Digital Commons Network^™

Shearwater Foraging In The Southern Ocean: The Roles Of Prey Availability And Winds, B Raymond, Scott A. Shaffer, S Sokolov, E Woehler, D P. Costa, L Einoder, M Hindell, G Hosie, M Pinkerton, P M. Sagar, D Scott, A Smith, D R. Thompson, C Vertigan, H Weimerskirch

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Background Sooty (Puffinus griseus) and short-tailed (P. tenuirostris) shearwaters are abundant seabirds that range widely across global oceans. Understanding the foraging ecology of these species in the Southern Ocean is important for monitoring and ecosystem conservation and management. Methodology/Principal Findings Tracking data from sooty and short-tailed shearwaters from three regions of New Zealand and Australia were combined with at-sea observations of shearwaters in the Southern Ocean, physical oceanography, near-surface copepod distributions, pelagic trawl data, and synoptic near-surface winds. Shearwaters from all three regions foraged in the Polar Front zone, and showed particular overlap in the region around 140°E. Short-tailed shearwaters …

Understanding The M-Form Hypothesis, Matthew J. Holian

Faculty Publications

The theory of the firm deserves to play a prominent role in both the undergraduate and graduate industrial organization curriculum, both because of the vast amount of attention that has been paid to this area over the last four decades, as well as its practical relevance for strategy and antitrust. This lecture briefly presents some background on the theory of the firm in general, and the M-form Hypothesis in particular. The M-form Hypothesis is an important theory of firm structure, developed by Chandler (1962) and Williamson (1975). A mathematical model, discussion section and accompanying lecture slides illustrate the concepts necessary …

Food Phone Application, Shengyu Li

Master's Projects

This project is about implementing a food menu application for users to search and upload food information by using a mobile phone. People sometimes may just know what food they wish to eat instead of the restaurants' name. Without knowing any restaurants' names, our food application's search only requires the name of the dish (e.g., hamburger, spaghetti, etc) in order to get the list of restaurants that serve these items and their corresponding information (e.g., location, hours, phone number, item's price, etc.). An advantage of using my food application is the system not only includes Google Map, but any information …

How Smart Is Your Android Smartphone?, Deepika Mulani

Master's Projects

Smart phones are ubiquitous today. These phones generally have access to sensitive personal information and, consequently, they are a prime target for attackers. A virus or worm that spreads over the network to cell phone users could be particularly damaging. Due to a rising demand for secure mobile phones, manufacturers have increased their emphasis on mobile security. In this project, we address some security issues relevant to the current Android smartphone framework. Specifically, we demonstrate an exploit that targets the Android telephony service. In addition, as a defense against the loss of personal information, we provide a means to encrypt …

Exhaustive Statistical Analysis For Detection Of Metamorphic Malware, Aditya Govindaraju

Master's Projects

Malware is a serious threat to the security of the system. With the widespread use of the World Wide Web, there has been a tremendous increase in virus attacks, making computer security an essential for every personal computer. The rat-race between virus writers and detectors has led to improved viruses and detection techniques. In recent years, metamorphic malwares have posed serious challenge to anti-virus writers. Current signature based detection techniques, heuristic based techniques are not comprehensive solutions. A formidable solution to detection of metamorphic malware is void. This paper investigates the problem of malware detection, specifically metamorphic malwares. The paper …

Geometrical Structure And Analysis Of Association Rule, Rajat Sar

Master's Projects

Association rule mining helps us to identify the association between items from a large transactional data set. It has always been a time consuming process because of repeatedly scanning of the data set. Apriori Algorithm [1] and FP-Tree Algorithm [2] are the two methods to find out the association of items in a large transactional item set. Both the above algorithm works differently (Apriori follows Bottom-Up Approach & FP-Tree follows Top-Down Approach) in order to get the association. Associations of items generated from the above two algorithms can be represented in geometry. The geometrical form of associations is called Simplical …

Approximate Disassembly, Dhivyakrishnan Radhakrishnan

Master's Projects

For the past two decades, computer viruses have been a constant security threat. A computer virus is a type of malware that may damage computer systems by destroying data, crashing the system, or through other malicious activity. Among the different types of viruses, metamorphic viruses are one of the most difficult to detect since such viruses change their internal structures with each mutation, making signature-based detection infeasible. Many construction kits are available that can be used to easily generate metamorphic strains of any given virus. Previous work has shown that metamorphic viruses are detectable using Hidden Markov Models (HMM). In …

Geometrical Structure And Analysis Of Association Rules, Sar Rajat

Master's Projects

Association rule mining helps us to identify the association between items from a large transactional data set. It has always been a time consuming process because of repeatedly scanning of the data set. Apriori Algorithm [1] and FP-Tree Algorithm [2] are the two methods to find out the association of items in a large transactional item set. Both the above algorithm works differently (Apriori follows Bottom-Up Approach & FP-Tree follows Top-Down Approach) in order to get the association. Associations of items generated from the above two algorithms can be represented in geometry. The geometrical form of associations is called Simplical …

Detecting Undetectable Computer Viruses, Sujandharan Venkatachalam

Master's Projects

Signature-based detection relies on patterns present in viruses and provides a relatively simple and efficient method for detecting known viruses. At present, most anti-virus systems rely primarily on signature detection. Metamorphic viruses are one of the most difficult types of viruses to detect. Such viruses change their internal structure, which provides an effective means of evading signature detection. Previous work has provided a rigorous proof that a fairly simple metamorphic engine can generate viruses that will evade any signature-based detection. In this project, we first implement a metamorphic engine that is provably undetectable—in the sense of signature-based detection. We then …

Security In Peer-To-Peer Sip Voip, Richa Marwaha

Master's Projects

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is one of the fastest growing technologies in the world. It is used by people all over the world for communication. But with the growing popularity of internet, security is one of the biggest concerns. It is important that the intruders are not able to sniff the packets that are transmitted over the internet through VoIP. Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is the most popular and commonly used protocol of VoIP. Now days, companies like Skype are using Peer-to-Peer SIP VoIP for faster and better performance. Through this project I am improving an already existing Peer-to-Peer …

Auto-Generation Of Use Case Controllers, Pushkar Marathe

Master's Projects

The thesis is based on the concept of generating machine executable code from UML diagrams. There has been some research done on the same topic but it is mainly focused on class diagrams. My main focus will be on the use case diagrams, and sequence diagrams. Sequence diagrams give us the details of any process in a step-by-step fashion which makes it easier to extract the required information regarding the use cases and the controllers which help us generate the code. The process follows three steps, first being generation of UML diagrams. Secondly, these are converted into XMI (XML Metadata …

Document Builder, Thien Tran

Master's Projects

In this paper, we consider problems related to on-demand content publishing and maintenance. Specifically, we are concerned with the recent concept of structural Content Management Systems (CMS) and its design principles. We focus on Apache Ant, a popular document generator tool for the Java development industry. However, Ant has not been widely extended beyond its capacity to deal with computer programs, which limits its utility. We analyze the Ant build script structure, study its usage, and implement an on-demand document generator for Ant. The focus is to provide a better document build model based on Ant, which can provide document …

Learning Statistics Using Concept Maps: Effects On Anxiety And Performance, Patrick Francis Cravalho

Master's Theses

The aim of this thesis was to study the use of concept mapping in an

undergraduate statistics course in order to examine the effects on statistics anxiety and

academic performance by means of a two-group quasi-experimental design. Two

undergraduate statistics classes were recruited for this study with one serving as the

treatment (concept map) group and one serving as the control (standard instruction)

group. It was hypothesized that the use of concept mapping would decrease the statistics

anxiety and improve the academic performance of students in the concept map group

when compared with the control group. The statistics anxiety of …

Modeling Particle Transport Distances As A Function Of Slope And Surface Roughness, Morgan K. Mendoza

Master's Theses

Significant effort has been put into modeling the evolution of hillslope profiles through time. The models use a continuum approach and are commonly deterministic. Early models assumed a linear relationship between hillslope angle and sediment flux. This relationship produces hillslope profiles that increase in steepness from crest to base. However, hillslopes observed in the field are commonly planar downslope of their convex crests. Recently, non-linear sediment transport equations have been developed that produce hillslope profiles closer to those which are observed in nature, yet the mid-slope sections are not entirely planar. Currently, there is interest in using a non-deterministic approach …

Partition Noise Extraction Using Tcad Simulations, Carol Cui Lan Lin

Master's Theses

As Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technology scales down,

partition noise may start to play a bigger role in reducing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)

in sample-and-hold circuits and other capacitive sensing circuits that reset the voltage

across a capacitor. Previous studies on partition noise lack a reliable and accurate

measurement method to quantify partition noise. In our study, we have developed a

method using Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) simulations to estimate

partition noise. Through simulation, we determined the transistor dimensions and sense

capacitance required to measure partition noise. Furthermore, we designed a test circuit

based on our simulation results …

An Iterated Forcing Extension In Which All Aleph-1 Dense Sets Of Reals Are Isomorphic, Michael Haig Vartanian

Master's Theses

If κ is an infinite cardinal, then a subset X of the reals R is called κ-dense if between any a < b, both in R, there are exactly κ elements of X. In these terms, a famous result of Cantor says that in every model of set theory all aleph-0-dense sets of reals are isomorphic (to the rationals, Q). This result cannot be directly extended, however, since for κ =aleph-1 there exist models of set theory in which not all aleph-1-dense sets are isomorphic. On the other hand, Baumgartner has shown by the method of iterated forcing that assuming the consistency of set theory, there does exist at least one model of set theory in which all aleph-1-dense subsets are isomorphic. We present here a detailed, yet expository, account of Baumgartner's result and discuss its relevance to the Proper Forcing Axiom of contemporary set theory.

Use Of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis With Fuzzy Measures In Historical Gis, Jeanne Marie Jones

Master's Theses

Geographic information systems (GIS) can enhance historical research by providing tools to explore the spatial relationships of locations in historical sources. However, no widespread methods currently exist for translating vaguely defined historical spatial information into GIS data formats and producing a location estimate. Other GIS techniques do exist that can model the necessary process. Multi-criteria decision analysis with fuzzy measures can be applied to vague historical records to approximate location. The Wieslander Vegetation Type Map dataset is used to demonstrate the model effectiveness. Results show that this technique successfully translated written descriptions of location into raster, or grid-based, surfaces within …

Inelastic Analysis Of Steel Moment Resisting Frames In Light-Framed Wood Buildings, Matthew Knutsen

Master's Theses

A preliminary quantitative analysis of steel moment resisting frames as the lateral force-resisting system for light-framed wood buildings was completed to identify issues requiring more advanced study. A two-story prototype building was evaluated. The lateral force-resisting system of the building contains intermediate steel moment frames with reduced beam section (RBS) connections, wood glulam collectors, and wood structural sheathing diaphragms. Building configuration and cross-sectional properties were assumed based on visual observation and typical design standards for local construction. A simplified pushover analysis and a traditional nonlinear pushover analysis were performed on the typical moment frame. It was determined that a total …

Applications Of Boundary Value Problems, Annie Nguyen

Master's Theses

In this thesis, we solved the Saint-Venant's torsion problem for beams with different cross sections bounded by simple closed curves using various methods. In addition, we solved the flexure problem of beams with certain curvilinear cross sections. The first method was derived by Bassali and Obaid. We focused on cross sections bounded by hyperbolas, circular groves, lemniscate of Booth, and sectorial cross sections. The second method used Tchebycheff polynomials to solve the torsion problem corresponding to the circle and ellipse. The third method used conformal mapping to derive the solution of different cross sections bounded by curvilinear edges. The flexure …

Denoising Of Natural Images Using The Wavelet Transform, Manish Kumar Singh

Master's Theses

A new denoising algorithm based on the Haar wavelet transform is proposed. The methodology is based on an algorithm initially developed for image compression using the Tetrolet transform. The Tetrolet transform is an adaptive Haar wavelet transform whose support is tetrominoes, that is, shapes made by connecting four equal sized squares. The proposed algorithm improves denoising performance measured in peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) by 1-2.5 dB over the Haar wavelet transform for images corrupted by additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) assuming universal hard thresholding. The algorithm is local and works independently on each 4x4 block of the image. It performs …

Metamorphic Viruses With Built-In Buffer Overflow, Ronak Shah

Master's Projects

Metamorphic computer viruses change their structure—and thereby their signature—each time they infect a system. Metamorphic viruses are potentially one of the most dangerous types of computer viruses because they are difficult to detect using signature-based methods. Most anti-virus software today is based on signature detection techniques. In this project, we create and analyze a metamorphic virus toolkit which creates viruses with a built-in buffer overflow. The buffer overflow serves to obfuscate the entry point of the actual virus, thereby making detection more challenging. We show that the resulting viruses successfully evade detection by commercial virus scanners. Several modern operating systems …

Wisenetor: A Scalable Wireless Sensor Network Simulator, Gauri Krishna Gokhale

Master's Projects

WiSeNetor is a teaching and a research tool that simulates a scalable wireless sensor network on a single computer, based on the “Spamulator” (Aycock, J., Crawford, H., & deGraaf, R., 2008) which simulates the Internet on a single computer. Routing protocols and network discovery algorithms used in mesh networks and cluster tree networks can be demonstrated using this tool. WiSeNetor contains a network creation module, simulated network devices and it simulates routing algorithms. The network creation module spawns a network according to user specified network type, where the type can be a cluster tree or mesh. In this process, neighbor …

A Framework For Active Learning: Revisited, Yue Chen

Master's Projects

Over the past decade, algorithm visualization tools have been researched and developed to be used by Computer Science instructors to ease students’ learning curve for new concepts. However, limitations such as rigid animation frameworks, lack of user interaction with the visualization created, and learning a new language and environment, have severely reduced instructors’ desire to use such a tool. The purpose of this project is to create a tool that overcomes these limitations. Instructors do not have to get familiar with a new framework and learn another language. The API used to create algorithm animation for this project is through …

Bookmarklet Builder For Offline Data Retrieval, Sheetal Naidu

Master's Projects

Bookmarklet Builder for Offline Data Retrieval is a computer application which will allow users to view websites even when they are offline. It can be stored as a URL of a bookmark in the browser. Bookmarklets exist for storing single web pages in hand-held devices and these web pages are stored as PDF files. In this project we have developed a tool that can save entire web page applications as bookmarklets. This will enable users to use these applications even when they are not connected to the Internet. The main technology beyond Javascript used to achieve this is the data: …

Improved Software Activation Using Multithreading, Jian Rui Zhang

Master's Projects

Software activation is an anti-piracy technology designed to verify that software products have been legitimately licensed [1]. It is supposed to be quick and simple while simultaneously protecting customer privacy. The most common form of software activation is through the entering of legitimate product serial numbers by users, which sometimes are also known as product keys. This technique is employed by various software, from small shareware programs to large commercial programs such as Microsoft Office. However, software activation based on a serial number appears to be weak, as various cracks for a majority of programs are available and can be …

Charge Injection And Clock Feedthrough, Jonathan Yu

Master's Theses

Turning off a transistor introduces an error voltage in switched-capacitor circuits. Circuits such as analog-to-digital converters (ADC), digital-to-analog converters (DAC), and CMOS image sensor pixels are limited in performance due to the effects known as charge injection and clock feedthrough. Charge injection occurs in a switched-capacitor circuit when the transistor turns off and disperses channel charge into the source and drain. The source, which is the sampling capacitor, experiences an error in the sampled voltage due to the incoming channel charge. Simultaneously, the coupling due to gate-source overlap capacitance also contributes to the total error voltage, which is known as …

Numerical Simulation Of Capsule Dissolution In The Usp Apparatus Ii, Jasmine Han

Master's Theses

The capsule is the second most common type of drug dosage form, yet detailed research of capsule dissolution in the USP Apparatus II (a paddle dissolution apparatus that mimics the drug dissolution process in an in vivo environment) is not well reported. In this work, a mathematical model was developed that incorporates both the dissolution of the capsule shell and the slug within the capsule shell. Capsule shell dissolution was modeled with the assumption that the shell undergoes an erosion process only. The capsule slug dissolution model incorporated mass transfer principles, Markov chain theory, and the influence of hydrodynamics on …

Emissions And Impacts From Prescribed Fire In A Longleaf Pine Ecosystem, Scott James Strenfel

Master's Theses

Prescribed fire is a frequently utilized land-management tool in the Southeastern US. In this study, effects of seasonal-related variations and of turbulence generation on emissions and impacts from prescribed fires were evaluated. High frequency in situ data were obtained from three summer (July 2008) and three winter (January 2009) fires within the active burn perimeter and downwind by use of a 10 m instrumented tower and 2 m tripod, respectively. Two cases were selected to evaluate the performance of the EPA-approved short-range regulatory dispersion model, AERMOD, for prescribed fire applications.

Results showed that summer fuels were much greener than winter …

Elliptic Curves And Cryptography, Senorina Ramos Vazquez

Master's Theses

In this expository thesis we study elliptic curves and their role in cryptography. In doing so we examine an intersection of linear algebra, abstract algebra, number theory, and algebraic geometry, all of which combined provide the necessary background. First we present background information on rings, fields, groups, group actions, and linear algebra. Then we delve into the structure and classification of finite fields as well as construction of finite fields and computation in finite fields. We next explore logarithms in finite fields and introduce the Diffie-Hellman key exchange system. Subsequently, we take a look at the projective and affine planes …

Automatic Grading Of Programming Assignments, Ashlesha Patil

Master's Projects

Solving practical problems is one of the important aspects of learning programming languages. But the assessment of programming problems is not straightforward. It involves time consuming and tedious steps required to compile and test the solution. In this project, I have developed a online tool, Javabrat that allows the students and language learners to practice Java and Scala problems. Javabrat automatically assesses the user's program and provides the instant feedback to the user. The users can also contribute their own programming problems to the existing problem set. I have also developed a plugin for a learning management system, Moodle. This …