterey, Ca: Applying Ecological Theory To Kelp Restoration, Carter Hawkins

Master's Theses

Due to a myriad of factors, giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) abundance along the California coast has decreased in select areas, leading to the formation of lower-diversity ecosystems dominated by purple sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus), known as “urchin barrens.” While sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are keystone predators that help maintain kelp forests through predation on sea urchins, in Monterey, they avoid barren sea urchins due to their low energetic value and abundance of other habitat types, limiting their influence in these areas. From 2021-2023, sea urchin culling at Tankers Reef, a former barren site in Monterey Bay, was conducted to promote …


Acoustic Presence Of Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae) In U.S. West Coast National Marine Sanctuaries, John C. Barkowski Aug 2025

Acoustic Presence Of Humpback Whales (Megaptera Novaeangliae) In U.S. West Coast National Marine Sanctuaries, John C. Barkowski

Master's Theses

Humpback whales are one of many species of marine mammal that utilize sound in multiple aspects of their lives in the oceans. By collecting acoustic data from multiple areas across the habitat of these animals, we can investigate spatiotemporal patterns in their sound production to better understand their life history strategy. This study uses three years of passive acoustic data collected concurrently from three U.S. West Coast National Marine Sanctuaries to look for spatiotemporal patterns in humpback whale song and non-song vocalizations. Additionally, this study investigated correlations between upwelling conditions and the onset of song to explore links between the …


Opportunistic Short-Term Water Uptake Dynamics By Subalpine Trees Observed Via In Situ Water Isotope Measurements, Matthias Sprenger, Stefan Seeger, Max Berkelhammer, Nathaniel A. Bogie, Raymond J. Hess, Wendy S. Brown, Sylvain Kuppel, James Knighton Aug 2025

Opportunistic Short-Term Water Uptake Dynamics By Subalpine Trees Observed Via In Situ Water Isotope Measurements, Matthias Sprenger, Stefan Seeger, Max Berkelhammer, Nathaniel A. Bogie, Raymond J. Hess, Wendy S. Brown, Sylvain Kuppel, James Knighton

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Variations in tree water sources are important to understand in semi-arid ecosystems because climatic shifts towards lower snowpack and increased drought affect water availability in subalpine forests of the western US. Here, we use daily in situ measurements of stable isotopes (2H & 18O) in soil and tree stem water, soil matric potential and sap flow to study tree water uptake dynamics. We instrumented three soil profiles down to 90 cm, as well as three aspen and engelmann spruce trees near Gothic, Colorado, in the East River watershed. We observed the fate of natural isotopic variations in …


Climate Drives Genetic Diversity Loss In American Pika (Ochotona Princeps) Populations In The Great Basin, Emily N. Kulig, Jane Van Gunst, Michael J. Hernandez, Yvonne Luong, Monica Villaseñor, Rachel S. Crowhurst, Clinton W. Epps, Jessica A.Castillo Vardaro Aug 2025

Climate Drives Genetic Diversity Loss In American Pika (Ochotona Princeps) Populations In The Great Basin, Emily N. Kulig, Jane Van Gunst, Michael J. Hernandez, Yvonne Luong, Monica Villaseñor, Rachel S. Crowhurst, Clinton W. Epps, Jessica A.Castillo Vardaro

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

American pikas (Ochotona princeps) are small, thermally sensitive mammals that primarily live in montane and alpine environments. The Sierra Nevada lineage (O. p. schisticeps) has experienced numerous local extinctions, most of which occurred in hotter, drier regions such as the Great Basin. Few genetic studies have assessed these at-risk populations. This study aims to fill that gap by conducting fine-scale genetic analyses on populations in low-elevation Great Basin habitat in northwestern Nevada. Specifically, we: (i) quantified genetic diversity and structure among populations within O. p schisticeps, with particular focus on northwestern Nevada; and (ii) assessed the influence of primary productivity …


Anticolonialism And Qualitative Methods For Culture-Centered Interventions, Mohan Jyoti Dutta, Ambar Basu, Satveer Kaur-Gill, Debalina Dutta, Mahuya Pal, Iccha Basnyat, Selina Metuamate, Venessa Pokaia, Phoebe Elers, Indranil Mandal, Rabindranath Mandi, Pankaj Baskey, Devalina Mookerjee, Shaunak Sastry, Jaime Robb, Andrew Carter Aug 2025

Anticolonialism And Qualitative Methods For Culture-Centered Interventions, Mohan Jyoti Dutta, Ambar Basu, Satveer Kaur-Gill, Debalina Dutta, Mahuya Pal, Iccha Basnyat, Selina Metuamate, Venessa Pokaia, Phoebe Elers, Indranil Mandal, Rabindranath Mandi, Pankaj Baskey, Devalina Mookerjee, Shaunak Sastry, Jaime Robb, Andrew Carter

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

In this essay, we a collective of Indigenous, Black, and migrant Global South scholars engaged in experiments with the culture-centered approach (CCA) draw on our lived experiences amidst struggles against land grab, neoliberal extractivism, and capitalist exploitation to outline a framework for qualitative methods as anticolonial politics. We begin by exploring the interplays of colonialism, imperialism, and racial capitalism that have shaped the origins and uses of qualitative methods toward serving extractive agendas of global capital. This critique serves as the basis for outlining the key principles of the CCA, turning to voice, storytelling, and embodied action as the basis …


The Influence Of Rhodolith Algae On Life History Of The Painted Urchin, Lytechinus Pictus, Celine X. De Jong Jul 2025

The Influence Of Rhodolith Algae On Life History Of The Painted Urchin, Lytechinus Pictus, Celine X. De Jong

Master's Theses

Rhodolith beds are globally distributed hotspots of diversity and productivity and serve as nursery habitats for some marine invertebrates. Poorly understood is whether rhodolith beds are nurseries because invertebrate larvae actively select them for settlement or migrate to them at later life stages. We studied the nursery role of rhodolith beds for the painted urchin, Lytechinus pictus at Santa Catalina Island, CA, USA. Subtidal surveys showed that in areas with greater live rhodolith cover, urchin density increased as well as mean urchin size. In caged substrate choice experiments, urchins selected rhodolith substrate relative to carbonate sand, supporting the notion that …


Experienced Latinx Urban Gardeners In San Jose, Ca, Offer Strategies For Climate Justice And Resilience, Claudia S. Damiani Fontana Jul 2025

Experienced Latinx Urban Gardeners In San Jose, Ca, Offer Strategies For Climate Justice And Resilience, Claudia S. Damiani Fontana

Master's Theses

Low-income and underinvested communities will be disproportionately affected by climate change due to limited resources, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient support systems. Urban gardeners are responding to the need to adapt to new climate conditions while sustaining their food sources and cultural practices. Many have adapted thanks to local interventions led by the government and non-profit agencies. For this study, I partnered with La Mesa Verde (LMV), a gardening and food justice program that works with low-income Latinx families in San José, and I documented the contributions of experienced Latinx gardeners, especially those with agricultural backgrounds, to climate-resilient gardening in San …


How Effective Are Engineered And Non-Engineered Riparian Forest Restoration Projects In Providing Salmonid-Quality Habitat In The San Francisco Bay Area?, Alexander Ivanov Jul 2025

How Effective Are Engineered And Non-Engineered Riparian Forest Restoration Projects In Providing Salmonid-Quality Habitat In The San Francisco Bay Area?, Alexander Ivanov

Master's Theses

Streams and their riparian zones in the San Francisco Bay Area have been degraded, severely harming salmonid populations in the region. Ecological restoration is a common approach to return stream function. Such restoration projects vary widely in intensity, from low-impact vegetation removal/planting to highly engineered projects involving structures and grading. This research investigated the effectiveness of streams restored using engineered versus non-engineered solutions in supporting salmonid habitat viability in San Francisco Bay Area streams. Fourteen streams, seven from each of the two types of restoration, were sampled in the wet and dry season in 2024, three times each season. Data …


Replicating Vignoles Et Al. Results On Multidimensional Self-Construal: Comparing The United States, East Asia, Southeast Asia, And Latin America, Jon Lorenz A. Lim Jul 2025

Replicating Vignoles Et Al. Results On Multidimensional Self-Construal: Comparing The United States, East Asia, Southeast Asia, And Latin America, Jon Lorenz A. Lim

Master's Theses

Contemporary research on self-construal indicates that people define and perceive themselves either as independent or interdependent. Self-construal scales have become the most common method to quantitatively measure both types of self-construal across the United States, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Multidimensional measures of the self tend to be more accurate in defining the self than earlier dichotomous scales. In general, European Americans and Latin Americans perceived themselves as independent and East and Southeast Asians as interdependent. In the current study, undergraduate European American, East Asian American, Southeast Asian American, and Latin American students from San Jose State University …