Digital Commons Network^™

A Resilient Decarbonization Package For The Hoopa Shopping Center, Esther Obikoya

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The Hoopa Shopping Center, located within the Hoopa Valley Tribe Reservation, faces significant energy cost fluctuations and reliability issues. Given the susceptibility of remote communities to power disruptions, the Tribe's move toward achieving a sustainable and resilient power infrastructure is essential. This study investigates the technical and economic decarbonization strategies for the Hoopa Shopping Center, focusing on reducing energy bills, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions through electrification and energy efficiency improvements, as well as the integration of renewable energy sources.

This decarbonization could be done in a way consistent with the development of a microgrid to energize the community …

Educator Well-Being In A System That Is Unwell, Beth A. Wylie

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The present-day educational system in the United States faces numerous stressors. During the global pandemic, educators provided crucial support for families and students while they simultaneously figured out how to teach in a virtual learning environment. In subsequent years, the impacts of school closures have persisted, challenging educators to meet the unique needs of their school communities. With teachers leaving the profession and an overall difficulty in hiring and maintaining an educational workforce, this study aims to better understand educator well-being to support transformative change within the PK-12 school system. The phenomenon of well-being was explored with participants from a …

Anxieties About The Future: Ecocriticism And Dystopian Landscapes In The Three Stigmata Of Palmer Eldritch And Selected Fiction By Philip K. Dick, Nickolas Michael Sykora

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In a literary analysis of selected fiction by Philip K Dick through an ecocritical framework, the focus of this study reveals the consequences of ecological destruction on futuristic societies reflecting the Anthropocene. Drawing correlations between various texts by the author, the separation of nature from humanity demonstrates how dystopian landscapes influence the identity of the characters in these settings and how dystopia serves as a prism which distorts or reflects what it means to be human. With this, ontology and artificial intelligence are analyzed as a notable facet of his literature which addresses the progress of innovation in society and …

Effects Of Habitat Selection And Individual Quality On The Reproductive Success Of Barn Owls (Tyto Furcata), Jaime E. Carlino

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The hypothesis of adaptive breeding habitat selection proposes congruence between the evolved selection of habitats and fitness components such as reproductive success. However, mismatches between habitat selection and observed fitness outcomes are not unusual and can arise for multiple reasons. Variation in individual qualities of animals has also been found to affect reproduction and survival. I examined associations between barn owl nest box selection, reproductive output, and plumage characteristics previously shown to correspond to individual quality. I found that barn owls selected tall nest boxes made of wood, mounted high off the ground, and with increased proportions of grassland around …

Disney Adult Or Disney Cult?: Observing The Effects And Perceptions Of Transmedia Storytelling Onto Fandom, Sara Spradley

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Transmedia storytelling is the vehicle for narratives to become immersive to their audience through different modalities. The Walt Disney Company employs this form of storytelling by placing any one of its films in the context of attractions and live-action performances, or vice-versa, creating a convergent culture that will follow these products through every medium. This project views transmedia storytelling used by the Walt Disney Company as the reasoning for the Disney Adults' fandom interest in interacting with Disney products. Through the use of discourse analysis, and digital ethnography I will observe this relationship between the use of transmedia storytelling, fandom …

Breaking Barriers: A Resource Guide For Transitioning Foster Youth, Tylor Davis

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This project aims to address the challenges faced by transitioning foster youth in California, including those with disabilities, by creating an accessible resource for transitioning foster youth. The introduction highlights the concerning statistics regarding foster youth outcomes and the lack of preparation they often have for adulthood. The literature review explores federal initiatives to improve outcomes for transitioning foster youth, efforts in California to support these youth, the specific challenges they face, and the educational disparities they experience. It also delves into the challenges faced by foster youth with disabilities.

The design of the project is a one-page, visually engaging …

Simulated Effects Of Postpartum Depression On Maternal-Infant Bonding: Mediated By Reward-Related Responses To Infant Facial Cuteness, Caitlin Harp

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Infant cuteness (facial cuteness in particular) is linked to evolutionary adaptations to motivate caretaking and protective behaviors (Kringelbach et al., 2008). Previous neuroimaging work has demonstrated that infant cuteness activates reward-related regions in the brain (Glocker et al., 2009) and behavioral work suggests that the reward value of cuteness is linked to maternal tendencies (Hahn et al., 2015). It is estimated that 15% of new mothers experience postpartum depression (PPD) (Wisner et al., 2013), which impacts the mesolimbic system and is linked to anhedonia (i.e., reduced ability to experience pleasure). Based on the above literature, this study used a simulated …

The Potential For Competency-Based Teaching Methodologies To Increase Intervention Procedural Fidelity And Reduce Self-Reported Verbal Behavior Associated With Turnover In Behavior Technicians, Dean I. Shearer

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Within the field of applied behavior analysis, behavior technicians (staff who are supervised by behavioral analysists and provide direct services to clients) experience relatively high rates of turnover. It is possible that improved teaching methodologies which boost the efficacy of these staff may help reduce this turnover by reducing verbal behavior associated with burnout and improve perceptions of training and supervision. We compared intervention procedural fidelity and staff ratings of burnout, supervision, and satisfaction with training following a didactic training, a behavioral skills training, and after a month-long follow up. We found that when mastery criteria were set sufficiently high …

Interactions Between New Zealand Mud Snails (Potamopyrgus Antipodarum) And Toxic Cyanoabacteria (Anabaena) In Baduwa’T (Mad River), Humboldt County, California, Cecilia F. Kennelly

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Invasive species in freshwater systems are circulated around the globe, wreaking havoc on natural communities. The New Zealand mud snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) is a very successful aquatic invader that has established populations in freshwater streams, lakes, and rivers around the globe. The goal of this project was to evaluate the interactions of invasive New Zealand mud snails (NZMS) and toxic cyanobacteria Anabaena in the Mad River in Humboldt County, California. These two species of concern are found in similar habitats along the river, but their whether NZMS consume Anabaena or affect toxin production is unknown. First, I conducted …

Drought's Lingering Shadow: Monitoring The Recovery Of Sagebrush Steppe Plant Communities After Four Years Of Experimental Drought, Francisco Jesus Chavez

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Droughts are projected to increase in frequency and intensity due to climate change, which will significantly impact terrestrial ecosystems. However, the response magnitude will vary depending on a system's resistance and resilience to drought. Furthermore, drought may elicit different responses within the hierarchical levels of plant communities (i.e., individual, community, or ecosystem responses). These effects can extend beyond the drought's duration as legacies persist and influence previously disturbed systems. I assessed whether hierarchical responses occurred within two different adjacent sagebrush plant communities, dominated by Artemisia arbuscula and Artemisia cana, during and after an experimental drought. I used nondestructive point frame …

Barn Owls Exert Top-Down Effects On The Abundance And Behavior Of Rodent Pests, Katherine C. Larson

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Predators can exert top-down effects on their prey by direct consumption, by imposing risk of predation, or a combination of both. However, empirical evidence for these effects is mixed and inconsistent. Barn owls in agriculture present a system with attributes that should, according to theory, lead to strong top-down effects, but research is limited and the distinction between effects on prey abundance and behavior remains unresolved. Understanding the top-down effect of predators on pests is a cornerstone of integrated pest management and important where barn owls may contribute to the control of rodents on farms. Vegetation can mediate the top-down …

Composition, Spatial Co-Occurrence, And Temporal Overlap Of Small Mammal Species At American Pika (Ochotona Princeps) Activity Centers, Tina Giudici

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Understanding how spatial, temporal, and behavioral factors play a role in shaping the structure of small mammal communities can provide insights into the extent to which species can coexist. I investigated the community structure of American pikas (Ochotona princeps) and sympatric small mammals at lower elevations in Lassen National Forest, California, U.S.A. Camera trapping stations were installed at 35 activity centers of pikas across three study sites in Lassen National Forest from June - October 2023. I assessed differences in composition, spatial co-occurrence, and temporal overlap in communities of pikas and sympatric small mammals. A total of 11 …

Neurosymbolic Value-Inspired Ai (Why, What, And How), Amit Sheth, Kaushik Roy

Publications

The rapid progression of Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, facilitated by the advent of Large Language Models (LLMs), has resulted in their widespread application to provide human assistance across diverse industries. This trend has sparked significant discourse centered around the ever-increasing need for LLM-based AI systems to function among humans as part of human society, sharing human values, especially as these systems are deployed in high-stakes settings (e.g., healthcare, autonomous driving, etc.). Towards this end, neurosymbolic AI systems are attractive due to their potential to enable easy-tounderstand and interpretable interfaces for facilitating valuebased decision-making, by leveraging explicit representations of shared values. …

K-Perm: Personalized Response Generation Using Dynamic Knowledge Retrieval And Persona-Adaptive Queries, Kanak Raj, Kaushik Roy, Vamshi Bonagiri, Priyanshul Govil, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan, Raxit Goswami, Manas Gaur

Publications

Personalizing conversational agents can enhance the quality of conversations and increase user engagement. However, they often lack external knowledge to tend to a user’s persona appropriately. This is particularly crucial for practical applications like mental health support, nutrition planning, culturally sensitive conversations, or reducing toxic behavior in conversational agents. To enhance the relevance and comprehensiveness of personalized responses, we propose using a two-step approach that involves (1) selectively integrating user personas and (2) contextualizing the response with supplementing information from a background knowledge source. We develop K-PERM (Knowledge-guided PErsonalization with Reward Modulation), a dynamic conversational agent that combines these elements. …

Tutorial: Knowledge-Infused Artificial Intelligence For Mental Healthcare, Kaushik Roy

Publications

Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems for mental healthcare (MHCare) have been ever-growing after realizing the importance of early interventions for patients with chronic mental health (MH) conditions. Social media (SocMedia) emerged as the go-to platform for supporting patients seeking MHCare. The creation of peer-support groups without social stigma has resulted in patients transitioning from clinical settings to SocMedia supported interactions for quick help. Researchers started exploring SocMedia content in search of cues that showcase correlation or causation between different MH conditions to design better interventional strategies. User-level Classification-based AI systems were designed to leverage diverse SocMedia data from various MH conditions, …

Ai Trustworthy: Ethical Challenges And Strategies, Jian Liu, Iwan Sandjaja, Donald C. Wunsch

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper explores the pivotal role of trust in the widespread application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across various domains. We review AI applications in sectors like energy, healthcare, and autonomous vehicles and discuss the crisis of human trust they face. This paper introduces a novel framework that delineates the relationship between AI transparency and user trust, highlighting specific industry applications. Through a systematic review of recent literature, we first delve into factors such as emotional response, acceptance, transparency, accuracy, and interpretability that shape human trust in AI. We then underscore the necessity of ethical AI practices and highlight the importance …

Shsp Dean's Newsletter, Winter 2024, Robert W. Amler

SHSP Dean’s Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Designing High-Performance Identity-Based Quantum Signature Protocol With Strong Security, Sunil Prajapat, Pankaj Kumar, Sandeep Kumar, Ashok Kumar Das, Sachin Shetty, M. Shamim Hossain

VMASC Publications

Due to the rapid advancement of quantum computers, there has been a furious race for quantum technologies in academia and industry. Quantum cryptography is an important tool for achieving security services during quantum communication. Designated verifier signature, a variant of quantum cryptography, is very useful in applications like the Internet of Things (IoT) and auctions. An identity-based quantum-designated verifier signature (QDVS) scheme is suggested in this work. Our protocol features security attributes like eavesdropping, non-repudiation, designated verification, and hiding sources attacks. Additionally, it is protected from attacks on forgery, inter-resending, and impersonation. The proposed scheme benefits from the traditional designated …

Embedding Software Engineering In Mixed Methods: Computationally Enhanced Risk Communication, Ann Marie Reinhold, Madison H. Munro, Elizabeth A. Shanahan, Ross J. Gore, Barry C. Ezell, Clemente I. Izurieta

VMASC Publications

Mixed methods research ameliorates many convergent research challenges within the contemporary sociotechnical landscape. We suggest the integration of software engineering in mixed methods studies is a critical step to address some of the remaining and persistent challenges. One such research challenge where software engineering is particularly well suited is in hazard preparedness—in particular, the creation of risk communication messages to mitigate or prevent harm. Computationally enhanced risk communication is convergent research that integrates software engineering and social science research for the benefit of protecting humans and infrastructure. To this end, we developed a mixed methods framework for the efficient construction …

Cyclegan-Gradient Penalty For Enhancing Android Adversarial Malware Detection In Gray Box Setting, Fabrice Setephin Atedjio, Jean-Pierre Lienou, Frederica F. Nelson, Sachin S. Shetty, Charles A. Kamhoua

VMASC Publications

Adversarial attacks pose significant threats to Android malware detection by undermining the effectiveness of machine learning-based systems. The rapid increase in Android apps complicates the management of malicious software that can compromise user defense solutions. Many current Android defense techniques rely on deep learning methods. Malicious users exploit GAN-based attacks to achieve adversarial attack transferability and deceive target models by crafting adversarial examples based on known models. We propose a new model based on a Cycle Generative Adversarial Network (CycleGAN) to detect GAN-based attacks. This model incorporates a gradient penalty to enhance the detection rate of the target model. Our …

A Defensive Strategy Against Android Adversarial Malware Attacks, Fabrice Setephin Atedjio, Jean-Pierre Lienou, Frederica F. Nelson, Sachin S. Shetty, Charles A. Kamhoua

VMASC Publications

Due to the popularity of Android mobile devices over the past ten years, malicious Android applications have significantly increased. Systems utilizing machine learning techniques have been successfully applied for Android malware detection to counter the constantly changing Android malware threats. However, attackers have developed new strategies to circumvent these systems by using adversarial attacks. An attacker can carefully craft a malicious sample to deceive a classifier. Among the evasion attacks, there is the more potent one, which is based on solid optimization constraints: the Carlini-Wagner attack. Carlini-Wagner is an attack that uses margin loss, which is more efficient than cross-entropy …

Designing A Blockchain-Empowered Telehealth Artifact For Decentralized Identity Management And Trustworthy Communication: Interdisciplinary Approach, Xueping Liang, Nabid Alam, Tahmina Sultana, Eranga Bandara, Sachin Shetty

VMASC Publications

Background: Telehealth played a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to function as an essential component of health care. Existing platforms cannot ensure privacy and prevent cyberattacks.

Objective: The main objectives of this study are to understand existing cybersecurity issues in identity management and trustworthy communication processes in telehealth platforms and to design a software architecture integrated with blockchain to improve security and trustworthiness with acceptable performance.

Methods: We improved personal information security in existing telehealth platforms by adopting an innovative interdisciplinary approach combining design science, social science, and computer science in the health care domain, with prototype …

Automated Classification Of Elementary Instructional Activities: Analyzing The Consistency Of Human Annotations, Jonathan K. Foster, Peter Youngs, Rachel Van Aswegen, Samarth Singh, Ginger S. Watson, Scott T. Acton

VMASC Publications

Despite a tremendous increase in the use of video for conducting research in classrooms as well as preparing and evaluating teachers, there remain notable challenges to using classroom videos at scale, including time and financial costs. Recent advances in artificial intelligence could make the process of analyzing, scoring, and cataloguing videos more efficient. These advances include natural language processing, automated speech recognition, and deep neural networks. To train artificial intelligence to accurately classify activities in classroom videos, humans must first annotate a set of videos in a consistent way. This paper describes our investigation of the degree of inter-annotator reliability …

Kinetic Simulations Of Dust Grain Charging Near Surfaces Under Various Plasma Conditions, David Lund, Daoru Han

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents fully kinetic numerical investigations of the charging of spherical and irregular shaped dust grains in multiple configurations utilizing the Parallel Immersed-Finite-Element Particle-in-Cell Dusty (PIFE-PIC-D) framework. The simulations account for both surface charging and in-depth charging of the dust grains immersed in various ambient plasma conditions near a floating or biased surface. PIFE-PIC-D explicitly resolves the geometrical and material properties (permittivity and photoelectron emissions) of each individual dust grain. PIFE-PIC-D will model self-consistently the unsteady and stochastic charging of grains directly from the deposition of electrons and ions onto them. PIFE-PIC-D will also simulate the charging of irregular-shaped …

L∞ Bounds For Transient Growth In Repetitive And Iterative Learning Control Systems, Douglas A. Bristow, John R. Singler

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper revisits the problem of large transient growth in Iterative Learning Control (ILC) and Repetitive Process Control (RPC) systems. In ILC and RPC problems a process is repeated iteratively, with new control calculations occurring in between each iteration. Large transient growth refers to the propensity of some control algorithms to grow error exponentially before eventually converging. While robust monotonic convergence algorithms (in which monotonic convergence is guaranteed usually in exchange for a small loss in performance) have largely eliminated the concern for large transient growth in ILC, similar results cannot always be obtained in RPC. The emergence of additive …

Msw Portfolio, Courtney R. Nucito

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio encapsulates my transformative journey through the realm of social work, detailing experiences, reflections, and insights gained throughout my academic and professional endeavors. Rooted in a commitment to social justice and ethical practice, my narrative unfolds through various roles and settings, each contributing to my growth as a compassionate and effective social work practitioner.

Master Of Social Work Portfolio: Practicing Idealism, Ana Maria Palacios Figueroa

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Ana Maria Palacios Figueroa's Master of Social Work Portfolio, including narrative and appendices.

Development Of Digital Twin For Fdm Printer With Preventive Cyber-Attack And Control Algorithms, Md Hazrat Ali, Asad Malik, Nursultan Jyeniskhan, Muhammad Arif Mahmood, Essam Shehab, Frank Liou

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents a developed model of a Digital Twin (DT) for a fused deposition modeling (FDM) printer, real-time defect detection, and proposed frameworks for preventing cyber-attacks in real-time. It also highlights a model predictive control (MPC) algorithm for controlling the material feed based on a real-time feedback system. The system is designed and developed based on DT, and MPC with integrated machine learning (ML) algorithms to establish real-time process control and enhance the safety and reliability of the physical plant. ML algorithm is used for anomaly detection based on the convolutional neural network (CNN) model. The developed system can …

Becoming An Advanced, Integrated Social Work Practitioner, Lindsay Klug

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio reflects the author's journey of self-discovery and gaining real-world experience in the field of social work. It describes how the author has demonstrated mastery over the social work competencies outlined by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and the University of Montana.

Msw Portfolio, Rachel Elizabeth Andrade

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

My MSW portfolio consists of my detailed journey throughout the coursework through U of M and practicum experiences.