Digital Commons Network^™

An Incentivization Mechanism Towards Network-Slice As A Service, Yosha Mundhra

Master's Projects

Next-generation communication networks are expected to support many different types of services. Network slicing virtually divides one physical network into several virtual networks in order to accommodate diverse demands for network connections. Assuming multiple network domains are stitched together to provide end-to-end network slices for such diverse services, it is critical to consider the economic behaviors and revenue models of the stakeholders. This project analyzes the economic behaviors from the perspective of a Global Slice Coordinator (GSC) that receives a slice request and coordinates the end-to-end resource allocations across multiple network domains. The primary role of the GSC is to …

Distributed Cooperative Kalman Filter Constrained By Advection–Diffusion Equation For Mobile Sensor Networks, Ziqiao Zhang, Scott T. Mayberry, Wencen Wu, Fumin Zhang

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

In this paper, a distributed cooperative filtering strategy for state estimation has been developed for mobile sensor networks in a spatial–temporal varying field modeled by the advection–diffusion equation. Sensors are organized into distributed cells that resemble a mesh grid covering a spatial area, and estimation of the field value and gradient information at each cell center is obtained by running a constrained cooperative Kalman filter while incorporating the sensor measurements and information from neighboring cells. Within each cell, the finite volume method is applied to discretize and approximate the advection–diffusion equation. These approximations build the weakly coupled relationships between neighboring …

Archeota Fall/Winter 2023, Amanda Leung, Benja Thompson, Katrina Williams, Amelia Smith, Lawrence Lorraine Mullen

Archeota

Archeota is a platform for SJSU iSchool students to contribute to the archival conversation. It is written BY students, FOR students. It provides substantive content on archival concerns and issues and promotes professional development in the field of archival studies. Archeota upholds the core values of the archival profession.

Contents:

The Southwark Archives: Stories of a London Borough and its People

by Amanda Leung

Chains of Fire: Building a Queer Archive in Mill Valley, CA

By Benja Thompson

The Fabric of a Community: How Events Connect Individuals to Institutions

By Katrina Williams

Farewell to Our Winter 2023 Graduates: Interviews With …

Neighborhood Market Potentials For Alcohol Use And Rates Of Child Abuse And Neglect, Bridget Freisthler, Christiana Kranich, Jennifer Price Wolf, Reiko Boyd, Paul J. Gruenewald

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background: Alcohol use can lead to child abuse and neglect even if the person using alcohol does not use heavily. Yet relatively few measures that reflect alcohol use are available at smaller geographic units. We assess whether the estimated level of total alcohol use per capita is related to measures of child abuse and neglect that include substantiated reports of maltreatment, total entries into foster care, and alcohol-related entries into foster care. Methods: Our sample consists of 326 Census block groups in Sacramento, California over three time points (978 space–time units). Administrative data for substantiations of child abuse and neglect …

Maximizing External Action With Information Provision Over Multiple Rounds In Online Social Networks, Masaaki Miyashita, Norihiko Shinomiya, Daisuke Kasamatsu, Genya Ishigaki

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Online social networks have increased their impact on the real world, which motivates information senders to control the propagation process of information to promote particular actions of online users. However, the existing works on information provisioning seem to oversimplify the users? decision-making process that involves information reception, internal actions of social networks, and external actions of social networks. In particular, characterizing the best practices of information provisioning that promotes the users? external actions is a complex task due to the complexity of the propagation process in OSNs, even when the variation of information is limited. Therefore, we propose a new …

Low-Density Star Cluster Formation: Discovery Of A Young Faint Fuzzy On The Outskirts Of The Low-Mass Spiral Galaxy Ngc 247, Aaron J. Romanowsky, Søren S. Larsen, Alexa Villaume, Jeffrey L. Carlin, Joachim Janz, David J. Sand, Jay Strader, Jean P. Brodie, Sukanya Chakrabarti, Chloe M. Cheng, Denija Crnojević, Duncan A. Forbes, Christopher T. Garling, Jonathan R. Hargis, Ananthan Karunakaran, Ignacio Martín-Navarro, Knut A.G. Olsen, Nicole Rider, Bitha Salimkumar, For Full Author List, See Comments Below

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The classical globular clusters found in all galaxy types have half-light radii of rh ~2-4 pc, which have been tied to formation in the dense cores of giant molecular clouds. Some old star clusters have larger sizes, and it is unclear if these represent a fundamentally different mode of low-density star cluster formation. We report the discovery of a rare, young 'faint fuzzy' star cluster, NGC 247-SC1, on the outskirts of the low-mass spiral galaxy NGC 247 in the nearby Sculptor group, and measure its radial velocity using Keck spectroscopy. We use Hubble Space Telescope imaging to measure the cluster …

“This Is Fine”: The Impact Of Blowouts On Subsequent Game Performance In The National Hockey League (Nhl), Ravi Chachad, Sean Pradhan, Arman P. Medina

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Blowouts in sports involve large margins of victory or loss between teams and have long been perceived as influencing subsequent performances by athletes, coaches, fans, and other stakeholders. Under the backdrop of the hot hand ph enomenon, the current study explores the impact of blowouts on subsequent game performance in the National Hockey League (NHL). Specifically, we examine the potential carryover of a “hot (or cold) hand” on the subsequent game following a large win or loss. In our study, we defined blowouts as outlying goal differentials for regular season games (i.e., a difference of approximately 6 goals between teams …

An Efficient Aircraft Conflict Detection And Resolution Method Based On An Improved Reinforcement Learning Framework, Qiucheng Xu, Zhangqi Chen, Fangfang Li, Zhiyuan Shen, Wenbin Wei

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

With the steady increase of air traffic column, an auxiliary decision tool is required to compensate the operation redundancy deficiency of more sectors of air traffic control. To solve the problem of nonconflict high-density departure and arrival traffic flow, this method is expected to rapidly establish and maintain safe separation with more flexible changing strategies for aircraft heading and speed. This paper proposes an improved reinforcement learning framework to achieve conflict detection and resolution. The proposed framework includes the first development of an air traffic flow model based on a multiagent Markov decision process. The goal reward function was then …

A Live Fuel Moisture Climatology In California, Jack R. Drucker, Angel Farguell, Craig B. Clements, Adam K. Kochanski

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

In this study, observations of live fuel moisture content (LFMC) for predominantly sampled fuels in six distinct regions of California were examined from 2000 to 2021. To gather the necessary data, an open-access database called the Fuel Moisture Repository (FMR), was developed. By harnessing the extensive data aggregation and query capabilities of the FMR, which draws upon the National Fuel Moisture Database, valuable insights into the live fuel moisture seasonality were obtained. Specifically, our analysis revealed a distinct downtrend in LFMC across all regions, with the exception of the two Northernmost regions. The uptrends of LFMC seen in those regions …

New Diagonal Graph Ramsey Numbers Of Unicyclic Graphs, Richard M. Low, Ardak Kapbasov

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Grossman conjectured that R(G, G) = 2 · |V (G)| − 1, for all simple connected unicyclic graphs G of odd girth and |V (G)| ≥ 4. In this note, we prove his conjecture for various classes of G containing a triangle. In addition, new diagonal graph Ramsey numbers are calculated for some classes of simple connected unicyclic graphs of even girth.

Comparing Enacted And Perceived Parental Communication As Predictors Of Adolescents’ Emotion Regulation In Families With Harmful Versus Non-Harmful Parental Alcohol Use, Marie C. Haverfield, Jennifer A. Theiss

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Emotion regulation is an important skill that adolescents typically learn through early interactions with their primary caregivers. Associations between parental communication and adolescent emotion regulation are well-documented however, it is unclear whether the parent’s actual communication behavior or adolescents’ perceptions of the parent’s behavior is a more robust predictor of emotion regulation outcomes. This study used Baumrind’s parenting styles typology as a theoretical foundation for examining parents’ enacted responsiveness and control and adolescents’ perceptions of their parent’s responsiveness and control during conversation as competing predictors of adolescents’ self-reported emotion regulation during two parent-child interactions. Sixty parent-adolescent dyads participated in an …

Reconfigurations In Brain Networks Upon Awakening From Slow Wave Sleep: Interventions And Implications In Neural Communication, Cassie J. Hilditch, Kanika Bansal, Ravi Chachad, Lily R. Wong, Nicholas G. Bathurst, Nathan H. Feick, Amanda Santamaria, Nita L. Shattuck, Javier O. Garcia, Erin E. Flynn-Evans

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Sleep inertia is the brief period of impaired alertness and performance experienced immediately after waking. Little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. A better understanding of the neural processes during sleep inertia may offer insight into the awakening process. We observed brain activity every 15 min for 1 hr following abrupt awakening from slow wave sleep during the biological night. Using 32-channel electroencephalography, a network science approach, and a within-subject design, we evaluated power, clustering coefficient, and path length across frequency bands under both a control and a polychromatic short-wavelength-enriched light intervention condition. We found that under …

Staggered Scheme For The Compressible Fluctuating Hydrodynamics Of Multispecies Fluid Mixtures, Ishan Srivastava, Daniel R. Ladiges, Andy J. Nonaka, Alejandro L. Garcia, John B. Bell

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

We present a numerical formulation for the solution of nonisothermal, compressible Navier-Stokes equations with thermal fluctuations to describe mesoscale transport phenomena in multispecies fluid mixtures. The novelty of our numerical method is the use of staggered grid momenta along with a finite volume discretization of the thermodynamic variables to solve the resulting stochastic partial differential equations. The key advantages of the numerical scheme are that it significantly simplifies the discretization of diffusive and stochastic momentum fluxes into a more compact form, and it provides an unambiguous prescription of boundary conditions involving pressure. The staggered grid scheme more accurately reproduces the …

Reconnoitering Generative Deep Learning Through Image Generation From Text, Vishnu S. Pendyala, Vigneshkumar Thangarajan

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

A picture is worth a thousand words goes the well-known adage. Generating images from text understandably has many uses. In this chapter, the authors explore a state-of-the-art generative deep learning method to produce synthetic images and a new better way for evaluating the same. The approach focuses on synthesizing high-resolution images with multiple objects present in an image, given the textual description of the images. The existing literature uses object pathway GAN (OP-GAN) to automatically generate images from text. The work described in this chapter attempts to improvise the discriminator network from the original implementation using OP-GAN. This eventually helps …

Numerical Modeling Of Firebrand Transport, Antonio Q. Cervantes

Master's Theses

Firebrand showers are the fastest and most complex form of wildfire spread by generating spot fires in random locations. This randomness is due to many factors, including turbulent wind and particle shape. This work seeks to understand how small-scale turbulence affects firebrand landing distribution and develop a methodology to couple firebrand transport with wildfire simulations. Understanding transport at small scales can provide knowledge on large-scale transport in wildfire simulations. The computational domain and the mesh size in wildfire simulations are very large and do not feature small-scale turbulence. High-resolution small-scale turbulent and uniform boundary layers at various turbulence intensities are …

Influence Of Prescribed Burning On Coast Redwood (Sequoia Sempervirens) Forest Wildfire Resistance, Resilience, And Risk Of Repeated Fire, Sky B. Biblin

Master's Theses

Land managers need tools to mitigate wildfire proliferation in the western United States. Prescribed burning may be an effective tool to reduce wildfire severity and promote healthy landscapes. In 2020, a large-scale wildfire provided a rare opportunity to compare early postfire data between areas with and without a history of prescribed burning. Field data were collected approximately one year after a wildfire in fifty 20-meter plots from sites treated with prescribed fire in either 1999, 2007, or 2011 and fifty from sites without a history of prescribed fire. The influence of prescribed burning on forest resistance, resilience, and risk of …

Validation And Reliability Of A Questionnaire That Measures Food Waste Knowledge, Attitudes, And Motivations Of Adolescents, Joanna Fung

Master's Theses

The goal of this thesis was to develop a valid and reliable questionnaire to measure food waste knowledge, attitudes, and motivations of adolescents aged 13 to 17 in the United States (U.S.). This questionnaire was created with the objective to address gaps in adolescent food waste literature and to aid the creation and refinement of targeted food waste programs and policies. Questions were specific to the home, school, and restaurant settings, as well as, behaviors related to discarding food, composting food, and food expiration. Additionally, the questionnaire sought to understand how friendships and familial relationships affect adolescent food waste-related behaviors. …

Bubble Detection Under Microgravity In A Closed-Loop Microchannel Perfusion System, Max S. Kim

Master's Theses

Altered gravitational conditions result in changes in biological function. Studies in microgravity have shown irregularities in fluid redistribution within the vascular system. In order to study these irregularities, a cell culture perfusion system is necessary. Bubbles can proliferate in closed-loop systems and are detrimental to cells. However, the effects of bubbles in a closed-loop system in microgravity are unknown. Accordingly, the hypothesis of this investigation is that the absence of a constant-direction gravitational body force will exacerbate the presence of bubbles in a closed-loop microfluidic perfusion system. In order to examine the hypothesis, a closed-loop microfluidic cell culture perfusion system …

The U.S. Invasion Of The Dominican Republic: From Cooperation To Conquest, Andrew Defabio

Master's Theses

This paper explores the political and military relationship between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic from the Eisenhower administration to the Johnson administration’s invasion in 1965. The U.S. intervention in the Dominican Republic was a military operation that had been planned and prepared for by administrations prior and not simply a reactive decision to prevent a Communist takeover. Analysis of multiple administrations places the invasion of the Dominican Republic in a larger context of U.S. – Dominican relations. The U.S.’s desire to dominate military and political aspects of the Dominican Republic is consistent with U.S. Cold War Latin American policy.

Qualifying Quantifiers: A Usage-Based, Diachronic Analysis Of Quantifier Constructions, Danielle Miles Angier

Master's Theses

Adnominal quantifiers have been a source of contention in existing research, owing to their unique distributional patterns that do not match those of adjectives or determiners. Traditional accounts have typically focused on one aspect of quantifier behavior without looking at the group as a whole, and existing theories are disparate and inconsistent. This study tackles the problem of quantifier variation from a diachronic, usage-based, constructionist perspective. The goal of this paper is to identify patterns of change that can explain the variation exhibited by quantifiers today, focused on whether they are best classified as adjectives, determiners, or both; why every …

Analysis Of Fire-Induced Circulations During The Fireflux2 Experimental Burn And Operational Rate Of Spread Models, Jeremy Tyler Benik

Master's Theses

In this study, the fire-induced circulations were analyzed during the FireFlux2 (FF2) experimental burn using WRF-SFIRE to directly quantify the effects of the fire on local conditions. We utilized observational data from the FF2 burn and numerical simulations to assess the impacts of fire on local micrometeorology under ∼12m/s winds. Two simulations were executed. One in a two-way coupled mode and one in a one-way coupled mode. The difference between the simulations was used to quantify the fire impacts on the circulation at the head and flanks of the fire. The fire-induced horizontal winds indicated the strongest fire-induced flow at …

The Relationship Between Perceived Overqualification And Organizational Citizenship Behavior And Affective Organizational Commitment: The Moderating Role Of Perceived Organizational Support, Mariem Laaraj

Master's Theses

The present research aimed to investigate the moderating effect of perceived organizational support (POS) on the relationship between perceived overqualification, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and affective organizational commitment. A sample of 110 employees from a variety of occupational backgrounds in the United States participated in the study by completing an online survey. Results of hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that POS did not act as a moderator of the relationship between perceived overqualification and OCB and affective organizational commitment. However, perceived overqualification was found to be significantly and negatively related to affective organizational commitment. Results also showed that POS was …

Combining Camera Trap And Fitness App Data Demonstrates That Mammals Change Behavior Near High-Use Bike Trails On Mount Tamalpais, Ca, Erin Rose Lacour

Master's Theses

Anthropogenic disturbance that results in habitat loss is the leading cause of the current extinction crisis. To mitigate loss of habitat, protected lands are dedicated to preserving ecosystems, but such areas often allow outdoor recreational activities. Research has shown negative impacts on a range of species from outdoor recreational activities, and there is little information about potential impacts of mountain biking on wildlife. Mountain biking and hiking tracking data from the social fitness app Strava Metro and data from a camera trap project in Marin County, CA, were analyzed to assess how mammal species’ spatial distribution, temporal activity, and richness …

Decentralizing The Electric Grid: Giving Power Back To The People, Nicole Chen

Master's Theses

Societies across the globe are shifting away from fossil fuels and towards clean energy, resulting in significant changes to the electric grid. This clean energy transition is accompanied by transformative opportunities. However, the benefits of clean, reliable energy do not equitably accrue to all communities. In order to challenge and overcome the persistent social disparities that exist in the energy transition, energy justice must be a driving factor in energy planning and decision making. This research highlights metrics and parameters that should be included when considering deployment of community solar microgrids to advance a just energy transition. The results of …

A New Fire Initialization Method For Operational Coupled Fire-Atmosphere Models: Assimilation Of Infrared Perimeters And Satellite Detections, Kathleen Nicole Clough

Master's Theses

For coupled fire-atmosphere forecast models, such as WRF-SFIRE, the method used to initialize wildfire within the model can greatly impact meteorological, fire, and smoke extent forecasts. A well-constructed ignition process must be integrated within models to assure the atmospheric component of the model is not destabilized by excessive heat flux released during ignition and realistic fire-induced atmospheric circulation is established. Two ignition methods are tested on the 2020 Creek fire. Analyses indicate a gradual perimeter ignition with selective “masking”, fuel removal, provides the best results in terms of resolving the fire-induced vertical circulation and fire spread, and is thus preferred …

Sundowners And Mountain Wave Activity: Selected Observations From The Sundowner Winds Experiment (Swex), Kiera L. Malarkey

Master's Theses

Wildfires in complex terrain have resulted in tragic loss and have highlighted the vulnerability of communities over the past several years. The added intensity created by downslope windstorms, and the lack of high temporal and spatial resolution of ground observations motivates the ongoing need to understand and increase predictability of Sundowners. Sundowners, downslope windstorms that are typically intensified around sunset, are a common and significant weather phenomenon observed along the Santa Barbara coastline and are known to increase challenges during wildfire events. The Sundowner Winds EXperiment (SWEX) was a six-week field campaign from 01 April to 15 May 2022 in …

Homelessness And Taphonomy: A Multidisciplinary Study, Chloë Angst

Master's Theses

In this thesis, I present multidisciplinary research applicable to deceased unhoused individuals in urban San José, California. I present the problem of homelessness through a “hybrid collectif,” a conceptual framework that encompasses the factors that drive homelessness in life and death. I use taphonomic methodology to examine the problem of homelessness in this urban region by experimentation with porcine carcasses in simulated death scenarios. I utilize total body score (TBS), accumulated degree days (ADD), and predictive entomological species identification to examine decomposition trends. I also introduce “human survival scavenging” as an agent of decomposition, provide an account of ecological succession …

Phosphate And Silicate Analysis In Seawater Using Programmable Flow Injection: Optimization And Applications Of Benchtop And In Situ Methodologies, Marine A. Lebrec

Master's Theses

Oceanographic nutrient monitoring efforts still largely rely on discrete sampling at irregular intervals, hindering the advancement of high-resolution biogeochemical observations and models. Benchtop analytical instrumentation for macronutrient analysis is expensive, complex, and requires large reagent volumes and highly trained operators. This thesis describes the development and optimization of a novel and commercially available class of automated nutrient analyzers called programmable Flow Injection (pFI) for benchtop and unattended in situ operations with a focus on phosphate and silicate analysis. While pFI is an ideal candidate for unattended deployments due to its compact size, low reagent volume requirements, and ability measure multiple …

Blockchain For Online Video Game Integrity, Philip Salire

Master's Theses

With the growing level competition in video games, especially with regards to competitively played video games known as ”e-sports,” many players are searching for methods of gaining competitive advantages. As such, there is growing demand in software exploits of video games that aim to provide players unfair competitive advantages. Colloquially, these software exlpoits are referred to as “cheats” or “hacks.” Video game developers counteract these exploits by implementing “anti-cheat” technologies. Anti-cheats employ a myriad of complex methods across software, network, and hardware to detect and prevent cheats. They can be implemented both client-side and server-side with current research and implementations …

An Analysis Of Fire-Induced Conditions During Large Wildfires And Within Steep Canyons, Justin Mirabilis Haw

Master's Theses

For this study, fire-induced winds from a wind-driven fire (Thomas Fire) and a plume dominated fire (Creek Fire) were analyzed. Then, the small-scale fire-induced circulations within steep canyons were examined. This study used two different WRF-SFIRE simulations, one without the fire present, and the other with fire. The fire-induced conditions were calculated by subtracting a given variable from the “No Fire Run” from the “Fire Run” (Fire - No Fire). Wind speed and geopotential height fields were analyzed to assess spatial and temporal variability. Furthermore, cloud water mixing ratio, precipitation, and fuel moisture were analyzed for the Creek Fire to …