Radial Structure of the Internet

The structure of the Internet at the Autonomous System (AS) level has been studied by both the Physics and Computer Science communities. We extend this work to include features of the core and the periphery, taking a radial perspective on AS network structure. New methods for plotting AS data are described, and they are used to analyze data sets that have been extended to contain edges missing from earlier collections. In particular, the average distance from one vertex to the rest of the network is used as the baseline metric for investigating radial structure. Common vertex-specific quantities are plotted against this metric to reveal distinctive characteristics of central and peripheral vertices. Two data sets are analyzed using these measures as well as two common generative models (Barabasi-Albert and Inet). We find a clear distinction between the highly connected core and a sparse periphery. We also find that the periphery has a more complex structure than that predicted by degree distribution or the two generative models

The impact of the 1918-1919 influenza epidemic on Virginia

In the fall of 1918 an unparalleled influenza pandemic spread throughout the world. More than a quarter of Americans became ill, and at least 600,000 died. For many Virginians, this was a time of acute crisis that only could be compared to the days of the Civil War. This thesis describes Spanish influenza\u27s impact on Virginia, primarily focusing on the cities of Newport News, Richmond, and Roanoke. It details influenza\u27s emergence in Virginia and explores how state and city officials dealt with this unprecedented epidemic. This study examines how the epidemic disrupted daily routines of life and overwhelmed the state\u27s medical community. This thesis briefly discusses the effect that the segregation of races had on the spread of influenza and the role that women played in battling the epidemic. Sources used in this study include newspapers, manuscript collections, and government documents