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Experimental Investigations Of Wind Shear From Passing A Vehicle, Hamid Rahai, Assma Begum, Jeremy Bonifacio, Ryan Moffit Dec 2024

Experimental Investigations Of Wind Shear From Passing A Vehicle, Hamid Rahai, Assma Begum, Jeremy Bonifacio, Ryan Moffit

Mineta Transportation Institute

Wind energy can be harnessed for various commercial and transportation-related applications. This study assessed experimentally the potential of capturing wind energy from the passage of vehicles for electric power generation. Both wind tunnel experiments and field tests were performed. The wind tunnel experiments were performed in an open-circuit low-speed wind tunnel at a free-stream mean velocity of 23 m/s. Five PVC pipes placed adjacent to the wind-blowing domain were used to simulate the columns under a freeway overpass. A scaled Ahmad body (simplified car body model) was used as the vehicle. The spanwise distance between the Ahmad body and the …


Right Turn On Red: Energy-Saving Measure Or Unsafe Maneuver?, Bruce Appleyard, Anurag Pande, Joseph Gibbons, Shams Tanvir, Megan Honey, Nell Ahangarfabrik, Mario Carbajal, Madison Swayne Dec 2024

Right Turn On Red: Energy-Saving Measure Or Unsafe Maneuver?, Bruce Appleyard, Anurag Pande, Joseph Gibbons, Shams Tanvir, Megan Honey, Nell Ahangarfabrik, Mario Carbajal, Madison Swayne

Mineta Transportation Institute

There is a growing interest in prohibiting right turn on red (RTOR) policies in the name of pedestrian and bicycle safety but there is not enough research on the subject to help agencies make informed decisions. When Congress passed the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, they included a provision requiring states to permit right turns on red lights as an energy-saving measure to receive federal assistance for mandated conservation programs. Since 1980, all states have permitted right turns on red as a general rule. More research is needed to help guide state policies that can support jurisdictions in …


An Assessment Of The Viva Callesj Event In San Jose, Richard Kos, Adam Cohen Dec 2024

An Assessment Of The Viva Callesj Event In San Jose, Richard Kos, Adam Cohen

Mineta Transportation Institute

This report evaluates the Viva CalleSJ event held in San Jose, California, on September 8, 2024. As a celebrated open-streets initiative, Viva CalleSJ temporarily transformed six miles of city streets into car-free zones to encourage active transportation, foster community engagement, and support local businesses. This assessment employed a mixed-methods approach, including participant surveys, interviews with stakeholders, and observational analysis. Key findings highlighted the event’s success in attracting a diverse audience, promoting physical activity, and driving economic benefits. Over 50% of attendees arrived by bicycle, and 77.7% planned to spend money at the event, averaging $54.23 per participant. Community-building impacts were …


Zero-Emission Buses In The Us: Understanding And Addressing Market And Policy Challenges, Leah Foecke, Zachary Karson, Thomas Tiberghien Dec 2024

Zero-Emission Buses In The Us: Understanding And Addressing Market And Policy Challenges, Leah Foecke, Zachary Karson, Thomas Tiberghien

Mineta Transportation Institute

As the US public transportation sector accelerates its shift from fossil fuels to zero-emission alternatives, transit agencies and transit bus manufacturers alike face significant uncertainty and instability. This report provides policymakers with updated insights into the US transit bus market, focusing on key industry dynamics, financial challenges with zero-emission bus (ZEB) acquisition, technological obstacles in deployment, and regulatory issues. The research relies on interviews with stakeholders, a detailed review of existing literature, and an analysis of US public transit data. Key findings reveal ongoing challenges related to costs, supply, reliability, and workforce development, all of which hinder the adoption of …


Mitigating Urban Heat Island And Enhancing Indoor Thermal Comfort Using Terrace Garden, Girish Visvanathan, Kailas Patil, Yogesh Suryawanshi, Vishal Meshram, Shrikant Jadhav Dec 2024

Mitigating Urban Heat Island And Enhancing Indoor Thermal Comfort Using Terrace Garden, Girish Visvanathan, Kailas Patil, Yogesh Suryawanshi, Vishal Meshram, Shrikant Jadhav

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The United Nations advocates for sustainable urban planning and design, emphasizing green infrastructure initiatives to mitigate urban heat island effects and enhance the resilience and livability of cities globally. To address urban heat challenges, a study was conducted in Chennai, India, from April to June 2023. The study focused on assessing temperature dynamics on a building's terrace by comparing a well-maintained garden area with an exposed region. Temperature and humidity sensors were deployed in both the garden and exposed areas of the terrace, as well as within rooms beneath it, to monitor hourly temperature fluctuations. The findings indicate a significant …


Deep Subseafloor Sediments In Guaymas Basin Harbor Cosmopolitan Microbiota And Traces Of Hydrothermal Populations, Paraskevi Mara, David Beaudoin, Ivano Aiello, Yuki Morono, David Geller-Mcgrath, Virginia P. Edgcomb, Andreas Teske Dec 2024

Deep Subseafloor Sediments In Guaymas Basin Harbor Cosmopolitan Microbiota And Traces Of Hydrothermal Populations, Paraskevi Mara, David Beaudoin, Ivano Aiello, Yuki Morono, David Geller-Mcgrath, Virginia P. Edgcomb, Andreas Teske

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Environmental factors shape subsurface microbial ecosystems, and well-characterized sites are ideal for determining how environmental parameters shape sediment communities. Sediments from eight geologically and thermally distinct sites were drilled during International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 385 in Guaymas Basin, an expedition focused on the hydrothermal deep biosphere. Using high-throughput 16S ribosomal nucleic acid sequencing, cell counts, phylogenetics, metatranscriptomics, and mineralogical/elemental X-ray spectroscopy, we examine linkages and feedbacks between mineral composition, temperature, geochemistry, and microbial populations. We show subsurface life is dominated by heterotrophic, cosmopolitan prokaryotes that thrive within a range of sediments and temperature conditions across Guaymas Basin. Hydrothermally-affiliated lineages …


Private Landowner Interest In Prescribed Fire In California: Findings From Workshops In The Sierra Nevada, Kate M. Wilkin, Amanda M. Stasiewicz, Susan D. Kocher Dec 2024

Private Landowner Interest In Prescribed Fire In California: Findings From Workshops In The Sierra Nevada, Kate M. Wilkin, Amanda M. Stasiewicz, Susan D. Kocher

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background: Globally, prescribed fire political interest and practice has been rekindled following recent devastating wildfire seasons. This phenomenon was especially acute in areas with dual wildfire and forest health crises, like California. Previous research has investigated prescribed fire on public lands or on private lands in other regions, but little is known about prescribed fire practice or interest on private lands in California. Therefore, we sought to understand private land managers’ perceptions of prescribed fire compared to other land management techniques, treatment pathways, motivations, and barriers to complete these treatments in California. Results: Before workshops on prescribed fire for private …


A Census Of Dwarf Galaxy Satellites Around Lmc-Mass Galaxy Ngc 2403, Jeffrey L. Carlin, David J. Sand, Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil, Denija Crnojević, Amandine Doliva-Dolinsky, Christopher T. Garling, Annika H.G. Peter, Jean P. Brodie, Duncan A. Forbes, Jonathan R. Hargis, Aaron J. Romanowsky, Kristine Spekkens, Jay Strader, Beth Willman Dec 2024

A Census Of Dwarf Galaxy Satellites Around Lmc-Mass Galaxy Ngc 2403, Jeffrey L. Carlin, David J. Sand, Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil, Denija Crnojević, Amandine Doliva-Dolinsky, Christopher T. Garling, Annika H.G. Peter, Jean P. Brodie, Duncan A. Forbes, Jonathan R. Hargis, Aaron J. Romanowsky, Kristine Spekkens, Jay Strader, Beth Willman

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

We present the first comprehensive census of the satellite population around a Large Magellanic Cloud stellar-mass galaxy, as part of the Magellanic Analog Dwarf Companions and Stellar Halos (MADCASH) survey. We have surveyed NGC 2403 (D = 3.0 Mpc) with the Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam imager out to a projected radius of 90 kpc (with partial coverage extending out to ∼110 kpc, or ∼80% of the virial radius of NGC 2403), resolving stars in the uppermost ∼2.5 mag of its red giant branch. By looking for stellar overdensities in the red giant branch spatial density map, we identify 149 satellite candidates, of …


Beyond Boundaries: Governance Considerations For Climate-Driven Habitat Shifts Of Highly Migratory Marine Species Across Jurisdictions, Bianca S. Santos, Elliott L. Hazen, Heather Welch, Nerea Lezama-Ochoa, Barbara A. Block, Daniel P. Costa, Scott A. Shaffer, Larry B. Crowder Dec 2024

Beyond Boundaries: Governance Considerations For Climate-Driven Habitat Shifts Of Highly Migratory Marine Species Across Jurisdictions, Bianca S. Santos, Elliott L. Hazen, Heather Welch, Nerea Lezama-Ochoa, Barbara A. Block, Daniel P. Costa, Scott A. Shaffer, Larry B. Crowder

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The mobile nature of migratory marine animals across jurisdictional boundaries can challenge the management of biodiversity, particularly under global environmental change. While projections of climate-driven habitat change can reveal whether marine species are predicted to gain or lose habitat in the future, geopolitical boundaries and differing governance regimes may influence animals’ abilities to thrive in new areas. Broad geographic movements and diverse governance approaches elicit the need for strong international collaboration to holistically manage and conserve these shared migratory species. In this study, we use data from the Tagging of Pacific Predators program to demonstrate the feasibility of using climate-driven …


Comparison Of 45-Min Nap Versus No-Nap During Simulated Night Shift Work On Endothelial Function: A Randomized Crossover Feasibility Trial, P. Daniel Patterson, Cassie J. Hilditch, Sarah E. Martin, David G.L. Roach, Matthew D. Weaver, Tiffany S. Okerman, David Hostler, Leonard S. Weiss, Steven E. Reis Dec 2024

Comparison Of 45-Min Nap Versus No-Nap During Simulated Night Shift Work On Endothelial Function: A Randomized Crossover Feasibility Trial, P. Daniel Patterson, Cassie J. Hilditch, Sarah E. Martin, David G.L. Roach, Matthew D. Weaver, Tiffany S. Okerman, David Hostler, Leonard S. Weiss, Steven E. Reis

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background: Night shift workers face increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to non-shift workers. Evidence supports on-shift napping and regular non-invasive monitoring of endothelial function for risk mitigation, yet neither strategy is widely used. Methods: We evaluated the feasibility of non-invasive assessment of peripheral arterial tone (PAT) to assess the effect of napping during simulated night shift work on endothelial function. We used a single-site, randomized crossover trial of simulated night shift work with a 45-min nap condition versus a control, no-nap condition (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05436951). Results: The primary outcome was the number of participants with ≥ 70% of endothelial …


Covid-19 Vaccine Or Booster Uptake And Hesitancy For Children Aged 6 Months–5 Years In The United States: A National Descriptive Study Using The Household Pulse Survey Between March And May 2023, Chulwoo Park, Pyramida Vagoyan Zabala Dec 2024

Covid-19 Vaccine Or Booster Uptake And Hesitancy For Children Aged 6 Months–5 Years In The United States: A National Descriptive Study Using The Household Pulse Survey Between March And May 2023, Chulwoo Park, Pyramida Vagoyan Zabala

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children aged 6 months–5 years (children under 5) receive multiple doses of COVID-19 vaccine, including updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccine. However, since the updated vaccines became available for children under 5, there has been limited knowledge regarding hesitancy toward the original vaccine or boosters in vaccinating children. To address this gap, this study utilized data from the Household Pulse Survey conducted from March 1, 2023 to May 8, 2023 (Phase 3.8). The purpose of the study was to examine the proportion of children under 5 who had received at least one dose …


Critical Minerals Mining And Native American Sovereignty: Comparing Case Studies Of Lithium, Copper, Antimony, Nickel And Graphite Mining In The United States, Macdonald Amoah, Benjamin K. Sovacool, Dustin Mulvaney, Morgan D. Bazilian, Richard Luarkie, Daniel Cardenas Dec 2024

Critical Minerals Mining And Native American Sovereignty: Comparing Case Studies Of Lithium, Copper, Antimony, Nickel And Graphite Mining In The United States, Macdonald Amoah, Benjamin K. Sovacool, Dustin Mulvaney, Morgan D. Bazilian, Richard Luarkie, Daniel Cardenas

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Owing to the historical patterns of colonialism and settlement, many of the remaining undeveloped mineral resources needed for a low-carbon energy transition are located on lands that have historic, ancestral, or cultural significance to Native American Tribes and Indigenous communities, as well as are near environmental-sensitive areas. While some mining projects occur on private land, the majority of mining projects are proposed for lands owned by the United States Federal Government and managed by multiple agencies (United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management etc.) with goals across the spectra from natural resource development to cultural resource conservation. Through a …


Food Insecurity Knowledge And Training Among College Students In Health Majors, Virginia B. Gray, Cara Cuite, Megan Patton-López, Rickelle Richards, Mateja Savoie-Roskos, Stephanie Machado, Emily Heying, Matthew Landry, Susan Chen, Rebecca L. Hagedorn-Hatfield, Georgianna Mann, Zubaida Qamar, Kendra Oonorasak, Victoria A. Zigmont Dec 2024

Food Insecurity Knowledge And Training Among College Students In Health Majors, Virginia B. Gray, Cara Cuite, Megan Patton-López, Rickelle Richards, Mateja Savoie-Roskos, Stephanie Machado, Emily Heying, Matthew Landry, Susan Chen, Rebecca L. Hagedorn-Hatfield, Georgianna Mann, Zubaida Qamar, Kendra Oonorasak, Victoria A. Zigmont

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Objective: To describe current food insecurity (FI)-related training among nutrition/dietetics, public health, and social work students. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was used among students (n = 306) enrolled in health-related programs at 12 US universities. Participants reported FI-related course-based and extracurricular experiences and rated confidence to address FI on a scale of 1–3. Open-ended questions investigated perceived definitions of FI and impactful course activities. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used for data analysis. Results: Participants’ FI definitions were multifaceted. Most (80.6%) reported FI being covered in at least 1 course. The overall mean confidence to address FI was …


Minority Stress Mediates Associations Of Sexual Minority State Policies And Tobacco Use Among Us Sexual Minority Young Adults, Katelyn F. Romm, Erin A. Vogel, Christina Dyar, Laurie A. Drabble, Patricia A. Cavazos-Rehg, Carla J. Berg Dec 2024

Minority Stress Mediates Associations Of Sexual Minority State Policies And Tobacco Use Among Us Sexual Minority Young Adults, Katelyn F. Romm, Erin A. Vogel, Christina Dyar, Laurie A. Drabble, Patricia A. Cavazos-Rehg, Carla J. Berg

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Introduction: State policies surrounding sexual minority (SM) rights are associated with tobacco use among SM individuals. Research is scant regarding the role of distinct SM policy categories on SM young adults’ (SMYAs) tobacco use and mechanisms explaining these associations. Methods: We analyzed 2023 survey data from 1100 SMYAs (ages 18–34; 14.2 % gender minority; 66.1 % bisexual+, 29.1 % monosexual; 53.2 % racial/ethnic minority) with representation across 45 US states and DC. Regression-based models examined: 1) direct associations of residing in states with negative and limited (vs. comprehensive) SM state policies with respect to 7 policy categories (relationship/parent recognition, nondiscrimination, …


Predevelopment Revolving Loan Funds To Develop Affordable Housing: Program Features And How They Can Be Strengthened, Shishir Mathur, Hilary Nixon, Shreya Chokshi Dec 2024

Predevelopment Revolving Loan Funds To Develop Affordable Housing: Program Features And How They Can Be Strengthened, Shishir Mathur, Hilary Nixon, Shreya Chokshi

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Predevelopment revolving loan funds (PDRLFs) are pools of money from which loans are made and to which loan repayments flow in. They are a part of revolving loan funds (RLFs) that are extensively used in the US to support small businesses and housing. However, PDRLFs' use for funding affordable housing is little-studied. This paper begins to fill this research gap through a literature review and case studies to better understand the key features and the ways to strengthen affordable housing-focused PDRLFs. Finally, it suggests key strategies to strengthen them further, which include flexible funding by the state and federal governments …


Foraging Behavior And Age Affect Maternal Transfer Of Mercury To Northern Elephant Seal Pups, Sarah H. Peterson, Michael G. Peterson, Joshua T. Ackerman, Cathy Debier, Chandra Goetsch, Rachel R. Holser, Luis A. Hückstädt, Jennifer C. Johnson, Theresa R. Keates, Birgitte I. Mcdonald, Elizabeth A. Mchuron, Daniel P. Costa Dec 2024

Foraging Behavior And Age Affect Maternal Transfer Of Mercury To Northern Elephant Seal Pups, Sarah H. Peterson, Michael G. Peterson, Joshua T. Ackerman, Cathy Debier, Chandra Goetsch, Rachel R. Holser, Luis A. Hückstädt, Jennifer C. Johnson, Theresa R. Keates, Birgitte I. Mcdonald, Elizabeth A. Mchuron, Daniel P. Costa

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Deep ocean foraging northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) consume fish and squid in remote depths of the North Pacific Ocean. Contaminants bioaccumulated from prey are subsequently transferred by adult females to pups during gestation and lactation, linking pups to mercury contamination in mesopelagic food webs (200–1000 m depths). Maternal transfer of mercury to developing seal pups was related to maternal mercury contamination and was strongly correlated with maternal foraging behavior (biotelemetry and isotopes). Mercury concentrations in lanugo (hair grown in utero) were among the highest observed worldwide for young pinnipeds (geometric mean 23.01 μg/g dw, range 8.03–63.09 μg/g dw; n …


Oxygenation Influences Xylose Fermentation And Gene Expression In The Yeast Genera Spathaspora And Scheffersomyces, Katharina O. Barros, Megan Mader, David J. Krause, Jasmyn Pangilinan, Bill Andreopoulos, Anna Lipzen, Stephen J. Mondo, Igor V. Grigoriev, Carlos A. Rosa, Trey K. Sato, Chris Todd Hittinger Dec 2024

Oxygenation Influences Xylose Fermentation And Gene Expression In The Yeast Genera Spathaspora And Scheffersomyces, Katharina O. Barros, Megan Mader, David J. Krause, Jasmyn Pangilinan, Bill Andreopoulos, Anna Lipzen, Stephen J. Mondo, Igor V. Grigoriev, Carlos A. Rosa, Trey K. Sato, Chris Todd Hittinger

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background: Cost-effective production of biofuels from lignocellulose requires the fermentation of d-xylose. Many yeast species within and closely related to the genera Spathaspora and Scheffersomyces (both of the order Serinales) natively assimilate and ferment xylose. Other species consume xylose inefficiently, leading to extracellular accumulation of xylitol. Xylitol excretion is thought to be due to the different cofactor requirements of the first two steps of xylose metabolism. Xylose reductase (XR) generally uses NADPH to reduce xylose to xylitol, while xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH) generally uses NAD+ to oxidize xylitol to xylulose, creating an imbalanced redox pathway. This imbalance is thought to be …


Spartan Daily, November 26,2024, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications Nov 2024

Spartan Daily, November 26,2024, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2024

Volume 163, Issue 39


Operating Room First Case On-Time Start Improvement Through Physician Behavioral Modification Aimed At Physician Arrival Times, Ozell E. Diaz Nov 2024

Operating Room First Case On-Time Start Improvement Through Physician Behavioral Modification Aimed At Physician Arrival Times, Ozell E. Diaz

Doctoral Projects

The project aimed to improve first-case on-time starts (FCOTS) for surgical procedures in an acute care hospital by addressing surgeon tardiness, the main contributor to delays. Current policies lacked accountability measures and incentives, leading to routine late arrivals by physicians, with anesthesiology teams also refusing early starts. To address this, the operating room start time was adjusted from 7:30 to 8:00 AM, and physicians were notified of upcoming cases and documentation requirements the evening before surgery. Performance data was shared with surgeons, and those meeting a minimum FCOTS improvement rate were granted priority scheduling. Weekly data reviews, monthly department meetings, …


The Average Number Of Goldbach Representations And Zero-Free Regions Of The Riemann Zeta Function, Keith Billington, Maddie Cheng, Jordan Schettler, Ade Irma Suriajaya Nov 2024

The Average Number Of Goldbach Representations And Zero-Free Regions Of The Riemann Zeta Function, Keith Billington, Maddie Cheng, Jordan Schettler, Ade Irma Suriajaya

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

In this paper, we prove an unconditional form of Fujii's formula for the average number of Goldbach representations and show that the error in this formula is determined by a general zero-free region of the Riemann zeta function, and vice versa. In particular, we describe the error in the unconditional formula in terms of the remainder in the Prime Number Theorem which connects the error to zero-free regions of the Riemann zeta function.


Envisioning Archival Images With Artificial Intelligence, Jessica Bushey Nov 2024

Envisioning Archival Images With Artificial Intelligence, Jessica Bushey

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The literature review explores the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in enhancing access to and management of photographic archives. As digital and analog photographs proliferate in archival institutions, traditional approaches to organizing and describing these materials are increasingly inappropriate. The review highlights the potential of AI, particularly computer vision (CV), to address the challenges associated with processing large volumes of digital images. CV algorithms, such as object detection and image classification, can automate tasks like image metadata generation, offering archivists new tools for organizing collections more efficiently. However, the adoption of AI in archival practice raises important ethical concerns, particularly …


Spartan Daily, November 21, 2024, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications Nov 2024

Spartan Daily, November 21, 2024, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2024

Volume 163, Issue 38


Spartan Daily, November 20, 2024, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications Nov 2024

Spartan Daily, November 20, 2024, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2024

Volume 163, Issue 37


Spartan Daily, November 19, 2024, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications Nov 2024

Spartan Daily, November 19, 2024, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2024

Volume 163, Issue 36


Spartan Daily, November 14, 2024, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications Nov 2024

Spartan Daily, November 14, 2024, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2024

Volume 163, Issue 35


Creatine And Depression In Rodents: A Meta-Analysis, Ruchika S. Tirupachur Nov 2024

Creatine And Depression In Rodents: A Meta-Analysis, Ruchika S. Tirupachur

Master's Theses

Traditional treatments for major depression are based on the monoamine deficiency hypothesis, and they fail to achieve remission in a substantial portion of patients. Newer evidence suggests the pathophysiology of depression is a more complex story, highlighting a need for research in alternative therapies. Mounting evidence shows a linkage between depression and the supplement creatine monohydrate (CRMH). Research in rodent models suggests that CRMH may both alleviate depressive symptoms and enhance the efficacy of standard antidepressants like SSRIs. The following study describes findings from a combined fixed- and random-effects meta-analysis based on four empirical studies investigating the effect of CRMH …


A Novel Reinforcement Learning Method For Efficient Cross-Training Between Real And Simulated Robots, Zhonglin Liang Nov 2024

A Novel Reinforcement Learning Method For Efficient Cross-Training Between Real And Simulated Robots, Zhonglin Liang

Master's Theses

Training reinforcement learning policy in a simulated environment can be a go-to choice for many research topics, as a simulated environment provides flexibility and costs less than building a physical environment for training. However, policy trained in a simulated environment often fails to transfer to the real environment for problems that have a more complex dynamics. As the solution, Sim2Real was proposed and it categorizes techniques that improve the performance of the transfer from simulation to reality. Sim2Real is an area of study that focuses on utilizing simulation data to train models that can apply to real world environment. It …


The Effects Of Stress On Attentional Networks, Alice Tsvinev Nov 2024

The Effects Of Stress On Attentional Networks, Alice Tsvinev

Master's Theses

The human brain has developed mechanisms to aid our survival, including attentional networks and stress response. Attentional shifts allow humans to react accordingly to their environment, following innate processes like fight or flight. Prolonged exposure to acute stress interferes with such cognitive processes as attention and working memory, impacting attentional systems. The present study examined the effects of acute stress on visual attention processes, specifically focusing on the orienting, alerting, and executive attention networks. 49 participants were randomly placed in either a stress or non-stress condition, then asked to reflect on either stressful or positive moments in their lives, respectively. …


The Impacts Of Recreational Infrastructure On Mammal Use Of Riparian Zones In Northern California Regional Parks, Emily A. Matthews Nov 2024

The Impacts Of Recreational Infrastructure On Mammal Use Of Riparian Zones In Northern California Regional Parks, Emily A. Matthews

Master's Theses

Public lands have been important for the protection of riparian habitats; however, many public lands are also used for recreation, which can reduce mammal habitat use. Understanding how mammals are affected by recreation in riparian areas can help guide management decisions. The goal of this research is to understand the effect of recreation on mammal use of riparian habitats in two popular East Bay Regional Parks, Charles Lee Tilden and Wildcat Canyon, and to map the extent of that impact. Cameras were deployed in the riparian areas of a high, moderate, and low development site (Alvarado, Tilden, and Wildcat Canyon) …


Using Moss As An Inexpensive Air Pollution Bioindicator For Environmental Equity In Santa Clara Country, California, Tam Dan Tran Nov 2024

Using Moss As An Inexpensive Air Pollution Bioindicator For Environmental Equity In Santa Clara Country, California, Tam Dan Tran

Master's Theses

Toxins pervade urban areas and pose long-term health risks to humans. I examine moss as an affordable bioindicator and assess whether moss monitor results reflect other air quality (AQ) indicators, environmental factors, and social vulnerability. Specifically, I investigate (1) whether moss is an effective atmospheric pollution indicator and (2) whether low-income or high-lead-risk neighborhoods experience greater exposure to air pollution. I set out Hypnum cupressiforme moss for two months of exposure in 28 Santa Clara County locations and then measured chromium, zinc, nickel, and the loss of chlorophyll fluorescence in the moss tissue. I gathered real-time particulate matter (PM2.5) measurements …