Digital Commons Network^™

Android Malware Detection Using Machine Learning Techniques, Mohamed Salem Alhebsi

Theses

Android is the world's most popular and widely used operating system for mobile smartphones today. One of the reasons for this popularity is the free third-party applications that are downloaded and installed and provide various types of benefits to the user. Unfortunately, this flexibility of installing any application created by third parties has also led to an endless stream of constantly evolving malware applications that are intended to cause harm to the user in many ways. In this project, different approaches for tackling the problem of Android malware detection are presented and demonstrated. The data analytics of a real-time detection …

Notifications, Ashraf Agili

Theses

The notification system is essential in our daily life. It grabs the user's attention to a specific situation that needs the user's action. Such as responding to an important message. However, the notification system can be less effective due to the limited features and frequently failing to display enough appropriate information. What if the notification system can allow users to respond, share and save notifications? The current notification system directs us to apps that divert our focus away, where there is no way to respond to all types of notifications within the notification. Long and unorganized notification pages created by …

Eye-Tracking Using Deep Learning, Sam Trenter

Theses

Eye-tracking can be valuable for researchers in many domains. Most eye-tracking technologies require an extra piece of costly hardware. Several other available eye-tracking solutions are usually not very accurate and require a costly subscription. Our project was oriented at creating a free and open-source alternative that does not require additional equipment. We developed a deep learning-based solution as a prototype for this project. Specifically, we developed a deep learning model to predict a user’s gaze position on the screen. We created our training data set using a commercially available eye-tracker to train the model. Each training sample consists of a …

Combating Global Warming: Modeling Enhanced Rock Weathering Of Wollastonite Using Density Functional Theory, Brian Luan

Theses

Negative emissions technologies target the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as a way of combating global warming. Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) is a vital negative emissions technology that applied globally could remove gigatons of carbon dioxide per year from the atmosphere. In ERW, silicate minerals exposed to the atmosphere trap CO2 via mineral carbonation as thermodynamically stable carbonates. To obtain an atomic scale understanding of the weathering process and to design more reactive silicates for enhanced rock weathering, carbon dioxide adsorption on low Miller index wollastonite (CaSiO3) surfaces was modeled using density functional theory. Atomic scale structure of …

Study Island, Xiran Wang

Theses

This thesis project is in providing a better distance learning experience for students. Distance learning can be considered a tangible and interactive learning experience. The disadvantage of distance learning is the lack of learning environment and interactivity, which may lead to problems such as inattentive students learning inefficiently. It follows the use of the Internet to create an interactive and interesting distance learning platform. Students experience a more real sense of effective learning efficiency, enhance communication between students, and better complete their learning plans with mutual help. Students also provide good contact information when they go home, enhancing communication between …

Evolution, Yajing Yan

Theses

My work is about how, as microplastic invades the earth, humans begin evolving, following the laws of natural selection. Plastic is attached in visual relationships to represent future mutations after decades of absorbing microplastic into the body. Many contemporary films and books discuss cyberpunk and steampunk from an evolutionary perspective. Technologies such as artificial intelligence and mechanical organ transplantation allow humans to evolve. However, I do not want to discuss the impacts of external technology. Instead, I am concerned with how the intrusion of microplastics influences humanity’s slow self-evolution. I divide my work into different stages to explore how humans …

Data-Driven Optimization For Bicycle Station Location In A Small To Medium-Sized City: The Case Study Of Cuenca, Ecuador, Fernando Cueva

Theses

Bike sharing systems (BSSs) are an important transportation alternative, and station distribution is a key component of these that is driven by user demand and resource constraints. Designing an effective BSS with appropriate station distribution requires a method that consists of steps structured in a flexible, parameterizable, repeatable, and organized way, based on and aligned with proven or accepted standards---particularly in resource-limited environments. This includes data-driven analysis of information relevant to BSS station design from various sources and in different formats. Models and algorithms are used to organize and examine the data, reduce redundant data, standardize factors, and find patterns …

Mindful: Practice Empathetic Design To Enhance The Digital User Experience For People With Mental Disorders., Olivia Zhu

Theses

The fast-growing prevalence of mental health disorders has become a global challenge in recent years and necessitates a greater focus on providing treatment and care to people in need. Consequently, a positive recognition of the promise of mental health digital applications to promote awareness, expand access, and speed up diagnosis has been established. However, very little attention has been given to the characteristics of vulnerable psychiatric patients and the influence on their cognitive functioning, making it challenging for them to comprehend the web content. As a matter of fact, the design of a mental health website often plays a significant …

You Can See Me But You Can't Find Me, Eric Bohrer

Theses

I finesse the atmospheric value of objects— the gestural systems brought forward in their material and forms. As Baudrillard describes, the tools we use and the furnishings we live among are increasingly defined by their formal adherence to systems of control. Individual function is suppressed for the sake of a homogeneous interrelationship between multiple objects. Through the use of a gestural system that prioritizes effort instead, objects are defined by instinct as opposed to cultural connotation. Material is liberated from the increasingly abstracted contemporary discourse surrounding its use and the object as a whole is allowed to retake an anthropomorphic …

Immersive Virtual Reality Error Management Training For Cnc Machining Setup Procedures, Matthew Ryan

Theses

In order to address the expanding manufacturing talent gap for skilled machinists and limitations with existing machining training programs, this study introduces an immersive Virtual Reality (VR) computer numerical control (CNC) machining training environment CNC machine setup processes with a novel error management-based training curriculum. Current machinist training programs typically require active mentorship from skilled individuals over several years and consume a large amount of materials and tools. In addition, mistakes and errors made during the setup process can create safety risks, waste material, and break equipment, which have not been considered by the existing VR CNC milling training environments. …

Anonymous Objects, Haidong Qin

Theses

My thesis project uses compositional strategies to de-contextualize images and exploits photography's inherent ambiguity in form and content. My photographs reveal an artificial environment established by isolating everyday objects and turning them into abstractions. Using formal strategies, these objects are detached from their original environments and re-interpreted. The significance of the objects no longer relies on their social functions, but on how they appear in the two-dimensional composition. Thus, the resulting images become new facts through the photographic process. A photograph is not only an image, but also an autonomous conceptual and physical object. My work reinforces an object-like quality …

Preservation Of Autonomy In Pediatric Decision-Making, Crystal Brown

Theses

Pediatric patients must rely on proxy decision-makers, usually a parent or guardian, to make their health care choices for them. There are 3 main frameworks in place for such decision-making. The default is usually that the decision-maker will make the decision that they feel is in the best interest of the child. Limitations on the decision-maker are an aspect often discussed with abuse and neglect at the forefront as thresholds for when limitations and intervention are deemed necessary. Concern for the child’s future autonomy is not made a consideration. Instead, the values and beliefs of the decision-maker are used to …

What Is Assertiveness?, Mirjana Trifunovic

Theses

My main aim is to define assertiveness, to distinguish assertiveness from aggressiveness, and to raise the question of whether we should be assertive. Most articles on assertiveness are from the field of psychology. In psychology, assertiveness is defined as a healthy way of expressing oneself. But what does assertiveness mean? How should we define assertiveness and is assertiveness desirable, or is it closely connected to aggressiveness? Should we say that assertiveness is a part of our character, an innate quality, or an acquired skill? In this thesis, I will define assertiveness and show how to distinguish assertiveness from aggressiveness. Most …

Hear You, Chenyang Mu

Theses

"Hear You" is a thesis that explores how my relationship with glass is used to discuss the connection and interaction between sound, shape, material, and surrounding things. I trace the origins of these interests related to my sensitive and introverted character since I was a child and how it has influenced my interests in communicating in unique visual and audible ways. This thesis links personal experience to scholarly research into sensory processing, high sensitivity personality traits, the concept of quiet, and the power of sound. "Hear You" concludes with an assessment of a body of work that merges interests in …

Invasive Species Identification And Monitoring Using Computer Vision, Street View Imagery, And Community Science, Liam Megraw

Theses

Invasive plants present significant challenges for ecosystem integrity, biodiversity preservation, and agricultural production. Continuous surveillance efforts are necessary to detect and effectively respond to emerging infestations. However, monitoring methods currently available each have their own limits, whether due to cost, time, or sampling bias. Computer vision applied to roadside imagery is a previously undeveloped methodological synergy that can support existing monitoring efforts. Further, because roadsides are a vector of spread, they are an ideal pathway to monitor. In this study, we present research and management applications of a dataset generated by a computer vision model for Phragmites (Common reed) and …

Invisible Pain, Hairuo Ding

Theses

My thesis work was the exploration and thinking of the outbursts that can occur out of hiding emotions in people's minds, and the prejudice against mental illness. It was based on a question in my mind: Is psychological injury a real injury? If so, why do people always advocate gratitude for suffering? Why is it that when someone is experiencing frustration and pain, it's just seen as an obstacle to become a better person? What about the scars that these extreme emotions create, the ones that are hidden deep within people's hearts, under the polite and cheerful appearance that they …

A Depth-Based Computer Vision Approach To Unmanned Aircraft System Landing With Optimal Positioning, Nicholas Quattrociocchi

Theses

High traffic congestion in cities can lead to difficulties in delivering appropriate aid to people in need of emergency services. Developing an autonomous aerial medical evacuation system with the required size to facilitate the need can allow for the mitigation of the constraint. The aerial system must be capable of vertical takeoff and landing to reach highly conjected areas and areas where traditional aircraft cannot access. In general, the most challenging limitation within any proposed solution is the landing sequence. There have been several techniques developed over the years to land aircraft autonomously; however, very little attention has been scoped …

Bullying: How Feelings Of Fatalism May Influence Youth Choices To Offend, Tammy Shartzer

Theses

School age bullying continues to be a source of intense research as it is commonly linked to increased levels of delinquency in adolescents. In an effort to understand the process through which bullying victimization is linked to increased levels of delinquency, researchers continue to explore environmental and psychological components. This study used both OLS regression and negative binomial regression to examine the relationship between traditional and cyberbullying victimization and delinquency to assesses if fatalism mediates or moderates this relationship. An individual with fatalism often feels they are stuck within a revolving cycle of bad happenings and are powerless to change …

Machine Learning Based Characterization Of Preictal Eeg, Andrew C. Allard

Theses

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) that incorporate Long Short-term Memory (LSTM) have shown a great deal of success in recognizing preictal activity in electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis. It is postulated that the convolutional portion of the neural network (NN) is using some particular feature or set of features to determine this preictal state. In an attempt to gain a better understanding of these features, Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping (Grad-CAM) and augmented Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping (augmented Grad-CAM) are applied to the convolutional portion of patient specific neural networks trained to recognize preictal activity. While no particular set of features were consistently highlighted …

Deep Into The Eyes: Applying Machine Learning To Improve Eye-Tracking, Aayush Kumar Chaudhary

Theses

Eye-tracking has been an active research area with applications in personal and behav- ioral studies, medical diagnosis, virtual reality, and mixed reality applications. Improving the robustness, generalizability, accuracy, and precision of eye-trackers while maintaining privacy is crucial. Unfortunately, many existing low-cost portable commercial eye trackers suffer from signal artifacts and a low signal-to-noise ratio. These trackers are highly depen- dent on low-level features such as pupil edges or diffused bright spots in order to precisely localize the pupil and corneal reflection. As a result, they are not reliable for studying eye movements that require high precision, such as microsaccades, smooth …

On The Use Of Imaging Spectroscopy From Unmanned Aerial Systems (Uas) To Model Yield And Assess Growth Stages Of A Broadacre Crop, Amirhossein Hassanzadeh

Theses

Snap bean production was valued at $363 million in 2018. Moreover, the increasing need in food production, caused by the exponential increase in population, makes this crop vitally important to study. Traditionally, harvest time determination and yield prediction are performed by collecting limited number of samples. While this approach could work, it is inaccurate, labor-intensive, and based on a small sample size. The ambiguous nature of this approach furthermore leaves the grower with under-ripe and over-mature plants, decreasing the final net profit and the overall quality of the product. A more cost-effective method would be a site-specific approach that would …

I Heard The North Wind Call Your Name, Ian Edward White

Theses

"I Heard the North Wind Call Your Name" is a photographic series of portraits and post-industrial landscapes made in Rochester, NY. In the fall of 2020, I began wandering, hoping through photography, that I could make connections to people and gain a better understanding of my new home. With no agenda in mind, I allowed myself to become comfortable with the unknown - to follow my intuition and curiosity wherever they took me. Chance encounters and conversations with strangers often turned into portraits. My work, and understanding of the city, are informed by these shared experiences with my subjects. I …

Modeling Users Feedback Using Bayesian Methods For Data-Driven Requirements Engineering, Moayad M. Alshangiti

Theses

Data-driven requirements engineering represents a vision for a shift from the static traditional methods of doing requirements engineering to dynamic data-driven user-centered methods. App developers now receive abundant user feedback from user comments in app stores and social media, i.e., explicit feedback, to feedback from usage data and system logs, i.e, implicit feedback. In this dissertation, we describe two novel Bayesian approaches that utilize the available user's to support requirements decisions and activities in the context of applications delivered through software marketplaces (web and mobile). In the first part, we propose to exploit implicit user feedback in the form of …

Nursing Documentation Environment In The Hospital Setting, Alice E. Cavin

Theses

Nurses often document in open nurses' stations exposed to frequent interruptions. Much has been written on the need to limit distractions while collecting and administering medications but little has been published on the effects interruptions have on nursing documentation. The purpose of this study was to examine the environment in which nurses chart and to gather their perceptions of the documentation environment. Marilyn Ray's Theory of Bureaucratic Caring was the guiding framework for this study. A review of the literature revealed the effects open work spaces, noise, and interruptions can have on work performance. This study, a focus group discussion, …

The Role And Responsibility Of The Nurse In Caring For The Dying Patient, Julia M. Robinson

Theses

The problem undertaken in this study was to learn the specific nursing functions a selected sample of registered nurses performed in an effort to meet the needs of the dying patient and how adequate they felt in performing these functions.

Movement Patterns Of The Shovelnose Guitarfish (Pseudobatos Productus) And California Bat Ray (Myliobatis Californica) In The Southern California Bight, Annabel Gong

Theses

While the movement patterns of large elasmobranch species have been studied extensively, those of smaller, mesopredatory species remain understudied. The shovelnose guitarfish (Pseudobatos productus) and the California bat ray (Myliobatis californica) are among the least studied elasmobranchs in the Southern California Bight. This study quantified the broad- and fine-scale movement patterns of these species using passive acoustic telemetry. Twelve guitarfish were surgically implanted with coded acoustic transmitters at a known aggregation site off La Jolla (San Diego County), California, USA and tracked for 849.5 days each, on average. Six bat rays were also implanted here and tracked for …

Seeing Slavery, Lulu Hamissou

Theses

This paper examines the resilience of Laura Clark, Carrie Davis, and Delia Garlic, three formerly enslaved women from Alabama whose memories and experiences during enslavement were part of a large slave narrative project called Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers’ Project, 1936 to 1938. The design exhibition, Seeing Slavery, visually communicates and portrays the accounts and portraits of the three women. Printed and embroidered fabrics visually communicate the narrative stories of these women, while their portraits are made from screen printed acrylic glass.

Following an introduction, a literature review details the history of the three slave …

Comparative Modeling And Evolutionary Comparison Of Serine Protease, A Timber Rattlesnake Venom Protein, Qawer Ayaz

Theses

The aim of this study is to create a homology model of VG35 serine protease and evaluate the evolutionary comparison of secondary structure on basis of protein model using YASARA. This method was furthermore used to predict the potential epitopes which can help in the investigation of future studies.

The VG35 was used to run a BLAST search which gave most resembled serine protease of different species which was then translated and modeled in YASARA. The modeled protein data was then used to determine the secondary structure. This was then used for evolutionary comparison of all proteins to VG35. Then …

Behavioral Choices Of Apple Snails, Pomacea Maculata, Under Varied Chemical Landscapes, Andrea Adams

Theses

Habitat choice is a critical behavior for organisms to successfully survive and reproduce. These choices are dictated by available environmental information about potential predation risks or food patches that form the organism’s sensory landscape. This study specifically focused on the behavioral choices of two invasive apple snail (Pomacea maculata) populations exposed to varying predation threats. We collected snails from Florida and Alabama which were used in laboratory experiments with varied sensory landscapes. Trials consisted of controls with no cues (FL: n = 7, AL: n= 7), an attractive treatment with introduced food cues (FL: n = 4, AL: …

Birmingham's Infrastructure Pioneers: The Elyton Land Company And Its Waterworks, 1871-1899, John West Battle Cheney

Theses

This paper examines the founding and development of the city of Birmingham, Alabama, focusing on the establishment and growth of its earliest, most vital infrastructure: railroads and waterworks. Early chapters explain how and why the city came to be carved from the wilderness, while later chapters describe how railroads and waterworks facilities made it possible for a set of frontier farms and villages- isolated, with no nearby river- to rapidly grow into a booming industrial metropolis. Analyzing the actions of Birmingham’s founder- the Elyton Land Company- and those of its subsidiaries- the Birmingham Water Works Company and the Highland Avenue …