Digital Commons Network^™

Analyzing The Effects Of Economic Factors On Residential Real Estate Market Dynamics Of Dubai: Using Machine Learning Methods, Zarrina Shokirova

Theses

Dubai’s residential real estate market is known for its rapid growth and dynamic nature, making it an intriguing subject for analyzing the impact of various economic factors. This thesis examines how key economic elements such as GDP growth, inflation rates, and foreign investment influence property dynamics in Dubai. By synthesizing current research, this study aims to understand how these economic conditions affect real estate values, demand, and supply. Additionally, modern analytical methods, including decision trees, logistic regression, and random forest models, are employed to predict market trends and uncover significant patterns. This research contributes to both academic understanding and practical …

The Tale Of Mari, Anya Vaughn

Theses

The Tale of Mari is a mixed media animated documentary which follows the life of Mari Arakaki Gaskins. Shortly after moving to America in the 1970s, Mari began illustrating comic strips about a Japanese family, emulating the cartoons she saw in newspapers. She sent a letter to the creator of Garfield, Jim Davis, and included her comics. Davis sent her a response, and told her that her artwork was good. However, he believed that the strips were unlikely to be published, because comics about a young Japanese girl would not be relatable to American audiences. Mari grew up during a …

Tehran Is Ours, Hamideh Azimi

Theses

Tehran is Ours is a thesis film, mainly 2D animation, with some experimental and 3D parts. This film dramatizing the movement that is happening in Iran which is about women’s rights. 2D fluid animation represents the movement that never stops.

Utilizing Machine Learning For Categorizing Disaster-Related Tweets, Ahmad Alfalasi

Theses

This study presents the development of a machine-learning model that recognizes tweets about disasters in real-time. The fast-paced development of social media, especially Twitter, has drastically changed the field of news transmission during crises. This change creates new challenges for the management of the volume, velocity, and veracity of data that are generated in such situations. The present tools do not have the capabilities of real-time processing of the huge volume of data; hence, new solutions are required. The model we are proposing addresses this problem by using advanced machine learning methods, such as natural language processing, to filter and …

What Explains State-Level Variation In Refugee Resettlement In The United States?, Rebekah Walker

Theses

The history of refugee resettlement in the United States reveals an ad hoc system that relies heavily on non-governmental agencies and state social services. Rates of acceptance for refugees vary greatly by state, yet the particulars of refugee placement are under-studied. This thesis seeks to explain why refugees are likely to be resettled in some states more than others–what factors are associated with higher or lower levels of refugee resettlement? Most literature looks at the economic impact from refugees and on refugees or analyzes the political environment that supports (or does not support) them, but refugee resettlement itself–the how and …

Unstable, Virginia Guerrero

Theses

Unstable is a film about a music-driven, psychedelic journey of reality slipping into a frenzy of madness. It explores bringing music to life with emphasis placed on music pacing, mood, and my own simultaneous, involuntary experience of color when listening to music. The film tells the story of a trapped, creepy, skeletal character escaping his shackles and causing mayhem. He bends reality and experiences several transformations as the music becomes increasingly aggressive. The story is primarily narrative with experimental features, including abstract backgrounds, varying art styles, and unexpected transitions. The main character goes through painful, physical changes and eventually reaches …

Shape Between Intimacy, Mackenzie Serwa

Theses

This thesis examines the parallel exploration of raw tactile materials and relationships to develop a personal dialogue of intimacy. It breaks down the materiality of glass, clay, and the impulse of collecting, aiming to communicate the human connections shared between each. By engaging with materials in this way, this study aims to foster a deeper understanding of the existence, influence, and expression of intimate relationships.

The Mythical Nexus: Illuminating The Rich Tapestry Of Global Folklore, Trishala Parmar

Theses

There is a lack of accessibility and exposure to global folklore for a wider audience. Despite the richness and diversity of folktales worldwide, many people may not have access to them due to limited resources, language barriers, cultural isolation, and a lack of exposure. I saw a need to preserve and celebrate cultural heritage through stories and make it fun. I created an interactive website called The Mythical Nexus which allows an audience to interact with different stories and cultures through a series of rotating cubes. This website connects stories and folklore from around the globe through the power of …

Reverence, Talia Drury

Theses

Reverence is a series of wooden objects that highlight the beauty, subtleties, and surprises found in the quieter moments of nature. These pieces fluctuate from both literal and figurative interpretations of form, movement, and memory. Through the integration of curves, light, and hand-carved textures, I developed work that holds a collection of moments from the natural world. Reverence is an invitation to pause, explore, and revere the beauty that surrounds us, nurturing a deeper bond with the world we inhabit. I invite you to take a walk with me as I explore the rhythms and patterns of nature that are …

Predicting Air Passenger Traffic At Busy International Airports, Ratana Fraihat

Theses

This thesis presents the development and validation of a machine learning model using Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks to forecast air traffic passenger volumes at international, high-traffic airports. By leveraging historical passenger data, the study seeks to provide accurate predictions that can enhance operational planning and resource allocation at the airport. The implementation was done in Python, using historical passenger data from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) from 2005-2018. Data preprocessing steps involved grouping and summing passenger counts for each activity period. The data was normalized to a range of 0 to 1, which is crucial for preventing instability and …

Headspace, Katrina E. Kauffman

Theses

Headspace is a contemplation of the dynamics and labor of thought. As someone with ADHD, dysgraphia, and dyslexia, my thought process is often circuitous yet cyclical. This thesis will explore the overlap between ritual and hyperfocus as a facet of artistic practice as well as their impact on physical and emotional equilibrium. By personifying the three proposed stages of memory by the Cognitive Load theory through the performance of repetitive tasks like making chewing gum, paper, and ink by hand, I both exemplify my neurodivergent brain structure and the reformatting my neural pathways undergo to conform to neurotypically inclined society. …

Hope Vs. Hate: Understanding User Interactions With Lgbtq+ News Content In Mainstream Us News Media Through The Lens Of Hope Speech, Jonathan Pofcher

Theses

This thesis makes three contributions. First, via a substantial corpus of 1,419,047 comments posted on 3,161 YouTube news videos of major US cable news outlets, we analyze how users engage with LGBTQ+ news content. Our analyses focus both on positive and negative content. In particular, we construct a fine-grained hope speech classifier that detects positive hope speech, negative, neutral, and irrelevant content. Second, in consultation with a public health expert specializing on LGBTQ+ health, we conduct an annotation study with a balanced and diverse political representation and release a dataset of 3,750 instances with fine-grained labels and detailed annotator demographic …

Digital Microfluidic Oligonucleotide Synthesis: Automated Assembly Of Dna Products In Air And Oil With Integrated On-Chip Incubation, Sari Houchaimi

Theses

Production of accurate DNA products is essential for many biological applications including drug development and delivery, synthetic biology, molecular engineering and epigenetics. It is difficult to build long DNA chains accurately and repeatably with conventional methods such as phosphoramidite method and polymerase chain assembly. DNA aqueous enzymatic assembly is a promising alternative. Multiple DNA fragments can be reliably and consistently assembled into one product using engineering enzymes in an aqueous medium. Digital Microfluidics uses asymmetric electric fields to simultaneously manipulate multiple reagent droplets on an array of electrodes. This platform is biocompatible and easily controllable. It has been used for …

Kill This Game!, Owen Gottlieb, Trent Hergenrader

Articles

This game is about identifying flaws, or “Fun Killers,” (Fullerton) in a game design and taking steps to resolve those issues and create a more sound game concept

Main content area(s): Game design
Target audience(s): Suitable for players 13 and up
Recommended number of players: 2 players minimum, at least 4 recommended up to 12, with teams of no more than 5 players.
Components needed to play: Paper for taking notes and keeping score, Two six-sided dice
Estimated time to play: 30-40 minutes

Adapting Emergency Response: A Nationwide Study Of Disability Accommodation Practices Among Local Emergency Managers, Iskender Mambetkadyrov

Theses

Local emergency management agencies (EMAs), who are critical in disaster response and management in the US, frequently underserve their constituencies who identify as people with disabilities (PWD) and, more specifically, as deaf and hard of hearing (DHH). These shortfalls have still persisted even after policies such as the Americans with Disabilities Act have passed in an attempt to bridge these gaps. This thesis aims to explore the organizational actions & strategies local EMAs have taken towards disability inclusion, the barriers they run into, and explore whether increases in general disability-inclusive actions lead to increased DHH-specific inclusive actions to steer local …

Predictive Rescue System Through Real-Time Accident Monitoring Leveraging Artificial Intelligence, Humaid Ahmad Al Falasi

Theses

The research develops a robust AI-powered predictive system utilizing convolution neural networks (CNNs), IoT-enabled devices, and advanced machine learning (ML) models to improve real-time monitoring, resource allocation, and decision-making. The proposed system aims to minimize emergency response times, optimize resource allocation, and enhance public safety. Using machine learning models such as convolution neural networks (CNNs) and random forests, the system integrates IoT devices, traffic cameras, and deep learning algorithms to enable proactive incident management and efficient decision-making. A methodological framework based on CRISP-DM guides the project, encompassing historical data analysis, system modeling, and evaluation against real-world data from UAE traffic …

Performance Evaluation Of Ai-Based Healthcare Systems In The United Arab Emirates: A Comparative Analysis Of Diagnostic Accuracy And Predictive Capability Using Spss, Hamad Ismail

Theses

This research investigates the opinions and experiences of United Arab Emirates (UAE) healthcare personnel on artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology. Successful application and integration depend on a knowledge of the viewpoints of people at the front-line of patient care as artificial intelligence technology progressively enter healthcare contexts. Combining advanced statistical analysis with quantitative questionnaires using a mixed-methods approach, the study presents a whole picture of artificial intelligence opinions across several healthcare environments and UAE geographical areas. The study revealed a topography of opinions on artificial intelligence in the healthcare sector that is complicated. Though views varied widely based on their employment, …

Predicting Consumer Churn In Telecommunications, Amna Yousef Almatrooshi

Theses

The telecommunications industry is highly competitive, with consumer churn being a significant concern due to market saturation. Churn, or customer attrition, refers to customers leaving a service provider due to dissatisfaction or better offers from competitors. This phenomenon is particularly impactful in the telecom sector, where retaining customers is more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. To address this issue, telecom companies increasingly rely on machine learning techniques to predict customer churn and implement strategies to retain at-risk customers. The study highlights the importance of understanding the factors contributing to customer churn, including service quality, pricing, customer service interactions, and competition. …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of Law Enforcement Strategies In Combating E-Crime Using Ai, Mohammad Ahmad Alkhazraji

Theses

The rise of e-crime, particularly international online scams, has presented significant challenges to law enforcement agencies around the world. Scams have become transnational, exploiting the internet's interconnectivity to deceive victims from different countries. Law enforcement agencies have a severe uphill battle in trying to combat these types of crimes because of technological and jurisdictional limitations and resource accessibility. This research has analyzed the effectiveness of current policing against international online scams, focusing on the challenges encountered thus far and possible solutions. The critical research objectives revolve around assessing law enforcement agencies' present strategies, identifying the main barriers that these agencies …

Analyzing Crime Patterns Through Artificial Intelligence, Rashid Khalid Mohamed Abdalla Alhammadi

Theses

This paper examines how crime patterns affect predictive policing in Denver, Colorado. Modern crimes like cybercrime and identity theft have challenged traditional crime research methods, necessitating data-driven ones. In this context, the study examines how machine learning and AI can identify and forecast crime trends across neighborhoods, timeframes, and other aspects. The research sought to understand crime's dynamics and socioeconomic effects. The study collected data using a mixed-method approach based on questions about crime kinds, rates, and sociodemographic characteristics. A large chunk of the data came from public databases and targeted neighborhood surveys. Regression analysis, decision trees, and neural network …

Scattering Spectroscopy Of Granular Media For Remote Sensing Applications, Chris H. Lee

Theses

The reflectance of a surface depends not only on the physical characteristics of the medium, but also on the geometry of how the surface is illuminated and viewed. Remote sensing data of a surface at multiple illumination and/or viewing angles can provide additional information that we can use to retrieve the physical properties of the surface and/or underlying medium as opposed to remotely sensed data at a single geometry. In this work, I characterized different aspects of angular reflectance, or scattering, spectroscopy of granular media for remote sensing applications. I applied polarimetry to various samples of olivine sand as a …

Being Korean, Silver Eun Hyung Kim

Theses

Being Korean is a thesis driven by a cultural investigation of what it means to be Korean today by revisiting historical events of the past two centuries in Korea through video sculpture highlighting Korean food, Hansik. The artwork and this thesis rediscover haehak, a cultural value that harmonizes society through humor, in order to encourage reconnection in a politically divided society through the ordinary activity of sharing food. To define ordinary Korean-ness, my thesis explores how historical events, such as colonization and war, have influenced our dining table. My work utilizes glass as metaphorical vessels, defamiliarizing traditional elements to reveal …

The Future Of Robotic-Teacher Relationship In Classrooms: Cooperation Or Competition?, Miaad Saleh Hassan Abdullah Mobarak

Theses

As the realms of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics undergo exponential growth and the issue of teacher shortage remains a concern, the potential for remarkable advancements in education with the assistance of robots becomes increasingly important. This review is conducted to understand the forthcoming role of robotics in education and its impact on teachers’ role in the classroom. Currently, it is widely known that AI is evolving in a rapid way, creating a huge presence in our life, building a perception among people that it will take over the role of human in various settings in the future. Various articles …

Predictive Modeling Of Sociodemographic And Self-Construct Factors Affecting Math Performance In Secondary Education, Shaikha Ahmed Alaleeli

Theses

Math is a prime subject because of its transferability to other fields of learning and its applications in daily and professional life. As a result, most countries and educational institutions focus on improving math performance, however student grades vary due to personal, familial, and institutional factors. Thus, the present study seeks to build a predictive model of sociodemographic and self-construct factors affecting math performance and identify which ones are the most impactful on student grades. The specific objectives are (1) to determine the association between student/family and school sociodemographic characteristics and math performance; (2) to the influence of student self-construct …

Polytetrafluoroethylene (Ptfe) Vs. Ptfe-Free Coatings On Paper Label: Analysis Of Label Mechanical And Performance Properties, Chuqi Su

Theses

Post-printed water-based (WB) coatings, commonly known as aqueous coatings, have gained popularity for paper-based label manufacturing because of their environmentally friendly characteristics. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is one of the common additives added to the WB coatings to achieve heat resistance and rub resistance properties for the final product. PTFE is a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene, and is a category of Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS). As of January 2024, the sale of food packaging containing PFAS is prohibited in the state of Minnesota, with expectations that this regulation will extend to other states because of the proven harm of PFAS to both humans …

Reduction Of Crimes In Dubai With The Use Of Artificial Intelligence, Ahmad Saeed Abdulrahim

Theses

This dissertation examines the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance crime reduction efforts by the Dubai Police. As Dubai continues to grow and new technologies emerge, integrating AI into Dubai Police represents a significant opportunity to improve operational efficiency, predictive policing, and data-driven investigations. However, this integration also raises critical ethical and privacy concerns that must be addressed to ensure responsible use. The rapid development of AI technologies offers promising solutions for modernizing crime prevention and Dubai Police strategies. Dubai, with its advanced technological infrastructure and forward-looking governance, is an ideal context for exploring these innovations. The effective use …

Sold Out: The Commodification Of Personal Data In The Digital Age, Olaya Ordieres Ortega

Theses

The project titled ‘SOLD OUT’ investigates the profound implications of digital data privacy through a multifaceted multimedia campaign designed to expose and critique the commodification of human information. The campaign explores how contemporary data collection practices have transformed individuals into mere products, bought, sold, and traded without their consent. The project employs a combination of analog and digital mediums to present an engaging and provocative narrative that challenges viewers to confront the stark reality of data privacy in the modern age. ‘SOLD OUT’ transforms abstract privacy concerns into tangible and relatable experiences by linking them to common daily activities and …

Augmenting Social Engagement For Students: Leveraging Ar For Interactive Student Experiences, Promoting Overall Well Being., Aditi Singh

Theses

This thesis explores the concept of an Augmented Reality Application designed to enhance student’s social engagement with their peers in campus activities at universities. It uses AR Technology and futuristic interface design to create a fun and interactive environment that motivates graduate students to socialize more often and maintain a balanced lifestyle. The problem addressed here is the lack of motivation and resources among students to engage in activities due to academic pressures which also adversely affects students mental and emotional wellbeing. The proposed solution involves integrating AR interfaces and elements that immerse them in an enjoyable environment and encourage …

Factors That Enable Cashless Payment Adoption Among The Blue-Collar Workers In Dubai, Rasheed Abdu Venmadathayil

Theses

As part of the Smart Dubai 2021 Strategy, Dubai is leveraging a wide range of technologies to enhance the lives of its residents and drive economic development. A key component of this strategy is the shift toward digital payments and a cashless economy (UAE Government Portal, 2021). In 2020, the Dubai Government established the Cashless Dubai Working Group to create an action plan aimed at transforming all payment transactions in the city to cashless platforms. The UAE, including Dubai, has the essential prerequisites for a cashless economy, such as advanced digital infrastructure and government regulations that protect consumer security and …

Virtual Vortex, Yiling Jiang

Theses

This project examines the pervasive negative impacts of social media through the lens of 3D abstract motion in Virtual Vortex. While social media offers unparalleled convenience and connectivity, it also brings significant, often hidden, adverse effects on psychosocial health, personal privacy, and relationships. These consequences, although intangible, have profound implications that necessitate deeper scrutiny. In Virtual Vortex, I translate these abstract issues into concrete visuals, using 3D animation to make the invisible visible. By employing Cinema 4D (C4D) dynamics and mograph, I create a narrative where a yellow ball represents individuals, and various forms of social media icons symbolize the …