Digital Commons Network^™

How Effective Are Engineered And Non-Engineered Riparian Forest Restoration Projects In Providing Salmonid-Quality Habitat In The San Francisco Bay Area?, Alexander Ivanov

Master's Theses

Streams and their riparian zones in the San Francisco Bay Area have been degraded, severely harming salmonid populations in the region. Ecological restoration is a common approach to return stream function. Such restoration projects vary widely in intensity, from low-impact vegetation removal/planting to highly engineered projects involving structures and grading. This research investigated the effectiveness of streams restored using engineered versus non-engineered solutions in supporting salmonid habitat viability in San Francisco Bay Area streams. Fourteen streams, seven from each of the two types of restoration, were sampled in the wet and dry season in 2024, three times each season. Data …

Quantization On Graph Neural Networks For Image Classification, Rithik Reddy Katpally

Master's Theses

Quantization has become a key approach for reducing storage and computational demands of deep neural networks while maintaining high accuracy. Although 8-bit quantization is well-established for convolutional architectures such as ResNet50 and MobileNetV2, its application to graph-based vision models remains underexplored. In this work, we extend quantization-aware training to Vision Graph Neural Networks (ViGs) and conduct comparisons with quantized CNNs on the CIFAR-100 dataset. To ensure parity, all models have same training hyperparameters such as learning rate, batch size, optimizer, number of epochs. We used numerous techniques to preserve performance for low-bit precision. First, Pauta Quantization clips activation outliers based …

Interactions Between A High Intensity Wildfire And An Atmopsheric Hydraulic Jump In The Case Of The 2023 Lahaina Fire, Clifford Dw Ehrke

Master's Theses

On 8 August 2023, a grass fire that started in the city of Lahaina, Hawai’i, grew into the deadliest wildfire in the United States since 1918. This wildfire offers a unique opportunity to explore the impact of high heat output on an atmospheric hydraulic jump and a downslope wind event. We conducted two WRF-SFIRE simulations to investigate these effects: one incorporating fire–atmosphere feedback and the other without it. We compare these WRF-SFIRE simulations to all available data regarding the fire event, including high resolution satellite data, weather station data from other parts of Maui and the Hawaiian Archipelago, and official …

Visions Of Kleinian Groups, Genevieve Nguyen

Master's Theses

Discrete groups of M¨obius transformations, called Kleinian groups, act on the Riemann sphere. We explore the connection between M¨obius transformations and PSL(2,C), its subgroups, and linear algebraic properties to understand the dynamics of various Kleinian groups, including Fuchsian groups and Schottky groups. In particular, we use Mathematica to program visualizations of Schottky groups and their limit sets.

Quantum Algorithm Emulation Using Fpgas, Samuel Petruescu

Master's Theses

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) have been used in most of the physics sub-fields for various unique purposes. This includes particle physics, quantum optics, and, more recently, quantum computing. FPGAs boast many benefits over previous experimental and computational setups. They are versatile, easy to program, and cost-effective, leading to an understandable desire to incorporate them into the new field of quantum computing. While FPGAs have been used to help control the readout and control of physical qubits, they can also be a good tool for improving algorithm simulations, which is the focus of this paper. Different algorithms have different computational …

Assessing The Adversarial Robustness Of Multimodal Medical Ai Systems: Insights Into Vulnerabilities And Modality Interactions, Ekaterina Mozhegova, Asad Masood Khattak, Adil Khan, Roman Garaev, Bader Rasheed, Muhammad Shahid Anwar

All Works

The emergence of both task-specific single-modality models and general-purpose multimodal large models presents new opportunities, but also introduces challenges, particularly regarding adversarial attacks. In high-stakes domains like healthcare, these attacks can severely undermine model reliability and their applicability in real-world scenarios, highlighting the critical need for research focused on adversarial robustness. This study investigates the behavior of multimodal models under various adversarial attack scenarios. We conducted experiments involving two modalities: images and texts. Our findings indicate that multimodal models exhibit enhanced resilience against adversarial attacks compared to their single-modality counterparts. This supports our hypothesis that the integration of multiple modalities …

"Are You My Counselor?" A Call To Action How Latinx General Counselors Can Support Latinx Student Retention Rates At California Community College Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Valentín García Cabrera

Dissertations

Latinx students comprise the largest population within the California Community College (CCC) system, but experience disproportionately lower retention rates. This dissertation used a phenomenological qualitative design and testimonios collected from Latinx general counselors to explore factors influencing Latinx student retention. Sixteen tenured Latinx general counselors from ten Northern California Hispanic-serving community colleges served as participants. Guided by two research questions, the study explored counselors’ perspectives on the factors influencing Latinx community college students’ retention and the counseling strategies, services, and resources that General Counseling Departments should provide to support Latinx student retention. Grounded in Latinx Critical Race Theory, the study …

Contracts, Communication, And Contextual Integrity: A Case Study About Student Data Use In Higher Education, Joseph Fessehaye

Dissertations

This case study examines the contractual agreements between the University of Missouri System and the California State University System with the Educational Advisory Board (EAB), focusing on how these contracts align with institutional student data privacy policies. The research utilizes a Policy Document Analysis approach and explores both universities’ strategic plans, student data privacy guidelines, and the third-party agreements with EAB, using a Contextual Integrity framework to analyze how student data is managed and protected. Through the analysis of these documents, this dissertation investigates whether the flow of student data within the context of these contracts meets institutional privacy standards …

Engagement Of Secondary History Social Science Teachers With Professional Development: A Phenomenological Study, Suzanne Paulazzo

Dissertations

Secondary social science teachers tend to feel disengaged and frustrated with their professional development (PD) experiences. They also feel that recommended meaningful practices appear to be time-consuming, require extra hours of preparation, and rely heavily on collaboration. Using phenomenological methodology, the dissertation research investigated secondary social science teachers' perceptions of their roles as educators, their professional growth, and their motivations for engaging in professional development opportunities. Nine male and one female teacher participants from a History-Social-Science Department in an urban public school in Northern California participated in an interview. This study addressed the following research questions: How do teachers perceive …

2025 July 24 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

Energetic And Economic Aspects Of Rebound, Part Ii: Applications Of The Framework, Matthew Kuperus Heun, Gregor Semieniuk, Paul E. Brockway

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Widespread implementation of energy efficiency is a key greenhouse gas emissions mitigation measure, but rebound can “take back” energy savings. However, the absence of solid analytical foundations hinders empirical determination of rebound magnitudes. In Part I, we developed foundations of a rigorous, analytical, consumer-sided rebound framework that is approachable for both energy analysts and economists. In this paper (Part II), we develop energy, expenditure, and consumption planes, a novel, mutually consistent, and numerically precise way to visualize and illustrate rebound. Further, we operationalize the macro factor () for macroeconomic rebound. Using the framework and rebound planes, we calculate and show …

Wildfire And Water Security: Post-Fire Erosion And Sedimentation Threaten Utah's Reservoirs, Quinn Olpin, Kendall Becker, Scott Hotaling, Aish Chandrasekaran, Patrick Belmont

All Current Publications

As an arid state with limited water, Utah relies heavily on reservoir storage to maintain its water supply throughout the year. This vital water storage, however, is increasingly at risk due to contemporary wildfires. Wildfires pose a risk to water storage because after vegetation burns, erosion typically increases. Eroded soil can be carried by rivers and deposited into reservoirs where it accumulates as sediment, reduces water storage capacity, clogs dam outlets, and degrades water quality. Identifying which watersheds are most vital to maintaining Utah’s water supply, are most threatened by wildfires, and are most prone to high levels of post-fire …

Deformation And Earthquake Potential On The North America - Caribbean - Cocos Triple Junction In Guatemala, Jeremy Maurer, Andreas Eckert, Qiaoqi Sun, Jonathan Obrist-Farner

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The triple junction between the Cocos (CO), North American (NA), and Caribbean (CA) tectonic plates in Guatemala is a region of high seismic risk and includes many large faults and historic earthquakes. Previous analyses of the tectonic system have been overly simplified, resulting in discrepancies between geologically derived and geodetic models of fault slip rate. This study leverages available geodetic, seismic, and geologic data to develop new strain rate maps and faulting models for the region. We find that locking on the regional faults matches historic reports of large earthquakes and that multiple minor fault segments are active and accommodate …

The Sodium-Glutamate Antagonist Riluzole Improves Outcome After Acute Spinal Cord Injury: Results From The Riscis Randomised Controlled Trial Analysed Using A Global Statistical Analytic Technique, Michael G. Fehlings, Karlo M. Pedro, Mohammed Ali Alvi, Ali Moghaddamjou, James S. Harrop, Ralph Stanford, Jonathon Ball, Bizhan Aarabi, Paul M. Arnold, James D. Guest, Shekar N. Kurpad, James M. Schuster, Ahmad N. Nassr, Karl M. Schmitt, Jefferson R. Wilson, Darrel S. Brodke, Faiz U. Ahmad, Albert Yee, Wilson Z. Ray, Nathaniel P. Brooks, Jason Wilson, Diana S-L Chow, Elizabeth G. Toups, Kevin E. Thorpe, Jiaxin Huang, Peng Huang

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord injury (SCI) clinical trials typically rely on a single primary endpoint to assess drug efficacy. This strategy fails to adequately capture the full impact of treatment in heterogenous neurological conditions like SCI. A more patient-centric analysis requires assessment of neurological function, functional capacity, and quality of life, incorporating meaningful patient-reported outcomes. The global statistical test (GST) addresses this challenge using a unified statistical conclusion regarding the superiority of a treatment strategy over another by evaluating multiple trial endpoints simultaneously.

METHODS: The RISCIS trial (Safety and Efficacy of Riluzole in Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study) data was analysed …

Using Facial Recognition For Selective Pose Detection, William J. Parker

Master's Theses

Pose detection involves locating and identifying key body points for all individuals within a frame. This enables the ability to convert the pose into a digital format, which can then be recorded and analyzed for a variety of purposes. Advancements in the field have already opened applications in areas such as digital fitness coaches, fall detection, and virtual reality. Existing approaches primarily focus on tracking all detected individuals, which limits the practical applications when attempting to analyze a single or specific subject when there are other people in frame. Previous work has discussed integrating identification, but these approaches use identification …

A Wachspress-Type Rational Characteristic Method For Solving First-Order Hyperbolic Equations, Mohamed Al-Lawatia

Sultan Qaboos University Journal For Science

This paper introduces a characteristic method for solving linear first-order hyperbolic partial differential equations in two space dimensions. The algorithm employs rational Wachspress-type basis functions applied to a hexagonal discretization of the domain, integrated within the Eulerian-Lagrangian Localized Adjoint Method (ELLAM) framework. The proposed scheme preserves the strengths of characteristic methods and delivers accurate numerical results, even with large time steps. Computational tests conducted on standard benchmark problems illustrate the effectiveness of the method.

Optimizing Thermal Performance Of Ag-Mgo/H2O Hybrid Nanofluid Flow In A Quarter-Circular Cavity Using Response Surface Methodology And Artificial Neural Network, M.S. Alam, M.N. Huda, M.M. Rahman, M. Al-Lawati

Sultan Qaboos University Journal For Science

This research analyzes the optimization of the thermal performance of the natural convective flow of Ag-MgO/H2O hybrid nanofluid within a quarter-circular cavity utilizing response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) techniques through a non-homogeneous dynamic mathematical model. The Galerkin-weighted residual finite element method numerically solves the governing dimensionless equations and boundary conditions. The numerical results are then used to train ANN and RSM models and evaluate their performance. The results indicated that both models are dependable for this investigation, exhibiting a notably high coefficient of determination for the performance control variable, the average Nusselt number. In addition, the …

Analysis Of Stress-Jump Condition On The Onset Of Thermal Convection In A Composite System Formed By An Anisotropic Porous Layer Underlying A Fluid Layer, Neetu Srivastava, Naveen Dwivedi, Ashok K. Singh, Nirmal C. Sacheti, B. S. Bhadauria

Sultan Qaboos University Journal For Science

This paper investigates the onset of thermal convection in a bounded system comprising a horizontal viscous fluid layer of infinite extent overlying an anisotropic horizontal permeable layer saturated with the same fluid. It is assumed that this system is heated from below and cooled from above in the presence of internal heat generation. It is also assumed that the material parameters, such as viscosity and thermal conductivity differ between the layers, and that the Brinkman model is used to describe the flow in the porous region. An extensive linear stability analysis has been performed with an aim to determine the …

Spreading Of Effluent Discharges From Two Adjacent Outfalls On A Sloping Seabed In Spring-Neap Tidal Waters, Anton Purnama, Ahmed Al-Kasbi, Easwaran Balakrishnan

Sultan Qaboos University Journal For Science

Coastal industrial plants dispose of their wastewater effluents into shallow coastal waters through sea outfalls. When two or more outfalls along a coastline are discharging, the long-term impacts are interdependent. Analytical solutions of two-dimensional advection-diffusion equations with a two-point source in a spring-neap oscillating tidal current on a sloping seabed are presented to study the far-field merging and interaction of two discharged effluent plumes in coastal waters. The elongated plumes are spreading towards the shoreline, and thus, asymptotic approximation is made to the analytical solution to assess the long-term build-up of effluent concentration at the shoreline. To show case the …

N-Fold Symmetric Quasicrystallography As The Projection Of The Affine Coxeter Group WA(BN), Nazife Ozdes Koca, Mehmet Koca, Ramazan Koc, Amira Al Maqbali

Sultan Qaboos University Journal For Science

Quasicrystals are obtained as the projections of higher dimensional cubic lattices. This paper aims to show that the affine dihedral subgroup Wa(I2(h)) of the affine group Wa(Bn), h = 2n being the Coxeter number, offers a different perspective to -fold symmetric quasicrystallography. The affine group Wa(I2(h)) is constructed as the subgroup of the affine group Wa(Bn), the symmetry of the cubic lattice ℤn. The infinite discrete group with local dihedral symmetry of order 2 operates on the concentric -gons obtained by projecting the Voronoi cell of the cubic lattice with 2n vertices onto the Coxeter plane. Voronoi cells tiling the …

N5 As A Subalgebra Of A Principally Ordered Naturally Ordered Regular Semigroup With A Zero Element, G.A. Pinto

Sultan Qaboos University Journal For Science

We start with a basic and technical result: If S is a principally ordered regular semigroup that has a zero element, 0, then 0* is the biggest element (in fact, idempotent) of S. We obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for a principally ordered naturally ordered regular semigroup, S, with a zero element, to have as a subalgebra an ordered and algebraic isomorphic copy of N5, the smallest naturally ordered non-orthodox regular semigroup with a biggest idempotent.

Effect Of Rotation On Plane Wave Propagation In A Magneto-Thermo Elastic Solid, G Rajkumar, K Somaiah, Srinivas Remidi

Sultan Qaboos University Journal For Science

The present article deals with the effect of angular rotation on the propagation of plane harmonic waves in a homogeneous, isotropic magneto-thermo elastic medium. The governing equations of a generalized magneto-thermo elastic solid are formulated and solved with the method of plane harmonic solution. Three types of waves, namely, plane longitudinal, magneto, and magneto-thermal waves, are significantly affected by the angular rotation of the solid. It is very interesting to observe that the classical result is obtained as angular rotation vanishes. For computational purposes, the available lithium niobate (LiNbO3) material was treated as the model of thermo-magneto elastic medium. The …

Finite Sets With Large Algebraic Closures In Nilpotent Groups, Omar Al Raisi, Mohammad Shahryari

Sultan Qaboos University Journal For Science

Algebraic sets play a central role in algebraic geometry over groups; by definition, an algebraic set is the set of common roots of a collection of equations in some non-commuting variables x1, ..., xn having coefficients in some group G. Often, one seeks solutions of equations over G in the affine n-space Gn; such systems of polynomial equations are termed Diophantine systems. In this brief note, we consider Diophantine systems over a group G that is assumed to be nilpotent of class c and to have an element of infinite order in its center; we associate with each n × …

Preface, - Squjs

Sultan Qaboos University Journal For Science

This Mathematics Special Topic Issue contains invited and selected papers presented at the International Conference: Recent Trends in Mathematics (ICM-SQU2024) held during March 6-8, 2024 at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), Muscat, Oman. The conference was sponsored by SQU, the Oman Mathematics Committee (OMC), and Vodafone (Oman). The conference aimed to provide a platform for researchers, and academicians to present their work, share experiences, and discuss emerging areas in Mathematics. ICM-SQU2024 was inaugurated by Her Excellency Professor Rahmah Bint Ibrahim AlMahrooqi, the Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and His Highness Sayyid Dr. Fahad Bin Al-Julanda Al-Said, the Vice-Chancellor of …

Antibacterial Potential Of Tapanuli Orangutan (Pongo Tapanuliensis) Food In Batang Toru Forest Against Escherichia Coli And Salmonella Typhi, Herna Febrianty Sianipar, Wahyu Widoretno, Luchman Hakim, Rezi Rahmi Amolia, Fatchiyah Fatchiyah

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Diarrhea is a common disease affecting orangutans, primarily caused by Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi bacteria. To treat this disease, antibacterial food sources are essential as therapeutic agents for orangutans. The fruits consumed by Tapanuli orangutans include Campnosperma auriculatum, Agathis borneensis, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Castanopsis argantea, and Aglaia tomentosa. This study aims to examine the amino acid and phytochemical components with potential antibacterial properties in these five fruit species and their inhibitory effects on E. coli and S. typhi growth through cell lysis, observed using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The samples were tested for amino acids, phytochemicals, vitamin C content, …

Edmore And Webster Coulee Hydrologic Simulation Data, Sharhad Wainty, Taufique H. Mahmood

Datasets

The authors compiled a hydrologic model for the Edmore at Edmore and Edmore at Webster Coulee Basin using Cold Region Hydrologic Platform. The datasets include observed and simulated streamflow, observed climatic data, land use maps and hydrological representative unit maps (HRU) maps. This study detected a mechanism of hydrologic change to wetting using a cold region hydrologic model during 1991-2024 period.

Kids Exploring The World With Chatbots, Maggie Mckay, Mark Connelly

Parent-ish Podcast

Are your kids chatting away with AI? In this episode, we provide parents with the tools they need to understand the implications of children's interactions with chatbots. Find out what signs to look for and how to set healthy boundaries to protect your child from potential pitfalls of digital companionship.

Click here to stream the podcast episode.

Gpu Performance In A Linux Enviroment, Nathanael W. Haines

Summer Interdisciplinary Research Symposium

GPUs are used for both recreational purposes and extremely important simulations for things like earthquake prediction in addition to mathematical modeling. In all cases it is critical that the GPUs used are chosen effectively, as these tend to be very expensive components. By benchmarking a variety of GPUs running on GNU/Linux with a roster of different benchmarks, this project provides information of the capabilities of GPUs running with GNU/Linux, which is common in research settings. This is compared to the expected performance levels of each GPU as stated in selected online sources and manufacturer claims, which are typically geared towards …

Impedance Reshaping Strategy For Grid‑Connected Inverter Based On Grid Impedance Identification Via Dual Harmonic Injection, Zhijun Li, Yaxin Wang

Journal of Electric Power Science and Technology

Under weak grid conditions, the interaction between the control function of the grid-connected inverter and the grid impedance will reduce the phase margin of the inverter, aggravate the harmonic oscillations, and even lead to instability of the grid-connected systems. Traditional impedance reshaping strategies for grid-connected inverters can improve the stable operation of the grid-connected system. However, with the growing integration of large shares of new energy sources and new types of loads, the grid impedance presents random variations, which undermines the effectiveness of traditional impedance reshaping strategies designed for fixed scenarios. To solve this problem, an impedance reshaping strategy based …

Math Information Retrieval From Images Via Formula Extraction, Vector Embedding, And Multimodal Llm-Based Question Answering, Angel Wheelwright Crawford

Theses and Dissertations

Math Information Retrieval (MIR) aims to revolutionize the retrieval of math information by addressing the challenges in representing, retrieving, and producing highly specialized math content. In order to develop a robust MIR system, designers must be able to process math equations (MEs) to a format that different systems can use, which is difficult due to various formats math information are stored in, including visual images and document texts. To improve the usage of math information in varied forms for people who are learning and utilizing math, we propose three different methods of handling ME data. The first method is a …