Digital Commons Network^™

Reduction Of Crimes In Dubai With The Use Of Artificial Intelligence, Ahmad Saeed Abdulrahim

Theses

This dissertation examines the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance crime reduction efforts by the Dubai Police. As Dubai continues to grow and new technologies emerge, integrating AI into Dubai Police represents a significant opportunity to improve operational efficiency, predictive policing, and data-driven investigations. However, this integration also raises critical ethical and privacy concerns that must be addressed to ensure responsible use. The rapid development of AI technologies offers promising solutions for modernizing crime prevention and Dubai Police strategies. Dubai, with its advanced technological infrastructure and forward-looking governance, is an ideal context for exploring these innovations. The effective use …

Sold Out: The Commodification Of Personal Data In The Digital Age, Olaya Ordieres Ortega

Theses

The project titled ‘SOLD OUT’ investigates the profound implications of digital data privacy through a multifaceted multimedia campaign designed to expose and critique the commodification of human information. The campaign explores how contemporary data collection practices have transformed individuals into mere products, bought, sold, and traded without their consent. The project employs a combination of analog and digital mediums to present an engaging and provocative narrative that challenges viewers to confront the stark reality of data privacy in the modern age. ‘SOLD OUT’ transforms abstract privacy concerns into tangible and relatable experiences by linking them to common daily activities and …

Christmas Eve, Lingxiao Fan

Theses

Christmas Eve is a 3D animated graduate thesis film in length of 3 minutes. It is a story about a young Santa Claus who keeps getting distracted by everything around her and procrastinates from doing her job - preparing gifts for kids. The main character, Santa Claus No.077, who lives in the North Pole Village, has the whole year to prepare gifts for children. However, due to her procrastination, one year has passed and she hasn’t finished her job preparing the gifts on Christmas Eve. Noticing the big day for Santa Clauses is taking place today while reading the newspaper, …

Factors That Enable Cashless Payment Adoption Among The Blue-Collar Workers In Dubai, Rasheed Abdu Venmadathayil

Theses

As part of the Smart Dubai 2021 Strategy, Dubai is leveraging a wide range of technologies to enhance the lives of its residents and drive economic development. A key component of this strategy is the shift toward digital payments and a cashless economy (UAE Government Portal, 2021). In 2020, the Dubai Government established the Cashless Dubai Working Group to create an action plan aimed at transforming all payment transactions in the city to cashless platforms. The UAE, including Dubai, has the essential prerequisites for a cashless economy, such as advanced digital infrastructure and government regulations that protect consumer security and …

Bhasha: An Interactive Experience Learning Indian Languages, Charmy Patel

Theses

BHASHA is an interactive online platform that focuses on the linguistic diversity of India, specifically targeting languages from the Nagari (Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali) and Dravidian (Tamil) families. The name "BHASHA," meaning "language" in many Indian dialects, reflects the platform's inclusive approach to language learning. BHASHA addresses the challenge of learning complex scripts by offering an engaging experience that showcases the unique beauty and distinctiveness of Indian language typography, characters, type anatomy, and writing systems. By combining technology, design, and linguistics, the platform provides a user-centric solution for individuals and typographers interested in learning Indian languages by making these complex scripts …

Design And Implementation Of A Modular, Standalone Microfluidic Flow Control Platform For Cell Culture Applications, Meng-Chun Hsu

Theses

Microfluidics, a technology of manipulating small quantities of fluids (0.1-10 µL), has drawn interest as an emerging platform for biomedical and chemical applications since its debut due to several advantages, including better precision in flow rate control, smaller required sample sizes, lower costs of analyses, and shorter turnaround times. Well-defined fluid flows are the hallmark feature of microfluidic culture systems and enable precise control over biophysical and biochemical cues at the cellular scale. One key demand for microfluidics is to control the delivered fluid flows to downstream applications. This is generally achieved via two major components – valves and pumps. …

Binary Neutron Stars: From Interpreting Individual Events To Inferring Population Properties, Anjali Balasaheb Yelikar

Theses

Accurate information from gravitational wave signals from coalescing binary neutron stars provides essential input to downstream interpretations, including inference of the neutron star population and equation of state. However, even adopting the currently most accurate and physically motivated models available for parameter estimation (PE) of binary neutron stars(s), these models remain subject to waveform modeling uncertainty: differences between these models may introduce biases in recovered source properties. In this work, we describe injection studies investigating these systematic differences between the two best waveform models available for BNS currently, NRHybSur3dq8Tidal and TEOBResumS. We demonstrate that for BNS sources observable by current …

Ghost In My Heart, Xueqi Sun

Theses

There is an ebb and flow to the world, things may come and go. Holding on to something and not letting go is something I cannot resist. Even though it is as fleeting as a palm of sand. But where things flow to is the question I am asking, I would like to explore the fleetingness and flaws in the impermanent natures of all things. Those segmented moments often come back as ghosts and the impermanence lingers and it bothers me. Through painting, flow with nature and find my inner peace in the painting itself.

Abstract (Chinese)

世事潮起潮落，万物来来去去。我无法抗拒坚持不放手的冲动。即使它如掌心沙般转瞬即逝。但事物流向何处才是我要问的问题，我想探索万物无常本质中的短暂和瑕疵。那些片段时刻常常像幽灵一样回来，无常挥之不去，让我很困扰。通过绘画，顺应自然，在画作中找到内心的平静。

A Domain-Specific Language For Accounting, Janhavi Doshi

Theses

Accounting can be loosely described as a set of rules and best practices for recording and reporting financial transactions. Despite the seemingly straightforward nature of these principles, implementing them through programming has proven to be complex. Currently, over 550 accounting software solutions exist, developed using more than 17 programming languages. These diverse and often fragmented solutions have led to numerous instances of fraud and errors that elude early detection due to inadequate validity checks. This study investigates the need for a unified approach by developing a Domain-Specific Language (DSL) for Accounting. The proposed DSL aims to standardize accounting practices, enhance …

Rural Electrification Subsidies: Quantification, Structure And Policy Implications, Lefu Maqelepo

Theses

This dissertation explores rural electrification subsidies and the policies around them, with an objective of assessing whether there are opportunities to restructure, and therefore redistribute subsidies to a larger portfolio of technology options to accelerate rural electrification and improve energy justice. Redistribution of subsidy necessitates an understanding of the amount of subsidy and how it is distributed. To do this, a quantitative modeling framework that enables for a direct comparison between grid extension and mini grid based electrification pathways based on implicit subsidy required to make connections over a system lifetime was developed and is presented. Using this framework, our …

Photonic Integrated Circuit Data Acquisition And Tunable Laser Control For Biomedical Point Of Care Systems, Maximilian Thoburn

Theses

In the world of healthcare, it has always been desirable to have a single test that can screen for multiple different patient ailments at once. Toward this end, a silicon photonics platform has been developed that uses photonic integrated circuits in combination with lasers to simultaneously perform various biological assays, i.e., to screen for biological markers in a patient’s sample. This system uses inexpensive passive flow cards with inexpensive photonic integrated circuits to create a disposable test platform that can be used in point of care environments. However, the necessary bench-top equipment to run an assay with these cards is …

Impact Of Foreign Aid To Agriculture In Reducing Poverty In Developing Countries., Richard Amoako

Theses

The effectiveness of foreign aid in reducing poverty has been a contentious issue in development economics. This paper focuses specifically on aid directed towards agriculture, a sector critical for rural livelihoods and poverty alleviation. It investigates the empirical relationship between agricultural aid flows and poverty levels in 46 developing countries between 1997-2020. Fixed effects panel regressions estimate models with the $2.15/day (based on 2017 PPP) poverty headcount ratio as the outcome variable. The key finding is that agricultural aid has a statistically significant poverty-reducing impact. The regression coefficients indicate that on average, a 1% increase in agricultural aid is associated …

Effects Of Urban Borders On Synanthropic Mesopredator Movement And Risk Of Toxoplasma Gondii Infection In The Protected Lands Of Key Largo, Florida Usa, Kelly A. Crandall

Theses

Protected lands are an important source of food, shelter, and reproductive opportunities for wildlife, especially in urbanizing landscapes. When urban development abuts the edges of protected lands, synanthropic species can alter their foraging behaviors and movement to utilize human-supplemented resources throughout the urban-wild interface. Therefore, urban edges on protected lands can have pronounced effects on animal movement and ecosystem function. There is also increased risk of disease transmission where high densities of wild animals exist, or where domestic animals and wild species are interacting. In particular, members of the family Felidae, including domestic cats (Felis catus), can transmit the pathogenic …

Impact Of Heat Treatment On Microstructure & Friction Performance Of Nasa Al 398 Alloy Rotors, Manjith Srinivas Koganti

Theses

Interaction of friction brakes with external environment can considerably influence their performance which could relate to friction instabilities and friction induced vibration and noise. The goal of this thesis is to optimize the mechanical properties of Al-alloy and address the friction, wear, and noise heat-treated rotors tested in scaled down SAE recommended testing procedure. The adopted T5 heat treatment process of Al-alloys involves a particular order of controlled heating and cooling steps designed to get specific microstructural changes within the alloy leading to optimized strength/hardness. Hardness is measured with Rockwell’s Hardness Tester. Artificial ageing at elevated temperature process is done. …

Impacts Of Intensifying A Corn-Soybean Rotation With Winter Wheat (Triticum Aestivum) On Nutrient Leaching, Plant Available Nutrients, Crop Yields, And Nitrogen Dynamics In Southern Illinois, Abigail Leigh Spiers

Theses

The Midwestern United States is a nationally and globally important producer of agricultural products and uses intensive practices to achieve high grain yields. However, intensive agriculture is a major contributor of nitrogen and phosphorus export to the Mississippi River and the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico. Cover cropping is a recommended conservation practice for providing soil cover throughout the winter and taking up nutrients that may otherwise be lost in bare fallow systems, but the associated costs limit widespread adoption of this practice. Double cropping, which involves growing two crops in one year, is functionally similar to cover …

On The Computable List Chromatic Number And Computable Coloring Number, Seth Campbell Thomason

Theses

In this paper, we introduce two new variations on the computable chromatic number: the computable list chromatic number and the computable coloring number. We show that, just as with the non-computable versions, the computable chromatic number is always less than or equal to the computable list chromatic number, which is less than or equal to the computable coloring number.We investigate the potential differences between the computable and non-computable chromatic, list chromatic, and coloring numbers on computable graphs. One notable example is a computable graph for which the coloring number is 2, but the computable chromatic number is infinite.

Half Past Primrose, Laura E. Wilson

Theses

Half Past Primrose is a climate memoir in verse, exploring the experiences of growing up with climate change in Wisconsin and the fundamental life shifts it poses.

Distribution Dynamics Of Swamp Rabbits (Sylvilagus Aquaticus) In Missouri, Kylie Bosch

Theses

Swamp rabbits (Sylvilagus aquaticus) are a bottomland hardwood forest specialist undergoing contraction at the northern extent of their range. This decline is often attributed to the loss of bottomland hardwood forest and frequent, intense flooding. To mitigate this decline and inform decisions regarding the swamp rabbit’s conservation status, there is a pressing need for long-term monitoring efforts. Although currently listed as imperiled (S2) in Missouri, shifts in occupancy trends may warrant a reassessment of the swamp rabbit’s state rank. The Missouri Department of Conservation has conducted decadal surveys for swamp rabbits since 1991, and the work presented here describes the …

Passive Acoustic Monitoring: Considerations For Recording Units, Birdnet Settings, And Filtering Methods For Long-Term Avian Population Monitoring, Shasta Corvus

Theses

This research investigated several aspects of passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) which were previously unexplored or understudied. A comparison of autonomous recording units (ARUs) for use with BirdNET for the purpose of bird monitoring was conducted. Four ARUs were compared, including AudioMoth, SM4, SMMicro, and SwiftOne. We found that, of the performance metrics for which ARU choice made a statistically significant difference (P>0.01), which included sensitivity, specificity, F1 harmonic mean, and Matthews Correlation Coefficient, (but not precision: P = 0.94), AudioMoth had the best performance for all statistically significant performance metrics except for specificity, for which SMMicro had the highest. …

A Mixture-Of-Experts Approach To Fine-Tuning The Segment Anything Model, Rajat Sahay

Theses

The emergence of large, general-purpose foundation models has sparked significant interest in the broader machine learning community. Among the many models being released, the Segment Anything Model (SAM) has demonstrated exceptional capabilities for object segmentation in various settings. Given its expansive training data, SAM has been used for image segmentation across various downstream tasks ranging from tumour segmentation to aerial object detection. However, the majority of pretraining data used by SAM consists of naturally-occurring images, which have significantly different characteristics from images of tumours or images taken by drones. In order to align SAM to these previously unseen domains, we …

Utilizing Exoskeletons For Intermittent Trunk Flexion Tasks: Implications On Kinematics, Stability, Muscle Activity And Fatigue, Pranav Madhav Kuber

Theses

Exoskeletons (EXOs) are wearable assistive devices that enhance workers' physical capabilities and reduce injury risk due to overexertion. However, current devices may produce mixed outcomes, and even increase demands. Factors responsible for this gap were identified and potential design improvements were proposed to improve their adoption. A subsequent systematic review showed mixed outcomes in real-world scenarios, possibly due to challenges in conducting field evaluations. A new guideline is proposed, which can be beneficial in improving the generalizability of findings in field evaluations. Low-back is injury-prone due to repetitive trunk flexion tasks, where Back-support industrial exoskeletons (BSIEs) can be beneficial. Literature …

An Analysis Of Funding For Emergency Medical Services In New York State, Conner Griffin

Theses

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) has been a misfit member of public safety and healthcare within the United States since the 1970s. As EMS has progressed into its modern form, policies haven’t caught up, particularly concerning funding. Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement no longer reflect the reality of modern EMS systems. The need to transport a patient to an emergency department to recoup service costs perpetuates an already costly healthcare system (Munjal & Carr, 2013). To offset the loss encumbered by EMS agencies across New York State (NYS), local governments can provide much needed funding. Funding of this nature has also been …

Kilonova Modeling And Parameter Inference, Marko Ristic

Theses

This dissertation details the generation of a kilonova simulation training library and the training of subsequent machine learning emulators used for multidimensional interpolation. We begin with a Gaussian process interpolation methodology and apply that emulator for Bayesian inference with the AT 2017gfo light-curve dataset. We then expand on our emulator interpolation methodology, replacing the scalar Gaussian process emulator with a vector neural network emulator for light-curve generation. Our neural network emulator results are localized to a much more narrow region of the parameter space, prompting a detailed supportive investigation of the systematic uncertainty associated with our inference approach. We then …

Pins, Inhwan Jeon

Theses

Pins aims to portray the societal landscape observed and experienced by me as an international student, highlighting sociological concerns like hatred and hate crimes instead of focusing on surface-level metrics such as the risk and fatality rates of COVID-19. Through this work, I want to remind the audience of the multifaceted nature of society and the emotions evoked by COVID-19, prompting reflection on the role of art during times of crisis. While transforming my original medium of metal objects into an installation art format, I explored concepts such as spacing, installation, cognition, narrative, and multiple senses. I integrated these elements …

The Role Of Food Ordering Systems In The Efficiency Of Food Distribution Through Food Banks: A Case Study, Turner Kamm

Theses

Introduction: Food banks face pressure to support an increasing number of food-insecure individuals, and to increase operational efficiency. This study reviewed the role of ordering systems in a food bank through a literature review and analysis of past ordering data. Methods: A literature review was conducted on the role of food ordering systems on efficient food delivery. Order data were categorized by month, county, and product category to assess transaction patterns. Analyses involved total pounds of food received by each county and a formula to calculate the percent of food insecure individuals served by county. Additional analyses compared items that …

The Logical Reasoning Dilemma Of Llms: A Mapping Deficit In Representation Acquisition, Yiling Wu

Theses

Currently, Large Language Models (LLMs) based on the Generative Pre-trained Transformer architecture have made breakthroughs in multilingual language processing tasks and performed similar language processing capabilities to humans. However, their performance in dealing with tasks involving reasoning, especially logical reasoning, show significant shortcomings. In this paper, we argue that logical reasoning competence requires a certain type of representation acquisition capability. Based on this, in order to assess whether LLMs have the potential to overcome the shortcomings of their logical reasoning competence in their subsequent development, this work compares the representation acquisition processes of humans and LLMs. This comparison reveals that …

Formulation, Manufacture, And Deployment Of A Sustainable Multi-Layer Agricultural Mulch Film, Yvan David Hernandez-Charpak

Theses

Agricultural mulching films (AMF) increase crop yield while reducing pesticides use, meeting the needs of a growing world population. However, their disposal options have led to an intensifying and concerning problem of plastic pollution. Biodegradable mulch films are available, but adoption has been limited because of their unpredictable degradation rate, making them unreliable compared to conventional polyethylene AMF. This dissertation presents a multi-layer film structure (commonly used in the packaging industry), its manufacture, deployment in the field, and comprehensive sustainability assessment. Its structure consists of a thick middle layer of thermoplastic starch (TPS) and biochar filled-biodegradable poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) thin …

Inference On Neutron Star Parameters And The Nuclear Equation Of State With Rift, Using Prior Eos Information, Askold Vilkha

Theses

One of the most extreme objects in the Universe, neutron stars are the remnants of supernova explosions. A usual neutron star has a mass in the range of 0.8 − 2.4M⊙ and a radius of about 10 km. Such small radii and high masses imply extreme densities, that exceed the nuclear density ρnuc . The extreme conditions of cold ultradense matter present inside the neutron star cannot be achieved in terrestrial laboratories, so the equation of state (EOS) of such matter is not well understood. Currently, there are many theoretical models of the EOS based on nuclear physics (Quantum Chromodynamics …

The Occurence Rate And Types Of Technical Alarms During Continuous Ecg Monitoring In The Intensive Care Unit And Its Potential Contribution To Alarm Fatigue, Markus Tungol

Theses

While continuous electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is an important assessment device, technical alarms (i.e., artifact, arrhythmia suspend, and leads off) are frequent and can contribute to alarm fatigue in nurses. For example, we found that of >2.5 million total alarms generated during a one month period, 30% were technical alarms. Examine the number and type of technical alarms (described below) and demographic and clinical factors associated with these alarms.

A Systematic Review Of Trauma-Informed Care In Applied Behavior Analysis, Staci Archibald

Theses

Although the use of trauma-informed care (TIC) has been featured in the delivery of different human services fields, its integration in applied behavior analysis (ABA) is scarce. The purpose of this research was to determine how many empirical studies include both principles of behavior analysis as well as TIC. The findings imply that, while research in this area is very limited, including TIC in ABA may improve treatment outcomes, particularly for people with complicated trauma histories and many restrictive measures. This review revealed a significant literature gap regarding specific frameworks and guidelines for effectively integrating TIC into ABA practices. Addressing …