The Capacity of Smartphone Peer-To-Peer Networks

We study three capacity problems in the mobile telephone model, a network abstraction that models the peer-to-peer communication capabilities implemented in most commodity smartphone operating systems. The capacity of a network expresses how much sustained throughput can be maintained for a set of communication demands, and is therefore a fundamental bound on the usefulness of a network. Because of this importance, wireless network capacity has been active area of research for the last two decades. The three capacity problems that we study differ in the structure of the communication demands. The first problem is pairwise capacity, where the demands are (source, destination) pairs. Pairwise capacity is one of the most classical definitions, as it was analyzed in the seminal paper of Gupta and Kumar on wireless network capacity. The second problem we study is broadcast capacity, in which a single source must deliver packets to all other nodes in the network. Finally, we turn our attention to all-to-all capacity, in which all nodes must deliver packets to all other nodes. In all three of these problems we characterize the optimal achievable throughput for any given network, and design algorithms which asymptotically match this performance. We also study these problems in networks generated randomly by a process introduced by Gupta and Kumar, and fully characterize their achievable throughput. Interestingly, the techniques that we develop for all-to-all capacity also allow us to design a one-shot gossip algorithm that runs within a polylogarithmic factor of optimal in every graph. This largely resolves an open question from previous work on the one-shot gossip problem in this model

Transformational leadership among producers in the entertainment industry

This qualitative study examined the use of transformational leadership among producers in one production company in the entertainment industry. A sample of 16 producers who led shows at the organization from 2012 to 2016 completed an interview about their self-described and ideal leadership styles, their current and desired use of transformational leadership, and attitudes and openness to executive coaching. Producers’ self-described current leadership style is empowering, and they want to become more results-oriented and highly respected in the future. Participants reported they are and want to continue to be transformational. Almost all participants expressed interest in coaching. Although additional research is needed to extend and confirm the present study findings, the study organization may wish to offer its leaders development opportunities and consider training team members to promote consistent values. Specifically, executive coaching and training in transformational leadership may be beneficial and of interest to the participants in this study

Digitally Mapping the Growth of the Railroads in the United States

As part of my dissertation, I creating digital maps of the extent of the railways in the United States during the late 19th century (1880 to 1910) on a yearly basis. While other researchers have created digital maps of the railways in approximately 10-year intervals, this misses out on the rapid change in the railways in the interim. These previous digitization attempts have relied on using detailed maps created of the railways at a given time. But accurate maps were not made on a yearly basis and only exist for roughly every 10 years. However, during the 19th century, people using the railways to travel or ship freight needed accurate guides to the railways. The Official Guides to the Railways served this role. These Guides were updated and published multiple times a year. These guides contain route maps and time tables for all of the railways. Most importantly, however, each guide includes an Index of Railway Stations. I have obtained 30 volumes of this resource from Stanford, worked with the Scan and Deliver services at Yale to scan the relevant portions, and started to digitize the indices of railway stations. While I have had one volume transcribed by hand, I am working to use OCR to digitize the text of the remaining 30 volumes. Once the text is transcribed, I use several geocoding tools to identify the location of railways stations in each year between 1880 (possibly earlier) and 1910. An example of what this looks like for one year (1910) can be seen here. This presentation would focus on using various techniques to digitize and make innovative use of historical textual resources to create useful data

Freedom of Oceanic Research. Editied by Warren S. Wooster

My personal criticism of the book is primarily confined to its costs and its format

The Territory Federal Jurisdiction Forgot: The Question of Greater Federal Jurisdiction in American Samoa

The United States Territory of American Samoa is over 7000 miles from Washington, D.C., and that distance might explain the United States’ limited interest in the territory. The lack of interest has allowed American Samoa to maintain its unique cultural foundations. However, it has also kept American Samoa detached from the federal governmental structure, including the judicial system. In fact, a federal district court does not exist in American Samoa, nor has the territory been incorporated into a federal judicial district. A lack of a federal presence has not been a major issue until recently. In the last few years, the U.S. government has begun to prosecute American Samoan residents for violations of federal law. Without a federal jurisdictional presence, these prosecutions have taken place off-island impacting the constitutional rights of American Samoa residents. These renditions have increased calls for the creation of a federal district court in American Samoa. While a greater federal presence would be helpful, the creation of a district court is unnecessary. A better solution would be to increase the current jurisdiction of the local territorial judiciary to incorporate greater federal jurisdiction

A Model for Small Illinois School Districts in Response to Financial Crisis

This study describes the options available to small, rural Illinois school districts that face financial crises. The implications for a particular school relative to consolidation, annexation, cooperative high schools, tuitioning out, and tax referenda are described. Survey results relative to school effectiveness, the financial future, and school loyalty are reported and analyzed. The study concludes with a recommendation which appears most appropriate to solve the financial problems of the Findlay Community Unit School District #2

Perceptions of Mentoring, Dropout Rates, School Attendance, and Academic Achievement in Core Subject Areas Among Students in the Various Branches of JROTC

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceptions of cadets in the Army, Navy, and Air Force JROTC program regarding their beliefs about mentorship and how it affects students’ perceptions. Funding for education is constantly under review and programs that are considered unnecessary are facing increased scrutiny. Schools are held accountable for educating students and this accountability includes both the quality of the program provided by the district and also the commitment among students to be successful in life. Haveman, Wolfe, and Wilson (2001) reported that graduating from high school provides benefits to society both socially and economically. Graduating from high school is but one variable that is discussed in this study; however, the research suggests that mentorship, academic achievement, and school attendance are all vital components for at-risk students. Just as students themselves report a variety of reasons for quitting school, the research literature presented in this study identified a number of factors that appeared to influence the decision. This research study examined whether differences existed within the context of three branches of JROTC concerning the variables of school completion/dropping out, school attendance, academic achievement, and mentoring. Results from the Air Force, Army, and Navy respondents indicate that there are no statistical differences in how students perceive these variables. Respondents viewed these school outcomes favorably, indicating that participation in a JROTC program could positively influence behaviors that pertain to these tested variables. Perceptions of mentorship ranked highest among all variables researched during this study

Forced Dedications As a Condition to Subdivision Approval--Associated Home Builders, Inc. v. City of Walnut Creek (Cal. 1971)

Associated Home Builders, Inc. v. City of Walnut Creek (Cal. 1971). In California, the Subdivision Map Act is the enabling statute for local supervision of subdivision development. Under the statute, the control of design and improvement of subdivisions is vested in the city or county with a limited right of judicial review to examine the reasonableness of the enacted ordinances. The act requires a subdivider to file a tentative map showing the design of the proposed subdivision for approval before the land can be legally sold