Digital Commons Network^™

Cyber-Attack Detection In Network Traffic Using Machine Learning, Khalid Almulla

Theses

Rapid shifting by government sectors and companies to provide their services and products over the internet, has immensely increased internet usage by individuals. Through extranets to network services or corporate networks used for personal purposes, computer hackers can lead to financial losses and manpower/time consumption. Therefore, it is vital to take all necessary measures to minimize losses by detecting attacks preemptively. Due to learning algorithms in cyberspace security challenges, deep learning-based cyber defense has lately become a hot topic. Penetration testing, malware categorization and identification, spam filtering, and spoofing detection are just a few of the key concerns in cyber …

Policy Recommendations For Concussion Recovery: Using Evidence Based Data For A Safe Return To Learn In Student-Athletes, Maya Vanderhorst

Theses

The return of concussed students and student-athletes to the classroom is commonly referred to as return-to-learn (RTL). RTL, however, is often overshadowed by returning a student-athlete back to athletic competition (return-to-play), with few recommendations and studies evaluating the effect of improper management of recovery from a concussion in an academic setting. Therefore, the research proposed here aims to track how symptom severity, student behaviors, and oculomotor performance formulate our ability to prognosticate how a student will respond to academic stimuli post-injury. This will be achieved by longitudinally tracking student-athletes as they recover from concussion, using a repeated measures design to …

Another Cookie, Amanda Kopacz

Theses

Another Cookie is an animated 3D graduate thesis film. It is based on a personal story about a girl who loses her grandfather and learning to live with the lessons he left behind. She has help overcoming this grief from a spirit that represents the humor and happiness of the relationship between the girl and her grandfather. Cookies are at the heart of this story. In the film, there is a plate of cookies at the end of a table full of baking items. Two characters start taking cookies from the plate. A girl and her grandpa are holding a …

Learning To See And Hear In 3d: Virtual Reality As A Platform For Multisensory Perceptual Learning, Catherine A. Fromm

Theses

Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology which allows for the presentation of immersive and realistic yet tightly controlled audiovisual scenes. In comparison to conventional displays, the VR system can include depth, 3D audio, fully integrated eye, head, and hand tracking, all over a much larger field of view than a desktop monitor provides. These properties demonstrate great potential for use in vision science experiments, especially those that can benefit from more naturalistic stimuli, particularly in the case of visual rehabilitation. Prior work using conventional displays has demonstrated that that visual loss due to stroke can be partially rehabilitated through …

Address Obfuscation To Protect Against Hardware Trojans In Network-On-Chips, Thomas Mountford

Theses

Interconnection networks for multi/many-core processors or server systems are the backbone of the system as they enable data communication among the processing cores, caches, memory, and other peripherals. Given the criticality of the interconnects, the system can be severely subverted if the interconnection is compromised. The threat of Hardware Trojans (HTs) penetrating complex hardware systems such as multi/many-core processors are increasing due to the increasing presence of third-party players in a System-on-chip (SoC) design. Even by deploying native HTs, an adversary can exploit the Network-on-Chip (NoC) backbone of the processor and get access to communication patterns in the system. This …

Identifying Prospective Clients For Long-Term Bank Deposit, Mohamed Al Hammadi

Theses

The numerous characteristics of customers are often kept in bank databases, which are utilized to understand who they are. But it has been found in recent years that utilizing different Data Mining and Feature Selection (PCA) methods, customer traits and other factors connected to bank services have a big influence on consumers' decisions. Business analytics is an approach to conducting business that uses transactional data from an organization to acquire knowledge of how business operations can be enhanced by employing data mining methods to determine existing patterns that a firm can incorporate to generate significant data-driven choices to choose significant …

Predicting Failure Rate Of Oil & Gas Equipment Using Ml, Shaima Alblooshi

Theses

Value of time has become an important perspective in business application ranging from day to day working to big businesses. The value of time is more important in the case of refinery business which has become of paramount importance with increasing energy needs. The main point of contention in refinery operations is the periodic maintenance of the pipelines which consumes of valuable time and resources. With a proper solution which can cater the time requirements of the lead time. The fact is that time consumption is extremely critical for the operations of refinery. Therefore, the application of machine learning is …

"Can You Please Turn Your Cameras On?" Communication Apprehension And Teleconferencing, Emily James Mcindoe

Theses

With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a multitude of normalities in individuals' lives had to change to continue moving forward. The world began to embrace new technologies that allowed individuals to be connected while physically apart. One of the most embraced technologies was teleconferencing. Teleconferencing is not a new technology with the first primitive form being created in 1968, however, it was not until the world had to embrace teleconferencing during the COVID-19 pandemic did the technologies became a common part of everyday life. The term Zoom is now synonymous with video chatting and conferencing becoming a part of …

Predicting & Optimizing Airlines Customer Satisfaction Using Classification, Mhd Ridwan Alhabbal

Theses

This research is going to be a machine learning project that aims to study the various factors that may play a role in forming customer satisfaction response and tries to figure out which attributes or combination of them are the driver of positive customer satisfaction. The research is going to use initially some dataset from Kaggle (explained in the section of data source) in order to run machine learning algorithms and creating a predictor that would help airlines in predicting which customers are satisfied and trying to have a proactive reaction in case of negative feedback, so we can make …

Light Scattering Study Of An Important Eye Lens Protein: Beta Crystallin, Malcolm F. Larose

Theses

Light scattering experiments were performed on bovine βH crystallin, an important protein component of the mammalian eye lens. Light scattering results are compared to simplified models for the free energy of mixing of β crystallins with water. The static light scattering data are well-represented by hard convex body equations of state having dimensionless non-sphericity coefficients of close to 2, compatible with prolate spherocylinders, and weight-average molecular weights ranging between 2−5×105 g/mole. Additionally, quasi-elastic light scattering data was obtained which shows that βH has a hydrodynamic radius near 7.3 nm. These experiments extend light scattering work on β crystallins well into …

The Role Social Media Influencers Play In A Company's Brand, Taylor Todi

Theses

Influencer marketing is a tactic that many companies have had to integrate into their businesses to better communicate with consumers. The purpose of this research is to analyze the role influencer marketing plays in a company's brand. This study assesses the way consumers build trust and relationships with companies through the help of influencers. There are many variables that come into play, for example, emotional attachment, authenticity, and loyalty are just three that have been measured in previous studies. These same variables are used in this research to see if they can also apply to a company that uses influencers …

Electrolyte Loss And Voltage Degradation Of Ht-Pem Fuel Cells Operated At 200oc., Jared Oscar Leader

Theses

As the world transitions toward a more sustainable energy future, it becomes clear that fuel cells will play a role in the global sustainable energy infrastructure. Of the many types of fuel cells, high temperature proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells operating in the range of 120-200oC are particularly interesting as they offer several advantages over low temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Most notably high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells exhibit increased tolerance to fuel impurities and simplified water management system requirements. These advantages are offset by a significantly shortened operational lifespan which makes high temperature proton exchange …

Understanding Customer Purchasing Decisions Using Rfm And Machine Learning, Majed Alfalasi

Theses

In this report, we plan to use commonly available datasets from Kaggle (PATEL, 2021), which is basically customer’s records collected from a grocery firm’s database. In the course of the reporting process, we would be implementing RFM analysis (Correia, 2016) to be able to segment customers based on their buying patterns. This would help us understand the types of customers based on their historical purchase behaviour. Once that is done, we will also use classification models to be able to factor in the segmented customers and then target the customers with high potential or propensity to accept marketing offers. These …

Protectbot: A Chatbot To Protect Children On Gaming Platforms, Anum Faraz

Theses

Online gaming no longer has limited access, as it has become available to a high percentage of children in recent years. Consequently, children are exposed to multifaceted threats, such as cyberbullying, grooming, and sexting. The online gaming industry is taking concerted measures to create a safe environment for children to play and interact with, such efforts remain inadequate and fragmented. Different approaches utilizing machine learning (ML) techniques to detect child predatory behavior have been designed to provide potential detection and protection in this context. After analyzing the available AI tools and solutions it was observed that the available solutions are …

Effective Academic Advising Strategy In Higher Education Using Machine Learning, Reem Abuzayeda

Theses

Covid-19 pandemic has caused many obstacles to higher education students, especially students with academic, financial, and family disadvantages. Moreover, Covid-19 has caused negative impacts on enrollment of junior students and students’ academic goals, which has led to a higher rate of dropouts worldwide.

University enrollment is a complex process for students and families, and the decision to drop out is overwhelming to both. Many factors might cause the dropout, but the most important factors that might affect this decision are financial factors and academic standing. Higher education institutions can boost their academic advising plans, through the use of their strategic …

Progressing Suas-Based Remote Sensing Data Collection Automation: Performance Analysis Of The At-Altitude Radiance Ratio Method For Reflectance Conversion Of Multispectral And Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Data, Luke J.R. Decoffe

Theses

In remote sensing, the conversion of at-sensor radiance to surface reflectance for each pixel in a scene, canonically known as reflectance conversion, is an essential component of many diagnostic analysis tasks. This process is crucial to the production of accurate information for a variety of applications, notably precision agriculture. The empirical line method (ELM) is the most used technique among remote sensing practitioners due to its reliability and production of accurate reflectance measurements. However, the at-altitude radiance ratio (AARR), a more recently researched method, is attractive as it allows reflectance conversion to be carried out in real time throughout data …

Axisymmetric Soft Elastohydrodynamic Squeeze Films: Parametric Studies, Eli Heisey

Theses

Theoretical and experimental studies of hydrodynamically lubricated bearings with a soft, compliant surface have shown advantages over conventionally rigid bearings. These bearings operate in the isoviscous, elastohydrodynamic regime of thin film lubrication with low film pressures and relatively large surface deflections. They exhibit less sensitivity to misalignment, particulates in the lubricant, and low levels of lubricant, making them very attractive for bearing designers. However, there is very little published work, either experimental or theoretical, to describe the squeeze-film lubrication behavior of a bearing with a compliant layer. This thesis utilizes a Nodal Inverse Hydrodynamic computation approach to calculate the behavior …

The Effects Of Floral And Social Information On Bumblebee Forager Learning And Memory, Avery Hume Baker

Theses

Bumblebees rely on information gathered from their environment to make the best choices they can when foraging for pollen and nectar. The type of information gathered should influence how a bee learns and remembers it, but other factors such as the size of the bee’s brain may also play a role in the learning and remembering process. While social information learned from other organisms and information gathered directly from flowers can each be used alone to improve both the efficiency with which a bee learns to forage from a flower and how accurately and how long the bee remembers these …

Whole Genome Duplication Analysis Of The Invasive Lonicera Maackii (Amur Honeysuckle), Gaochan Wang

Theses

Invasive Lonicera maackii (L. maackii) is one of the highly successful and problematic bush honeysuckles found in the central and eastern of United States of America, which has been reported to pose a threat to native ecosystems by decreasing biodiversity. The mechanism by which L. maackii negatively impact environments is typically through either the direct effect of increased dominance or the indirect effect of territory modification. Numerous studies have documented the negative effects of L. maackii on native biota and the key traits such as seed dispersal, phenology, resistance to herbivory, rapid growth and environmental plasticity that contribute to invasion …

Taxonomic Revision And Morphometric Analysis Of Selected Anthurium (Araceae) Species From Bolivia And Peru, Daniel M. Tarazona Ocana

Theses

The genus Anthurium (Araceae) consists of around 1,200 species distributed in the Neotropics, particularly in Central and South America. The montane forests in the eastern flank of the Andes, ranging from northern Ecuador to central Bolivia; hereafter, the East Andes Gradient region, are particularly rich in terms of species diversity, and include an understudied group of Anthurium species endemic to the region. Within this group of species, some taxa are difficult to distinguish from each other mainly due to the lack of identification keys, incomplete species descriptions and unknown synonyms. In this study, a combination of traditional taxonomic techniques and …

Robot-Assisted Radical Prostatectomy: What To Expect For Your Surgery?, Julia Lunavictoria

Theses

Prostate cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, affecting over 191,930 men, with an estimated 34,500 deaths for 2022 in the United States (NIH, 2022). As men age, the risk for prostate cancer increases; about 34% of all men diagnosed with prostate cancer are above the age of 50, and a staggering 70% are over the age of 80. Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is a minimally invasive surgical procedure used to treat clinically localized prostate cancer. In some cases, hydrodissection is used in nerve-sparing surgeries, protecting the neurovascular bundle and ensuring a higher chance of potency for …

Analysis Of The Relationship Between Ieq And Energy Consumption In Uae University Building: Impact Of Thermal And Lighting Comfort On Energy Usage, Salama Abdulla Al Ghaithi

Theses

The Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ) of buildings becomes increasingly critical as people spend more than 90% of their time inside buildings based on the National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS) (Klepeis et al., 2001). The quality of the indoor environment in a building has been shown to have a significant impact on users' productivity and energy consumption. Further, if tenants are working in a comfortable indoor environment, absenteeism rates and incidental expenses, such as medical expenses, will be reduced. For instance, a comfortable workplace increases productivity by 10-15% and reduces absenteeism by 2.5% (Leyten & Boerstra, 2003). According to the …

Piezoelectric Enhanced Noninvasive Laser-Based Detection Of Multiple Vital Signs, Ahmed Saeed Dabi

Theses

In this study, a method for concurrent measurement of heart rate (HR) respiration rate (RR) and blood pressure (BP) using movements of the chest wall is proposed. Unlike conventional approaches that use only laser, in this approach a laser source is used to collect the piezoelectric sensor output without the need for probing. The chest wall movements are transduced using an optical ODSL 8 sensor and a piezoelectric taped to the patient’s chest. Measurement data is used for development of algorithms for estimation of HR, RR and BP. Next measurements are taken while the subjects are breathing and holding their …

Modified Titani Derived From Ti – Oxo Clusters: Synthesis, Structure, And Photocatalytic Activity, Fatmah Rashed Ali Alkindi

Theses

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂), an important semiconductor, has been used in various applications ranging from sunblock additives to self-cleaning window coatings, antibacterial agents, photovoltaics, and photocatalysis. Due to its photostability, TiO₂ is an extensively used semiconductor photocatalyst in many industries. This thesis represents the synthesis, structure, and photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ (Anatase) photocatalyst, which was prepared using hexanuclear titanium-oxo cluster precursor via temperature-controlled calcination. The optical property of the prepared photocatalyst was investigated using UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) for phase determination, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for morphology and structural analysis, Brunauer−Emmett−Teller …

Addictive Social Media Use: Examination Of The Psychometric Properties Of The Arabic Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale And The Mediational Role Of Sense Of Control In The Relationship Between Depression And Social Media Addiction, Louis J. Fourie

Theses

The period of COVID-19 has proven to be a turbulent period where extreme psychological trends can be examined due to lockdown procedures, social isolation, and public fear. The use of technology such as social media has increased with research highlighting the harm of overuse. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the psychometric properties of an Arabic translated version of the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) to assess for addictive social media use. Secondly, the study further examines the association between depression, social media addiction, and an individual’s sense of control. Specifically, the potential mediational role of …

Neural Network Based Reactive Control Of Point Absorber Wave Energy Converters, Abdelmoamen Ali Nasser

Theses

The main objective of this work is to develop a neural-network-based Reactive Control (RC) system for wave energy converters. The ability to maximize the power output of WEC while maintaining operation constraints, which can be physical or thermal, is crucial to the development of deployable control strategies. Having a control method that is robust, which means it handles uncertainty and noise very well, is one of the main performance criteria in evaluating the method. Therefore, this work starts by deriving an averaged WEC model to be simulated in MATLAB/Simulink. Additionally, the concepts of resistive loading control and reactive control (approximate …

Investigating The Factors Impacting School Leadership’S Feedback And Feedforward Receptivity And Learning As Perceived By The Emirates Schools Establishment Staff, Hesham Rashad Badawy

Theses

This thesis is concerned with “Investigating the Factors Impacting School Leadership’s Feedback and Feedforward Receptivity and Learning as Perceived by the Emirates Schools Establishment Staff”. The study aims to identify if there is any existing interplay between the four domains: mindset, feedback orientation, feedback environment, and learning climate and how they impact feedback receptivity and learning. The study utilizes an explanatory sequential mixed research method. The rigorous quantitative data from the 5-point Likert scale survey was used as a basis for the semi-structured interview discussions after calculating the scores for each domain and staff member. The findings of the first …

Design Of Low-Cost Power Quality And Energy Monitoring System For Low Voltage Distribution Network, Rami Moustafa Mohyeldeen

Theses

The constant increase of non-linear loads and the future high integration of renewable energy sources in the power grid make power quality monitoring systems crucial to maintain maximum efficiency and reliability. However, the current devices for power quality monitoring are costly, limiting PQ monitoring systems' usage to specific applications and for a particular time. This thesis aims to present a design and the implementation of a low-cost power quality monitoring system using a single-board computer (Raspberry Pi) and highly accurate multiphase power quality monitoring ADE9000 IC. The proposed PQM system is configured to work remotely through either a wireless connection …

Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Fresh Vegetable Products: Potential Probiotic And Postbiotic Characteristics Including Immunomodulatory Effects, Fatima Khaled Alameri

Theses

The ability to perform effectively in the gastrointestinal system (GIT) is one of the most significant criteria for selecting the best probiotic bacteria. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the potential probiotic characteristics of some selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from vegetable products. Probiotic characteristics included tolerance to acid and bile, cholesterol removing ability, bile salt hydrolysis, resistance against lysozyme and antibiotics, production of exopolysaccharides (EPS), antimicrobial and hemolytic activities, and cell surface characteristics (auto-aggregation, co-aggregation, and hydrophobicity). Out of 46 isolates, 17 isolates that exhibited remarkable survivability under gastrointestinal conditions were selected for further analysis. Almost all …

رجوع محاكم النقض عن أحكامھا, لیلى غریب حمید الشامسي

Theses

The UAE Court of Cassation, like other courts of cassation in comparative judicial systems, has adopted the Judicial recourse system in some cases in order to avoid the procedural errors that occurred in it which affected the decision or judgment issued by it for no reason whatsoever to the will of the convict. For the first time in the UAE legislation, the system of recourse has been codified by the issuance of Decree Law No. 15 of 2021 amending some provisions of the Civil Procedures Law promulgated by Federal Law No. 11 of 1992 and published in the Official Gazette …