Digital Commons Network^™

Enhancing Pump Efficiency And Reducing Energy Consumption At The Sea Water Distillation Plant Of An Aluminium Company, Essa Binshaqooi

Theses

The objective of this project is to enhance pump efficiency by at least 10% and reduce energy consumption by 5% in the Sea Water Distillation Unit of a major Aluminium Company. Challenges include progressive wear, abrasion, and sea water scaling, which contribute to major losses in pumps, leading to inefficient performance and increased operational costs. Failure Mode Analysis (FMA) and Root Cause Analysis (RCA) were conducted on both Sea Water Pumps (SWPs) and Brine Circulation Pumps (BRPs) to identify these major losses. Strategic improvements recommended for both pumps include the required pump rating, changes in composition, and performance monitoring. Detailed …

Using Data Analytics To Predict Government Employee Turnover, Aisha Alshamsi

Theses

Employee turnover is a significant problem in many organizations, resulting in increased costs, decreased productivity, and decreased morale. The aim of this research is to predict employee turnover using data analysis algorithms and develop a predictive model that can be used to identify employees who are at risk of leaving the organization. This study preprocesses data on employee turnover rates, employee demographics, employee satisfaction, and other relevant factors, and uses data analysis machine learning algorithms such as Logistic regression, Decision tree, and XGBoost to analyze the data and develop a predictive model. The result of the study helps impact on …

The Interaction Of Sodium Fluoride And Sodium Selenate On The Developmental Toxicity To Xenopus Laevis And Ambystoma Maculatum Embryos, Shelby Wolfram

Theses

Amphibians play critical roles in the environment's wellness. Fluoride (F) is a widely existing environmental pollutant. It is commonly known for being added to drinking water and as a topical dose on teeth. Selenium (Se) can be found in organic and inorganic forms in nature. Many different fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, and fungicides contain sodium selenate in them. The range selenium has between deficiency and toxicity is narrow, meaning excess exposure could cause various adverse effects in aquatic organisms. Xenopus laevis is a standard model for developmental toxicity due to being minimal maintenance, cost efficient, and having transparent embryos. Xenopus makes …

An Evaluation Of The Teach-Back Method For Training Functional Analysis Methodology, Bethany Christie

Theses

Behavior analysts conduct functional analyses to identify the environmental contingencies maintaining challenging behavior, which allows them to develop a function-based treatment plan. Behavioral staff must be fully trained on functional analysis methodology before conducting the analysis. A common way to train staff to conduct a functional analysis is through behavioral skills training (BST), but BST is time consuming and includes numerous materials. Teach-back, a widely used training method in healthcare settings, requires less time and no materials. Currently, there is little research on the effectiveness of the teach-back method for teaching behavioral techniques, and there is no research on the …

The Ghanaian War Against Malaria: A Geospatial Approach To Malaria And Healthcare Access In Ghana, Emmanuel Aklie

Theses

This geospatial research project aims to analyze the complex factors influencing malaria incidence in Ghana, including healthcare access, cultural beliefs, and preventive measures. Using GIS mapping and spatial analysis, the study examines malaria distribution and healthcare facility locations to identify hotspots and access inequalities. Combining quantitative data from sources like Demographic and Health Surveys with qualitative methods like surveys and interviews, the project analyzes the relationship between malaria prevalence and vaccination rates, bed net usage, and cultural views on treatment. By taking a comprehensive approach focused on evidence-based insights, the research seeks to inform targeted interventions by the Ghanaian government …

A Comparison Of Instructional Methods For Teaching Apa Skills, Zachary Hooten

Theses

Writing is highly important for college students, and they will need to conform to the formatting of the writing styles used in their classes. One style required of many students is the American Psychological Association (APA). Students often make errors when formatting references using APA Style. Although various instructional strategies have been used to teach these skills, some methods take a long time to achieve minimal increases or are cumbersome to implement in some learning environments. Behavioral skills training (BST) is an empirically supported method for teaching skills that involves providing the learner with written and verbal instructions, modeling, practice …

A Comparison Of The Relative Magnitude Of Combinations Of Relapse Types In Rats, Mary Bridges

Theses

Applied behavior analysis uses scientifically derived methods to create treatments for socially significant behaviors. A threat to these successful treatments is the recurrence of previously reduced behavior (i.e., relapse). Relapse can be categorized into several types depending on the variables that induce relapse. Three types prevalent in clinical settings are reinstatement (i.e., induced by re-exposure to reinforcers or stimuli paired with the target behavior), renewal (i.e., induced by changes in context), and resurgence (i.e., induced by worsening of alternative reinforcement). Because relapse is harmful to long-term treatment maintenance, prior research has developed and tested mitigation strategies for these relapse types, …

A Comparative Study Of A Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Associated Egfr Missense Variant Of Uncertain Significance, Vanessa Mejia

Theses

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a form of lung cancer that can be driven by heightened activity of epidermal growth factor receptor encoded by the EGFR gene. Genetic variants in EGFR have been identified that lead to abnormal cell growth and tumorigenesis. The objectives of this study was to 1) determine if an EGFR variant of uncertain significance (VUS) associated with NSCLC is potentially damaging based on evaluation of the ortholog let-23 in the model organism, C. elegans, and 2) identify conserved missense VUS loci associated with NSCLC. Through ClinVar, the EGFR VUS c.845G>C(p.Gly282Ala) was identified in …

Paul Celan And The Processes Of Survival In Post-Shoah Jewish Writing, Ari Savage

Theses

The following is a study of the poetry of Paul Celan as a representation of psychological and social processes present in the written works of Shoah survivors. It begins with an analysis of the place of writing in Jewish culture, then identifies three primary processes which operate in sequence: alienation, individuation, and integration. By examining Paul Celan’s highly personal and autobiographical texts in the context of his life experience as a Shoah survivor it is possible to discern the social and psychological forces at work which compel survivors to express their traumas in written form, and to gain a better …

Perspectives Of Special Education Teachers On The Transition Of Students With Special Needs From High School To University, Noor Abdulkader Mamich

Theses

Post-secondary transition is a significant phase in the life of high school students with special needs. Special education teachers play a crucial role in supporting students in this process. This study aims at exploring the perspectives of special education teachers on transitioning high school students with special needs into university. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four special education teachers in Al Ain city in the United Arab Emirates. The teachers were asked questions on four themes: their skills on postsecondary transition, their post-secondary transition planning, the barriers they face during post-secondary transition, and finally the facilitation of smooth post-secondary transition …

Unveiling The Origins Of Source Code Through Authorship Attribution: A Comparative Study Of Ai And Human Coding Patterns, Shamma Humaid Alalawi

Theses

In recent years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques have been used for source code authorship attribution, which is the process of identifying the original author of a given piece of code. With the advancement of AI technologies like ChatGPT, which can generate code, there is a need to accurately identify whether a piece of code is written by a human or generated by a machine. This is crucial for intellectual property protection, cybersecurity, and software forensics. The main objective of this thesis is to review existing research on source code authorship attribution and conduct several experiments to determine the best AI …

Transformer-Based Deep Learning Model For Sign Language Recognition, Ganzorig Batnasan

Theses

Sign language recognition research aims to develop systems and tools that can interpret and translate sign language into text or spoken language. During the past two decades, the challenges faced in this domain are multifaceted. The first and foremost challenge is the complexity of sign language, which includes intricate hand gestures, facial expressions, and body movements. Recognizing and interpreting these components accurately is challenging. The second challenge is variability among different regions and communities, leading to variations in signs and gestures. This variability poses a challenge for developing universal recognition systems.
Limited data is another challenge which makes it difficult …

Transfer Learning Across Domains And Sensing Modalities, Chowdhury Sadman Jahan

Theses

Transfer learning facilitates the training of a deep learning (DL) model with limited or no labeled data, by initializing the network parameters using a similar model already trained on a different but related dataset or task. This dissertation examines two special cases of transfer learning for image classification tasks: cross-modal supervised learning, and cross-domain unsupervised adaptation. This dissertation proposes to apply cross-modal transfer learning to guide the training process of a DL model on Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images via knowledge distillation from a DL model trained on corresponding electro-optical (EO) images. Furthermore, this approach explores class-balanced sampling strategies and …

From Ordinary To Extraordinary: Using Storytelling To Reveal The Hidden Histories Of Objects And Enhance Meaning Making In A Living History Village, Jill Poppenheimer Johnson

Theses

Objects without a narrative are simply things. By contrast, an object with a story can be used as a vehicle for a museum to open dialogues with visitors about the people of that time period, how they lived their lives, and what social aspects influenced them. The story of an object, what makes it different from hundreds of others just like it, can change it from ordinary to extraordinary and be used as a powerful learning tool by helping the audience to create connections and make meaning of what they are seeing and experiencing. This thesis explores the relationships between …

Evaluating The Impact Of Hybrid Ventilation Strategies On Reducing The Cooling Load And Achieving Thermal Comfort Of Buildings: Regarding Arid Climate Of Uae, Sheikha A Hmed Al Niyadi

Theses

The hybrid ventilation system has shown considerable potential in managing indoor thermal comfort, preserving indoor air quality, and minimizing energy usage. This is achieved by integrating natural and mechanical ventilation. When natural ventilation is unfeasible, the system smoothly transitions to mechanical ventilation to uphold optimal indoor thermal comfort levels. However, the application of this system in extremely arid regions poses a challenge due to the high energy consumption linked to air conditioning and cooling during the summer. In these areas, air conditioning and cooling alone represent approximately 60% of urban energy consumption. This study aims to assess the viability of …

Faithful Representation Of Free Groups And Congruent Subgroups Of Sl3(Z), Julius Kurian

Theses

This thesis is concerned with the matrix representation of a free nonabelian group by matrices of size ≥ 3. We proceed from defining an equivalence class and then transitioning to free groups.We discuss in details the group G_n(k) which is the group generated by the matrices filled with first, (second, etc.) column, except for the intersection with the diagonal, and we have ones on the diagonal and zeros at the other places. The filled places are occupied by the same parameter k. An alternative proof for the known fact that G_n(3) is not …

Pricing Asian Options During Crises With The Impact Of Exogenous Event, Moath Ali Bakour

Theses

Asian options are financial derivatives products whose value depends on the value of underlying asset prices. These options are called path-dependent since their payoff is built on the prices of the underlying asset over some time. As in the case of the European options, the Asian option pricing problem is primarily subject to the prediction model for asset prices. The pioneer Black-Scholes model in the paper [2] suggests a GBM-Geometric Brownian motion. The Black-Scholes formula has several shortcomings. For instance, the Geometric Brownian motion does not take into consideration crises. Another problem in the Black- Scholes model is that it …

Satellite-Based Spatial And Temporal Characterization Of Rainfall Over The Uae, Yassin Ibrahim Ahmad

Theses

Studies on rainfall characteristics have been of particular interest in the arid and semi-arid regions, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), due to its impact on the built and natural environment. Rainfall represents a vital water source and a potential threat to the built environment, particularly during flash rainfall. This thesis evaluates spatial and temporal variation of rainfall in the UAE. The UAE is classified into four ecosystems with a distinct distribution of precipitation (East Coast, Mountains, the Gravel Plains, and Desert Foreland). Satellite data on daily rainfall for the years starting from 2001 up to 2020 was obtained from …

Intelligent Tutoring System Ontology, Wael Mohamed Hassan

Theses

The integration of pedagogical rules into Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) using semantic web technologies, particularly the Web Ontology Language (OWL), holds great promise for enhancing the capabilities of these systems. However, a significant challenge arises from the labor-intensive process of manually constructing ontologies, which can consume valuable time and resources. While ontologies offer numerous advantages, including robust knowledge inference and scalability, the limitations of manual ontology creation are evident in terms of time and flexibility. Therefore, the primary objective of this research is to develop an efficient and automated solution that harnesses the benefits of ontologies while reducing the time …

Theoretical And Computational Astrochemistry: A Variational Quantum Monte Carlo (Vqmc) Study Of The Trihydrogen Molecule Cation (H3+), Ahmad Saeed Alsaed

Theses

H₃⁺ is the simplest Three-Center Two-Electron molecule and it is of much interest in astrochemistry due to its high occurrence in the outer space, high reactivity, and strong acidic properties. In addition,H₃⁺ is involved in many chemical reactions in the interstellar medium (ISM) and its significant ability to absorb energy contributed to the cooling of the Universe during its early stages.

The main objective of this thesis is to approximate the ground state electronic energy of H₃⁺ by using a simple trial wavefunction consisting of a doubly occupied molecular orbital multiplied by a Jastrow …

Organic-Based Nutrient Solutions For Sustainable Vegetable Production In A Zero -Runoff Soilless Growing System, Maitha Salem Almheiri

Theses

As the adoption of soilless production systems escalates to meet the rising demand for safe and healthy fresh produce, the growing environmental awareness and consumer’s preference for sustainable production systems are stimulating the reduction of synthetic inputs. A greenhouse study using an auto-pot zero-runoff hydroponic system and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) as a model vegetable crop was conducted to evaluate the potential of substituting synthetic fertilizer Nutrient Solutions (NS) with organic-based NS. The use of organic NS resulted in lettuce plants with fewer leaves and a smaller leaf area, plant height, stem diameter, and fresh biomass compared to those …

Locally Tailored Knowledge, Attitude And Practice Towards Diet Sustainability Questionnaire: Validation Among Uaeu Adults, Asma Bahaaldeen Numan

Theses

Food production is a major contributor to global environmental change and sustainability. Sustainable diets can be defined as “diets with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security and healthy life for present and future generations”. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) aims to enhance its food security to meet the current local demand and future needs of an increasing population. Before determining a sustainable diet pattern for the UAE population, it is foremost more important to understand the perception of sustainable diet production and consumption. A thorough comprehension of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the United Arab …

“Art For The Millions:” The Evolution Of Informal Learning From The Charleston Museum To The New Deal, Kristen Walker

Theses

The advent of the first museum in the United States in 1773, The Charleston Museum, sparked a shift in the way education is perceived and how it can be conducted. However, only recently has the intentional implementation of programs and exhibitions been created in a digestible way for the public. This thesis discusses how informal learning has evolved since the establishment of the Charleston Museum and the legacy of the Federal Art Project regarding informal learning and art education. Key research methods include the examination of primary and secondary resources, including oral histories held by the Smithsonian Archives of American …

There’S Always Room For Improvement: Implementing Indoor Navigation Using ‘Mappedin’ In The Rochester Museum And Science Center To Enhance The Visitor Experience, Izzy Moyer

Theses

Since March 2020, museums have dramatically increased their use of technology in museums to make their environments more engaging to their visitors. For indoor navigation, for instance, museums have used still images, PDFs, and QR codes as well as analog measures (such as directional signage and paper maps) to help their visitors navigate their institution. While these are helpful for understanding one’s general location, other digital wayfinding measures can foster information sharing as well as the opportunity to decrease “spatial anxiety.” This thesis describes the creation of a map for portable, indoor navigation using “Mappedin,” a cost-effective platform that is …

Leveraging Sentiment Analysis For Tokyo Airbnb Hosts And Decision Makers, Shaikha Aldahmani

Theses

This study focused on the growing challenges that Tokyo Airbnb hosts and policymakers face in the holiday homes and home stays market. The study aimed to empower hosts with insights to optimize offerings and assist policymakers in informed decision-making for enhancing neighborhood experiences, with a focus on data-driven business strategies grounded in sentiment analysis. The project employed a robust methodology that leverages sentiment analysis techniques to gain insights from guest comments of Tokyo Airbnb listings spanning from September 2011 to June 2023. The CART algorithm and the Affin sentiment lexicon were used for data cleaning, consolidation, and sentiment analysis. The …

Optimizing Supply Chain Dynamics Using Machine Learning, Mohammad Zubin Siddiqui

Theses

Supply chains face many challenges in today’s business environment. This paper examines how advanced analytics can be used to improve supply chain efficiency and resilience with a particular focus on demand forecasting and late delivery analysis. The thesis focuses on two areas, which are forecasting demand and analyzing late deliveries. With the help of data-driven models for forecasting demand and pinpointing reasons behind delayed shipments, establishments can take appropriate measures that will reduce risks and enhance operational efficiency. A complete analytic framework is suggested that integrates sophisticated analytics into supply chain management so that organizations can optimize all their operations …

Robust Machine Learning Under Vulnerable Cyberinfrastructure And Varying Data Quality, Sergei Chuprov

Theses

In our study, we investigate Machine Learning (ML) application robustness in ML Integrated with Network (MLIN) systems. We consider MLIN as an integration of three major components and interrelations between them: data sources, network facilities, and ML application. In contrast to the conventional approaches that focus on each separate component, we concentrate on their interrelationships, and consider them from the system integration perspective. We formulate our primary goal as to develop methods and tools aimed at assuring ML application performance towards Data Quality (DQ) variation in MLIN through improving ML application robustness. We examine the prior work on ML robustness …

Learning From Disagreement In Human-Annotated Datasets, Tharindu Cyril Weerasooriya

Theses

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems frequently need to learn from human decision makers, which aids in scaling systems for mass use. We see this in automated financial decisions, manufacturing processes, self- driving cars, and content moderation on social networks. These systems are built on human values and trained to mimic human decision-making through human annotation. However, different groups of human annotators, including domain experts, annotate content differently, leading to disagreements. Some practitioners treat dissenting opinions as “label noise”. A common approach to dealing with disagreement is to consider a majority vote, which effectively conceals the disagreements from the trained model. Although …

Predictive Analytics Of Road Traffic Incidents, A Machine Learning Approach, Maryam Essa Jaji

Theses

Traffic accidents rank among the world's most serious concerns due to the high number of deaths, injuries, and fatalities as well as the enormous financial losses they cause every year. Road travel is a necessary component of modern civilization, but because of the rise in traffic accidents, it costs the world economy billions of dollars and over a million deaths annually. Road accidents can be caused by a variety of elements. It can be possible to take action to lessen the severity and extent of the effects if these elements are better recognized and predicted. The goal of this project …

Low Power Logic Locking Using Design Space Modeling To Achieve System-Wide Security, Long Lam

Theses

Rising design complexity and smaller technology nodes are escalating fabrication costs, prompting design houses to outsource to untrusted external facilities, which raises trust and privacy concerns. These concerns stem from the risk of security breaches like IP piracy, reverse engineering, and hardware trojans. The critical need to protect design intellectual property prompted the development of logic locking, a combinational hardware security technique that corrupts the functionality of a design without the correct secret key. However, the effectiveness of logic locking varies substantially based on how and where it is implemented within a system, including the specific technique families selected, the …