Digital Commons Network^™

Data-Driven Control Of Acoustic Waves Using Movable And Flexible Scatterers, Noam Smilovich

Master's Theses

Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) serve as fundamental tools in scientific and engineering disciplines, modeling phenomena ranging from material design to climate dynamics. Developing robotic systems capable of controlling PDE-governed systems, particularly when these phenomena are only partially observable, has the potential to drive significant technological advancements. This work presents a framework that leverages physics-informed machine learning (ML) for the control of PDEs. At the core of this approach is an agent equipped with sensors that generate a low-dimensional, physics-informed representation of the environment, enabling the derivation of optimal sparse control policies for the agent’s actuators. The focus is on manipulating …

Assessment Of The Implementation Of Information And Communication Technology (Ict) Tools Among Library Educators In Tertiary Institution In Anambra State, Ngozi Celestina Uzoagba Dr, Eliezer Chukwuyere Agim, Victoria Obianuju Ezejiofor Dr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study was designed to assess the implementation of information and communication technology (ICT) tools among library educators in tertiary institutions in Anambra state. A descriptive survey research design was used. The sample population comprised of 50 library educators selected randomly from 5 tertiary institutions in Anambra state which are Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Federal Polytechnic Oko, Pauls University Awka, Federal College of Education (T) Umunze, and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Igbariam. A structured questionnaire was used for collection of data for this study. Data collected from the study were analyzed using mean scores. The study found that tertiary institutions …

Digital Literacy Skills And Job Performance Of Library Personnel In State-Owned Universities In Rivers State, Nigeria., Godwin Otu

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The primary objective of this study is to ascertain the level of expertise held by university library staff members working in Rivers State University libraries with regard to digital technology. This investigation was founded on a series of research questions as well as three hypotheses that were proposed to explain the data. Because the population of the study consisted of 32 librarians working at RSU and IAUE, the researchers compiled their findings through the use of a correlational survey design and a census sampling technique. The reliability of the questionnaire was demonstrated using Cronbach's alpha, which indicated a value of …

Thermal Runaway Analysis And Cooling Strategies For Nmc 523 Li-Ion Battery Packs Using Pcm, Heat Pipes, And Air Cooling, Vijethvardhan Singh

Master's Theses

The growing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) necessitates efficient thermal management of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), especially NMC 523 cells. This thesis investigates thermal runaway (TR) mechanisms and evaluates cooling strategies to mitigate overheating risks. Using ANSYS Fluent, the TR of four cells in series was simulated and validated with Jun Wu et al.'s experimental data, achieving an error margin below 10%. Peak temperatures reached 1,126°C in the first cell, with delayed propagation in adjacent cells. Sensitivity analysis of voltage, current, and state of charge (SOC) under varying C-rates was performed using a multi-scale multi-domain (MSMD) battery model. A logarithmic voltage …

Carbon Cycle–Climate Feedbacks In The Post-Paris World, David S. Schimel, Dustin Carroll

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The Paris Agreement calls for emissions reductions to limit climate change, but how will the carbon cycle change if it is successful? The land and oceans currently absorb roughly half of anthropogenic emissions, but this fraction will decline in the future. The amount of carbon that can be released before climate is mitigated depends on the amount of carbon the ocean and terrestrial ecosystems can absorb. Policy is based on model projections, but observations and theory suggest that climate effects emerging in today’s climate will increase and carbon cycle tipping points may be crossed. Warming temperatures, drought, and a slowing …

A New Method For Removing Artifacts From Recordings Of The Electrically Evoked Compound Action Potential: Single-Pulse Stimulation, Jeffrey Skidmore, Yi Yuan, Shuman He

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This report presents a new method for removing electrical artifact contamination from the electrically evoked compound action potential (eCAP) evoked by single cathodic-leading, biphasic-pulse stimulation. The development of the new method is motivated by results recorded in human cochlear implant (CI) users showing that the fundamental assumption of the classic forward masking artifact rejection technique is violated in up to 45% of cases tested at high stimulation levels when using default stimulation parameters. Subsequently, the new method developed based on the discovery that a hyperbola best characterizes the artifacts created during stimulation and recording is described. The eCAP waveforms obtained …

Computer Self-Efficacy, Computer Anxiety And Information Retrieval Skills As Correlate Of Electronic Library Use Among Lis Undergraduates In Southern Nigeria Universities., Lucky O. Akpojotor

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study examined computer self-efficacy, computer anxiety and information retrieval skills as correlate of electronic library use among library and information science undergraduates in universities in Southern Nigeria. One research question guided the study while one hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance. The correlational research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study was 10,345 library and information science (LIS) undergraduates from ten federal, seventeen state and eight private universities in Southern Nigeria. The study explores purposive and quota sampling technique to determine the sample size which arrived at 1, 006 used for the study. …

A Study On General Degree College Library Websites In Purba Bardhaman District In West Bengal, Partha Sarathi Mandal, Dr. Sukumar Mandal

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Website is the mirror of an academic institution. It is not only a reflection of an institution but also acts as a beacon that steers one to find the right path in right time from any place at any time. It shows various information related to academic, administrative and services or facilities. So, it is the best time to evaluate the content of the websites. This is a study on the content of general degree college websites under the University of Burdwan with special reference to the Purba Bardhaman districts in West Bengal. A check list with 54 criteria is …

Digital Phobia: An Inquiry For Mapping The Unseen Dimension Of New Digital Anxiety, The ‘Digiphobia’, Amarjit Kumar Singh ,Library Assistant, Md. Arshad Ali , Professional Assistant, Dr. Pankaj Mathur, Deputy Librarian,

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Background: As technology continues to advance, individuals' interactions with digital platforms have become integral to daily life. Amidst this technological evolution, a novel concern emerges—Digital Phobia, hereafter referred to as “Digiphobia.” This phenomenon, although not previously explored in scholarly literature, necessitates an in-depth investigation due to its potential impact on individuals' well-being. Our research employs a two-step methodology to investigate its existence, implications, and manifestations.

Introduction: This research paper introduces and proposes the term "Digiphobia" as a comprehensive conceptualization of anxiety arising from interactions with digital spaces, applications, and environments. The proliferation of digital technologies has led to the emergence …

Assessing Digital Proficiency Requirements For Library And Information Services Professionals (Lis) In The Digital Age: Library Heads' Perspective In Tanzania., Joseph Solomon Daudi Dr., Mabel Majanja Prof

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The objective of this study was to ascertain the digital competencies that Library Heads’ in the library and information services (LIS) sector in Tanzania expect in prospective Library and information science (LISc) graduates. In order to accomplish this objective, a quantitative research methodology was utilized, involving a survey of 50 Library Heads’ in the field of LIS in Tanzania. An online survey was conducted and a response rate of 39 respondents, equivalent of 78% of the entire selected sample.

The findings of this study underscore the importance of digital skills and competencies in effectively managing digital information, digital technical skills …

Information Seeking Behavior Among The Final Years Students Department Of Lisas At The University Of Sindh Jamshoro, Pakistan, Inam Magsi, Dr. Muhammad Akhtar Rind, Arif Ali Bhatti

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

Present study investigates the Information Seeking Behavior among the Final Years Students Department of LISAS at the University Of Sindh Jamshoro Pakistan the main objectives of the study were 1. To Know how Frequently LIS Student visit library 2, To investigate purpose of seeking information of LIS students and what type of information resources they usually access. 3. To identify which type of information formats used by LIS students. 4. To find out the problems faced by the LIS students while seeking information the study is based on survey method. The researchers have created a well-structured questionnaire after analyzing …

User’S Perceptions And Expectations With H.U Beg Library Services: A Study Of Service Quality Measurement, Muhammad Kabir Khan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The purpose of this study is to measure the service quality at the FAST H. U. Beg Library in Islamabad from the perspective of its users. The study also aims to report on the perceptions and expectations of users regarding the library's services. The methodology used was a survey approach, and data was collected from students, teachers, and staff members using a modified SERVQUAL questionnaire. The findings indicate that the library offers high-quality services and that users are satisfied with a range of its service quality qualities. The practical implication of this study is that it will encourage library professionals …

Temporal Changes In The Surface Chemistry And Topography Of Reactive Ion Plasma-Treated Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Alter Endothelialization Potential, Ryan A. Faase, Novella M. Keeling, Justin S. Plaut, Christian Leycam, Gabriela Acevedo Munares, Monica T. Hinds, Joe E. Baio, Patrick L. Jurney

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Synthetic small-diameter vascular grafts (<6 mm) are used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, including coronary artery disease, but fail much more readily than similar grafts made from autologous vascular tissue. A promising approach to improve the patency rates of synthetic vascular grafts is to promote the adhesion of endothelial cells to the luminal surface of the graft. In this study, we characterized the surface chemical and topographic changes imparted on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), an emerging hydrogel vascular graft material, after exposure to various reactive ion plasma (RIP) surface treatments, how these changes dissipate after storage in a sealed environment at standard temperature and pressure, and the effect of these changes on the adhesion of endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs). We showed that RIP treatments including O2, N2, or Ar at two radiofrequency powers, 50 and 100 W, improved ECFC adhesion compared to untreated PVA and to different degrees for each RIP treatment, but that the topographic and chemical changes responsible for the increased cell affinity dissipate in samples treated and allowed to age for 230 days. We characterized the effect of aging on RIP-treated PVA using an assay to quantify ECFCs on RIP-treated PVA 48 h after seeding, atomic force microscopy to probe surface topography, scanning electron microscopy to visualize surface modifications, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to investigate surface chemistry. Our results show that after treatment at higher RF powers, the surface exhibits increased roughness and greater levels of charged nitrogen species across all precursor gases and that these surface modifications are beneficial for the attachment of ECFCs. This study is important for our understanding of the stability of surface modifications used to promote the adhesion of vascular cells such as ECFCs.

Unrealvision: A Synthetic Dataset Generator For Human-Pose Estimation And Behavior Analysis, Thinh Lu

Master's Theses

For over a decade, computer vision (CV) has become an indispensable component of numerous camera surveillance applications as well as intelligent autonomous systems. Thanks to new advances in AI, Edge Computing, and IoT technologies, there is now a rapidly growing number of smart camera devices, industrial and consumer robots that are using computer vision for various applications - from human tracking and analysis, object classification, to visual inspection and anomaly detection. For most common use cases, building vision-based applications can be a straightforward and affordable task thanks to the increasing number of publicly accessible datasets and research publications. However, it …

Scalable And Consolidated Microbial Platform For Rare Earth Element Leaching And Recovery From Waste Sources, Nathan M. Good, Christina S. Kang-Yun, Morgan Z. Su, Alexa M. Zytnick, Colin C. Barber, Huong N. Vu, Joseph M. Grace, Hoang H. Nguyen, Wenjun Zhang, Elizabeth Skovran, Maohong Fan, Dan M. Park, Norma Cecilia Martinez-Gomez

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Chemical methods for the extraction and refinement of technologically critical rare earth elements (REEs) are energy-intensive, hazardous, and environmentally destructive. Current biobased extraction systems rely on extremophilic organisms and generate many of the same detrimental effects as chemical methodologies. The mesophilic methylotrophic bacterium Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 was previously shown to grow using electronic waste by naturally acquiring REEs to power methanol metabolism. Here we show that growth using electronic waste as a sole REE source is scalable up to 10 L with consistent metal yields without the use of harsh acids or high temperatures. The addition of organic acids increases …

Uncovering Weaknesses In Autonomous Driving: A Formal Approach To Adversarial Scenario Generation And Falsification, Carlos O. Hernandez

Master's Theses

Autonomous vehicles utilize advanced safety features like proactive driving assistance and pre-collision alerts to minimize the risk of accidents. However, evaluating the correct functionality of these systems is complex. First, safety systems are highly sophisticated, integrating software, networking, and hardware components, many of which rely on advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. Second, an array of dynamic factors, including numerous actors and physical variables, can influence the performance of safety mechanisms during critical scenarios. Each actor’s unique behavior introduces unpredictability, making it difficult to anticipate future states and outcomes. This thesis presents a comprehensive framework for testing autonomous vehicle …

Synthesizing Physiology With Aquaculture For Olympia Oyster Restoration In Elkhorn Slough, Ca, Jacob Harris

Master's Theses

Conservation aquaculture is an emerging restoration strategy for depleted and low-density foundation species. It was recently applied for Olympia oysters in California. The only native oyster species is at risk of local extinction in much of its range. Conservation aquaculture can support oyster abundance, but long-term restoration success will be constrained by habitat conditions that suppress early growth and reproductive fitness. Following years of reproduction failure in Elkhorn Slough, CA, we examined these two critical life stages: juvenile and brooding. Our aim was to improve restoration by evaluating aquaculture methods and studying their physiology. We tested site parameters, oyster size, …

A Survey Of Library Service Delivery In An Age Of Internet In Mountain Top University, Eunice Oluwayemisi Oloyede Dr, Aderonke Ayobami Ogungbade Miss, Opene Sunday Ozonuwe Mr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Modern information technology has led to significant changes in how libraries operate. This study examined how library services are provided in the age of the internet at Mountain Top University Library. It adopted a descriptive survey method, and 200 participants were chosen at random for the study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the sampled population. Data analysis was done using SPSS, and the results were presented in a percentage and frequency table. The study found that the majority of the respondents, 192 (96%), agreed that electronic mail (e-mail) was available in the library, 187 (93.5%) agreed …

Assessing Sediment Migration And Salmonid Habitat Recovery Following A Small Dam Removal And A Flood, Mill Creek, California, Usa, Madeline C. Doyle

Master's Theses

In 2021, the lower Mill Creek Dam (~4 m tall, ~8 m wide) was removed from the Mill Creek-San Vicente Creek watershed (18 km2), located in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Topographic surveys and pebble counts were performed at 27 transects four times between 2021 and 2023 to compare changes in channel characteristics and grain size to document the response to a small dam removal and the transition between drought and flood conditions. The goals of this study were to: (1) describe the movement of impounded sediment; (2) assess the success of habitat restoration for two endangered anadromous fish species: coho …

Effort Expectancy As Correlate Of Electronic Health Information Resources Use By Clinical Sciences Students In University Of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, Olutoyin Olukemi Oso Dr, Seun Gbolahan Kolawole

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study examined effort expectancy as correlate of electronic health information resources used by clinical sciences students in University of Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria. The study focused on purpose, frequency of use, effort expectancy and facilitating condition on the use of electronic health information resources use. The design of the study is descriptive survey. The population of the study was four-hundred and ten (410) students. A sample fraction of 0.61 was chosen and out of the population, 250 students were selected as the sample-size from the three departments that made up the Faculty of Clinical Sciences. The proportionate stratified random …

Sjsu Erfa News, Winter 2024, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association (ERFA) Newsletter

Volume 38, No. 2

A Foreign Perspective Of Early Modern Dance In Estonia: How Ella Ilbak’S Photographic Image (1915-1948) Changed My Life, Karl E. Toepfer

Open Educational Resources

This essay describes how Estonian modern dancer Ella Ilbak (1895-1997) used photography to shape and promote her identity as a dance artist. The essay compares photographic images of Ilbak with paintings and drawings of her. It also describes the evolving and unstable relationships with photographers that Ilbak pursued over nearly thirty years (12915-1948).

Suburban Bay Area City Approaches To Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion (Dei), Arianna Bush

Master's Projects

The ultimate goal of government is to serve the community for the greater good. Creating an inclusive and representative environment for those working in government and for the population they serve will improve many aspects of public service. In recent decades, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) have been increasingly prioritized as America has become increasingly diverse. However, this effort intensified in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests. “Three years after Floyd's death and the movement hit the streets, 74% of Black executives said they saw positive change in hiring, retention, and …

A Framework For Scientific Data Indexing, Searching And Sharing, Apoorva Mohite

Master's Projects

Scientific data continues to grow. Wildfire simulation experiments performed by the WIRC team at SJSU have generated over 138 TB of data so far and it is expected to keep growing. It becomes difficult for researchers to search through that data to find the data of their interest. This data is stored on an HPC cluster that external users do not have access to. The WIRC team also conducts experiments and publishes their research, but the size of data makes it difficult to share these datasets. This project introduces a novel solution to indexing scientific data, searching through the data …

Deep-Learning Approaches To Predict Remaining Useful Life Of Hard Disks, Rohan Mohapatra

Master's Projects

On a daily basis, data centers process huge volumes of data using inexpensive hard disks. Data stored in these disks serve a range of critical functional needs from financial, and healthcare to aerospace. As such, premature disk failure and consequent loss of data can be catastrophic. To mitigate the risk of failures, cloud storage providers perform condition-based monitoring and replace hard disks before they fail. By estimating the remaining useful life (RUL) of hard disk drives, one can predict the time-to-failure of a particular device and replace it at the right time, ensuring maximum utilization whilst reducing operational costs. We …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Adversarial Attacks And Defense Mechanisms In Multivariate Time-Series Forecasting For Applications In Smart And Connected Infrastructures, Pooja Krishan

Master's Projects

The advent of deep learning models has revolutionized the industry over the past decade, leading to the widespread proliferation of smart devices and infrastructures. They play a crucial role in safety-critical applications like self-driving cars and medical image analysis, sustainable technologies like power consumption prediction, and in health monitoring tools to replace industrial equipment like hard disk drives, semiconductor chips, and lithium-ion batteries. But these indispensable deep learning models can be easily fooled to give incorrect predictions with utmost conviction, leading to catastrophic failures in applications where safety is of utmost importance, and resulting in the wastage of resources in …

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 …