Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Computer-Aided Detection Of Breast Cancer Using Ultrasound Images, Yanhui Guo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ultrasound imaging suffers from severe speckle noise. We propose a novel approach for speckle reduction using 2D homogeneity and directional average filters to remove speckle noise. We transform speckle noise into additive noise using a logarithm transformation. Texture information is employed to describe the speckle characteristics of the image. The homogeneity value is defined using texture information value, and the ultrasound image is transformed into a homogeneity domain from the gray domain. If the homogeneity value is high, the region is homogenous and has less speckle noise. Otherwise, the region is nonhomogenous, and speckle noise occurs. The threshold value is …

A Singular-Value-Based Semi-Fragile Watermarking Scheme For Image Content Authentication With Tampering Localization, Xing Xin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis presents a novel singular-value-based semi-fragile watermarking scheme for image content authentication with tampering localization. The proposed scheme first generates a secured watermark bit sequence by performing a logical "xor" operation on a content-based watermark and content-independent watermark, wherein the content-based watermark is generated by a singular-value-based watermark bit sequence that represents intrinsic algebraic image properties, and the content-independent watermark is generated by a private-key-based random watermark bit sequence. It next embeds the secure watermark in the approximation subband of each non-overlapping 4×4 block using the adaptive quantization method to generate the watermarked image. The image content authentication process …

Covert Botnet Design And Defense Analysis, Brandon Lyle Shirley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Intrusion defense system (IDS) development has been largely reactionary in nature. This is especially troubling given that botnets are capable of compromising and controlling thousands of computers before security professionals develop a mitigation technique. As new exploits are created, new mitigation techniques are developed to detect infections and, where possible, remove them. This thesis breaks from this tradition of reacting to malware. Instead, it looks at possible malicious software models through analyzing existing defense systems for exploitable weaknesses.

First, this thesis presents a new specialized botnet that circumvents current network intrusion detection mechanisms. The proposed botnet coordinates external communication among …

Educational Data Mining Approaches For Digital Libraries, Mimi Recker, Sherry Hsi, Beijie Xu, Rob Rothfarb

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

This collaborative research project between the Exploratorium and Utah State's Department of Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences investigates online evaluation approaches and the application of educational data mining to educational digital libraries and services. Much work over the past decades has focused on developing algorithms and methods for discovering patterns in large datasets, known as Knowledge Discovery from Data (KDD). Webmetrics, the application of KDD to web usage mining, is growing rapidly in areas such as e-commerce. Educational Data Mining (EDM) is just beginning to emerge as a tool to analyze the massive, longitudinal user data that are captured in …

Covert Botnet Implementation And Defense Against Covert Botnets, Lokesh Babu Ramesh Babu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The advent of the Internet and its benevolent use has benefited mankind in private and business use alike. However, like any other technology, the Internet is often used for malevolent purposes. One such malevolent purpose is to attack computers using botnets. Botnets are stealthy, and the victims are typically unaware of the malicious activities and the resultant havoc they can cause. Computer security experts seek to combat the botnet menace. However, attackers come up with new botnet designs that exploit the weaknesses in existing defense mechanisms and, thus, continue to evade detection.

Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the weaknesses …

Object Trajectory Estimation Using Optical Flow, Shuo Liu

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Object trajectory tracking is an important topic in many different areas. It is widely used in robot technology, traffic, movie industry, and others. Optical flow is a useful method in the object tracking branch and it can calculate the motion of each pixel between two frames, and thus it provides a possible way to get the trajectory of objects. There are numerous papers describing the implementation of optical flow. Some results are acceptable, but in many projects, there are limitations. In most previous applications, because the camera is usually static, it is easy to apply optical flow to identify the …

A Computational Geometry Approach To Digital Image Contour Extraction, Pedro J. Tejada

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

We present a method for extracting contours from digital images, using techniques from computational geometry. Our approach is different from traditional pixel-based methods in image processing. Instead of working directly with pixels, we extract a set of oriented feature points from the input digital images, then apply classical geometric techniques, such as clustering, linking, and simplification, to find contours among these points. Experiments on synthetic and natural images show that our method can effectively extract contours, even from images with considerable noise; moreover, the extracted contours have a very compact representation.

A Methodology To Design Pipelined Simulated Annealing Kernel Accelerators On Space-Borne Field-Programmable Gate Arrays, Jeffrey Michael Carver

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Increased levels of science objectives expected from spacecraft systems necessitate the ability to carry out fast on-board autonomous mission planning and scheduling. Heterogeneous radiation-hardened Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) with embedded multiplier and memory modules are well suited to support the acceleration of scheduling algorithms. A methodology to design circuits specifically to accelerate Simulated Annealing Kernels (SAKs) in event scheduling algorithms is shown. The main contribution of this thesis is the low complexity scoring calculation used for the heuristic mapping algorithm used to balance resource allocation across a coarse-grained pipelined data-path. The methodology was exercised over various kernels with different …

Predicting Rna Secondary Structures By Folding Simulation: Software And Experiments, Joel Omni Gillespie

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

We present a new method for predicting the secondary structure of RNA sequences. Using our method, each RNA nucleotide of an RNA Sequence is represented as a point on a 3D triangular lattice. Using the Simulated Annealing technique, we manipulate the location of the points on the lattice. We explore various scoring functions for judging the relative quality of the structures created by these manipulations. After near optimal configurations on the lattice have been found, we describe how the lattice locations of the nucleotides can be used to predict a secondary structure for the sequence. This prediction can be further …

Optimal Candidate Generation In Spatial Co-Location Mining, Zhongshan Lin

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Existing spatial co-location algorithms based on levels suffer from generating extra, nonclique candidate instances. Thus, they require cliqueness checking at every level. In this thesis, a novel, spatial co-location mining algorithm that automatically generates co-located spatial features without generating any nonclique candidates at any level is proposed. Subsequently, this algorithm generates fewer candidates than other existing level-wise, co-location algorithms without losing any pertinent information. The benefits of this algorithm have been clearly observed at early stages in the mining process.

Folklore And The Internet: Vernacular Expression In A Digital World, Trevor J. Blank

All USU Press Publications

Folklore and the Internet is a pioneering examination of the folkloric qualities of the World Wide Web, e-mail, and related digital media. It shows that folk culture, sustained by a new and evolving vernacular, has been a key, since the Internetýs beginnings, to language, practice, and interaction online. Users of many sorts continue to develop the Internet as a significant medium for generating, transmitting, documenting, and preserving folklore. In a set of new, insightful essays, contributors Trevor J. Blank, Simon J. Bronner, Robert Dobler, Russell Frank, Gregory Hansen, Robert Glenn Howard, Lynne S. McNeill, Elizabeth Tucker, and William Westerman showcase …

Resources - Thinking Small: Nano Small, David Stricker

Publications

The article provides information on the "Nanooze" magazine publication. It notes the significance of nanotechnology to the development of latest innovations that come from materials at smallest dimensions or at the nanoscale levels. It presents resources published within the publication that explore the emerging issues in nanotechnology.

A Novel Technique Of Network Auditability With Managers In The Loop, Rian Shelley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Network management requires a large amount of knowledge about the network. In particular, knowledge about used network addresses, access time, and topology is useful. In a network composed of managed devices, much of the data necessary can come from simple network management protocol (SNMP) queries. Other data can come from other databases, or analysis of existing data. In particular, layer-two network topology can be determined by analyzing the mac address forwarding tables of layer-two devices. The layer-two topology can be merged with a layer-three topology to generate a complete topology of the network. This information is useless unless it is …

Automated Data Type Identification And Localization Using Statistical Analysis Data Identification, Sarah Jean Moody

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research presents a new and unique technique called SÁDI, statistical analysis data identification, for identifying the type of data on a digital device and its storage format based on data type, specifically the values of the bytes representing the data being examined. This research incorporates the automation required for specialized data identification tools to be useful and applicable in real-world applications. The SÁDI technique utilizes the byte values of the data stored on a digital storage device in such a way that the accuracy of the technique does not rely solely on the potentially misleading metadata information but rather …

Impact Analysis Of System And Network Attacks, Anupama Biswas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Systems and networks have been under attack from the time the Internet first came into existence. There is always some uncertainty associated with the impact of the new attacks. Compared to the problem of attack detection, analysis of attack impact has received very little attention. Generalize and forecasting the kind of attack that will hit systems in future is not possible. However, it is possible to predict the behavior of a new attack and, thereby, the impact of the attack. This thesis proposes a method for predicting the impact of a new attack on systems and networks as well as …

A C To Register Transfer Level Algorithm Using Structured Circuit Templates: A Case Study With Simulated Annealing, Jonathan D. Phillips

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A tool flow is presented for deriving simulated annealing accelerator circuits on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) from C source code by exploring architecture solutions that conform to a preset template through scheduling and mapping algorithms. A case study carried out on simulated annealing-based Autonomous Mission Planning and Scheduling (AMPS) software used for autonomous spacecraft systems is explained. The goal of the research is an automated method for the derivation of a hardware design that maximizes performance while minimizing the FPGA footprint. Results obtained are compared with a peer C to register transfer level (RTL) logic tool, a state-of-the-art …

Two Highly Diverse Studies In Computing: A Vitruvian Framework For Distribution And A Search Approach To Cancer Therapies, Brian G. Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Solid cancer tumors must recruit new blood vessels for growth and maintenance. Discovering drugs that block this tumor-induced development of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) is an important approach in cancer treatment. However, the complexity of angiogenesis and the difficulty in implementing and evaluating medical changes prevent the discovery of novel and effective new therapies. This paper presents a massively parallel computational search-based approach for the discovery of novel potential cancer treatments, using a high fidelity simulation of angiogenesis. Discovering new therapies is viewed as multi-objective combinatorial optimization over two competing objectives: minimizing the medical cost of the intervention while minimizing …

Understanding Unfolding Change And The Value Of Strategic Unification In Recent Usu Information Technology Functional Realignment, Eric S. Hawley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This is a qualitative case study of the 2005-2008 Utah State University Information Technology reorganization from the perspective of key change advocates. The study identified and documented the unfolding change process involved in the reorganization in terms of dissatisfaction, executive changes, internal executive strategic planning, implementation and initial impacts, and continuous "in situ" strategic planning. The study also answered a set of supporting concluding questions indicating increased value to the institution in areas of customer service and confidence, organization, financial resources, planning and policy, security, and increased/improved services and service functions.

A Novel Authentication And Validation Mechanism For Analyzing Syslogs Forensically, Steena D.S. Monteiro

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research proposes a novel technique for authenticating and validating syslogs for forensic analysis. This technique uses a modification of the Needham Schroeder protocol, which uses nonces (numbers used only once) and public keys. Syslogs, which were developed from an event-logging perspective and not from an evidence-sustaining one, are system treasure maps that chart out and pinpoint attacks and attack attempts. Over the past few years, research on securing syslogs has yielded enhanced syslog protocols that focus on tamper prevention and detection. However, many of these protocols, though efficient from a security perspective, are inadequate when forensics comes into play. …

An Evolutionary Approach To Image Compression In The Discrete Cosine Transform Domain, Benjamin E. Banham

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This paper examines the application of genetic programming to image compression while working in the frequency domain. Several methods utilized by JPEG encoding are applied to the image before utilizing a genetic programming system. Specifically, the discrete cosine transform (DCT) is applied to the original image, followed by the zig-zag scanning of DCT coefficients. The genetic programming system is finally applied to the one-dimensional array resulting from the zig-zag scan. The research takes an existing genetic programming system developed for the spatial domain and develops DCT domain functionality. The results from the DCT domain-based genetic programming system are compared with …

Forensic And Anti-Forensic Techniques For Object Linking And Embedding 2 (Ole2)-Formatted Documents, Jason M. Daniels

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Common office documents provide significant opportunity for forensic and anti-forensic work. The Object Linking and Embedding 2 (OLE2) specification used primarily by Microsoft’s Office Suite contains unused or dead space regions that can be over written to hide covert channels of communication. This thesis describes a technique to detect those covert channels and also describes a different method of encoding that lowers the probability of detection.

The algorithm developed, called OleDetection, is based on the use of kurtosis and byte frequency distribution statistics to accurately identify OLE2 documents with covert channels. OleDetection is able to correctly identify 99.97 percent of …

Agent-Organized Network Coalition Formation, Levi L. Barton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis presents work based on modeling multi-agent coalition formation in an agent organized network. Agents choose which agents to connect with in the network. Tasks are periodically introduced into the network. Each task is defined by a set of skills that agents must fill. Agents form a coalition to complete a task by either joining an existing coalition a network neighbor belongs to, or by proposing a new coalition for a task no agents have proposed a coalition for. We introduce task patience and strategic task selection and show that they improve the number of successful coalitions agents form. …

Strides Towards Better Application Security, Sathyaraj Balasubramanian

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Static analysis tools analyze source code for vulnerabilities. However, these types of tools suffer from various problems that limit their effectiveness. This thesis examines these static analysis tools and suggests techniques for making them more efficient at detecting different types of vulnerabilities.

The thesis further analyzes possible causes for these vulnerabilities by examining the source code written by programmers of various categories. Finally, this thesis discusses solutions and techniques to improve general security awareness as well as the importance of secure coding among the students and software developers.

Moving Object Tracking: Seeking Extensible Solutions, Jeremy Pack

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Moving object tracking is a difficult field with no "best" solution. The documents contained here detail software that was developed in order to perform tracking of objects that are in the line of sight of multiple cameras. Some of the software developed is already in use by the US Army Dugway Proving Ground. Other software represents prototype or early development code. This software was written by Jeremy Pack, who was the lead programmer, and Luke Andrew at the Space Dynamics Laboratory in Logan, Utah.

Task Scheduling And Simulation, Martin Lee Mayne

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Scheduling is a problem that is not only common computer science, but which also comes up in a variety of real world situations. Whether multi-threading computer processes, scheduling airport traffic, optimizing assembly line production and manufacturing, or ensuring that enough employees are on the floor at a given time, scheduling is important for increasing efficiency, reducing costs, optimizing production, and meeting deadlines. Scheduling has been used throughout history and has increased in efficacy through the years. Modem computerized scheduling techniques are typically much better than human calculations and often produce surprising insights and results which would have been otherwise passed …

Logic Circuits And The Quality Of Life, Vincent W. Childress

Publications

The article presents information on the relationship between the logic circuits and the quality of life. The applications of logic circuits are countless. With the flooding of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, people around the world became all too aware of human dependency on technology to manage the forces of nature and maintain a high quality of life. New Orleans' sewage and water control systems depend on water pumps to move sewage, storm-water runoff, and fresh water around the city. Under normal conditions, when it rains in New Orleans, a city that sits below sea level, massive …

Metaxpath, Curtis Dyreson, Michael H. Böhen, Christian S. Jensen

Curtis Dyreson

This paper presents the METAXPath data model and query language. METAXPath extends XPath with support for XML metadata. XPath is a specification language for locations in an XML document it serves as the basis for XML query languages like XSLT and the XML Query Algebra.

The METAXPath data model is a nested XPath tree. Each level of metadata induces a new level of nesting. The data model separates metadata and data into different data spaces, supports meta-metadata and enables sharing of metadata common to a group of nodes without duplication. The METAXPath query language has a level shift operator to …

Terminal Emulation System, Chun-Fu Lee

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Terminal emulation is a personal computer application software which emulates the terminal's behavior to communicate with the mainframe/host computer. It can show the terminal screen on a personal computer screen and make the mainframe/host computer interact with it as it would with a real terminal without any distinction.

Personal computers are increasingly more powerful and efficient today. Their mobility, compatibility, flexibility, and extendibility are definitely superior to the 'dumb' traditional terminals. Terminal emulation is therefore devised to take advantage of these personal computers' redemptions to offset the traditional terminal's drawbacks and inconveniences.

A terminal emulation is actually a very complex …

Nettest: An Integrated Web-Based Test Tools, Tzy-Tao Yang

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This report presents the design and implementation of NetTest; a Java program that can be run within a Java enabled Web browser. NetTest is a Web-based test tool, which allows instructors to create or edit tests and students to take tests using a Java-enabled Web-browser. It also allows managers to perform their tasks using similar tools.

NetTest is a server/client program, which is located on the server. While using the NetTest system, the Web browser will automatically download the program and execute it on the client machine. In other words, NetTest can be run on any kind of network …

Shadow Pattern Simulator, Roberto A. Brown

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This paper describes an interactive computer program that can be used as a design tool in assessing the shading effects of trees in relation to buildings. The program determines the area and position of the shadow cast by a tree or group of trees on a surface of a building which can have any orientation. The program outputs numerical and graphical hourly results at any time of the day, for any day of the year, at any location on the earth, for any relative positioning between the tree and building, and estimates percent irradiation reductions on building surfaces resulting from …