Digital Commons Network^™

Machine Learning Based Autism Detection Using Brain Imaging, Gajendra Jung Katuwal

Theses

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a group of heterogeneous developmental disabilities that manifest in early childhood. Currently, ASD is primarily diagnosed by assessing the behavioral and intellectual abilities of a child. This behavioral diagnosis can be subjective, time consuming, inconclusive, does not provide insight on the underlying etiology, and is not suitable for early detection. Diagnosis based on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)—a widely used non- invasive tool—can be objective, can help understand the brain alterations in ASD, and can be suitable for early diagnosis. However, the brain morphological findings in ASD from MRI studies have been inconsistent. Moreover, there …

Understanding Traffic Characteristics In A Server To Server Data Center Network, Siva Shankar Chandrasekaran

Theses

The number of Data Centers and the servers present in them has been on the rise over the last decade with the advent of cloud computing, social networking, Big data analytics etc. This has eventually led to the increase in the power consumption of the Data Center due to the power hungry interconnection fabric which consists of switches and routers. The scalability of the data center has also become a problem due to the interconnect cabling complexity which is also responsible for the increase in the energy used for cooling the data center as these bundles of wires reduce the …

Interactive Dynasty: An Effective Way To Learn About The Tang Dynasty History, Xiangyin Li

Theses

Today, interaction design is applied to multiple areas of visual communication and instructional design. Interactive elements can be found in websites, apps, and kiosk terminal equipment. Through the integration of interactive content such as step-by-step tutorials, the user can acquire a variety of different types of information efficiently and effectively to learn about historical events.

China has one of the longest and continuous cultures today. Its own unique charisma attracts many history buffs to learn more about important historical events. Kiosk terminals in history museums have successfully provided a learning environment for users to learn about China through interaction design. …

Patients' Perceptions Regarding Nursing Care In The General Surgical Wards At Kenyatta National Hospital, Elwin Shawa

Theses

Nursing care is a major component of the health services because it is one of the determinants of quality health services. The anecdotal patients' care evaluation and media reports have portrayed negative publicity and image regarding nursing care in certain hospitals. Patients' perceptions regarding nursing care is thought to be the determinant of quality nursing care. To explore patients' perceptions and experiences regarding nursing care in surgical wards.

Deep Learning Localization For Self-Driving Cars, Suvam Bag

Theses

Identifying the location of an autonomous car with the help of visual sensors can be a good alternative to traditional approaches like Global Positioning Systems (GPS) which are often inaccurate and absent due to insufficient network coverage. Recent research in deep learning has produced excellent results in different domains leading to the proposition of this thesis which uses deep learning to solve the problem of localization in smart cars with visual data.

Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) were used to train models on visual data corresponding to unique locations throughout a geographic location. In order to evaluate the performance of …

Deep Learning Architectures For Novel Problems, Felipe Petroski Such

Theses

With convolutional neural networks revolutionizing the computer vision field it is important to extend the capabilities of neural-based systems to dynamic and unrestricted data like graphs. Doing so not only expands the applications of such systems, but also provide more insight into improvements to neural-based systems.

Currently most implementations of graph neural networks are based on vertex filtering on fixed adjacency matrices. Although important for a lot of applications, vertex filtering restricts the applications to vertex focused graphs and cannot be efficiently extended to edge focused graphs like social networks. Applications of current systems are mostly limited to images and …

Denoising Techniques Reveal Neural Correlates Of Modulation Masking Release In Auditory Cortex, Sahil Chaubal

Theses

Hearing aids allow hearing impaired (HI) individuals to regain auditory perception in quiet settings. However, despite advances in hearing aid technology, HI individuals do not perform as well in situations with background sound as normally hearing (NH) listeners. An extensive literature demonstrates that when comparing tone detection performance in background noise, NH listeners have better thresholds when that noise is temporally modulated as compared to temporally unmodulated. However, this perceptual benefit, called Modulation Masking Release (MMR), is much reduced in HI listeners, and this is thought to be a reason for why HI listeners struggle in the presence of background …

Get A Grip: Analysis Of Muscle Activity And Perceived Comfort In Using Stylus Grips, Evanda Vanease Henry

Theses

The design of handwriting instruments has been based primarily on touch, feel, aesthetics, and muscle exertion. Previous studies make it clear that different pen characteristics have to be considered along with hand-instrument interaction in the design of writing instruments. This should include pens designed for touch screens and computer based writing surfaces. Hence, this study focuses primarily on evaluating grip style’s impact on user comfort and muscle activity associated with handgrip while using a stylus-pen.

Surface EMG measures were taken approximate to the adductor pollicis, flexor digitorum, and extensor indicis of eight participants while they performed writing, drawing, and point-and-click …

Otolith Morphologies In The Genus Sinocyclocheilus, Iqra Iqbal

Theses

Sinocyclocheilus is a genus of Cyprinid fish found in southern China. This genus contains 68 species of which 40 species have adaptations for life in cave habitats. A common adaptation seen in fish that live in caves with no light is the loss of vision. Such cavefish must therefore rely on other sensory modalities to capture prey, communicate between conspecifics, and potentially avoid predators. Previous studies have identified sensory adaptations in cavefish, including the increase in size and number of mechanoreceptors. Sinocyclocheilus are hearing specialists, and it is possible that cave species of this genus have increased reliance on hearing …

Source-Channel Coding For Coordination Over A Noisy Two-Node Network, Sarah A. Obead

Theses

Recently, the concept of coordinating actions between distributed agents has emerged in the information theory literature. It was first introduced by Cuff in 2008 for the point-to-point case of coordination. However, Cuff’s work and the vast majority of the follow-up research are based on establishing coordination over noise-free communication links. In contrast, this thesis investigates the open problem of coordination over noisy point-to-point links. The aim of this study is to examine Shannon’s source-channel separation theorem in the context of coordination. To that end, a general joint scheme to achieve the strong notion of coordination over a discrete memoryless channel …

Real Time, Integrated, Paper Based Temperature Sensor For Lab On A Chip Device, Vignesh Shekhar

Theses

Temperature measurement and manipulation is a critical factor in a wide range of applications like Point Of Care Diagnostics (POC's), Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), Temperature Gradient Focusing (TGF) to cite few prominent examples. In the past decade, researchers have used various techniques to sense and control the temperature in microfluidic systems. The primary challenge has been the twin problem of integration and accuracy using minimal equipment while keeping it simple. In this study, an equipment free fabrication of the temperature sensor using filter paper impregnated with p-type colloidal PbS quantum dots is demonstrated. This sensor is later integrated into line …

Inkjet Printing Polymerized Pcda As A Means Of Serialization, Constantino Stavrou

Theses

Polymerized PCDA, otherwise known as pentacosadiynoic acid, due to its color changing response to high temperatures, has been used as a means of indicating whether the material has been exposed to high temperatures. Quick-Response codes or Q-R codes have been used as means of serialization due to their two-dimensional design, allowing for the embedding of larger amounts of information than their one-dimensional barcode predecessors.

Combining the colorimetric response of PCDA polymer with the information coding powers of Q-R codes, an improved version of the Q-R Code is made, which was used not only for serialization purposes, but as a means …

Heat Transfer In Silicon - Experiments And Simulation, Chihlin Huang

Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to study the heat transfer in silicon. Silicon is the key semiconductor material, and thermal processing is the traditional method that is used in semiconductor processing. In this research, we can predict the temperature of the silicon wafer during heating. This ability to predict wafer temperature during semiconductor processing will facilitate in the following: (a) Process temperature uniformity, (b) Film thickness uniformity, (c) Diffusion, (d) Process yield, (e) Thermally induced stresses, and (f) Device yield - spatially and temporally across the wafer. For low temperature applications, IC chips can be modeled to simulate the …

Je Me Soviens Seesaw Helps To Bring A Closer Relationship With Seniors By Integrating Across Generations, Jui-Chen Hsu

Theses

The goal for this project is to help us encourage closer relationships with our seniors by integrating across generations.

The world’s population is aging rapidly and this is becoming a big issue worldwide. According to the United Nations (UN), a person who is 60 or older is part of the older population. The UN also predicts people aged 60 and older make up 12.3% of the global population, and by 2050, that number will rise to almost 22% (Fund 2016). In other words, the senior population will reach over two million people all over the world. Therefore, we cannot neglect …

Educational Material For The Surgical Hospital At Southwoods, Victoria Altomare

Theses

The Surgical Hospital at Southwoods was established in 1996 with the purpose of creating a healthcare facility that places importance on providing excellent medical treatments. Since the individual patient is the main priority at Southwoods, the facility needed to give the patient information about his/her surgery in a way that the viewer understands regardless of that person’s health literacy level. To meet this prerequisite, the hospital was in need of new outpatient education material. The purpose of this project is to clearly inform patients what to expect before, during, and after surgery. This educational material will be given to every …

Development, Validation, And Clinical Application Of A Numerical Model For Pulse Wave Velocity Propagation In A Cardiovascular System With Application To Noninvasive Blood Pressure Measurements, Jeffrey S. Lillie

Theses

High blood pressure blood pressure is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and affects almost one-third of the U.S. adult population. Historical cuff-less non-invasive techniques used to monitor blood pressure are not accurate and highlight the need for first principal models. The first model is a one-dimensional model for pulse wave velocity (PWV) propagation in compliant arteries that accounts for nonlinear fluids in a linear elastic thin walled vessel. The results indicate an inverse quadratic relationship (R^2=.99) between ejection time and PWV, with ejection time dominating the PWV shifts (12%). The second model predicts the general relationship between PWV …

American Civil War Reenactments: Race And Masculinity In Modern Images And Memory, Austin C. English

Theses

The celebration of past wars and warriors is not a uniquely American notion. For centuries nations and individuals have celebrated and revered those who went to war. Similarly, modern Civil War reenactments represent one ritual where Americans honor the War and its participants. But is there something distinctive about the way Americans commemorate and remember the Civil War? Do reenactments hide, forget, or obscure certain elements of the War as much as they commemorate?

Low Cost, Multi-Purpose Genotyping Panels For Dairy And Beef Cattle, Michelle Judge

Theses

rhe selection of animals based on DNA has revolutionised animal breeding, but the associated high cost of obtaining genotypes has limited its uptake. The objective of this thesis was to develop a low-cost, low-density, multi-purpose genotyping panel for the procurement of reliable genotype information, and to quantify the long-term consequences of using such low-density genotype panels in breeding programs. The objectives were achieved through a combination of real-life cattle genotype data and simulations to mimic a cattle population. The in-silico development of genotype panels was based on actual genotypes from up to 58,705 beef cattle. Alternative novel strategies were used …

Destination Cork : A New Frontier For The Culinary Curious Tourist, Catherine Fitzgibbon

Theses

Food is an important aspect in creating tourism destinations and can be perceived as an immensely influential attraction for tourism. There are excellent examples of destinations that brand themselves through food tourism, using this special-interest area as a strategy to develop regional tourism and ultimately, increase tourist numbers. However, not all destinations use food tourism as a strategic branding strategy. One such example is Cork in Ireland. While having an excellent food offering, food is not a primary tourism activity in the region’s destination branding strategy.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of branding Cork as …

Intelligent Profiling Of Blood Donors In Ireland, Joanna Kossakowska

Theses

The demand for blood products in Ireland is constantly rising due to population growth and population ageing. It is believed that within the next decade these two factors will present challenges to blood donor recruitment and the availability of blood supplies. Improving the retention of blood donors will have a positive impact on the availability of blood products. Identification of suitable donors with the potential for long-term donating can potentially enhance the predictability of blood supply levels.

This research proposes that the patterns of blood donation behaviours of donors can be isolated from blood donor databases held by blood collecting …

Synthesis, Characterization And Reactivity Of Bio Inspired Mononuclear Copper (Ii) And Nickel (Ii) Complexes With N-Rich Ligand Infrastructure, Nirupama Singh

Theses

Metalloenzymes that reacts with dioxygen play an important role in numerous biological processes. Due to their well-tuned redox activity, these metalloenzymes are appropriate to participate in various biological oxidation/oxygenation reactions in-volving dioxygen. In dioxygen activation chemistry, these metal containing enzymes interact with molecular oxygen. With the help of reduced metal center at the enzyme active site, dioxygen gets activated and produce metal oxygen adducts such as metal superoxo, metal hydroperoxo and metal oxo intermediate species. These intermediate species are responsible for many biological processes observed in metabolic pathways and aerobic respiration. To study the formation and characterization of structural and …

Boundless Intemperance : Macbeth, Moderation, And Social Norms In The Early Modern Era, Kathleen M. Padilla

Theses

In William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth insists, “Th’expedition of my violent love / Outran the pauser, reason” (2.3.107-108). These lines can be attributed to Macbeth’s penchant for excess that overpowers his ability to reason. Reason allows men to live harmoniously within a community, and the early modern era constructed safeguards to ensure men acted within prescribed conventions to prevent the collapse of the government. In this thesis, I will address Macbeth’s inability to reason due to his immoderacy and the resulting consequences to the state. Thus, this paper argues that the behavioral extremes depicted by Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are detrimental …

The Influence Of Jailhouse Informant Testimony On Eyewitnesses' Propensity To Change Their Identification, Preston M. Smith

Theses

The present study investigated the influence of jailhouse informant testimony on eyewitness identifications and self – reported confidence. Participants watched a video of an actual armed robbery and, after, made an identification decision from a photo lineup. Except for those in the no – feedback control condition, all participants then read that certain lineup members either confessed to the crime, denied involvement or were implicated by a jailhouse informant. Jailhouse informant testimony implicating the identified lineup member led participants to have higher confidence in their identification. In contrast, jailhouse informant testimony implicating one of the unidentified lineup members led participants …

The Role Of Schematic Support And Fluency In Value-Directed Remembering, Donald J. Skinner

Theses

Value-directed remembering can be influenced by multiple factors, such as learners’ goals, perceptual cues, and perceived familiarity and fluency. Font size, type, and clarity are all perceptual cues that have been found to influence the subjective value of to-be-learned information. Fluency, or the ease with which information is processed, a factor influenced by familiarity, can also impact value-directed remembering. More fluent information is perceived as easier to process and thus more likely to be remembered. Judgments of learning (JOLs; i.e. subjective ratings regarding whether information will be remembered) can also be influenced by these three factors. The present study examined …

A Bayesian Testing Strategy For The Model-Test-Model Paradigm, Geoffrey W. Paul

Theses

Testing for large and complex defense systems can be extremely expensive. A testing strategy is developed to leverage Bayesian Experimental Design concepts within the Model-Test-Model paradigm. Two utility functions are implemented to search the input space and select the test which maximizes the expected information gain per test. A priority-based strategy focuses on individual performance measures in order of importance. A weighted-sum strategy maximizes the information gained across all performance measures, with emphasis placed on higher priority measures which are further from their accuracy specifications. Monte Carlo simulations show that both strategies provide a statistically significant improvement over the baseline …

Utilizing A Discrete Event Simulation Of Material Handling Plans To Calculate Reinforcement Learning Rewards, Ryan A. Preston

Theses

In this thesis, a discrete event simulation model of Steelcase's Athens facility is constructed to simulate material handling plans generated by an external reinforcement learning algorithm. The results of this simulation are consolidated into key performance parameters and provided as a reward to the reinforcement learning algorithm. The model interfaces developed for the reinforcement leaning algorithm are verified through several sets of tests. Validation of the model is conducted in two separate approaches, input model validation using truth data and output data validation using key performance parameters.

Design And Testing Of A Hall Effect Thruster With Additively Manufactured Components, Ethan Hopping

Theses

The UAH-78AM is a low-power Hall effect thruster developed at the University of Alabama in Huntsville to study the application of low-cost additive manufacturing in the design and fabrication of Hall thrusters. The goal of this project is to assess the feasibility of using unconventional materials to produce a low-cost functioning Hall effect thruster and consider how additive manufacturing can expand the design space and provide other benefits. The thruster features channel walls and a propellant distributor that were manufactured using 3D printing with a variety of materials including ABS, ULTEM, and glazed ceramic. A version of the thruster was …

The Power Of Word-Of-Mouth: A Study On The Impact Of Interpersonal Communication Using Arts Festivals As A Case Study, Holly Ní Ghráda

Theses

The purpose of this study is to investigate the importance of interpersonal communication tactics in building and maintaining key relationships in the arts festival context, using two Irish traditional music festivals as its case studies. The main objective of this research is to demonstrate the effectiveness of word-of-mouth endorsements among stakeholders for small organisations.

This research undertook three stages of study. The first stage of this thesis took the form of a literature review - also known as the secondary research phase. Throughout this stage the author found relevant academic opinions and definitions based on selected public relations, culture, and …

Novel Neuroevolution Techniques For The Life Science Domain, Timothy Manning

Theses

The life science domain is a high value research area, both in terms of the benefits in increased knowledge and in societal impact. Much of the research funding has focused on wet lab based approaches to increase visibility into biological processes and producing maximal relevant information on which to make decisions. Given the complexity of biological functions, in many cases this has led to an information overload. Researchers are now able to routinely generate and access petabytes of data as a result of high throughput experiments, and this capability is growing. This data can be difficult to interpret and intractable …

A Spatial Analysis Of Climate Change Effects On Maize Productivity In Kenya, Dan Wanyama

Theses

Climate change has intensified the risk of catastrophic natural disasters all over the world. Though impacts of the change are global, developing countries are more at risk. Although agriculture remains the backbone of Kenya’s economy, the sector’s dependence on natural resources increases its vulnerability to the aggravating impacts of climate change and variability. Climate system variations that impact staple food crops like maize (Zea mays) ultimately threaten the food security of the nation. This study examined environmental factors affecting maize productivity through regression analysis. A GIS suitability model for maize was also developed to identify Kenya’s different levels of suitability …