Digital Commons Network^™

Underwater, Yuan Zheng

Theses

This thesis seeks to highlight the importance of work-life balance to our mental health. By experiencing an imbalanced life from the first-person view, this thesis focuses on using an abstract visual style to present the character’s inner world and the desperation for relaxation.

Blue Light, Rachael Greenfield

Theses

During a steamy afternoon at the beach, a seagull makes its way through crowds of phone-distracted humans in its search for a meal. When it lays its eyes on a fresh box of french fries, the seagull stops at nothing to get a taste, even while increasingly strange fates are befalling the humans. While everyone is distracted, by fries or by cell phones, a vortex opens in the sky and carries everyone into the unknown. Finally, with the people vanished, the seagulls reap the benefits of an abandoned beach full of snack foods left behind. Blue Light began as an …

Augmented Reality Emergency System, Chun-Hsiang Yang

Theses

Fire hazards in a building can be deadly. Knowing what to do is extremely important when a fire occurs in order to survive. However, even with the emergency exit sign, it can still be dangerous to escape recklessly. The goal of this thesis is to find solutions to increase victims' chance of survival during a building fire hazard. This thesis project aims to design an interactive augmented reality system that provides real-time information in fire hazard situations as well as guided escape routes. Specific instructions help to remove the decision-making process from panicked victims who may not be able to …

Pranayama Breathing Detection With Deep Learning, Bikash Shrestha

Theses

Yoga, a complementary health approach, according to a 2017 National Health Interview Survey by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is a choice of around 14.3% adults in the US. Kapalbhati pranayama, a yoga practice of alternating fast exhales and longer passive inhales, is understood to improve our health. Incorrect and irregular practices, however, can cause injuries and adverse effects. To avoid these undesired effects, it is essential to maintain a pace fit for the practitioner. In the absence of any tools to observe a pace of practice, this work develops a deep learning method that listens to …

The Lost Taste, Wei-En Chen

Theses

The Lost Taste is a film about a young chef named Ueda who is running a noodle bar that was passed down from his deceased father. Ueda is an excellent cook who always satisfies his customers with his secret family recipe. However, in recent years he has been having a hard time running his business, since fast-food chain restaurants are booming and one across the street is stealing his customers. Recently, only a few old loyal customers have come to visit. Worst of all, he has completely forgotten that this very day is the deadline to pay off his debt …

Smart Urban Solutions For Low-Income Neighborhoods In Dubai: Hor Al Anz Area As A Case Study, Alaa Yahia Ragab Eleraqi

Theses

The project’s main objective is to study and assess the current situation and future setup of implementing smart solutions technologies, and the main challenges facing the growth in Dubai in general and the Hor Al Anz neighborhood in Dubai in particular. The expected results and outcomes of this study are illustrated in this research report. The project report consists of 5 parts. Part 1 covers the implemented initiatives and presents the problem statement and the historical background of the case study area by showing why did I select the Hor Al Anz neighborhood in Dubai (Figure 1 below). The purpose …

Network Traffic Analysis Using Local Outlier Factor, Khalifa Almheiri

Theses

The issue that this study addresses is the high rate of false positives, high maintenance, and lack of stability and precision that the existing network intrusion detection algorithm faces. To address this problem, we proposed a Local Outlier Factor (LOF) Algorithm that locates outliers and anomalies by comparing the deviation of one data point with respect to its neighbors. To gather data, we will use DARPA’s KDDCup99 as well as questions towards analysts. This data will help determine whether the LOF algorithm is more effective than existing solutions that are presented in the network intrusion detection space.

Retail Demand Forecasting, Mohamed Al Ali

Theses

Sales and demand forecasting is one the most critical tasks of enterprises. It lays the foundation for many other essential business assumptions, such as cash flows, profit margins, turnover, capacity planning, and capital expenditure. This report presents a solution for the case study of forecasting monthly sales of one of the largest retail stores in Europe, Rossman chain stores. There are three steps in which this problem will be handled. First, a complete and comprehensive exploratory data analysis will be done to understand the data and perform feature engineering. Secondly, a time series will be modeled by autoregressive models using …

Strategic Social Media For Small Congregations, Heather R. Sparkman

Theses

Utilizing social media to draw and build a community of followers is the typical work of the modern Influencer and large organizations. But for a small church, using social media may seem like a wasteful or exasperating experience due to the sheer work that is involved in the enterprise and inconsistency brought on by a lack of strategic thought. The development of this assessment and philosophical metric focuses less on statistical metrics and more on stable principles that relate to values, context, and culture.

Qualitative Research On Pant Fit: To Improve Plus-Size Fit In The Plus-Size Market, Lenora Brown

Theses

This study explored the plus􀂱size apparel fit and the satisfaction of the plus􀂱size women in the United States. According to researchers, there is a well-known gap for apparel grading when it comes to plus-size apparel. This study took a qualitative approach and used structured interviews and surveys with twenty plus-size women size 16 through 22 and ages ranging from 22 through 50 in the Midwest area. The results of the interviews and the survey indicate the plus-size woman is unsatisfied with the fit of their clothing, more specifically the fit of their pants. The results indicate there are many variants …

Toward Improved Crop Management Using Spectral Sensing With Unmanned Aerial Systems, Robert Ormal Chancia

Theses

Remote sensing applications in agriculture are established for large-scale monitoring with satellite and airborne imagery, but unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are poised to bring in-field mapping capabilities to the hands of individual farmers. UAS imaging holds several advantages over traditional methods, including centimeter-scale resolution, reduced atmospheric absorption, flexible timing of data acquisitions, and ease of use. In this work, we present two studies using UAS imaging of specialty crops in upstate New York to work towards improved crop management applications. The first study is an investigation of multispectral imagery obtained over table beet fields in Batavia, NY during the 2018 …

Assessing The Use Of Smartphones In Agriculture, Katherine Mary Carpenter

Theses

Smartphones are an as yet untapped resource available to agriculture. They are ubiquitous across the globe yet have not previously been tested as a resource available to farmers. Imaging methods such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and satellite imaging have been well-explored and employed in various aspects of agriculture; however, such methods can be cost-prohibitive and at the mercy of another company or agency. If smartphones could be shown to capture color in such a way that relates in a quantifiable way to data measured by laboratory-grade equipment they could prove to be extremely valuable to farmers. Cutting out expensive …

Preferred Rendering Of Memory Colors, Anku Manderna Anku

Theses

With the rise in high quality displays and cameras following the mainstream adoption of smartphones, image quality has become an essential aspect of engaging and attracting consumers. In the case of smartphones, the bar raises with release of every new generation. There are many factors affecting image quality such as sharpness, image noise or non-uniformity, and geometric distortion, but it is fair to say that color plays a vital role in the perceived quality of an image. Colors not only spark emotions and engage a user but also decide the likability of a certain image. Over the past few years …

The Use Of Reverse Vending Machine (Rvm) For Less Plastic In Dubai, Sarah Obaid Al Shamsi

Theses

Plastic pollution is affecting negatively on the environment, it affects trees, animals, marine life, and even humans. One of the most common plastic types is plastic bags, it is widely spread due its special characteristics such as light weigh, and cheap price. In Dubai City, plastic bags are widely used especially in the supermarkets, with the increase in the population of Dubai, the number of plastic bags will increase and the impacts will be more appearance. Dubai City is a leading city in the region for its ability to change and adapt with new strategies that serves the citizen and …

Futuristic Smart Solutions For People Of Determination In Schools And Universities, Luloa Alsayah, Shaikha Abdulrahman, Sanaa Enkeleya

Theses

In this project, future smart solutions for people of determination in schools and universities were discussed. The background was presented on the topic, as the issue of integrating people of determination in schools and then integrating them into society still takes a wide range of societal, family, and institutional attention, and it undoubtedly deserves much attention that befits this dear group in our society. The literature has shown the existence of previous studies and applications similar to those proposed in the project, which sought within the framework of this advanced vision to enable "people of determination" to provide quality services …

Evaluation Of Neuro-Evolution Algorithms For Tactic Volatility Aware Processes, Aizaz Ul Haq

Theses

Our society is increasingly evolving to rely on computer mechanisms that perform a variety of tasks. From a self-driving car to a satellite in space relaying data from Mars rovers, we need these systems to perform optimally and without failure. One such point of failure these systems can encounter is tactic volatility of an adaptation tactic. Adaptation tactics are defined workflows that allow systems to navigate their environment. Tactic volatility is the variance in the behavior in the attribute of a tactic, such as cost and latency and/or the combination of the two. Current systems consider these tactic attributes to …

Predicting Risk Of Readmission In Heart Failure Patients Using Electronic Health Records, Pradumna Suryawanshi

Theses

This thesis research investigates the prediction of readmission risk in heart failure patients using their electronic health record (EHR) data from previous hospitalizations. We examine three primary questions. First, we study the use of attention mechanism in readmission prediction model based on long short-term memory(LSTM) networks and investigate the interpretability it offers regarding the importance of critical time during the visit in readmission prediction. Second given that, generally dataset is curated by combining data from multiple hospitals we investigate model generalization across multiple sites. Finally since in real life scenario model will be trained on past data and used to …

Radio Carbon - Hybrid Documentary Process, Robert Stokes

Theses

Radio Carbon is a documentary made using a methodology for creating conscious digital video projects with a process privileging respect for crew, subject, and environment over the needs of a commercial, or market driven product. The guidelines imposed by this method are fluid, and project-specific in terms of their exact interpretation for each film. This project is meant to demonstrate a production style that allows for work to be made by the participants without a dominating creative force at every stage of production. This is made possible through the introduction of chance operations at several key points along the production …

A Deep Learning Classifier For Detecting Atrial Fibrillation In Hospital Settings Applicable To Various Sensing Modalities, Kamil Bukum

Theses

Cardiac signals provide variety of information related to the patient's health. One of the most important is for medical experts to diagnose the functionality of a patient’s heart. This information helps the medical experts monitor heart disease such as atrial fibrillation and heart failure. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most major diseases that are threatening patients’ health. Medical experts measure cardiac signals usng the Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), the Photoplethysmogram (PPG), and more recently the Videoplethysmogram (VPG). Then they can use these measurements to analyze the heart functionality to detect heart diseases. In this study, these three major …

Developing Risk Assessment Tool For Patients’ In-Hospital Falls Using Predictive Modeling, Rasika Patil

Theses

Inpatient falls are a serious cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries among patients of all ages leading to disability and stillness. The post-fall treatment comes with rising medical costs and a stressful recovery phase. The present assessment tools align with analyzing causes of falls from historical data instead of present conditions. The key focus area of this research is to develop general-purpose fall risk assessment tools using machine learning-based predictive modeling. We used performance metrics to compare the accuracy and suggest the best suitable model for each shift. This general-purpose fall risk assessment tool can be used for all age …

The Impact Of Wastewater Chemistry And Flow Characteristics On Hydrogen Sulfide Concentration, Mohsina Muhammed Sherief

Theses

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is a naturally occurring, highly toxic gas that is formed from the decomposition of sulfur compounds. At low concentrations, H₂S is an irritant for the eyes, respiratory and gastrointestinal tract. At higher H₂S concentrations, it produces neurological impairment with dizziness, headache, and loss of consciousness. Mortality was reported to reach 6 percent following exposure to elevated concentrations. H₂S is generated in different industrial processes. In wastewater collection and treatment plants, H₂S is a common source of concrete and metal corrosion that has resulted in huge economic loss. …

Elucidation Of The Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Missense Mutations In Low Density Lipoprotein Receptor Related Protein 6 (Lrp6) Associated With Cardiovascular Diseases, Huda Issa Samha

Theses

Low-density Lipoprotein Receptor Related Protein 6 (LRP6) is a member of the Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptors family (LDLRs) which is involved in the clearance of LDL from the bloodstream and the signaling of the canonical wingless signaling pathway. Several genetic variants in the LRP6 gene have been conclusively associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and metabolic syndrome. However, the structural and functional implications of those variations have not been fully elucidated. The CVD-associated LRP6 variants could be retained and possibly subjected to Endoplasmic Reticulum Associated Degradation (ERAD), a quality control and adaptive process employed by cells to eliminate misfolded proteins to maintain …

Minimization Of The Weld Distortion By Weld Sequence Optimization Using Artificial Intelligence, Jeyaganesh Devaraj

Theses

The application of dissimilar metal welding processes is increasing nowadays in the automobile, aerospace, marine industry as they not only serve for joint welding for different metals but also assist in repairing and reworking in a simplified manner. Study on optimization of weld parameter to weld a structure is important to have control over the distortion, mass deposition, tensile strength, etc. The present research reports the development and implementation of the Genetic algorithm integrated Artificial Neural Network (GANN) based weld sequence optimization for reducing deformation of dissimilar metal joining using the hot-encode technique. Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) is used …

Harnessing Intelligence In Implementing Smart Parking Systems Integrated With Interactive Guidance System In Distinctive Shindagha Historical Neighborhood To Enhance And Regulate Mass Experiences, Rahaf Ahmad Al Kassab

Theses

Under the light of the importance of finding smart solutions for cities strategic issues and in conjunction with the broad race for urban development in order to provide the best living environment and the most appropriate tourist destination, Mobility Management occupies the first place among these issues. Due to the variation in the urban fabric of cities, especially the old historical neighborhoods that are unique in their nature, composition, and conditions for their preservation, challenges related to mobility management raised in these critical areas. Therefore, in this study, we present a smart suggestion to solve the problem of providing smart …

Self-Care Agency And Self-Care Practice Of Adult African Americans With Type 2 Diabetes, Martha Eddings

Theses

The purpose of the study was to identify and examine the concepts of self-care agency and self-care practice of African American adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, living in the local community. The research questions addressed were:

1) What is the self-care agency of adult African Americans diagnosed with type 2 diabetes?

2) What is the self-care practice of adult African Americans diagnosed with type 2 diabetes?

3) Is there a relationship between self-care agency and self-care practice in adult African Americans diagnosed with type 2 diabetes?

Stay In Touch: An Interaction Design Project For Managing And Facilitating Healthy Long-Distance Relationships, Zhichao Zhou

Theses

The global pandemic has deepened an epidemic of loneliness in America. Quarantine during COVID-19 restricts in-person social activities that make managing long-distance relationships challenging. People feel uncomfortable and less confident to maintain healthy relationships in a virtual world. My thesis explores interaction methods to encourage people to stay in touch in long-distance relationships through establishing and maintaining communication contracts. To solve the problem, I designed Stay In Touch - a mobile APP and a watch to provide users a quick and interesting way to monitor and manage long-distance relationships. The APP helps people manage connections and take quick reach-out actions. …

Task Assignment And Path Planning For Autonomous Mobile Robots In Stochastic Warehouse Systems, Maojia Patrick Li

Theses

The material handling industry is in the middle of a transformation from manual operations to automation due to the rapid growth in e-commerce. Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are being widely implemented to replace manually operated forklifts in warehouse systems to fulfil large shipping demand, extend warehouse operating hours, and mitigate safety concerns. Two open questions in AMR management are task assignment and path planning. This dissertation addresses the task assignment and path planning (TAPP) problem for autonomous mobile robots (AMR) in a warehouse environment. The goals are to maximize system productivity by avoiding AMR traffic and reducing travel time. The …

A Tool To Evaluate Simulations In Nursing Education, Susan Kane Patton

Theses

The purpose of the study is to test the interrater reliability of a tool to evaluate student performance during clinical simulations, using a convenience sample of senior Baccalaureate nursing (BSN) students and clinical instructors. Permission was obtained from Creighton University to use the Creighton Simulation Evaluation Instrument (CSEI) and further test inter-rater reliability.

Cultural Competence In The Baccalaureate Degree Nursing Curriculum, Angela E. Silvestri-Elmore

Theses

Health care providers are members of a helping profession and need to provide quality care to all members of society. As a result of current and projected demographic changes within the United States (U.S.), health care professionals are faced with the challenges of providing culturally competent care and fulfilling the role as the "helping profession." In the past 10 years, minority populations have increased in the U.S. For example, the African American population experienced an approximate 12.3% increase, and the Hispanic population increased by 43%. Just as it is necessary for health care professionals to respond to the increase in …

A Descriptive Study Of Case Managers' Knowledge Of Elder Abuse, Tracy L. Sooley

Theses

The purpose of the descriptive study was to measure knowledge of current legislation, awareness of current protocols, identify the use of screening and intervention tools, and the ability to identify indicators of elder abuse in case managers in a community setting in Ontario, Canada. Jean Watson's Theory of Caring and Pender's (1996) Health Promotion Model Revised guided this study. Written questionnaires developed by the researcher were distributed to community case managers during their monthly team meeting. Subjects consisted of a convenience sample of 127 case managers. A total of 122 questionnaires were completed. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. …