Digital Commons Network^™

Sub Rosa, Ashutosh Shaktan

Secrecy and Society

No abstract provided.

Covid-19 Conspiracies: A Bodyguard Of Lies, Chris Hables Gray

Secrecy and Society

No abstract provided.

Mal-Information, The Anatomy Of An “Information Disorder”, Susan Maret

Secrecy and Society

Mal-information is a fairly recent addition to federal policy and the lexicon of political communication with implications for understanding censorship and secrecy during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper reviews documents authored by IGOs, NGOs, and the US government that mark the evolution of mal-information as true information intended to cause harm. The term, as it is currently employed, is now associated with misinformation and disinformation to create a complex of “information disorders” known as the acronym MDM. In this paper, the creep of the term mal-information and its use by federal agencies such as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency …

A Narrative Review Of The Covid-19 Infodemic And Censorship In Healthcare, Mitchell Liester, Sohaib Ashraf, Patricia Callisperis, Hector Carvallo, Shankara Chetty, Robert Enzenauer, Carlos Franco-Paredes, Raul Pineda, Panagis Polykretis, Rachel Wilkenson, Peter Mccullough

Secrecy and Society

Ideological and financial motivations have undermined science for decades. In this narrative review, we explore how organizations and governments used misinformation, disinformation, censorship, and secrecy to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Various rationales for employing censorship and secrecy during the COVID-19 pandemic are examined including how organizations and governments create confusion about the risks associated with their products and blame avoidance to shift responsibility and to avoid accountability for their actions. Methods of censorship employed during the COVID-19 pandemic are reviewed, examples are provided, and the consequences of these actions are reviewed. Information included in this review was obtained from scientific …

Covid Cover-Up: Secrecy, Censorship And Suppression During The Pandemic, Brian Martin

Secrecy and Society

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, most health authorities, governments, and mass media organizations presented a single official view concerning lockdowns, masking, distancing, and vaccines. The methods used against contrary views can be classified into four types: flooding, ignoring, censoring, and attacking. The method of information flooding involves presenting dominant views in a unified front, overwhelming contrary views by volume and consistency. The method of ignoring includes the absence of research on alternative approaches, failure to report on research contrary to orthodoxy, and not mentioning challenging views. Censoring involves active measures to prevent the circulation of contrary information and …

Introduction, Special Issue On Pandemic Secrecy: The Covid Origin Story And Pandemic Risk Society, Susan Maret

Secrecy and Society

No abstract provided.

Spartan Daily, March 18, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 164, Issue 23

University Librarians’ Level Of Familiarity With And Use Of Web 2.0 Technologies: The Case Study Of Two Iranian Universities, Hadis Khedri

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The present study aimed to determine the level of familiarity with and use of Web 2.0 technologies among librarians at the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and the University of Isfahan. This research is applied in terms of its objective and descriptive in terms of its method. The statistical population of the study consisted of 135 librarians working in the libraries of the Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and the University of Isfahan. Due to the limited number of participants, total population sampling was conducted. Data were collected using the “Library 2.0 Tools” questionnaire, developed by Hosseini Shoar and Bahrami …

Spartan Daily, March 13, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 161, Issue 22

Spartan Daily, March 12, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 164, Issue 21

Promotional Techniques For Marketing Academic Library Product And Services, Fisayo Adesola Adekunle Mr., Bright Ajayi Mr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Abstract

This paper clarifies the marketing techniques used to promote the product and services offered by academic libraries. Users are kept informed about the information resources accessible at the library by marketing of the services and information resources offered by the library. Library-produced materials such as reading lists, bibliographies, flyers, brochures, library e-mail, websites, posters, and other materials; special programs and events such as library orientation, workshops, and seminars; and social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, and blogs are some of the promotional techniques used in marketing library resources. Marketing library product and services improves user perception of the …

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

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 164, Issue 20

Frequent Disturbance To A Foundation Species Disrupts Consumer-Mediated Nutrient Cycling In Giant Kelp Forests, Joseph R. Peters, Daniel C. Reed, June Shrestha, Scott L. Hamilton, Deron E. Burkepile

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Structure-forming foundation species facilitate consumers by providing habitat and refugia. In return, consumers can benefit foundation species by reducing top-down pressures and increasing the supply of nutrients. Consumer-mediated nutrient dynamics (CND) fuel the growth of autotrophic foundation species and generate more habitat for consumers, forming reciprocal feedbacks. Such feedbacks are threatened when foundation species are lost to disturbances, yet testing these interactions requires long-term studies, which are rare. Here, we experimentally evaluated how disturbance to giant kelp, a marine foundation species, affects (1) CND of the forest animal community and (2) nutrient feedbacks that help sustain forest primary production during …

Impact Of Using Project Management Tools And Techniques On Project And Firm Performance, Xiaoying Li, Gita Mathur, Kam Jugdev

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Purpose: This research aims to empirically examine perceived predictive relationships between the use of project management tools and techniques (PMTTs) and resulting project-level and firm-level performance. Design/methodology/approach: This study used data gathered from 190 project management professionals engaged in strategic projects. Data were collected using a survey tool that drew on prior project management research studies and asked about the use of 49 PMTTs. The conceptual model hypothesized positive relationships between the use of PMTTs and the project management outcomes, project-level performance and firm-level performance. Hypotheses were tested using PMTT components extracted through an exploratory factor analysis of the PMTTs …

Spartan Daily, March 6, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 164, Issue 19

Influence Of Attitude As A Catalyst On The Productivity Level Of Cataloguers In Tertiary Institutions’ Libraries In Edo State, Nigeria, Olalekan Ola

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

As soon as librarians are productive based on their positive attitude, it is expected that libraries will perform optimally. In circumstances where catalogers are less productive or lack a good attitude, the long-lasting effect will be felt by end users. It is in this regard, that this study investigates the influence of attitude as a catalyst on the productivity level of catalogers in tertiary institutions’ libraries in Edo State, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for this study. The population was comprised of 81 catalogers in Edo State. The study made use of a total enumeration sampling technique. …

Spartan Daily, March 5, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 164, Issue 18

Spartan Daily, March 4, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 164, Issue 17

Randomised Controlled Trial Of Lgbtq-Affirmative Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy For Sexual Minority Women's Minority Stress, Mental Health And Hazardous Drinking: Project Equip Protocol, John Pachankis, Danielle Chiaramonte, Jillian R. Scheer, Hadley Ankrum, Benjamin Eisenstadt, Rebekah Hobbs, Hunter Baldwin, Jeremy D. Kidd, Katie Witkiewitz, Denise Ann Esserman, Kendra Plourde, Laurie Drabble, Tonda Hughes

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Introduction Sexual minority women represent one of the highest-risk groups for hazardous drinking and comorbid mental health problems (eg, depression, anxiety). Research has identified cognitive (eg, expectations of rejection), affective (eg, emotion dysregulation) and behavioural (eg, avoidant coping) pathways through which minority stress (eg, stigma) places sexual minority women at disproportionate risk of hazardous drinking and comorbid depression/anxiety; yet no evidence-based interventions have been tested to address these pathways in this population. This article describes the design of Project EQuIP (Empowering Queer Identities in Psychotherapy), a randomised controlled trial of a transdiagnostic lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ)-affirmative cognitive-behavioural therapy …

Sill Stacking In Subseafloor Unconsolidated Sediments And Control On Sustained Hydrothermal Systems: Evidence From Iodp Drilling In The Guaymas Basin, Gulf Of California, Christophe Galerne, Alban Cheviet, Wolf Achim Kahl, Christin Wiggers, Wolfgang Bach, Florian Neumann, Martine Buatier, Tobias W. Höfig, Daniel Lizarralde, Andreas Teske, Manet Peña-Salinas, Jens Karstens, Christoph Böttner, Christian Berndt, Ivano W. Aiello, Kathleen M. Marsaglia, Swanne Gontharet, Henning Kuhnert, Joann Stock

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Magma emplacement in the top unconsolidated sediments of rift basins is poorly understood. We compare two shallow sills from the Guaymas Basin (Gulf of California) using core data and analyses from IODP Expedition 385, and high-resolution 2D seismic data. We show that magma stalling in the top uncemented sediment layer is controlled by the transition from siliceous claystone to uncemented silica-rich sediment, favoring flat sill formation. Space is created through a combination of viscous indentation, magma-sediment mingling and fluidization processes. We show that sills emplace above the opal-A/CT diagenetic barrier. Our model suggests that in low magma input regions sills …

Renewable Electricity Management Cloud System For Smart Communities Using Advanced Machine Learning, Yukta Mehta, Vincent Lo, Vijen Mehta, Kunal Agrawal, Charan Teja Madabathula, Eugene Chang, Jerry Gao

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Based on the renewable energy assessment in 2023, it was found that only 21% of total electricity is generated using renewable sources. As the global demand for electricity rises in the AI world, the need for electricity management will increase and must be optimized. Based on research, many companies are working on green AI electricity management, but few companies are working on predicting shortages. To identify the rising electricity demand, predict the shortage, and to bring attention to consumption, this study focuses on the optimization of solar electricity generation, tracking its consumption, and forecasting the electricity shortages well in advance. …

Mastering High-Speed And Low Power Hardware System Design, Kush Desai, Khushbu Shah

Student RSCA

The book “Mastering High-speed and Low-Power Hardware System Design” provides a comprehensive guide to the intricacies of designing embedded systems with a focus on high-speed and low-power constraints. It begins by introducing the fundamental components of embedded systems, including hardware, software, and real-time operating systems, before diving into the essential principles of PCB design. The book emphasizes the importance of understanding the printed circuit board (PCB) as a foundational element in creating electronic devices and explores the various types of PCBs, such as rigid, flexible, and rigid-flex, discussing their unique applications and benefits.

A significant portion of the book is …

A New Class Of Dark Matter-Free Dwarf Galaxies?: I. Clues From Fcc 224, Ngc 1052-Df2, And Ngc 1052-Df4, Maria Luisa Buzzo, Duncan A. Forbes, Aaron J. Romanowsky, Lydia Haacke, Jonah S. Gannon, Yimeng Tang, Michael Hilker, Anna Ferré-Mateu, Steven R. Janssens, Jean P. Brodie, Lucas M. Valenzuela

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Context. The discovery of quiescent, dark matter (DM)-deficient ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) with overluminous globular clusters (GCs) has challenged galaxy formation models within the Lambda cold dark matter (Λ CDM) cosmological paradigm. Previously, such galaxies were only identified in the NGC 1052 group, raising the possibility that they are the result of unique, group-specific processes, and limiting their broader significance. The recent identification of FCC 224, a putative DM-deficient UDG on the outskirts of the Fornax Cluster, suggests that such galaxies are not confined to the NGC 1052 group but rather represent a broader phenomenon. Aims. We aim to investigate the …

The Relationship Between Food Insecurity And Emotional Eating During The Coronavirus Pandemic In Northern California, Andreza S.B. Souza, Marcelle M. Dougan, Giselle A.P. Pignotti

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Objectives: This cross-sectional study examined the association between food insecurity and emotional eating and explored correlations between emotional eating and dietary behavior in the U.S during the pandemic. Methods: Participants (N = 515, 77.1 % female, 44.1 ± 14.7 years old) completed a validated online survey between August and November of 2020 including questions about food security and eating behaviors. A multivariable linear regression model was used to evaluate the association between food insecurity and emotional eating. Pearson correlations were calculated to assess the relationship between emotional eating and dietary behavior Results: Overall, 31.3 % of the participants experienced food …

Who Belongs At The Reference Desk?, José Aguiñaga

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Conversion Of A Signalized Intersection To A Turbo Roundabout, Vyshnavi Shetty, Mycola Sauciur, Anurag Pande

Mineta Transportation Institute

Turbo roundabouts are multilane roundabouts with helical pavement markings and raised structures. While they have seen widespread use in Europe, California is only the second state in the U.S. (after Florida) to have installed a turbo roundabout. Turbo roundabouts separate the ingress and circulating roadways. The concept was proposed and implemented in the Netherlands to mitigate congestion by improving traffic flow efficiency and addressing safety concerns on conventional multilane roundabouts. This research evaluates the first-ever turbo roundabout in California and compares its safety and operational performance with the previously existing 4-legged signalized intersection. The research team obtained safety and operational …

Smart Highway Construction Site Monitoring Using Artificial Intelligence, Mehran Mazari, Yahaira Nava-Gonzalez, Ly Jacky N. Nhiayi, Mohamad H. Saleh

Mineta Transportation Institute

Construction is a large sector of the economy and plays a significant role in creating economic growth and national development,and construction of transportation infrastructure is critical. This project developed a method to detect, classify, monitor, and track objects during the construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation of transportation infrastructure by using artificial intelligence and a deep learning approach. This study evaluated the performance of AI and deep learning algorithms to compare their performance in detecting and classifying the equipment in various construction scenes. Our goal was to find the optimized balance between the model capabilities in object detection and memory processing requirements. …

Assessing The Perceived Safety Of Cyclists With Virtual Reality, Vahid Balali

Mineta Transportation Institute

In 2022, 7,522 pedestrians and 1,084 bicyclists were killed and approximately 67,000 pedestrians and 46,195 bicyclists injured in motor vehicle crashes on public roadways in the United States, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The transportation industry is faced with a pressing need to bolster the safety of these vulnerable road users. This research develops models of design and environmental factors that influence bicyclists’ and pedestrians’ perception of safety using Virtual Reality (VR) technology and ultimately informs transportation infrastructure design to better accommodate nonmotorized travelers. The goal of the bicycle element of this research is to develop …

Transformers As Transducers, Lena Strobl, Dana Angluin, David Chiang, Jonathan Rawski, Ashish Sabharwal

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

We study the sequence-to-sequence mapping capacity of transformers by relating them to finite transducers, and find that they can express surprisingly large classes of (total functional) transductions. We do so using variants of RASP, a programming language designed to help people “think like transformers,” as an intermediate representation. We extend the existing Boolean variant B-RASP to sequence-to-sequence transductions and show that it computes exactly the first-order rational transductions (such as string rotation). Then, we introduce two new extensions. B-RASP[pos] enables calculations on positions (such as copying the first half of a string) and contains all first-order regular transductions. S-RASP adds …

Age-Related Motives For Substance Use And Outcomes Among Veteran Patients Receiving Detoxification Services: A Longitudinal Study, Erin L. Woodhead, Christine Timko

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Objectives: Study objectives were to examine (1) baseline differences in substance use motives (social, coping, enhancement, and physical discomfort) among older, middle-aged, and younger adults, and (2) whether age group moderated associations between substance use motives at baseline and substance use outcomes at six-month follow-up. Design: Participants were assessed at baseline and followed for six months (91.1%). Setting: U.S. military veterans receiving alcohol and/or opioid detoxification services. Participants: 298 participants in a study of telephone monitoring to improve detoxification outcomes. Measurements: Baseline substance use motives were measured using the Motives for Alcohol and Drug Use questionnaire. At baseline and 6-month …