Digital Commons Network^™

Measuring Coupled Fire–Atmosphere Dynamics: The California Fire Dynamics Experiment (Calfide), Brian J. Carroll, W. Alan Brewer, Edward Strobach, Neil Lareau, Steven S. Brown, M. Miguel Valero, Adam Kochanski, Craig B. Clements, Ralph Kahn, Katherine T. Junghenn Noyes, Amanda Makowiecki, Maxwell W. Holloway, Michael Zucker, Kathleen Clough, Jack Drucker, Kristen Zuraski, Jeff Peischl, Brandi Mccarty, Richard Marchbanks

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The social, economic, and ecological impacts of wildfires are increasing over much of the United States and globally, partially due to changing climate and build-up of fuels from past forest management practices. This creates a need to improve coupled fire–atmosphere forecast models. However, model performance is difficult to evaluate due to scarcity of observations for many key fire–atmosphere interactions, including updrafts and plume injection height, plume entrainment processes, fire intensity and rate-of-spread, and plume chemistry. Intensive observations of such fire–atmosphere interactions during active wildfires are rare due to the logistical challenges and scales involved. The California Fire Dynamics Experiment (CalFiDE) …

Transit Monitoring Capacity Expansion: Analytics For Combating Human Trafficking, Kezban Yagci Sokat, Melissa Chi, Jonathan Hudlow

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Human trafficking is a rising complex global problem, and effective anti-trafficking programs can address the problem through four objectives: prevention, prosecution, protection, and partnership, known as the 4Ps. The transportation industry plays a critical role in preventing and disrupting human trafficking. Research shows that transit points are crucial for recruiting and transporting victims of human trafficking between source and destination locations. Motivated by transit monitoring, a strategy that aims to identify and intercept potential human trafficking victims while they are in transit and before exploitation, this research demonstrates one of the first examples of transportation efforts to combat human trafficking. …

Protect The Children, Body And Soul, Kenjus T. Watson, Tiffani Marie, Ersie Anastasia Gentzis, Dante Dixson

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This paper critically examines American schooling systems, challenges their subtractive nature, and juxtaposes it with the culturally sustaining potential of education. We problematize the current tools for evaluating trauma and stress in young people of color and emphasize the need for a comprehensive understanding of indigenous medicines as a remedy. Drawing on interdisciplinary theories, we elucidate the pervasive and evolving nature of anti-blackness, reinforcing the sociohistorical structure of inequity within schools. As a response, this study presents a unique wellness survey (comprising two newly validated wellness scales) developed from a previous four-year longitudinal study investigating the relationship between culturally relevant …

Machine Learning Applications In Forensic Dna Profiling: A Critical Review, Mark Barash, Dennis Mcnevin, Vladimir Fedorenko, Pavel Giverts

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Machine learning (ML) is a range of powerful computational algorithms capable of generating predictive models via intelligent autonomous analysis of relatively large and often unstructured data. ML has become an integral part of our daily lives with a plethora of applications, including web, business, automotive industry, clinical diagnostics, scientific research, and more recently, forensic science. In the field of forensic DNA, the manual analysis of complex data can be challenging, time-consuming, and error-prone. The integration of novel ML-based methods may aid in streamlining this process while maintaining the high accuracy and reproducibility required for forensic tools. Due to the relative …

Collaborative Fisheries Research Reveals Reserve Size And Age Determine Efficacy Across A Network Of Marine Protected Areas, Shelby L. Ziegler, Rachel O. Brooks, Lyall F. Bellquist, Jennifer E. Caselle, Steven G. Morgan, Timothy J. Mulligan, Benjamin I. Ruttenberg, Brice X. Semmens, Richard M. Starr, Joe Tyburczy, Dean E. Wendt, Andre Buchheister, Jose R.Marin Jarrin, Christina Pasparakis, Salvador J. Jorgensen, Jennifer A. Chiu, Jordan Colby, Connor L. Coscino, Leon Davis

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

A variety of criteria may influence the efficacy of networks of marine protected areas (MPA) designed to enhance biodiversity conservation and provide fisheries benefits. Meta-analyses have evaluated the influence of MPA attributes on abundance, biomass, and size structure of harvested species, reporting that MPA size, age, depth, and connectivity influence the strength of MPA responses. However, few empirical MPA evaluation studies have used consistent sampling methodology across multiple MPAs and years. Our collaborative fisheries research program systematically sampled 12 no-take or highly protective limited-take MPAs and paired fished reference areas across a network spanning 1100 km of coastline to evaluate …

Bisphenol F Affects Neurodevelopmental Gene Expression, Mushroom Body Development, And Behavior In Drosophila Melanogaster, Judith L.A. Fishburn, Heather L. Larson, An Nguyen, Chloe J. Welch, Taylor Moore, Aliyah Penn, Johnathan Newman, Anthony Mangino, Erin Widman, Rana Ghobashy, Jocelyn Witherspoon, Wendy Lee, Kimberly A. Mulligan

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Bisphenol F (BPF) is a potential neurotoxicant used as a replacement for bisphenol A (BPA) in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. We investigated the neurodevelopmental impacts of BPF exposure using Drosophila melanogaster as a model. Our transcriptomic analysis indicated that developmental exposure to BPF caused the downregulation of neurodevelopmentally relevant genes, including those associated with synapse formation and neuronal projection. To investigate the functional outcome of BPF exposure, we evaluated neurodevelopmental impacts across two genetic strains of Drosophila— w1118 (control) and the Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) model—by examining both behavioral and neuronal phenotypes. We found that BPF exposure in w1118 …

Spreadsheet Model For "How Will California's Electric Vehicle Policy Impact State-Generated Transportation Revenues? Projecting Scenarios Through 2040", Asha Weinstein Agrawal, Hannah King, H. A. “Burt” Tasaico

Data

This spreadsheet calculates five revenue streams created by California's Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 (SB1): the gasoline excise tax, the diesel excise tax, the diesel sales tax, the Roadway Improvement Fee, and Transportation Improvement Fee. It produces revenue projections for eight different scenarios covering a variety of potential future conditions related to vehicle miles traveled and the adoption of zero-emission vehicles. Key inputs include vehicle miles traveled, numbers of zero-emission vehicles in the light- and heavy-duty fleets, and fuel mileage. All outputs are reported in 2024 dollars.

How Will California’S Electric Vehicle Policy Impact State-Generated Transportation Revenues? Projecting Scenarios Through 2040, Asha Weinstein Agrawal, Hannah King, H. A. “Burt” Tasaico

Mineta Transportation Institute

California faces unprecedented uncertainty about how much revenue the state will raise from a package of taxes on motor fuels and annual registration fees on light-duty vehicles that was established in 2017 by Senate Bill 1 (SB 1). The SB 1 taxes are by far the largest source of revenue that the State of California generates to support maintenance, operations, and improvements for state highways, and the funds also contribute substantially to local transportation and public transit budgets. To help policymakers navigate the uncertainty about future SB 1 transportation revenue, this study used spreadsheet models to project revenue from the …

The Transportation Sector, Cap-And-Trade And Blockchain: A Carbon Credit Trading Platform, Aditya Mankar, Forouzan Golshani

Mineta Transportation Institute

This study offers a solution that facilitates direct trading of carbon credits with no intermediaries by using blockchain technology aligned with the cap-and-trade system. With this solution, along with other major transformations in the industry, the transportation sector can take more ownership of emissions and mitigate the impact of its role as the largest contributor of greenhouse gasses. The solution sits at the confluence of the Cap-and-Trade initiative, carbon credit trading, and blockchain technology. Although the concept of blockchains has been the subject of significant curiosity, scrutiny, boosterism, investment, criticism, it most importantly is at the core of useful, rapidly …

Analysis Of Letters To The Three Wise Men: Myth And Rite Transferred To Brands, Ainhoa García-Rivero, Belén Moreno-Albarracín

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

In Spain, approximately 75% of toy sales are concentrated at Christmas (Asociación Española de Fabricantes de Juguetes, 2022). Taking into account this data, it is inevitable to talk about the importance of the Three Wise Men. Every year, boys and girls write their letters with the illusion of waking up on January 6 with gifts in their living rooms. In this context, it is opportune to analyze these letters in order to know the nature of the children's requests in their letters to the Three Wise Men. For this reason, the present work offers a content analysis of 417 letters, …

Collaborative System Usability In Spaceflight Analog Environments Through Remote Observations, Shivang Shelat, Jessica J. Marquez, Jimin Zheng, John A. Karasinski

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The conventional design cycle in human–computer interaction faces significant challenges when applied to users in isolated settings, such as astronauts in extreme environments. Challenges include obtaining user feedback and effectively tracking human–software/human–human dynamics during system interactions. This study addresses these issues by exploring the potential of remote conversation analysis to validate the usability of collaborative technology, supplemented with a traditional post hoc survey approach. Specifically, we evaluate an integrated timeline software tool used in NASA’s Human Exploration Research Analog. Our findings indicate that voice recordings, which focus on the topical content of intra-crew speech, can serve as non-intrusive metrics for …

Assessing The Reliability Of Machine Learning Models Applied To The Mental Health Domain Using Explainable Ai, Vishnu Pendyala, Hyungkyun Kim

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Machine learning is increasingly and ubiquitously being used in the medical domain. Evaluation metrics like accuracy, precision, and recall may indicate the performance of the models but not necessarily the reliability of their outcomes. This paper assesses the effectiveness of a number of machine learning algorithms applied to an important dataset in the medical domain, specifically, mental health, by employing explainability methodologies. Using multiple machine learning algorithms and model explainability techniques, this work provides insights into the models’ workings to help determine the reliability of the machine learning algorithm predictions. The results are not intuitive. It was found that the …

A First Look With Jwst Aperture Masking Interferometry: Resolving Circumstellar Dust Around The Wolf-Rayet Binary Wr 137 Beyond The Rayleigh Limit, Ryan M. Lau, Matthew J. Hankins, Joel Sanchez-Bermudez, Deepashri Thatte, Anthony Soulain, Rachel A. Cooper, Anand Sivaramakrishnan, Michael F. Corcoran, Alexandra Z. Greenbaum, Theodore R. Gull, Yinuo Han, Olivia C. Jones, Thomas Madura, Anthony F.J. Moffat, Mark R. Morris, Takashi Onaka, Christopher M.P. Russell, Noel D. Richardson, Nathan Smith

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

We present infrared aperture-masking interferometry (AMI) observations of newly formed dust from the colliding winds of the massive binary Wolf-Rayet system WR 137 with JWST using the Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS). NIRISS AMI observations of WR 137 and a point-spread function calibrator star, HD 228337, were taken using the F380M and F480M filters in 2022 July and August as part of the Director’s Discretionary Early Release Science program #1349. Interferometric observables (squared visibilities and closure phases) from the WR 137 “interferogram” were extracted and calibrated using three independent software tools: ImPlaneIA, AMICAL, and SAMpip. The analysis of …

Spartan Daily, February 29, 2024, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2024

Volume 162, Issue 16

Genetic Algorithm For Automated Parameterization Of Network Hamiltonian Models Of Amyloid Fibril Formation, Gianmarc Grazioli, Andy Tao, Inika Bhatia, Patrick Regan

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The time scales of long-time atomistic molecular dynamics simulations are typically reported in microseconds, while the time scales for experiments studying the kinetics of amyloid fibril formation are typically reported in minutes or hours. This time scale deficit of roughly 9 orders of magnitude presents a major challenge in the design of computer simulation methods for studying protein aggregation events. Coarse-grained molecular simulations offer a computationally tractable path forward for exploring the molecular mechanism driving the formation of these structures, which are implicated in diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and type-II diabetes. Network Hamiltonian models of aggregation are centered around …

Spartan Daily, February 28, 2024, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2024

Volume 162, Issue 15

Spartan Daily, February 27, 2024, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2024

Volume 162, Issue 14

The Role Of Libraries In Bridging Gender Inequality In Nigeria: A Critical Review, Udemezue Joseph Ogugua, Julius Okeke Ofordile, Amarachi E. Agubosim, Nnaemeka Uchenna Ezeonyi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The paper discusses the role of libraries in bridging gender inequality in Nigeria. Gender inequality is discrimination on the basis of sex or gender where one sex or gender is placed in a more advantageous position than the other. Gender inequality is one issue that has been on the front burner but efforts to tackle it are not yielding the desired results. In the light of this, the idea of libraries wading into the matter seems a better option. The paper discusses the factors responsible for gender inequality in Nigeria as follows: socio-cultural factors, socio-economic factors, socio-religious factors, socio-political factors, …

Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Classification Of Library Resources: The Case Of Claude Ai, Sugabsen Martins

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

One of the emerging trends in the field of Information Technology and Computing is the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and in the recent past, its application in libraries is up for discuss. Many researchers have been thrilled by the prospects AI present so much such that they dwell on its pros and not considering the cons. Many papers have been presented on the application of AI in reference services, and security. This study is an attempt to discover how Claude AI responds to cataloguing and classification tasks. The objectives of the study was to determine the ability of Claude AI in …

Investigating The Integration Of Icts In Library And Information Science (Lis) Curriculum In Zimbabwe, Tinashe Mugwisi, Tinashe Mugwisi

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have greatly influenced access, management and dissemination of information. ICTs have become central to education and training in Library and Information Science/Service (LIS) because of the great influence of these technologies on the professional world. Information professionals are increasingly required to adapt their skills and practice in order to gain an awareness of technological advances. It has changed their role in the workplace with new and diverse skills requirements. The purpose of this study was to examine how Library and Information Science (LIS) schools are integrating ICTs in their curriculum. The study was largely qualitative …

Research Self-Efficacy: A Study Of Postgraduate Students In Library Schools In South-West, Nigeria., Adeola Esther Olutoki, Monisola Adebanke Osoba

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Self-efficacy beliefs are among the knowledge structures that act as a pervasive influence on individual development especially in research competence. Postgraduate students’ research self-efficacy refers to the judgment of their capability to perform academic research tasks.

Descriptive survey research design of the correlational type and total enumeration method was adopted. A self-developed questionnaire was administered to 287 postgraduate students. A total of 203(70.73%) copies of questionnaires were returned and analysed using frequency count, percentage, mean and standard deviation and pie chart.

The findings of the study revealed that the level of research self-efficacy of postgraduate students in selected universities …

Equation Of State And Thermometry Of The 2d Su (N) Fermi-Hubbard Model, G. Pasqualetti, O. Bettermann, N. Darkwah Oppong, E. Ibarra-García-Padilla, S. Dasgupta, R. T. Scalettar, K. R.A. Hazzard, I. Bloch, S. Fölling

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

We characterize the equation of state (EoS) of the SU(N>2) Fermi-Hubbard Model (FHM) in a two-dimensional single-layer square optical lattice. We probe the density and the site occupation probabilities as functions of interaction strength and temperature for N=3, 4, and 6. Our measurements are used as a benchmark for state-of-the-art numerical methods including determinantal quantum Monte Carlo and numerical linked cluster expansion. By probing the density fluctuations, we compare temperatures determined in a model-independent way by fitting measurements to numerically calculated EoS results, making this a particularly interesting new step in the exploration and characterization of the SU(N) FHM.

Spartan Daily, February 22, 2024, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2024

Volume 162, Issue 13

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

Spartan Daily, 2024

Volume 162, Issue 12

Examining Undergraduate Students’ Satisfaction With Current Awareness And Orientation Services In University Libraries In Benue State, Joseph Lughlugh, Vanen Bur Akpoo Mr., Joseph Igligli Mr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study examined undergraduate students’ satisfaction with current awareness and orientation services in university libraries in Benue State. Two specific objectives with corresponding research questions guided the study and two hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a survey research design. The population of the study was 4,411 library registered 400 level students in Universities in Benue State. The sample size of 367 registered library undergraduate students was used for the study. The sample was selected using proportionate stratified and simple random sampling techniques. The instrument for data collection was a self-developed structured questionnaire …

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

Spartan Daily, 2024

Volume 162, Issue 11

Reference Services Accessibility And Users’ Satisfaction In University Libraries In Benue State, Nigeria, Theresa Nwafornso, Ashiver Elizabeth Annune Dr, Anthony Agena Igbashal Prof

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study investigated reference services accessibility and users’ satisfaction in university libraries in Benue State, Nigeria. Four specific objectives with corresponding research questions guided the study. The study adopted a survey research design. The population of the study was 3,851 400 level library registered undergraduate library users in universities in Benue State. The sample size of 362 undergraduate users was selected. The instrument for data collection was a self-structured questionnaire titled, “Reference Service Accessibility and Undergraduate Satisfaction Questionnaire (RSAUSQ). The questionnaire was validated by three experts. The reliability of the questionnaire was established using Cronbach Alpha method and a reliability …

Information Search Strategy And Retrieval Tools In The 21st Century Information Management In Nigeria Academic Libraries., Fwenshimwa Yarima

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Information is power, nothing moves in the 21^st century and modern age without information. Information is an important resource that develops other resources. The development and use of information management systems (MIS) is a modern phenomenon concerned with the use of appropriate information that will lead to better planning, better decision-making, and better results. To retrieve information that is diverse from the Internet usually creates confusion among its users. To satisfy with exact information needs from the Internet, users need to know the effective techniques and strategies to employ. This paper discusses the concept of information retrieval tools, the …

Research Data Management Services Among University Librarians In Lagos State, Nigeria, Sunday Tunmibi, Busola Olufeyi Ajokotola

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study investigated research data management services among University libraries in Lagos State, Nigeria. Research data management is performed for scientific inquiry with the main purpose of adding to the quality of research. In this study, research data management was measured using data creation, data processing, data analysis, data preservation and data reuse as adapted from research data life cycle. The study adopted descriptive survey and structured questionnaires were administered to librarians from selected University libraries in Lagos State, Nigeria. For the analysis, the study adopted descriptive statistics using frequency and percentage distribution. Findings of this study revealed that the …

Setting Research Priorities For Global Pandemic Preparedness: An International Consensus And Comparison With Chatgpt’S Output, Peige Song, Davies Adeloye, Chulwoo Park, For Full Author List, See Comments Below

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background

In this priority-setting exercise, we sought to identify leading research priorities needed for strengthening future pandemic preparedness and response across countries.

Methods

The International Society of Global Health (ISoGH) used the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) method to identify research priorities for future pandemic preparedness. Eighty experts in global health, translational and clinical research identified 163 research ideas, of which 42 experts then scored based on five pre-defined criteria. We calculated intermediate criterion-specific scores and overall research priority scores from the mean of individual scores for each research idea. We used a bootstrap (n = 1000) to …