Digital Commons Network^™

Murine Flexor Tendon Repair Model With Noninvasive Assessment Of Healing With Ultrasound, Fei Rost

Theses

Flexor tendon injuries in the hands are relatively common, significantly disabling more than 100,000 people in the United States per year (Nichols 2019). The majority of flexor tendon injuries require surgical repair, but despite the advancement of technology and medicine, current treatments still yield poor outcomes. Even with prevailing treatments to improve or restore function to the affected digit(s), patients often suffer psychologically and financially in the long-term. A recent study gave a conservative estimate that flexor tendon lacerations cost the American healthcare system and taxpayers between US $240.8-409.1 million per year and emphasized the need to “focus our efforts …

Measuring The Population Properties Of Merging Compact Binaries With Gravitational Wave Observations, Daniel Wysocki

Theses

Since the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) made the first direct detection of gravitational waves in 2015, the era of gravitational wave astronomy has begun. LIGO and its counterpart Virgo are detecting an ever-growing sample of merging compact binaries: binary black holes, binary neutron stars, and neutron star--black hole binaries. Each individual detection can be compared against simulated signals with known properties, in order to measure the binary's properties. In order to understand the sample of detections as a whole, however, ensemble methods are needed.

The properties measured from these binary systems have large measurement errors, and the sensitivity of …

Point Completion Networks And Segmentation Of 3d Mesh, Naga Durga Harish Kanamarlapudi

Theses

Deep learning has made many advancements in fields such as computer vision, natural language processing and speech processing. In autonomous driving, deep learning has made great improvements pertaining to the tasks of lane detection, steering estimation, throttle control, depth estimation, 2D and 3D object detection, object segmentation and object tracking. Understanding the 3D world is necessary for safe end-to-end self-driving. 3D point clouds provide rich 3D information, but processing point clouds is difficult since point clouds are irregular and unordered. Neural point processing methods like GraphCNN and PointNet operate on individual points for accurate classification and segmentation results. Occlusion of …

Query-Driven Global Graph Attention Model For Visual Parsing: Recognizing Handwritten And Typeset Math Formulas, Mahshad Mahdavi

Theses

We present a new visual parsing method based on standard Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) for handwritten and typeset mathematical formulas. The Query-Driven Global Graph Attention (QD-GGA) parser employs multi-task learning, using a single feature representation for locating, classifying, and relating symbols. QD-GGA parses formulas by first constructing a Line-Of-Sight (LOS) graph over the input primitives (e.g handwritten strokes or connected components in images). Second, class distributions for LOS nodes and edges are obtained using query-specific feature filters (i.e., attention) in a single feed-forward pass. This allows end-to-end structure learning using a joint loss over primitive node and edge class distributions. …

A Ux Design Project For A Transparent News Platform, Keni Wu

Theses

In recent years, fake news has been dominating real news on the Internet. It misleads the public, stirs up and intensifies social conflicts. Online news readers crave the truth than ever. However, it is difficult for them to identify fake news from massive information on the Internet. This paper seeks to help online news readers make more informed and confident judgments on fact-checking by building a transparent news platform. This platform collaborates with news publishers to provide evidence and publish news articles on the desktop software. It also includes a news website which creates an engaging and understandable experience for …

Smarter Simulation Placement Of Kilonova Light Curve Models For Computationally Inexpensive Surrogate Model Creation, Marko Ristic

Theses

The first detected binary neutron star merger GW170817 allowed for the simultaneous detection of gravitational and electromagnetic waves which started the era of multi-messenger astrophysics. The existence of an electromagnetic counterpart to a compact object merger allowed for a significantly deeper analysis of the merger event and much tighter resultant constraints on existing physical models of neutron stars, nuclear physics, and the Universe itself.

Multi-messenger analysis requires sophisticated source modeling. For the foreseeable future, demanding computational resource costs will result in a sparse availability of state-of-the-art neutron star merger light curve simulations. Astrophysical inference can proceed using an alternate approach …

An Ar Safety Instruction App Designed For Kids, Shaowei Leng

Theses

Safety is very important for little kids. Our children could be harmed by various kinds of danger. According to the statistics, among those 0 to 19 years of age, more than 12,000 people die from unintentional injuries . Meanwhile, more than 9.2 million of them are treated in emergency departments for nonfatal injuries .

There are few lessons which could teach kids about what can do with the surroundings and what they could not do. Few kids know when facing threats, how to fix it.

In this paper, a safety instruction app is designed for kids. The app could help …

Art As Alchemy: The Meaning Of Bartholomeus Spranger's Hermaphroditus And The Nymph Salmacis And Scylla And Glaucus, Peter Kos

Theses

The subject of this study is two paintings by Bartholomeus Spranger titled Glaucus and Scylla (Fig. 1) and Hermaphroditus and the Nymph Salmacis (Fig. 2). Building upon the work of scholars who have argued for a possible alchemical interpretation of at least one of the paintings in the context of its execution for Emperor Rudolf II, this study goes beyond merely suggesting an alchemical connection, and argues that the two paintings, forming a pendant pair, depict two attempts at the alchemist’s magnum opus—one a failure, the other a success. This study further argues that the paintings are not merely inert …

Scenes Of Secession: National Identity In The Art And Architecture Of Southern Slavic Crownlands Of The Late Austro-Hungarian Empire, Preston Alport Hereford

Theses

Set against the backdrop of the segmented power of the Double Monarchy of the Austro- Hungarian Empire, artistic Secession movements reminiscent of the influential movement in Vienna took shape in the smaller cities of the Southern Slavic crownland territories of the Empire. However, despite strong cultural ties to Vienna and other large artistic centers like Munich, Secession took on different ideological and artistic forms in Zagreb and Ljubljana than in the imperial capital. As the Hungarian-administered capital of Croatia-Slavonia, Zagreb was an early adopter of educational and cultural infrastructure, like schools of applied arts and new theaters, that doubly demonstrated …

Antipodal Robotic Grasping Using Deep Learning, Shirin Joshi

Theses

In this work, we discuss two implementations that predict antipodal grasps for novel objects: A deep Q-learning approach and a Generative Residual Convolutional Neural Network approach. We present a deep reinforcement learning based method to solve the problem of robotic grasping using visio-motor feedback. The use of a deep learning based approach reduces the complexity caused by the use of hand-designed features. Our method uses an off-policy reinforcement learning framework to learn the grasping policy. We use the double deep Q-learning framework along with a novel Grasp-Q-Network to output grasp probabilities used to learn grasps that maximize the pick success. …

Leveraging Programmable Data Plane For Compressing Forwarding Tables, Garegin Grigoryan

Theses

The Forwarding Information Base (FIB) resides in the data plane of a routing device and is used to forward packets to a next-hop, based on packets' destination IP addresses. The constant growth of a FIB forces network operators to spend more resources on maintaining memory with line-rate Longest Prefix Match (LPM) lookup in a FIB, namely, expensive and energy-hungry Ternary Content-Addressable Memory (TCAM) chips. In this work, we review two different approaches used to mitigate the FIB overflow problem. First, we investigate FIB aggregation, i.e., merging adjacent or overlapping routes with the same next-hop while preserving the forwarding behavior of …

Clam: Compiler Lease Of Cache Memory, Ian Prechtl

Theses

Caching is a common solution to the data movement performance bottleneck of today’s computational systems and networks. Traditional caching examines program behavior and cache optimization separately, limiting performance. Recently, a new cache policy called Compiler Lease of cAche Memory (CLAM), has been suggested for program-based cache management. CLAM manages cache memory by allowing the compiler to assign leases, or lifespans, to cached items over a hardware-software interface, known as lease cache. Lease cache affords new performance potential, by way of program-driven cache optimization. It is applicable to existing cache architecture optimizations, and can be used to emulate other cache policies. …

Machine-Assisted Translation By Human-In-The-Loop Crowdsourcing For Bambara, Allahsera Auguste Tapo

Theses

Language is more than a tool of conveying information; it is utilized in all aspects of our lives. Yet only a small number of languages in the 7,000 languages worldwide are highly resourced by human language technologies (HLT). Despite African languages representing over 2,000 languages, only a few African languages are highly resourced, for which there exists a considerable amount of parallel digital data.

We present a novel approach to machine translation (MT) for under-resourced languages by improving the quality of the model using a paradigm called ``humans in the Loop.''

This thesis describes the work carried out to create …

Context Sensitive Image Denoising And Enhancement Using U-Nets, Sahaj Tushar Gandhi

Theses

Noise in images gets introduced at almost every stage of the camera image signal processing pipeline (ISP). Camera companies provide software that cleans most of the noise added at each stage. Even after noise removal is done by the camera software, different noise patterns with different intensities remain in the image. With advances in deep learning, the algorithms are archi- tectured end-to-end. In the present time, machine learning and deep learning models work as end-to-end systems with a special-purpose feature extraction phase. This thesis focuses on the removal of any residual noise in images as performed during the feature extraction …

The Fate Of Stellar Material: Radio Molecular Line Studies Of Nearby Planetary Nebulae, Jesse Bublitz

Theses

Planetary nebulae constitute the near-end stages of low-to-intermediate-mass stars, when their ejected envelopes of gas and dust become ionized by their unveiled stellar cores. As essential components of our understanding of late-stage stellar evolution and the enrichment of the interstellar medium in the products of stellar nucleosynthesis, planetary nebulae serve as laboratories for the study of plasma physics and shock processes in astrophysical environments. While known mainly for their optical emission lines and high ionization states due to high-energy radiation from their hot central stars, certain planetary nebulae also contain large masses of molecular gas and dust that surround or …

Visual Structure Editing Of Math Formulas, Gavin Nishizawa

Theses

Math formulas can be large and complex resulting in correspondingly large and complex LaTeX math strings for expressing them. We design operations to visually edit the typeset LaTeX formulas. The operations are invoked via the formula's control points, which are created as a way to specify an operation associated with the point's location relative to a symbol in the formula. At the control points, formulas can be extended in multiple ways, LaTeX can be inserted locally by typing, an existing formula can be inserted, or part of the formula itself can be moved to that point. Parts of formulas can …

Accessibility In User Reviews For Mobile Apps: An Automated Detection Approach, Murtaza Tamjeed

Theses

In recent years, mobile accessibility has become an important trend with the goal of allowing all users the possibility of using any app without many restrictions. Recent work demonstrated that user reviews include insights that are useful for app evolution. However, with the increase in the amount of received reviews, manually analyzing them is tedious and time-consuming, especially when searching for accessibility reviews. The goal of this thesis is to support the automated identification of accessibility in user reviews, to help practitioners in prioritizing their handling, and thus, creating more inclusive apps. Particularly, we design a model that takes as …

Mixed Signals In Pulsar Timing Arrays - Discerning Red Spin Noise From Gravitational Waves, Brendan Drachler

Theses

The detection of gravitational waves (GWs) with ground-based interferometers like the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) revolutionized our view of the Universe. Pulsar timing arrays (PTAs) like observed by the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) will provide the community with an avenue for exploring the GW spectrum beyond what is capable with ground-based interferometers. Unlike LIGO, pulsars do not exist in an ideal environment where clever engineering can mitigate sources of noise. With that being said, many of the dominant sources of noise in PTAs have been well modeled within NANOGrav. The impact of red spin …

Conceptual Interstellar Map And Status Panel Design, Yingshan Wu

Theses

This conceptual map and status panel based on interstellar travel with exploring the universe as a theme. Normally, the cockpit of the rocket is matched to the space station by rotating in a weightless state, which is not appropriate when the spacecraft simulates the earth's gravity in the future. In the visual effects of the science fiction movie area, most studies are using at the control panel for controlling spaceship. Differences in galactic rotation also increasing difficulty in the spaceship is finding the right angle and match to one planet or international station. The astronaut cannot easily know the ship's …

Durable Hydrophobic Polymer Surfaces, Matthew Seitz

Theses

Highly hydrophobic materials and surfaces are useful for a wide range of applications such as waterproof clothing, self-cleaning windows, reducing drag on watercraft, preventing ice buildup, and designing oil/water separators. However, the hydrophobicity of these materials decreases over time though surface wear, presenting a significant drawback. In this work, we demonstrate a solution to this poor durability through surfaces which are renewed with wear, continually exposing a new hydrophobic surface. Materials can be made more hydrophobic through the addition of surface texture or microstructure. Typically, as this texture is worn smooth through use and abrasion, the material steadily loses its …

Music Note Learning Card Game Design, Ying You

Theses

Within the past several decades, Chinese people's living conditions are getting better because of the quick development in the Chinese economy. People are now paying more and more attention to children's artistic accomplishments in China. Therefore, more and more parents choose to let their children start learning musical instruments when they are young. However, the first step to learn an instrument is learning how to read and understand different note values and basic rhythm patterns. For example, in China, the traditional way of teaching basic rhythmic patterns is that the teacher demonstrates the basic rhythm pattern to a group of …

Galaxies As Probes Of The Universe: From Dynamical Models To The Inference Of Cosmological Parameters, Peter A. Craig

Theses

Presented here are a number of projects on topics relating to the dynamics and properties of the Milky Way (MW) and measuring the Hubble constant. First is a project studying the possibility of dwarf galaxy interactions forming moving groups in the solar neighborhood. This is done using several simulations of the MW with dwarf galaxies on different orbits, and searching for velocity substructures in these simulations. The resulting structures are often similar to those observed in the MW, while such structures appear much less frequently in simulations without a perturber. The second project uses a different set of simulations to …

Application Of Thermal And Ultraviolet Sensors In Remote Sensing Of Upland Ducks, Matthew W. Helvey

Theses

Detection, mapping, and monitoring of wildlife populations can provide significant insight into the health and trajectory of the ecosystems they rely on. In fact, it was not until recently that the benefits of wetland ecosystems were fully understood. Unfortunately, by that point, the United States had removed more than 50% of its native wetlands. The Prairie Pothole Region in North America is the premier breeding location for ducks; responsible for producing more than 50% of the North American ducks annually. The current survey methods for obtaining duck population counts are accomplished primarily using manned flights with observers manually identifying and …

Model-Free Control Of An Unmanned Aircraft Quadcopter Type System, Christian Monti

Theses

A model-free control algorithm based on the sliding mode control method for unmanned aircraft systems is proposed. The mathematical model of the dynamic system is not required to derive the sliding mode control law for this proposed method. The knowledge of the system’s order, state measurements and control input gain matrix shape and bounds are assumed to derive the control law to track the required trajectories. Lyapunov’s Stability criteria is used to ensure closed-loop asymptotic stability and the error estimate between previous control inputs is used to stabilize the system. A smoothing boundary layer is introduced into the system to …

Critical Material Supply Risks And Mitigation Strategies In Clean Energy Technologies, Alexandra Leader

Theses

The pressing global issue of climate change has driven the development of clean energy technologies. The clean energy technologies addressed in this dissertation include those used to produce energy and provide mobility with reduced emissions, as well as technologies outside the energy and transportation sectors which utilize energy in a more efficient way. Many of these technologies rely on materials that are considered critical due to their importance to the technology’s functionality and their potential vulnerability to supply disruption. Supply disruptions can stem from a variety of factors such as geographical supply concentration, production in unstable areas, low ore grades, …

Amelia Earhart: Myth And Memory, Amy Lutz

Theses

There are a range of theories about Amelia Earhart's disappearance. This thesis considers one of the most long-running theories - The Japanese Capture Theory. This theory posits that Earhart was captured and/or executed by the Japanese upon her disappearance in 1937. The Japanese Capture Theory, from its inception in 1942 to its continued existence today, has considerably impacted the historical memory of Amelia Earhart. A woman who was so beloved and celebrated in life is largely more famous for her death. Her story was retold in hindsight, without her voice. The emergence of theories about her disappearance and popular fascination …

Domestic Food Waste Reduction System In The U.A.E., Eman Alsuwaidi, Nawar Al Sammarraie, Vilas Vijaykumar, Zaid Nayaz Syed

Theses

The emerging need for a domestic food waste management system in UAE has opened the door for innovations in managing food activities to minimizing waste. At present, there are no specific strategies or solutions effective enough to considerably reduce domestic food waste. This project mainly covers objective, methodology, waste identification tools and techniques, and strategy creation for system improvement. The results obtained from several surveys conducted to study the food habits of the people were used in this project to develop a strategy to reduce food waste. Smart systems are gaining high demand in various fields of the markets as …

Domestic Food Waste Reduction System In The U.A.E., Eman Alsuwaidi, Nawar Al Sammarraie, Vilas Vijaykumar, Zaid Nayaz Syed

Theses

The emerging need for a domestic food waste management system in UAE has opened the door for innovations in managing food activities to minimizing waste. At present, there are no specific strategies or solutions effective enough to considerably reduce domestic food waste. This project mainly covers objective, methodology, waste identification tools and techniques, and strategy creation for system improvement. The results obtained from several surveys conducted to study the food habits of the people were used in this project to develop a strategy to reduce food waste. Smart systems are gaining high demand in various fields of the markets as …

Domestic Food Waste Reduction System In The U.A.E., Eman Alsuwaidi, Nawar Al Sammarraie, Vilas Vijaykumar, Zaid Nayaz Syed

Theses

The emerging need for a domestic food waste management system in UAE has opened the door for innovations in managing food activities to minimizing waste. At present, there are no specific strategies or solutions effective enough to considerably reduce domestic food waste. This project mainly covers objective, methodology, waste identification tools and techniques, and strategy creation for system improvement. The results obtained from several surveys conducted to study the food habits of the people were used in this project to develop a strategy to reduce food waste. Smart systems are gaining high demand in various fields of the markets as …

Experimental Investigation Of Pressure-Swirl Atomizer Spray Stability With Addition Of A Pre-Filming Surface, Ethan Hanson

Theses

In a combustion environment, system instabilities and dynamic responses of components can have a major influence on performance, emissions, and product life. One of the key components in a combustion system are the fuel injectors which utilize instabilities to generate a well atomized fuel spray. In this work, a pressure-swirl atomizer was studied under steady state operation and oscillating pressure differential conditions to simulate a dynamic system input to the atomizer. Atomizer spray with and without the addition of a pre-filming surface was evaluated to determine the influence that a pre-filming surface has on the dynamic response of the liquid …