Digital Commons Network^™

Lambdanet: A Novel Architecture For Unstructured Change Detection, Bryan Matthew Blakeslee

Theses

The goal of this thesis is the development of LambdaNet, a new type of network architecture for the performance of unstructured change detection. LambdaNet combines concepts from Siamese and semantic segmentation architectures, and is capable of identifying and localizing the significant differences between image pairs while simultaneously disregarding background noise. Changes are marked at the pixel level, by interpreting change detection as a binary (change/no change) classification problem.

Development of this architecture began with an evaluation of several candidate models, inspired by other successful network architectures and layers, including VGG, ResNet, and the Res2Net layer. Once the best performing LambdaNet …

Spatially-Explicit Snap Bean Flowering And Disease Prediction Using Imaging Spectroscopy From Unmanned Aerial Systems, Ethan W. Hughes

Theses

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, or white mold, is a fungus that infects the flowers of snap bean plants and causes a subsequent reduction in snap bean pods, which adversely impacts yield. Timing the application of white mold fungicide thus is essential to preventing the disease, and is most effective when applied during the flowering stage. However, most of the flowers are located beneath the canopy, i.e., hidden by foliage, which makes spectral detection of flowering via the leaf/canopy spectra paramount. The overarching objectives of this research therefore are to i) identify spectral signatures for the onset of flowering to optimally time the …

Machine Learning For Robust Understanding Of Scene Materials In Hyperspectral Images, Utsav B. Gewali

Theses

The major challenges in hyperspectral (HS) imaging and data analysis are expensive sensors, high dimensionality of the signal, limited ground truth, and spectral variability. This dissertation develops and analyzes machine learning based methods to address these problems. In the first part, we examine one of the most important HS data analysis tasks-vegetation parameter estimation. We present two Gaussian processes based approaches for improving the accuracy of vegetation parameter retrieval when ground truth is limited and/or spectral variability is high. The first is the adoption of covariance functions based on well-established metrics, such as, spectral angle and spectral correlation, which are …

Mydoula: An Interactive Screening And Support System For The Prevention Of Perinatal Mood Disorders, Meghan M. Lewis

Theses

Perinatal Mood Disorders (PMDs) are the leading complication in pregnancies today. They stretch beyond the mother and can affect fathers and non-biological parents or guardians as well. The negative implications of these disorders diffuse out through the family into society as a catalyst for hindered child development, attachment disorders, lower cognitive abilities, and behavioral issues. They often have a profoundly negative effect on the family unit such as causing higher rates of violence, divorce, and loss of work. Parents experiencing mood disorders often have lower compliance rates when it comes to safety measures, such as using child car seats and …

An Analysis Of The Radiometric Quality Of Small Unmanned Aircraft System Imagery, Baabak G. Mamaghani

Theses

In recent years, significant advancements have been made in both sensor technology and small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS). Improved sensor technology has provided users with cheaper, lighter, and higher resolution imaging tools, while new sUAS platforms have become cheaper, more stable and easier to navigate both manually and programmatically. These enhancements have provided remote sensing solutions for both commercial and research applications that were previously unachievable. However, this has provided non-scientific practitioners with access to technology and techniques previously only available to remote sensing professionals, sometimes leading to improper diagnoses and results. The work accomplished in this dissertation demonstrates the …

Poly-Gan: A Multi-Conditioned Gan For Multiple Tasks, Nilesh Pandey

Theses

We present Poly-GAN, a novel conditional GAN architecture that is motivated by different Image generation and manipulation applications like Fashion Synthesis, an application where garments are automatically placed on images of human models at an arbitrary pose, image inpainting, an application where we try to recover a damaged image using the edges or a rough sketch of the image. While different applications use different GAN setup for image generation, we propose only one architecture for multiple applications with little to no change in the pipeline. Poly-GAN allows conditioning on multiple inputs and is suitable for many different tasks. Our novel …

Perception Methods For Speed And Separation Monitoring Using Time-Of-Flight Sensor Arrays, Sarthak Arora

Theses

This work presents the development of a perception pipeline to passively track the partial human ground pose in the context of human robot collaboration. The main motivation behind this work is to provide a speed and separation monitoring based safety controller with an estimate of human position on the factory floor. Three time-of-flight sensing rings affixed to the major links of an industrial manipulator are used to implement the aforementioned. Along with a convolutional neural network based unknown obstacle detection strategy, the ground position of the human operator is estimated and tracked using sparse 3-D point inputs. Experiments to analyze …

Moral Outrage Is Elicited By Others’ Beliefs Just As Much As Their Actions: Implications For Workplace Ideological Discrimination, Emily Rose Galeza

Theses

Moral outrage is an emotional, cognitive, and behavioral response to moral violations, resulting in a desire to punish the transgressor. Previous research has examined moral outrage toward transgressive behaviors, but no studies have examined the potential for moral outrage to be roused by another’s beliefs alone. Do people experience moral outrage at one another’s thoughts? If so, how do they punish someone who has roused their outrage but has “done nothing wrong”? In Study 1 (n = 209), I examined moral outrage reactions at people’s unacceptable beliefs on three topics (pedophilia, sexual assault, fraud) by comparing moral outrage elicited by …

Social Discounting Of Clean Water And Environmental Sustainability, Ashley Katz

Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine choice-making as it relates to providing a source of clean water to those at varying social distances. A discounting survey was completed by 65 participants asking them to choose between spending a specified about of money on plastic water bottles that have a 100% chance of harming the environment or spending $1000 on a water filtration system that has a 0% chance of harming the environment. Results indicated that as social distance increased, responding became more impulsive as evident by a steeper amount of discounting. For “Person #1”, 27.69% of participants chose …

Economic Effects Of Fracking On Wage And Employment: Story Of Texas, Gage Hector

Theses

The study of this paper is to see the economic effects of fracking in Texas. We focus specifically on wage and employment change. We use quarterly data from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics at the county level, income data from the Internal Revenue Service, and quarterly level county drilling data from Enverus, from the years 2003-2019 quarter one. We focus on the Natural Resource & Mining sector and the Total, All Industries sector. We use a fixed effects linear model to see the changes of one-year employment and one-year weekly wage change. We find that one-year change in employment …

Network-Based Apt Profiler, Benjamin Bornholm

Theses

Constant innovation in attack methods presents a significant problem for the security community which struggles to remain current in attack prevention, detection and response. The practice of threat hunting provides a proactive approach to identify and mitigate attacks in real-time before the attackers complete their objective. In this research, I present a matrix of adversary techniques inspired by MITRE’s ATT&CK matrix. This study allows threat hunters to classify the actions of advanced persistent threats (APTs) according to network-based behaviors.

A Means To An End: Adding Value To The Preference Debate, Laura Miller

Theses

Helping disadvantaged people involves trusting them to make the best possible choices. Under scrutiny, however, it seems that the disadvantaged often fail to make the best choices for themselves. In this paper, I oppose both the traditional philosophical view that some choices of the disadvantaged are deformed or adaptive, and the view of preference utilitarians, who favor aiming to satisfy all preferences.

My rejection of the traditional views of preference is founded on my identification of two distinct kinds of preferences and their relationship to each other: means preferences and end preferences. Means preferences are those choices that are made …

Unintentional Injuries And Violence In Schools, Lina G. Nouwayhed

Theses

The project was done to study the causes and outcomes of injuries and violence at school, and to provide the school with a plan to prevent unintentional injuries and violence.

On Unifying Declarative Memory, Thomas Ames

Theses

The distinction between episodic and semantic declarative memory systems, as introduced by Tulving (1972, updated in 1984, 1991), was a revolutionary approach to human memory. While the distinction is now widely endorsed in the study of memory, there are debates about what constitutes each system’s domain, how each system is used, how each system functions, and the phenomenal experiences associated with the functioning of each system. On the basis of clinical studies and insights from conditions affecting memory, this paper argues that the episodic/semantic distinction can be reframed as a result of a unified declarative memory system. In this view, …

What Influences Federal Allocation Of Behavioral Health Grants: Evidence From The United States, Jenna Rahrle

Theses

Subnational government entities benefit from federal funds to support programs and operations. There are a variety of factors that influence federal grant funds to recipients. This study seeks to identify the effects of multiple factors on federal grant allocation from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to state entities. The literature suggests three categories of factors affecting federal funding distribution, including problem severity and need, recipient capacity, and political motivation. I conduct a regression analysis to test the effects of these factors, using a pooled cross-sectional time-series data set. The results indicate that political motivation has a …

Deepfake Detection And Low-Resource Language Speech Recognition Using Deep Learning, Bao Thai

Theses

While deep learning algorithms have made significant progress in automatic speech recognition and natural language processing, they require a significant amount of labelled training data to perform effectively. As such, these applications have not been extended to languages that have only limited amount of data available, such as extinct or endangered languages. Another problem caused by the rise of deep learning is that individuals with malicious intents have been able to leverage these algorithms to create fake contents that can pose serious harm to security and public safety. In this work, we explore the solutions to both of these problems. …

A Systematic Analysis Of Accessibility Education Within Computing Disciplines, Paula Conn

Theses

Accessible technologies improve the usability for all users, including 1 billion people in the world who have a disability. Although there is a demand for accessible technologies, there is currently no requirement for universities to integrate this content within the computing curriculum. A systematic comparison of teaching efficacy is important to effectively prepare future computing professionals with the skills to create accessible technologies.

This dissertation contains a mixed-methods cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of undergraduate Software Engineering and Information Technology students’ learning of accessibility. Four teaching conditions were assessed at Rochester Institute of Technology: content lectures, projects, exposure to stakeholders with …

Smart Tracking For Healthier Lifestyle, Shiwen Ding

Theses

Smart Tracking for healthier lifestyle is an interactive prototyping application to monitor sugar intake. For most individuals, their amount of sugar intake is much higher than the amount they need per day. Many people like sweet food as they find that it makes them satisfied and relaxed. People tend to consume sugar unconsciously eating cakes, candies, drinking soft-drinks, juice, and even coffee. Regular consumption of these foods substantially increases the amount of sugar people consume. It has been found that people are less conscious of their sugar intake in regard to drinking liquids than eating solid foods. Parents are very …

From Cast-Out To Community: Identifying Barriers In Design That Keep Lgbtq+ Youth From Accessing Homeless Shelters, Leah Przybylski

Theses

There is a gap in homeless youth services in the United States. A vulnerable population, LGBTQ+ individuals comprise nearly 40% of all homeless youth and are particularly susceptible to repeated victimization, trauma, and violence from their community. Current shelters re-traumatize and fail to address the needs of this unique population triggering an extreme aversion to the institutional design aesthetic that many of these services inhabit. LGBTQ+ youth enter a cycle of homelessness and disengagement that perpetuates into adulthood as a result. Why do existing shelters fail to meet the needs of LBGTQ+ homeless youth?

Utilizing a series of diverse theories …

دور الحوكمة في تفعيل سياسات الابتكار الإداري في سوق أبو ظبي للأوراق المالية, عمر مطر جمعه النيادي

Theses

أُعدت هذه الدراسة بغية التعرف على واقع ودور الحوكمة بوصفها نشاطا تقوم به الإدارة لتنسق العمليات التي تقوم بها كي تضبط وتوجه وتحدد وتوزع الحقوق والواجبات بين المشاركين والمساهمين في المؤسسات، من خلال جعل المواطنين على علمٍ تامٍ بكافة سياسات وخدمات الدولة وصُناع القرار، بحيث تُخرج القرارات بصيغة تشاركية مما يؤدي إلى زيادة الثقة في الحكومة وذلك نظراً لشفافيتها وتقديمها الخدمات والسياسات بصورة كاملة وفعالة. كما تعكس الرّؤى والطّموحات واحتياجات المجتمع باستثمار أمثل للموارد. وتناولت تأثير الحوكمة على الشركات ومساهمتها في تقوية الاقتصاد. حيث عرّ ف الباحث تاريخ الحوكمة وما يندرج تحتها من مفاهيم وما تعكسه من رؤية واضحة للعميل …

Evaluation Of Phytochemical Composition And Anti-Cancer Potential In Root Extracts Of Moringa Peregrina (Forssk.) Fiori, Salama Khamis Sultan Saeed Al Kaabi

Theses

Natural products provide many bioactive lead molecules for the discovery of new medicines. Naturally, derived phytochemicals have exhibited tremendous biological activities including anticancer activity. More than 60% of antitumor medicines are closely associated with natural products. In the present study, hexane, chloroform, acetone and, methanol extracts from roots of Moringa peregrina were screened for phytochemical analysis and anticancer activity. Phytochemical analysis was performed by Gas Chromatography and Mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The anticancer potential of the extracts was done on the human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7) and cell viability was measured using WST-1 Cell Proliferation Assay Kit. The cell line …

Hypervirulent Klebsiella Pneumoniae Bloodstream Isolates In The United Arab Emirates, Shaikha Awad Mohammed Al Kaabi

Theses

As the presence of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKP) has not been studied in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the aim was to determine its rate among bloodstream isolates collected in a tertiary care hospital during two years. K. pneumoniae blood isolates of 125 individual patients from Tawam Hospital, Al Ain in 2014-2015 were investigated. Clinical data on patients’ demographics and underlying medical conditions were collected. Speciation was carried out by VITEK 2, antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by disc diffusion, and for colistin by microdilution. Hypermucoviscosity was assessed by string test. Genetic markers of hypervirulence (iucA, rmpA, rmpA2), …

Prevalence, Antibiotic-Resistance And Growth Profile Of Vibrio Spp., Isolated From Imported Fish In The Local Markets, Tarfa Ali Mohamed

Theses

Seafood and fish are important food components for a large section of the world population. Seafood is prone to bacterial contamination, many are pathogenic to human and marine animals, and three species, Vibrio mimicus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Vibrio vulnificus, are responsible for most cases of seafood-related human illness caused by Vibrio species. The study on the prevalence of these microorganisms in seafood of the United Arab Emirates is vital due to the cultural background of the Emiratis as a coastal heritage. A study was conducted to assess the prevalence of Vibrio spp. in imported fishes from local …

United Arab Emirates Post Oil Strategy: An Examination Of Diversification Strategies And Challenges, Noura Hamad Salim Al Jaberi

Theses

For decades, oil-rich countries have been thoroughly discussed in the literature; regarding the heavy dependence on oil revenue for the state’s development, and economic diversification has become one of the main issues of oil-producing countries worldwide, due to the critical situation and different factors and pressures surrounding the global oil market. To achieve the research objectives and to answer the research questions, the paper analyzes the post-oil strategy of the United Arab Emirates and examines its challenges as a country located in a region with abundant oil wealth that has allowed it to become one of the main oil exporters …

The Emergence Of United Arab Emirates As A Global Soft Power: Strategies And Challenges, Amira Ali Alhashmi

Theses

The thesis focuses on how the United Arab Emirates is emerging as a global soft power by examining the elements of its soft power. This is accomplished via in-depth interviews with UAE-based foreign diplomats and academics and Emirati diplomats and academics. This is supplemented with primary and secondary data from government, international agencies, and media sources. The UAE has excelled in many facets of governance, accomplished a lot in a relatively short period, and pursued domestic and foreign policies that have made it a role model for other countries. These accomplishments enable the UAE to exercise soft power influence in …

The Impact Of Dynamic Written Corrective Feedback On Arab Efl Intermediate Students’ Writing Accuracy, Esraa Abdulrahman Alyousef

Theses

This thesis is concerned with finding the impact of applying dynamic written corrective feedback (DWCF) on Arab intermediate EFL learners’ writing accuracy. The current study focuses on the writing components of content, organization, grammar, vocabulary, and mechanics. The main objective of this thesis is to examine how DWCF can affect intermediate EFL learners’ writing accuracy. The research included 38 grade eight learners as participants of the study. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used. The quantitative data was collected via the use of pre-post test research instruments while the survey research instrument gathered the qualitative data. The study found …

الاستخدام التجاري للفضاء الخارجي في ضوء قواعد الفانون الدولي والتشريع الإما ا رتي, عبد الله عبد القادر عبد اللطيف

Theses

خلا ل الفترة الوجيزة الماضية، تعددت استخدامات الفضاء الخارجي، وكان الاستخدام

التجاري للفضاء الخارجي أحد أهم هذه الاستخدامات، حيث ظهرت العديد من الأنشطة التجارية

في الفضاء. كما أصبح القطاع الخاص أحد أبرز الناشطين في ميدان الفضاء، مما جعل الدول

تضع قوانين خاصة لتنظم شروط ترخيص أنشطة القطاع الخاص، وتنظم أحكام المسؤولية عن

الأضرار التي تحدثها. كما أن الأنشطة التجارية في الفضاء الخارجي تواجه العديد من

الإشكاليات المتعلقة بالحماية القانونية لها، ومقبلة على مزيد من التحديات والتطورات

المستقبلية.

وفي هذا البحث نحاول تسليط الضوء على موضوع الاستخدام التجاري للفضاء

الخارجي من خلال التعرض للأنشطة التجارية التي يتم ممارستها حاليا في الفضاء …

The Assessment Of Walkability As A Social Aspect Of Sustainability: The Case Of Dubai Neighborhoods, Uae, Rania Elsaed Elesawi

Theses

In an attempt to reduce car dependency, the process of planning, mainly on a neighborhood level, has recently been directed to focus on the accommodation of walkability as a significant factor of planning development. This approach contributes not only to improving urban patterns but also majorly in addressing issues of sustainability. The social aspect of sustainability has not received much attention and is considered the least described pillar. The positive association between aspects of human behavior and built environment, particularly walkability, suggests that measuring social aspects of sustainability may be conceivable especially in the context of community development. Sustainable neighborhoods …

Home Energy Management System For Demand Response Purposes, Isra Adam Hussein Haroun

Theses

The growing demand for electricity has led to increasing efforts to generate and satisfy the rising demand. This led to suppliers attempting to reduce consumption with the help of the users. Requests to shift unnecessary loads off the peak hours, using other sources of generators to supply the grid while offering incentives to the users have made a significant effect. Furthermore, automated solutions were implemented with the help of Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) where the user can remotely manage household loads to reduce consumption or cost. Demand Response (DR) is the process of reducing power consumption in a response …

The Role Of Digital Diplomacy In Uae Foreign Policy: Strategies, Challenges And Opportunities, Khadija Ali Mohammed Al Mazrouei

Theses

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is emerging as a world leader in digital diplomacy due to its excellent communication infrastructure and willingness to connect with the outside world as part of it is foreign policy goals. In spite of the UAE’s central role in this digital diplomacy phenomenon, not much by way of research has been conducted into the UAE’s efforts. Thus, this thesis seeks to fill the research gap by addressing three key research questions vis-à-vis UAE’s digital diplomacy. First, what are the UAE’s digital diplomacy strategies? Second, what are the benefits of digital diplomacy to the UAE? Third, …