Digital Commons Network^™

Methods For Quantifying Power Characteristics And Chronic Patterns Of Use Behavior Of Electronic Vaping Products, Qutaiba M. Saleh

Theses

Background: The complexity and variety of inhaled tobacco products have increased significantly with the introduction of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS). Product characteristics and human behavior are the main factors affecting products' emissions, consumption, and health effects. Combining the understanding of these two factors informs the next generation of regulations of these products. Quantifying use patterns helps health care professionals provide informed treatment of users addicted to nicotine and tobacco products. The literature lacks comprehensive studies to characterize ENDS hardware and operation, such as heating element resistance, battery performance, power, and thermal management. Human behavior is measured as use topography, …

Contraband, Omer Enes Demir

Theses

Contraband is a short fiction film about a young woman’s struggle to escape from a criminal life. As she is forced to smuggle drugs during prison visits to her husband, she must decide whether to protect him or abandon him. Leaving might give her a chance to save herself and her child from this life and have a better future. The movie takes place in modern-day Los Angeles. This paper describes and analyzes my filmmaking process as the writer and director of Contraband, and how my life experience and inspirations influenced my work.

Design Of An 8-Bit Configurable Cnn Hardware Accelerator For Audio And Image Classification, Christie Agbalessi

Theses

Picture yourself resting or attending a meeting in the back seat while your car is driving you home with all the privacy a driverless vehicle offers. Designing autonomous systems involves decoding environmental cues and making safe decisions. Convolution Neural Networks (CNNs) are the leading choices for computer vision tasks due to their high performance and scalability to pieces of hardware. They have long been run on Graphical Processing Units (GPUs) and Central Processing Units (CPUs). Yet, today, there is an urgent need to accelerate CNNs in low-power consumption hardware for real-time inference. This research aims to design a configurable hardware …

Experimental Designs For Observing The Hong-Ou-Mandel Manifolds Using Silicon Micro-Ring Resonators, Joseph Monteleone Iii

Theses

We propose three experimental designs for observing the Hong-Ou-Mandel Manifolds using silicon micro-ring resonators. These experimental designs tackle the challenges of producing and coupling identical photon pairs to be incident on a silicon micro-ring resonator, and they describe methods of photon observation. We experimentally characterized a silicon micro-ring resonator with Mach-Zehnder Interferometer couplers. We modified the Hong-Ou-Mandel Manifold theory to include these realistic Mach-Zehnder Interferometer couplers, and computationally predict new manifold structures based on experimental power transmission spectrum comparisons. We also characterized a packaged foundry-fabricated silicon spiral photon pair source to be used as a possible identical photon pair source.

Towards Real-Time Classification Of Human Imagined Language, Joseph Zonghi

Theses

The primary goal of this research was to develop a system capable of predicting a given user's imagined language in real time using their brainwave data. This research analyzed both FPGA-based and software based approaches to real-time classification of imagined language. The classification was binary between English and Japanese, and a dataset containing imagined speech from both languages was also created. Another goal of this research was to consider the effects of quantization of the network weights in order to examine the resulting utilization of the FPGA to allow for other applications to run in conjunction with our proposed system. …

Learning Representations In The Hyperspectral Domain In Aerial Imagery, Aneesh Rangnekar

Theses

We establish two new datasets with baselines and network architectures for the task of hyperspectral image analysis. The first dataset, AeroRIT, is a moving camera static scene captured from a flight and contains per pixel labeling across five categories for the task of semantic segmentation. The second dataset, RooftopHSI, helps design and interpret learnt features on hyperspectral object detection on scenes captured from an university rooftop. This dataset accounts for static camera, moving scene hyperspectral imagery. We further broaden the scope of our understanding of neural networks with the development of two novel algorithms - S4AL and S4AL+. We develop …

Mathematical Modeling Of Seir Model With Generalized Incidence Function And The Extension To Covid-19 Model, Shymaa Mohammad Dadoa

Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic had shown the importance of the SEIR model in predicting the outcome of the disease spread and to find the best strategies to contain the pandemic. As this type of model has a limited number of compartments, many other models were derived from the SEIR model to cover, to the maximum, the complex dynamics of the disease spread. These extensions of the SEIR model bring natural validity questions: How can we validate these models? and how far/close are these extended models from giving us real insights into the pandemic?

This thesis investigates the SEIR epidemic model and …

Investigating Kandinsky's Inspiration From Michelangelo Buonarroti, Asal F. Morvari

Theses

This study aims to analyze Kandinsky's The Last Judgment painting and compare it with Michelangelo's The Last Judgment to show that Michelangelo's work influenced Kandinsky's painting. For this study, the mixed-methods methodology is applied, which refers to an emergent methodology of research that advances the systematic integration or combining of quantitative and qualitative analysis within a single investigation. Mathematical analysis and a review of Kandinsky's books and manuscripts are considered. Image processing analysis is applied using biorthogonal Wavelet analysis and Canny Edge detection, in conjunction with Kandinsky's writings on color theory, to determine whether Kandinsky was inspired by Michelangelo's The …

World War Ii American Propaganda: The Art And Appeal Behind Women On The Domestic Front, Katherine Grace Noe

Theses

While men served their country through military duty during the second World War, women were encouraged to do their part in ways that challenged their traditional roles as the American housewife. Because so many men were off at the front, the United States government had to create new ways to manipulate and persuade American women to join the workforce. Posters and other media featured strong, relatable women and phrases that encouraged women to serve. Propaganda not only suggested how women should act, but also manipulated society’s view of women’s role in the war efforts. Most people are familiar with iconic …

Southern African American Communities: The Portrait Photography Of Florestine Perrault Collins And Richard Samuel Roberts, Stephanie M. Woody-Groshelle

Theses

This thesis is about the portrait photographers, Florestine Perrault Collins (1895-1988) and Richard Samuel Roberts (1880-1936), and how their photographs portrayed “non-othering” representations of their sitters. Collin and Roberts’ works are compared to Southern white photographers from the Jim Crow era to argue for how “non-othering” portraits of their community members were produced. This impacts the way identity can be perceived. Religious and educational themed portraits are used to align a visually associated identity with social values the New Orleans Creole and Columbia, South Carolina communities had. This thesis considers Collins’ and Roberts’ portraits in relation to the state of …

Data-Driven Equations For Coevolving Network Systems, Nicholas John

Theses

The framework of coevolving networks is a tool to model large-scale interacting dynamical systems undergoing change in connective structure, describing phenomena such as epidemic spreading on social networks with individuals changing their connections to avoid infection. Along with direct computational simulation, coevolving network systems are often formulated in terms of systems of ordinary differential equations in their descriptive statistics. The equation approach reduces the computational burden of analyzing the systems, but deriving equations becomes difficult as the underlying model becomes more complicated and as the desire for accuracy increases. We present an approach to construct equations for coevolving network systems …

A Method For Measuring Puffing And Respiratory Parameters Of Tobacco Users Within Their Natural Usage Environment, Shehan Jayasekera

Theses

Background: Although researchers have investigated the puffing behavior of tobacco products, no attempt has yet been made to observe both puffing and respiratory behaviors simultaneously in the natural use environment. Observation of puffing behavior alone is insufficient for predicting the health effects of tobacco use, as it can only be used to estimate the amount of emissions generated and transferred to the oral cavity. Respiration behavior must be observed for the estimation of delivery and retention of nicotine and other HPHCs in the lungs. Parameters that quantify respiratory behavior include inhalation and exhalation volumes, flow rates, and durations, as well …

An Investigation Of Novel Object Recognition Memory In A North American River Otter (Lontra Canadensis), Jessica J. Wegman

Theses

Memory is the mental processes of receiving and storing information for later retrieval, with long-term memories being those that are stored longer than 30 seconds. Little research has been done to investigate memory in any of the 13 species of otters. Object recognition memory has the potential to aid otters in identifying conspecifics, prey, and predators, which would contribute to better survival and fitness. Object recognition memory has been investigated in many non-human animals using the novel object recognition (NOR) task. This study was the first to investigate long-term object recognition memory in the North American river otter using the …

Artificial Neural Network Concepts And Examples, Harcharan Kabbay

Theses

Artificial Neural Networks have gained much media attention in the last few years. Every day, numer- ous articles on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning exist. Both academics and business are becoming increasingly interested in deep learning. Deep learning has innumerable uses, in- cluding autonomous driving, computer vision, robotics, security and surveillance, and natural language processing. The recent development and focus have primarily been made possible by the convergence of related research efforts and the introduction of APIs like Keras. The availability of high-speed compute resources such as GPUs and TPUs has also been instrumental in developing deep learning …

The View From 50 Au: Measuring The Cosmic Optical Background With New Horizons, Teresa Symons

Theses

The extragalactic background light (EBL) is the sum of the light emitted by sources beyond the Milky Way throughout the history of the universe. While the EBL is present at all wavelengths, at optical wavelengths it is largely sourced by the light from stars and galaxies and is referred to as the cosmic optical background (COB). Direct photometric measurements of the COB provide an important comparison to population models of galaxy formation and evolution. Such measurements therefore provide a cosmic consistency test with the potential to reveal additional diffuse sources of emission. However, the COB has been difficult to measure …

Cochlear Compartments Segmentation And Pharmacokinetics Using Micro Computed Tomography Images, Sanketh Satyanarayana Moudgalya

Theses

Local drug delivery to the inner ear via micropump implants has the potential to be much more effective than oral drug delivery for treating patients with sensorineural hearing loss and to protect hearing from ototoxic insult due to noise exposure. Delivering appropriate concentrations of drugs to the necessary cochlear compartments is of paramount importance; however, directly measuring local drug concentrations over time throughout the cochlea is not possible. Indirect measurement using otoacoustic emissions and auditory brainstem response are ineffective as they only provide an estimate of concentration and are susceptible to non-linear sensitivity effects. Imaging modalities such as MRI with …

Selfies And The Self: The Influence Of Instagram Posting On Self And Cognition, Giovanni Castillo

Theses

Research on Social Networking Sites (SNS) has shown a variety of both beneficial and detrimental psychological and cognitive outcomes associated with high frequency usage. We conducted an online study consisting of a series of questionnaires and a working memory task to explore the relationship between Instagram use intensity and cognition. The present study first investigated the relationship between Instagram (IG) use intensity, rumination, and cognitive failures. We randomly assigned participants into a selfie-posting, selfie-sending, or likes/comments reporting condition to determine whether selfie-posting behavior affects working memory performance. While we did not find significant associations between IG use intensity, rumination, and …

Manifold Based Deep Learning: Advances And Machine Learning Applications, Navya Nagananda

Theses

Manifolds are topological spaces that are locally Euclidean and find applications in dimensionality reduction, subspace learning, visual domain adaptation, clustering, and more. In this dissertation, we propose a framework for linear dimensionality reduction called the proxy matrix optimization (PMO) that uses the Grassmann manifold for optimizing over orthogonal matrix manifolds. PMO is an iterative and flexible method that finds the lower-dimensional projections for various linear dimensionality reduction methods by changing the objective function. PMO is suitable for Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA), Maximum Autocorrelation Factors (MAF), and Locality Preserving Projections (LPP). We extend …

Towards A Carbon-Neutral City By 2035: Innovative Transformation Of Domestic Solid Waste Collection And Recovery Services In Sharjah, Basem Abu Sneineh

Theses

This study quantifies the impact of an identified major step in the process of significant contribution to the transformation of Sharjah into a carbon-neutral city by the year 2035. This identified step applies to the concept of waste segregation at the residential sector source which means that the waste generators, i.e. Sharjah residents, are required to segregate the waste that they generate in their houses while disposing it. The march towards a carbon neutral city means driving the carbon dioxide emissions of the city to reach net-zero. This requires the UAE adopt this concept to ensure that the emitted amount …

Analysis Of Growth And Decay In Neutrally Stable Flows, Colin Huber

Theses

The stability of linearized partial differential equations (PDEs) governing disturbance propagation in a one-dimensional medium, such as a perturbed fluid-fluid interface, is traditionally deduced by examining the growth of exponential modes of the form hk = Akei(kx−!t), where hk is a mode associated with the height of the perturbed interface, Ak is its amplitude, k is a real wave number, ! is a complex frequency, x is the spatial direction, and t is time. It is assumed that these modes may be superimposed to construct the solution, h, to any response, and thus, if any of these modes grow in …

Hexgen Roguevania, Conrad Garcia

Theses

This project is inspired by procedural generation methods, Metroid, Castlevania, Rogue, and modern roguelikes. This project is structured around the notion of how procedural game content can be experienced when it is tied directly to player progression. The focus of this project incorporates procedurally generated content so that it can be altered during gameplay. In a sense, this idea brings level content to the player, instead of the player travelling to new zones. The resulting game world starts visually coherent, changing into a world that resembles a patchwork of different biomes crafted by the player’s decisions to progress the game’s …

The Effects Of Overshadowing In Drosophila Melanogaster With Experimentally Evolved Preference, Jill Lee

Theses

As seen in decades of psychology research, preferences play a major role in driving the decision-making process in both humans and animals. Researchers have advocated for using the technique of experimental evolution as a way to address some of the foundational questions on preferences. These preferences can also affect what is later learned and how well new experiences are learned. Salience is usually mentioned as an important component of what could influence preferences. Animals such as Drosophila melanogaster, that lay eggs without any additional maternal or paternal care, it is important to be selective when deciding where to lay …

In Search Of The Pelasgians: Discursive Strategies And Greek Identities From The Archaic Period To The Roman Imperial Era, Tristn Lambright

Theses

In ancient literature, the Pelasgians appear as an ambiguously defined and geographically ubiquitous primeval ethnic group or tribe. Various classical writers describe the Pelasgians as simultaneously pre-Hellenic and non-Hellenic –– ancestral and barbarian, chronologically earlier and essentially different. The ongoing ideological and rhetorical negotiations of Pelasgian identity in ancient literature played a critical role in discussions of Greekness –– discussions rooted in the distant past, informed by fluid and contradictory myths, and shaped by intellectual, social, and political transformations of the period. By contextualizing these discussions, this study attempts not simply a reconstruction of the mythological Pelasgians, but a reconstruction …

A Morality Play Or Just Simply Queer: Lillian Hellman's The Children's Hour, Rebecca Weaver

Theses

Queer theatre during the early 1900s in America seems to be almost non-existent when students study literature, history, and even theatre history because the records were suppressed, leaving the teaching of queer history at a disadvantage. One of the most influential queer plays in theatre history was written in 1934 by Lillian Hellman. The Children’s Hour takes place in an all-girls school ran by Karen Wright and Martha Dobie. The two friends encounter a continuous problem by the name of Mary Tilford – one of the girls who attends the school. In an effort to convince her grandmother to withdraw …

Nlp And Ml Methods For Pre-Processing, Clustering And Classification Of Technical Logbook Datasets, Farhad Akhbardeh

Theses

Technical logbooks are a challenging and under-explored text type in automated event identification. These texts are typically short and written in non-standard yet technical language, posing challenges to off-the-shelf NLP pipelines. These datasets typically represent a domain (a technical field such as automotive) and an application (e.g., maintenance). The granularity of issue types described in these datasets additionally leads to class imbalance, making it challenging for models to accurately predict which issue each logbook entry describes. In this research, we focus on the problem of technical issue pre-processing, clustering, and classification by considering logbook datasets from the automotive, aviation, and …

Critical Regionalism- Integrating Traditional Chinese Architecture Into Contemporary High-Rise Residential Building, Yang Li

Theses

In the field of modern architecture, a clear path indicates architecture’s historical development, from the very beginning of ancient Egypt to the emergence of modernism in the first half of the twentieth century, and finally to the dominant architectural style of today. Compared with the Western world, the Chinese developed their unique architectural style thousands of years ago. The style can be summed up as the difference between wood and stone, which deeply influenced surrounding countries. Unfortunately, the evolution of the style was suddenly interrupted at the end of the 19th century, which was the emerging modernism in the West. …

Leveraging Formulae And Text For Improved Math Retrieval, Behrooz Mansouri

Theses

Large collections containing millions of math formulas are available online. Retrieving math expressions from these collections is challenging. Users can use formula, formula+text, or math questions to express their math information needs. The structural complexity of formulas requires specialized processing. Despite the existence of math search systems and online community question-answering websites for math, little is known about mathematical information needs. This research first explores the characteristics of math searches using a general search engine. The findings show how math searches are different from general searches. Then, test collections for math-aware search are introduced. The ARQMath test collections have two …

Active Learning From Knowledge-Rich Data, Weishi Shi

Theses

With the ever-increasing demand for the quality and quantity of the training samples, it is difficult to replicate the success of modern machine learning models in knowledge-rich domains, where the labeled data for training is scarce and labeling new data is expensive. While machine learning and AI have achieved significant progress in many common domains, the lack of large-scale labeled data samples poses a grand challenge for the wide application of advanced statistical learning models in key knowledge-rich domains, such as medicine, biology, physical science, and more. Active learning (AL) offers a promising and powerful learning paradigm that can significantly …

Smart And Intelligent Automation For Industry 4.0 Using Millimeter-Wave And Deep Reinforcement Learning, Abhishek Vashist

Theses

Innovations in communication systems, compute hardware, and deep learning algorithms have led to the advancement of smart industry automation. Smart automation includes industrial sectors such as intelligent warehouse management, smart infrastructure for first responders, and smart monitoring systems. Automation aims to maximize efficiency, safety, and reliability. Autonomous forklifts can significantly increase productivity, reduce safety-related accidents, and improve operation speed to enhance the efficiency of a warehouse. Forklifts or robotic agents are required to perform different tasks such as position estimation, mapping, and dispatching. Each of the tasks involves different requirements and design constraints. Smart infrastructure for first responder applications requires …

A Physiological Computing System To Improve Human-Robot Collaboration By Using Human Comfort Index, Celal Savur

Theses

Fluent human-robot collaboration requires a robot teammate to understand, learn, and adapt to the human's psycho-physiological state. Such collaborations require a physiological computing system that monitors human biological signals during human-robot collaboration (HRC) to quantitatively estimate a human's level of comfort, which we have termed in this research as comfortability index (CI) and uncomfortability index (UnCI). We proposed a human comfort index estimation system (CIES) that uses biological signals and subjective metrics. Subjective metrics (surprise, anxiety, boredom, calmness, and comfortability) and physiological signals were collected during a human-robot collaboration experiment that varied the robot's behavior. The emotion circumplex model is …