Digital Commons Network^™

Using Machine Learning For Road Accident Severity Prediction And Optimal Rescue Pathways, Mohammad Yousuf Sulaiman Alhashmi

Theses

Road traffic accidents remain a critical challenge for urban planners, transportation authorities, and public safety stakeholders worldwide. Despite advancements in road infrastructure and traffic management, the frequency and severity of accidents continue to strain emergency response systems and compromise public safety. Accident hotspots, are particularly concerning, as they often exhibit recurring patterns of accidents due to factors such as poor road design, high traffic density, and adverse weather conditions. This thesis addresses the challenge of predicting accident severity and identifying accident-prone areas through a data-driven approach. Using a large dataset of over 7.7 million accident records containing geographical, environmental, and …

Temporal Analysis And Prediction Of Air Quality Based On Environmental Data, Mizbah Syed

Theses

Air pollution is one of the most pressing environmental challenges of the modern era, significantly impacting public health, ecosystems, and economic stability. Pollutants such as PM2.5, PM10, and NO₂—largely driven by urbanization, industrialization, and vehicular emissions—have exacerbated global health issues, including respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular diseases, and premature mortality. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution contributes to over 7 million deaths annually, with economic losses amounting to billions of dollars. Beyond its health and financial toll, air pollution worsens climate change, underscoring the urgent need for accurate air quality index (AQI) prediction to enable timely interventions and evidence-based policymaking. …

Beauty In The Mundane, Madeline Caniglia

Theses

This project focuses on challenging what compositions are considered valuable as art. The primary focus is on the relationship between light and shadow and how it contributes to the revelation of finding beauty in the mundane. This project involves studying old masters like Caravaggio and Edward Hopper while employing their techniques and methods in my artworks. Through a series of oil paintings, I depicted everyday objects and scenes to demonstrate how classical techniques, paired with contemporary subjects, help bridge historical and artistic practices with modern art.

A Funerary Rite: A Visual Ethnography Of Climate Change, Threatened And Endangered Coral Species, And The Impact Of Coral Reef Death On Coastal Communities, Jason Uhl

Theses

This directed project includes research on a selection of the 24 coral species currently listed as threatened or endangered, these being at high risk of extinction. Climate change of the Anthropocene era and associated human-induced pollution impacts have resulted in most of the Earth’s coral reefs experiencing increased coral bleaching and coral death events. Our planet’s coral reefs are the main habitat to 25% of the world’s fish population. These coral habitats have also supported innumerous coastal communities in cultural, economic, social, and spiritual respects for millennia. This directed project includes the creation of an exhibition of 22 lidded ceramic …

Optimizing Small Business Success Through An Online Fashion Consulting Infographic Guide, Nicole Campbell

Theses

The project aims to challenge traditional thinking within the fashion industry, paving the way for the creation of a thriving consulting business. In addition, it will underscore the significance of developing a strong online profile for fashion consultants, symbolizing the birth of the Consult the Soul brand. Through this initiative, the project aspires to revolutionize the realm of fashion consulting by fusing unique tactics with ethical standards. By encouraging a fresh perspective and emphasizing the importance of embracing digital platforms, the project sets out to redefine the standards of success within the industry. Ultimately, this venture seeks to establish a …

The Intersection Of Interactive Narrative And Flow State Immersion: An Exploration Of Trauma, Resilience, And Post-Traumatic Growth, Tiffani Barner

Theses

This work investigates the benefits of interactive narratives in conjunction with flow state immersion for individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. A specific focus is placed on narratives that contain dark or horror-based themes. In addition, the importance of selfauthorship, representation, and empowerment are explored. Accompanying the examination of flow state, concepts such as challenge, failure, and the motivation to succeed at challenging tasks are analyzed. This work also includes a survey pertaining to user preferences regarding media and genre preferences. The goal of this project is to design an interactive user experience that activates flow state while also providing an …

Beauty Beyond Barbed Wire: Chiura Obata’S Perspective Of The Horizon, Bri Carlson

Theses

Depictions of the environment are an integral part of American art history because they convey cultural relationships of all who inhabited the land. The environment is often a stagnant force that harbors lifetimes of human history. One of these histories is the incarceration of about 120,000 Japanese immigrants and American citizens in 1942 after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. They were forced to evacuate their homes, lives, and families to live in detention centers and prison camps where living conditions were subpar. Many turned to art making to cope, and some artists used their work to silently protest and visually …

Contemplating Glaciers - A Dialogue, Jessica Elizabeth Turner

Theses

This project investigates the evolving relationship between art, climate education, and audience engagement. It explores how the visual arts serve as a medium for fostering awareness and dialogue about climate change while inspiring climate resilience through artistic and curatorial intervention. The exhibition Contemplating Glaciers – A Dialogue showcases the work of Canadian artist Jan Kabatoff, whose practice incorporates multisensory experiences, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, VR, and soundscapes to engage viewers with the ongoing degradation of glaciers. The exhibition bridges the gap between scientific knowledge and artistic expression within a gallery space designed to encourage participation and reflection. It seeks to …

Applying Machine Learning For Crime Trend Analysis, Dana Alsoori

Theses

The analysis of crime rates has always been a critical component in shaping law enforcement strategies and public policy. This study focuses on the U.S. crime rates from 1975 to 2015, as reported by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, to explore patterns and trends over four decades. By analyzing this extensive dataset, the project aims to provide insights into the dynamics of criminal activity across different regions and crime categories. The goal is to uncover both visible and hidden trends that can inform better decision-making in crime prevention and resource allocation. With the rise of data-driven methods, this …

Leveraging Ai To Improve Service Quality For Better Passenger Satisfaction At Airport, Abdulrhman Alsaleh

Theses

The aim of this research is to explore the impact of airport service quality on passenger satisfaction level in Dubai International Airport (DXB) and the study employed machine learning approach to establish the services quality dimensions relationship with passenger satisfaction. However, the initial objective is to analyze patterns and make future forecasts that DXB could use to enhance service delivery. The research focuses on key service quality dimensions: The study investigates the causal relationship between five constructs: reliability, service quality tangibility, assurance, responsiveness, and empathy using machine learning models such as regression and classification. The information data applies to the …

An Automated Approach To Detect Cyber Threats With Smart Contracts In Blockchain Systems., Alia Mohammad Ahli

Theses

Blockchain is becoming one of the main components of the modern world due to its rapid development. Considering its main characteristics as a collaborative distributed database that provides transparency and scalability, blockchain development and application have grown dramatically over the past decade. While the blockchain is a key feature and is used in the industry, it is subject to many risk factors and attacks. Advanced technologies that can successfully detect and mitigate vulnerabilities must be developed for solving these security challenges. This thesis presents the development of a machine learning based approach to discover vulnerabilities in blockchain-based systems. It begins …

Enhancing Medical Cybersecurity: A Machine Learning Solution For Intrusion Detection In Iomt Devices, Afra Yaqoob

Theses

In the past few decades, the healthcare sector has undergone major technological advancements, which have included the adoption of Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), and networked medical devices. These advancements have changed the manner in which patient care is provisioned, enabling for more accurate diagnosis, personalized treatment plans, among other benefits. However, as healthcare providers are growing more reliant on interconnected systems, they have also been exposed to critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Medical devices have now become targets for cyberattacks, threatening patient data and its security and endangering patient's health and safety. This thesis examines the affects that inadequate cybersecurity measures, …

Making Social Interactions Accessible For The Blind And Low-Vision People By Detecting Emotions Through Vocal Tone, Facial Expressions, And Body Language, Gautham Krishna

Theses

Despite the thriving research in the field of accessibility, there are several niche area where there is a need for specific solutions. One such area is social interaction. Blind and Low-Vision people (BLV) are limited in identifying emotions through verbal communication alone, which is often biased and unreliable in certain environments. Prior research illustrates the importance of body language in expressions and articulates the mechanism behind human emotions. Drawing inspiratoin from such research and various studies that were focused on emotion recognition systems, our research focused on identifying a portable accessible solution for BLV that classified emotion based on multi-modal …

Modeling Impact Of Simulated Myocardial Perfusion On Cardiac Ablation For Arrhythmia, Brendan Cappon

Theses

Bioheat transfer is the study of heat transfer applied in anatomy and physiology, which is relevant to maintaining homeostatic conditions from metabolic activity, thermal exposures, and various treatments and diagnostic methods. Blood flow significantly impacts heat transfer throughout the body, facilitating the diffusion of heat. Models have been developed to quantify bioheat transfer and the effect of blood flow through tissue for many biological functions and medical procedures, one of which is radiofrequency ablation for cardiac arrhythmia. Significant improvements to models and assumptions are still required as success rates for this procedure remain low for various arrhythmia types. The research …

Development And Optimization Of Electric-Double-Layer Gated Transistors Based On Low-Dimensional Materials: Gate-All-Around Inas Nanowire Arrays And Graphene Channels, John Wyatt Morrell

Theses

Electric-double-layer (EDL) gating is a promising alternative to conventional gating methods for field-effect transistors (FETs), with potential applications spanning current logic, future logic, and neuromorphic computing architectures. This technique employs mobile ions in an electrically insulating but ionically conductive medium to generate strong local electric fields at the gate-to-channel interface, achieving field magnitudes on the order of 1 V/nm. These intense local fields enable significant charge carrier accumulation in the semiconducting channel, positioning EDL gating as a strong candidate for device applications. In this study, we investigate the use of low-dimensional channel materials, including two-dimensional graphene and one-dimensional InAs nanowires, …

What Explains State-Level Variation In Refugee Resettlement In The United States?, Rebekah Walker

Theses

The history of refugee resettlement in the United States reveals an ad hoc system that relies heavily on non-governmental agencies and state social services. Rates of acceptance for refugees vary greatly by state, yet the particulars of refugee placement are under-studied. This thesis seeks to explain why refugees are likely to be resettled in some states more than others–what factors are associated with higher or lower levels of refugee resettlement? Most literature looks at the economic impact from refugees and on refugees or analyzes the political environment that supports (or does not support) them, but refugee resettlement itself–the how and …

Recruitment Sources Of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon Idella) In The Great Lakes, Nicholas Steven Etter

Theses

Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) is a species of concern in areas they have invaded, such the Laurentian Great Lakes, due to their potential to substantially reduce aquatic macrophyte coverage. Efforts to control Grass Carp in the Great Lakes have primarily been focused on two tributaries to the western basin of Lake Erie (i.e., Sandusky and Maumee rivers, Ohio) where reproduction has been documented, although other Great Lakes tributaries are known to have thermal and hydrological regimes suitable for Grass Carp spawning. Knowledge of sources contributing to the expanding population of invasive Grass Carp in the Great Lakes is key to …

Investigating The Effect Of Active Living Wall On Indoor Air Quality And Energy Consumption: Case Study In Uaeu Closed Offices, Atina Mohsen Ghunaim

Theses

Extreme hot climates can significantly affect Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and ventilation, resulting in higher energy demands. Numerous studies have demonstrated that outdoor greening, such as trees and landscaped areas, can reduce a building’s energy consumption. However, less research has been conducted on the impact of indoor vegetation on energy use and air quality. Indoor vegetation decreases Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) concentration by absorbing CO₂ and releasing oxygen (O₂), while the evapotranspiration process further enhances (IAQ) and reduces energy expenditure. The United Arab Emirates has dry arid climate and summers with high humidity levels, causing individuals to stay longer indoors, which …

Community Response To Floods In The Cache River Watershed Of Southern Illinois: Application Of A Proposed Framework For Assessing General And Specified Community Resilience, Raymond Albert Bieri Iii

Theses

Recent years have seen increased awareness about the potential adverse impacts of climate change on hydrologic systems and human communities. The concept of community resilience – the capacity of communities to respond to drivers of change in a manner that maintains or improves upon community well-being – is widely recognized as a suitable framework for informing climate change adaptation policies. Emerging insights from the community resilience literature highlight the importance of the distinction between general resilience, which refers to the resilience of social-ecological systems to all kinds of drivers of change, and specified resilience, which is concerned with the resilience …

Examining The Relationship Between Internalizing, Externalizing, And Psychotic Psychopathology At Five Levels Of Criminal Risk, Cooper Mitchell Sparks

Theses

Though it is well established that mental illness is not a primary risk factor for criminal justice involvement, the relationship between mental illness and criminal risk with justice-involved persons with mental illness is not well understood (Bonta, et al., 1998; Morgan, et al., 2010; Skeem, et al., 2014). Specifically, psychopathology has not been understood at different levels of criminal risk. Using the Five-Level Risk and Needs System for criminal risk (Hanson, et al., 2017), the current study aimed to identify mean differences between different domains of psychopathology (i.e., internalizing, externalizing, and psychotic psychopathology) across five levels of criminal risk. Data …

A Focus On The Social Validity Of Treating Stereotypy Using Response Interruption And Redirection, Maggie Grace Ratcliff

Theses

Stereotypy refers to a class of operant repetitive motor and vocal responses with no readily apparent goal or purpose (Rapp & Vollmer, 2005; Singer, 2009; Wunderlich et al., 2023). Although most stereotypy is clinically insignificant and does not warrant treatment (i.e., nail biting, hair twirling), some stereotypy persists at a frequency or severity which interferes with skill acquisition, social interactions, and daily living skills. Stereotypy which persists at this level is considered clinically significant and is often the target of treatment (Wunderlich et al., 2023). A variety of evidence-based treatments for the reduction of stereotypy exist, though some neurodiversity advocates …

Using Stimulus Equivalence Procedures To Increase Police Officers' Identification Of Behavioral Functions, Caitlin Sturges

Theses

Mentalistic constructs and theories have been spouted since the dawn of mankind to explain the many behaviors of humans. These philosophies, however, leave many unanswered questions in society’s understanding of why complex behaviors (e.g., the multifaceted behaviors between police officers and citizens) occur. Society has entered an era of policing reform. Moreover, society is in search of answers as to why violent and seemingly complex behaviors are on the rise between law enforcement officials and citizens. The purpose of this study was to teach police officers the four functions of behavior utilizing equivalence-based instruction (EBI). Three active-duty law enforcement officials …

Enhancing Healthcare Services Through Machine Learning-Driven Anomaly Detection, Mohammad Ayoub Nather Hussain Natheruddin

Theses

The healthcare industry’s expanding data presents opportunities for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Despite advancements in medical technology, medical errors remain a significant issue. Anomaly detection, identifying data points that deviate from normal patterns, is crucial for addressing these errors and detecting healthcare fraud. This study uses the “Healthcare Providers Data for Anomaly Detection” dataset to identify fraudulent activities. Clustering and two-step clustering, two unsupervised anomaly detection methods, are employed to uncover anomalies without prior knowledge. These techniques are applied to detect unusual events, such as anomalous patient health states and time-series data deviations. The study focuses on …

Early Career Nurses' Attitudes Toward Climate Change And Its Relationship To Nursing Practice And Education: A Qualitative, Descriptive Exploratory Study, Ongelique Conflenti

Theses

Background: Climate change is accelerating rapidly, and its adverse effects on human health are expected to worsen in the coming decades. Nurses have a professional and ethical responsibility to address climate change and help the healthcare sector adapt to its challenges. Due to a lack of education on the topic, however, many nurses are not aware of the relevance of climate change to their nursing practice. Little is known about the attitudes of early career nurses (ECNs) toward climate change or their perspectives on integrating it into their continuing education.

Aims: This research will aim to explore the attitudes of …

Reverence, Talia Drury

Theses

Reverence is a series of wooden objects that highlight the beauty, subtleties, and surprises found in the quieter moments of nature. These pieces fluctuate from both literal and figurative interpretations of form, movement, and memory. Through the integration of curves, light, and hand-carved textures, I developed work that holds a collection of moments from the natural world. Reverence is an invitation to pause, explore, and revere the beauty that surrounds us, nurturing a deeper bond with the world we inhabit. I invite you to take a walk with me as I explore the rhythms and patterns of nature that are …

Vitamin D Clinical Relevance In The Recovery From Traumatic Brain Injury Among The Military Population, Yuisa Mariceli Colón

Theses

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) still remains a difficult disorder to treat. TBI has been associated to chronic neuroinflammation and a high risk for neurodegenerative disorders. Since 2001 between ten to twenty percent of all deployed military members have suffered a combat-related TBI. Nearly twenty to thirty percent of those will experience chronic cognitive, behavioral and somatic symptoms after suffering a TBI. This review found compelling evidence to support that the pathology of TBI is closely associated with neuroprotective mechanisms of vitamin D.

Headspace, Katrina E. Kauffman

Theses

Headspace is a contemplation of the dynamics and labor of thought. As someone with ADHD, dysgraphia, and dyslexia, my thought process is often circuitous yet cyclical. This thesis will explore the overlap between ritual and hyperfocus as a facet of artistic practice as well as their impact on physical and emotional equilibrium. By personifying the three proposed stages of memory by the Cognitive Load theory through the performance of repetitive tasks like making chewing gum, paper, and ink by hand, I both exemplify my neurodivergent brain structure and the reformatting my neural pathways undergo to conform to neurotypically inclined society. …

Hope Vs. Hate: Understanding User Interactions With Lgbtq+ News Content In Mainstream Us News Media Through The Lens Of Hope Speech, Jonathan Pofcher

Theses

This thesis makes three contributions. First, via a substantial corpus of 1,419,047 comments posted on 3,161 YouTube news videos of major US cable news outlets, we analyze how users engage with LGBTQ+ news content. Our analyses focus both on positive and negative content. In particular, we construct a fine-grained hope speech classifier that detects positive hope speech, negative, neutral, and irrelevant content. Second, in consultation with a public health expert specializing on LGBTQ+ health, we conduct an annotation study with a balanced and diverse political representation and release a dataset of 3,750 instances with fine-grained labels and detailed annotator demographic …

Adapting Emergency Response: A Nationwide Study Of Disability Accommodation Practices Among Local Emergency Managers, Iskender Mambetkadyrov

Theses

Local emergency management agencies (EMAs), who are critical in disaster response and management in the US, frequently underserve their constituencies who identify as people with disabilities (PWD) and, more specifically, as deaf and hard of hearing (DHH). These shortfalls have still persisted even after policies such as the Americans with Disabilities Act have passed in an attempt to bridge these gaps. This thesis aims to explore the organizational actions & strategies local EMAs have taken towards disability inclusion, the barriers they run into, and explore whether increases in general disability-inclusive actions lead to increased DHH-specific inclusive actions to steer local …

Patient Specific Tissue Emulating Phantoms For Image-Guided Intervention Applications, Kelly Merrell

Theses

Patient specific organ and tissue mimicking phantoms are used routinely to develop and assess new image-guided intervention tools and techniques in laboratory settings, enabling scientists to maintain acceptable anatomical relevance, while avoiding animal studies when the developed technology is still in its infancy. Gelatin phantoms, specifically, offer a cost-effective and readily available alternative to the traditional manufacturing of anatomical phantoms, and also provide the necessary versatility to mimic various stiffness properties specific to various organs or tissues. In the first part of this thesis, we describe the protocol to develop patient specific anthropomorphic gelatin phantoms of different organs and we …