Digital Commons Network^™

Time Series Forecasting With Applications To Finance, Viswapriya Misra

Theses

In finance, many phenomena are modeled as time series. This thesis investigates time series forecasting problems in finance, precisely the stock price prediction problem. We employ and compare traditional statistical algorithms like MA, ARIMA, and ARMA-GARCH with newly developed deep learning-based algorithms such RNNs, LSTMs, GRUs, TCNs, and bidirectional LSTMs and GRUs for predicting stock prices. We perform a comprehensive study and present all the experimental results on different datasets. We find that ARIMA and GRU perform better for single-step stock price prediction than other deep learning architectures. Adding market and economic indicators do not improve the performance of the …

Iii-Nitride Ultraviolet Light-Emitting Diodes: Approaches For The Enhanced Efficiency, Moulik Patel

Theses

III-nitride ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) offer marvelous potential for a wide range of applications, including air/water purification, surface disinfection, biochemical sensing, cancer cell elimination, and many more. III-nitride semiconductor alloys, especially AlGaN and AlInN, have drawn significant attention due to their significant advantages that include environmental-friendly material composition, compact in size, longer lifetime, low power consumption, and tunable optical emission. However, the performance of III-nitride UV LEDs in terms of efficiency and output power is still deficient. The presence of high defects and dislocations due to lattice-mismatched epilayers, polarization induced quantum-confined Stark effect, electron overflow with low hole injection …

The Effects Of Design Parameters On The Neural Recordings With Micro-Ecog Arrays, Manan Amish Sethia

Theses

In the field of neural prosthetics, electro-cortico-graph (ECoG) arrays are commonly used to record neural activity of the brain cortex both in animal and human subjects. A finite element model (FEM) was developed to simulate the electric field generated by a single neuron in the rat brain cortex and a micro ECoG array (µECoG) placed on the pia surface for recording the neural signal. The neuron was simulated as a dipole current source with a magnitude of 1µA and placed at three different depths in the motor cortex corresponding to different layers under the µECoG array. The array design was …

Short Term Temperature Forecasting Using Lstms, And Cnn, Darshan Shah

Theses

Weather forecasting is a vital application in present times. We can use the predictions to minimize the weather related loss. Use of machine learning and deep learning algorithms for forecasting, can eliminate or reduce the necessity of big data and high computation dependent process of parameterization. Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) is a widely used deep learning architecture for time series forecasting. In this paper, we aim to predict one day ahead average temperature using a 2-layer neural network consisting of one layer of LSTM and one layer of 1D convolution. The input is pre-processed using a smoothing technique and output …

Stock Market Prediction Using Investor Sentiment, Sarvesh Shukla

Theses

Stock market prediction has attracted not only business but academia as well. It is a research topic, to which many computational methods have been proposed, but desirable and reliable performance is yet to be attained. This study proposes a new method for stock market prediction, which adopts the Gated Recurrent Unit a deep neural network and incorporates investor sentiment to improve its forecasting performance. By extracting investor sentiment from news headlines using VADER sentiment, this paper makes it possible to analyze the irrational component of stock price. Our empirical study on DJIA index proves that our prediction method provides 6% …

Land Cover Image Segmentation Based On Individual Class Binary Segmentation, Sathyanarayanan Somasunder

Theses

Remote sensing techniques have been developed over the past decades to acquire data without being in contact of the target object or data source. Their application on land-cover image segmentation has attracted significant attention in recent years. With the help of satellites, scientists and researchers can collect and store high resolution image data that can be further processed, segmented, and classified. However, these research results have not yet been synthesized to provide coherent guidance on the effect of variant land-cover segmentation processes. In this paper, we present a novel model that augments segmentation using smaller networks to segment individual classes. …

Limitations Of Artificial Intelligence, Sahar Sultan

Theses

Artificial Intelligence is a groundbreaking technology that is now an established field. It is being used to mimic human capabilities such as speaking, listening, learning, and planning by using different algorithms to process data and produce results depending on the information provided by the user. Artificial Intelligence has been used in several industries when it comes to data processing and decision making. Artificial Intelligence has been invented to help decision and solutionmaking processes using a problem-solving approach. The development of Artificial Intelligence software provides efficiency and acceleration on different kinds of workflows, which will help organizations increase their profit and …

Social Media Influencer Motivation: Exploring What Drives Micro-Celebrities To Produce Content Using Social Exchange Theory, Jennie Giardino

Theses

Social media influencers are online celebrities who have the power to shape the opinions of audience members due to their relatable qualities. Influencer sponsorships have changed the nature of social media platforms and the strategy by which the content is posted. But besides the potential to be sponsored, why do influencers post content? The purpose of this study was to understand what motivates influencers to post content through the lens of social exchange theory by identifying resources exchanged between the social media influencer and the audience and explain how this affects their motivation to post content. I interviewed 15 lifestyle …

Centering Black Trans Lives: Social Network Exploration Of #Blacktranslivesmatter Content On Twitter, Jordan Brooks

Theses

May 27, 2020 saw the fatal shooting of Tony McDade, a Black transgender man. McDade is one of many lives underlying the Black Lives Matter movement which, in 2020, became the largest movement in United States’ history. Although the Black Lives Matter movement has successfully brought the reality of systemic racism in the United States to the forefront of media, there remains a lack of visibility for and conversation surrounding the most vulnerable members: the Black transgender community. Through an intersectional lens, this thesis broadly examines the sentiment surrounding tweets utilizing the #blacktranslivesmatter hashtag, and how the intersection of race …

Cost Saving Proposal For Dubai Main Wastewater Pumping Stations, Mohammad Mansoor, Khaled Alhosani

Theses

A city that is free of hazardous chemical and pollution is a city with safe and healthy population. Keeping a city such as Dubai safe and healthy is a never ending task with too many stakeholders and too many variables. Examples are reducing carbon footprint, timely trash disposal, wastewater management, and the list goes on. Wastewater management is one of the most important and essential requirement for keeping the city and its people safe and healthy. There is an existing sewerage system that the emirate of Dubai continues to heavily rely on. The network includes the pipelines, the wastewater pump …

Everything That Glitters, Zichen Liang

Theses

This paper discusses the preparation and creative process of my thesis feature screenplay Everything That Glitters, including the inspiration, proposal, re-proposal, shooting, and revising of the script. It also documents the background story from aspects of Chinese culture and tradition. The script revolves around a young Chinese woman’s journey to America. Unable to accept the marriage her parents have arranged for her, she comes to the United States as an international student to live her life on her own terms. It doesn’t work out well. This story is largely based on my own life experiences, except the part about the …

Controls On Denitrification And Nitrous Oxide Flux In Created Wetlands, Sonia Huang

Theses

Freshwater wetlands are frequently created or restored with the goal of replicating valuable ecosystem functions lost elsewhere. However, studies in created wetlands have demonstrated production of greenhouse gases (GHG) may be enhanced during early establishment, potentially counteracting desirable ecosystem services such as nutrient removal. In this research, we investigated the impact of hydrology and carbon addition on denitrification and fluxes of N2O from two created wetlands that differ in antecedent land use and hydrology. Ten experimental zones were installed in both wetlands and compost (municipal leaf litter) was added to half of the zones as a soil amendment. Soil and …

Intelligent Statcom Voltage Regulation Using Fuzzy Logic Control, Saleh Hussein

Theses

Reactive power compensation is a very important and challenging task in electrical power systems today. Future trends foreseen in power systems such as high interconnectivity and the integration of renewable energy resources produce even more issues related to power system control and stability. Flexible AC transmission systems are vastly used in power systems in order to mitigate several performance aspects found in typical power systems. One shunt connected device in particular, STATCOM, is very powerful and commonly used in voltage regulation at the power transmission level. STATCOM uses voltage sourced converters to inject or absorb reactive power from the power …

Unforeseen Connections, Miranda Mattson

Theses

Using floriography within my own work, I captured the essence of human emotion and used its familiarity to bring mental health issues to the foreground of conversation. The parallels of hidden emotion and social discordance between the Victorian era and the 21st Century inspired my introspective research into "invisible" illnesses: health issues that affect both the mind and the body, respectively. Utilizing knowledge in mixed media, as well as traditional metalsmithing techniques, these ideas manifested into a series of wearable art and sculpture with the intention of prompting in-depth discussions on mental health stigmas. Without compromising the ambiguity of floriography, …

Beneath The Bandage: The Impact Of Violence On Individuals And Communities, Jessica Burt

Theses

Violence is an issue nationally and locally within the City of Rochester. It is one of the most complex issues that society faces and attempts to resolve. However, despite many efforts to combat violence, it persists. Research shows that since the early 2000’s, there have been fluctuations in the number of homicides and shootings in Rochester, but long-term analyses on the level of violence show that it has remained relatively stable over time (Altheimer et al., 2017). Although stable, there is a concentration of violence and many individuals, communities, and institutions are affected by it. This paper will discuss violence …

Settling For Efficiency: Power And The People Left In Its Wake, Theodore D. Forsyth

Theses

This study examines claims data, prepared by an insurance carrier and obtained through an open records request, of police-involved incidents in Rochester, New York from 2001-2012. The dataset includes information about the incidents and financial outcomes accepted by claimants. Eighteen independent variables are broken up into three categories: claimant characteristics, claim characteristics, and situational characteristics. The research question guiding this study is: What, if any, claimant, claim, or situational characteristics impact final settlement amounts for claims stemming from police-involved incidents? Four theories are utilized to explain the phenomenon examined in this study: social capital, power differentials using Donald Black’s behavior …

Exploring The Impact Of Legalization Of Recreational Marijuana On Adolescent Drug Use, Camila Camps

Theses

This paper provides an overview of the history of America’s war against drugs and the impact that this figurative war has had on American society. It is clear that the war on drugs has disproportionately harmed racial/ethnic minorities. Punitive policies currently in place have diverted resources away from the social and economic growth of these communities. This is why there is a movement towards working to reform drug laws in order to address the country's drug crisis. The final section includes recommendations that can improve our current response against marijuana.

Design For Wearable Panic Aid Device, Allison Treacy

Theses

Research shows that millions of people in the United States suffer from panic disorder and/or regular panic attacks each year. On average, women are twice as likely to suffer from panic attacks and anxiety than men are. Panic attacks can be frightening, intense, and uncontrollable, and the current solutions for panic attacks often involve extensive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or long-term medication. The market lacks discreet and tangible products that help diminish the symptoms of a panic attack, once it has already begun. By using an external wearable device, the user can quickly access the help they need to regain control …

Personal Cognitive Assistive Robot For Alzheimer’S Disease Patients’ Practicing Of Covid-19 Hygiene Measures, Jeehoon Yu

Theses

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some home-based family caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients became full-time caregivers with little or no help from medical facilities and services due to the risk of viral infection. The challenge that the new full-time family caregivers experience is not only caring for their loved one's daily routines, they also have to protect them from the infection since the weakened health condition and the dementia-related behaviors make AD patients vulnerable to the infection (Alzheimer's Association, n.d.).

To help the new full-time family caregivers to reduce their burden of preventing their loved ones from the infection, this …

A Mobile App That Helps Asthmatic Patients Monitor Air Quality In Real Time, Jiani Su

Theses

Asthma is a chronic disease that cannot be cured. Every attack of asthma is a physical and mental destruction to patients, bringing pain and economic burden to patients, and seriously affecting the quality of life and happiness index of patients. But the vast majority of asthma cases can be completely controlled with appropriate treatment and intervention. Investigations at home and abroad have found that the self-health management level of asthma patients is still at a relatively low level, and more than half of asthma patients are in a state of out-of-control.

Currently, there is no online software that can effectively …

Examining The Associations Between Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status And The Potential Distribution Of Four Urban Ecosystem Services In Rochester, Ny, Joshua Greene

Theses

As populations and the total area of impervious surfaces continue to grow in cities, city planners and policymakers must consider how local ecological resources can be utilized to meet the needs and develop climate-resilient and sustainable cities. Urban green spaces (UGS) have been identified as critical resources in improving the climate resiliency of cities and the quality of life for residents through the urban ecosystem services (UES) that they provide. However, certain communities within cities do not have uniform access to these UGS, and this may be due to historical legacies (i.e. redlining) and/or contemporary practices (i.e. urban planning). Therefore, …

Esports Game Skill Analysis & Prediction: League Of Legends, Abedalaziz Zandaki

Theses

Esports has been an explosive business especially with the current pandemic situation, it is rising to unparalleled levels of popularity as everything is going digital, Riot Games’ League of legends, which is considered one the most played video games right now with 27+ Million players per day and 115 Million over a month, checks many boxes where value can be obtained.[12] The general idea is that the game has a ranked ladder system, where players are evaluated by their win to lose ratio which is influenced by their skills in-game, each individual game performance counts towards the win or lose …

Assembly And Annotation Of The Genome Of An Invasive Bush Honeysuckle, Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera Maackii), Erin R. Kesel

Theses

Invasive species are a global problem that cause significant environmental and economic damage. It has been estimated that the cost of invasive species in the United States is at least 120 billion dollars annually. Lonicera maackii, commonly known as Amur honeysuckle, is an invasive shrub found in New York State. In invaded regions, L. maackii has caused decreased species richness of native plant and animal species. It has also negatively affected the native migratory bird populations that eat the plant’s berries. Currently, there is no available genomic sequence for any Lonicera species. With next generation sequencing, new information can be …

Basic Police Officer Training In The U.S., Bryan Cammerino

Theses

Policing in America has grown to become a topic of paramount interest within society today. This interest has included increased attention to the role that the police play within local communities. Gaining a greater understanding of where policing started, how it has evolved, and where it is today can help us better understand the importance of police officer training. Focusing on Americas policing eras and various policing models will establish a precedent to explain why policing is the way it is today. This paper will then be able to pinpoint various current events that make the history of policing come …

Human Augmentation: A System Engineering Conceptual Framework, Hazel Colleen R. Gamboa

Theses

In today’s literature, there is not one clear definition for ‘Human Augmentation’ and quite often, it is used interchangeably with the term ‘Human Enhancement’. Human enhancement is a field that has relatively more research and has a broader definition that encompasses both invasive and non-invasive procedures aimed at restoring or enhancing the capabilities of the human body. Medicine, implants, genetic engineering – there are some examples of procedures attributed to human enhancement. On the other hand, the word ‘augment’ is defined as the addition or making something better; this research will focus and narrow down the definition of Human Augmentation …

The Vascular Flora Of Cleburne County, Alabama, Melanie T. Spaulding

Theses

Cleburne County is located in Northeast Alabama and measures 145,298 hectares. Approximately one-third of the county lies within the Talladega National Forest, more than any other county covered by the Talladega National Forest. The county has two physiographic regions: Piedmont and Ridge and Valley. A floristic survey of Cleburne County, Alabama, was conducted on public and private lands from 2014– 2020. Sporadic field collections took place from March 2014 – April 2019, with extensive fieldwork conducted from May 2019 – October 2020. A total of 1,302 vascular plant taxa are reported, including 266 taxa not previously documented for the county. …

Augmented Reality Application ‘Finder’, Yiran Li

Theses

Children are always curious and excited about the world, but there are often accidents around them. According to some previous studies, each year in the United States, more than 2,200 children – or six kids a day – die from an injury at home. To deal with this situation, parents usually set simple life safety rules for their children and be consistent about enforcing them in a reasonable manner. At the same time, they try to reduce the possibility of psychological harm to children when correcting errors. As a result, parents desperately need a way to watch and improve their …

Research The Possibility Of Revitalizing Rochester By Creating A Landmark Architecture – Redesign The Abandoned Subway Bridge, Rifeng Jin

Theses

Located in upstate New York, Rochester is a city with a glorious history and rich culture. However, due to the changes in its internal and external environment, the city has slowly lost its vitality in the past few decades. Apart from the occasional holiday celebration and protest parade, it is difficult to find a bustling scene in downtown Rochester. This study proposes to create a reasonable possibility of revitalizing Rochester by designing a landmark architecture for the city. After field investigation and comparison, the abandoned subway bridge in the center of the city has become the main potential location for …

The Journey To Crime For Drug Offenders, Jennifer Schmitz

Theses

When a person wants to purchase drugs, they are not going to randomly choose a location, many factors will impact their location choice. A seller may choose to sell drugs in an area with abandoned buildings and a lack of natural lighting to avoid being seen. A drug buyer may choose a location that is close to other places they frequent such as home or work. However, the proximity to these locations may also cause a co-worker or neighbor to identify them, so they may travel a distance from their home before seeking drugs.

To understand how drug buyers and …

Data Analytics Methods In Preventing Smuggling Drugs, Hessa Abdulla Almarri

Theses

For the final requirements of (MS) of Data Analytics, we have to work on a capstone project as a graduate student. In the capstone project, we have to implement the data mining techniques we have learned during the program. This capstone project focuses on illicit drugs smuggling, where drugs have a massive negative effect on the countries and individuals. Data mining techniques have been applied to the drug smuggling dataset that has been captured worldwide. The data mining approach used in this capstone project is an unsupervised approach focusing on clustering. Three types of clustering models have been used: k-means, …