Digital Commons Network^™

Multi-Spectral Visual Crop Assessment Under Limited Data Constraints, Patricia O'Byrne, Patrick Jackman, Damon Berry, Hector-Hugo Franco-Penya, Michael French, Robert J. Ross

Conference papers

In an era of climate change and global population growth, deep learning based multi-spectral imaging has the potential to significantly assist in production management across a wide range of agricultural and food production domains. A key challenge however in applying state-of-the-art methods is that they, unlike classical hand crafted methods, are usually thought of as being only useful when significant amounts of data are available. In this paper we investigate this hypothesis by examining the performance of state-of-the-art deep learning methods when applied to a restricted data set that is not easily bootstrapped through pre-trained image processing networks. We demonstrate …

Expressing Trust With Temporal Frequency Of User Interaction In Online Communities, Ekaterina Yashkina, Arseny Pinigin, Jooyoung Lee, Manuel Mazzara, Akinlolu Solomon Adekotujo, Adam Zubair, Luca Longo

Conference papers

Reputation systems concern soft security dynamics in diverse areas. Trust dynamics in a reputation system should be stable and adaptable at the same time to serve the purpose. Many reputation mechanisms have been proposed and tested over time. However, the main drawback of reputation management is that users need to share private information to gain trust in a system such as phone numbers, reviews, and ratings. Recently, a novel model that tries to overcome this issue was presented: the Dynamic Interaction-based Reputation Model (DIBRM). This approach to trust considers only implicit information automatically deduced from the interactions of users within …

Explorobot: Rapid Exploration With Chart Automation, Tamara Matthews, Rohan Goel, John Mcauley

Conference papers

General-purpose visualization tools are used by people with varying degrees of data literacy. Often the user is not a professional analyst or data scientist and uses the tool infrequently, to support an aspect of their job. This can present difficulties as the user’s unfamiliarity with visualization practice and infrequent use of the tool can result in long processing time, inaccurate data representations or inappropriate visual encodings. To address this problem, we developed a visual analytics application called exploroBOT. The exploroBOT automatically generates visualizations and the exploration guidance path (an associated network of decision points, mapping nodes where visualizations change). These …

Agent-Based Iot Coordination For Smart Cities Considering Security And Privacy, Iván García-Magariño, Geraldine Gray, Rajarajan Muttukrishnan, Waqar Asif

Conference papers

The interest in Internet of Things (IoT) is increasing steeply, and the use of their smart objects and their composite services may become widespread in the next few years increasing the number of smart cities. This technology can benefit from scalable solutions that integrate composite services of multiple-purpose smart objects for the upcoming large-scale use of integrated services in IoT. This work proposes an agent-based approach for supporting large-scale use of IoT for providing complex integrated services. Its novelty relies in the use of distributed blackboards for implicit communications, decentralizing the storage and management of the blackboard information in the …

An Evaluation Of The Reliability, Validity And Sensitivity Of Three Human Mental Workload Measures Under Different Instructional Conditions In Third-Level Education, Luca Longo, Giuliano Orru

Conference papers

Although Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) has been researched for many years, it has been criticised for its theoretical clarity and its methodological approach. A crucial issue is the measurement of three types of cognitive load conceived in the theory, and the assessment of overall human cognitive load during learning tasks. This research study is motivated by these issues and it aims to investigate the reliability, validity and sensitivity of three existing self-reporting mental workload instruments, mainly used in Ergonomics, when applied to Education and in particular to the field of Teaching and Learning. A primary research study has been designed …

Analyzing Twitter Feeds To Facilitate Crises Informatics And Disaster Response During Mass Emergencies, Arshdeep Kaur

Dissertations

It is a common practice these days for general public to use various micro-blogging platforms, predominantly Twitter, to share ideas, opinions and information about things and life. Twitter is also being increasingly used as a popular source of information sharing during natural disasters and mass emergencies to update and communicate the extent of the geographic phenomena, report the affected population and casualties, request or provide volunteering services and to share the status of disaster recovery process initiated by humanitarian-aid and disaster-management organizations. Recent research in this area has affirmed the potential use of such social media data for various disaster …

Augmenting American Fuzzy Lop To Increase The Speed Of Bug Detection, Raviraj Mahajan

Dissertations

Whitebox fuzz testing is a vital part of the software testing process in the software development life cycle (SDLC). It is used for bug detection and security vulnerability checking as well. But current tools lack the ability to detect all the bugs and cover the entire code under test in a reasonable time. This study will explore some of the various whitebox fuzzing techniques and tools (AFL, SAGE, Driller, etc.) currently in use followed by a discussion of their strategies and the challenges facing them. One of the most popular state-of-the-art fuzzers, American Fuzzy Lop (AFL) will be discussed in …

Comparing Procedural Content Generation Algorithms For Creating Levels In Video Games, Zina Monaghan

Dissertations

Procedural Content Generation (PCG) is used frequently in games to increase replayability by introducing variety to playghrough of a game and reduce development time by allowing complex game worlds to be developed by a smaller team over a more limited amount of time.

An Evaluation Of The Information Security Awareness Of University Students, Alan Pike

Dissertations

Between January 2017 and March 2018, it is estimated that more than 1.9 billion personal and sensitive data records were compromised online. The average cost of a data breach in 2018 was reported to be in the region of US$3.62 million. These figures alone highlight the need for computer users to have a high level of information security awareness (ISA). This research was conducted to establish the ISA of students in a university. There were three aspects to this piece of research. The first was to review and analyse the security habits of students in terms of their own personal …

An Investigation Into The Predictive Capability Of Customer Spending In Modelling Mortgage Default, Donal Finn [Thesis]

Dissertations

The mortgage arrears crisis in Ireland was and is among the most severe experienced on record and although there has been a decreasing trend in the number of mortgages in default in the past four years, it still continues to cause distress to borrowers and vulnerabilities to lenders. There are indications that one of the main factors associated with mortgage default is loan affordability, of which the level of disposable income is a driver. Additionally, guidelines set out by the European Central Bank instructed financial institutions to adopt measures to further reduce and prevent loans defaulting, including the implementation and …

Bc(A)R Compliance - The Colander Effect, Seamus Harrington

Other Resources

The Building Control (Amendment) Regulations of 2014 has sought to leave the days of self-regulation in the past. However, the opt-out clause has created a two-tiered regulatory structure that questions if the regulations are fit for purpose?

This presentation takes an in depth look at the current regulatory structure and questions if there is a requirement for the introduction of a top-down Local Authority lead approach to Building Regulation Control, similar to that currently utilised throughout the UK and Northern Ireland in respect of all building projects?

Computational Instantaneous Wave‐Free Ratio (Ifr) For Patient‐Specific Coronary Artery Stenoses Using 1d Network Models, Jason M. Carson, Carl Roobottom, Robin Alcock, Perumal Nithiarasu

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Brexit Debates On Irish Exports: A Causality Analysis, Rawayda Abdou, Klavs Ciprikis, Lucia Morales, Damien Cassells

Conference papers

The UK decision to leave the EU has larger implications for Ireland due to its significant exposure to the UK economy. As such a no-deal Brexit scenario raises significant concerns regarding the impact, the magnitude and the lasting effects of the shock to the Irish economy. Leading up to the final weeks before the UK leaves the EU, this study explores the relationship between economic and political uncertainty surrounding Brexit and its potential causal effects to the Irish economy. The agriculture, manufacturing, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors are the focus of attention as they are considered to be the most exposed …

Directiveness In The Center: L1, L2, And Generation 1.5 Expectations And Experiences, Grant Eckstein

The Writing Center Journal

No abstract provided.

"I Need Help On Many Things Please": A Case Study Analysis Of First-Generation College Students' Use Of The Writing Center, Candis Bond

The Writing Center Journal

No abstract provided.

“And He Was Anti-Christ”: The Significance Of The Eighteenth Year Of The Reign Of The Judges, Part 2, Daniel Belnap, Daniel L. Belnap, Daniel Belnap, Dan Belnap

Faculty Publications

For the Nephites, the sixteenth year of the reign of the judges was tremendously difficult. The arrival of the people of Ammon, in itself an incredible disruption of Nephite society, precipitated a battle, which Mormon describes as a “tremendous battle; yea, even such an one as never had been known among all the people in the land from the time Lehi left Jerusalem” (Alma 28:2). The dead, we are told, were not counted due to their enormous number. These events compounded the pre-existing struggles that resulted from the sociopolitical fallout from the reforms of Mosiah2 . 1 Though Alma 30:5 …

Interpreting And Reporting Principal Component Analysis In Food Science Analysis And Beyond, D. Cozzolino, A. Power, J. Chapman

Articles

Principal component analysis (PCA) is one of the most widely used data mining techniques in sciences and applied to a wide type of datasets (e.g. sensory, instrumental methods, chemical data). However, several questions and doubts on how to interpret and report the results are still asked every day from students and researchers. This brief communication is inspired in relation to those questions asked by colleagues and students. Please note that this article is a focus on the practical aspects, use and interpretation of the PCA to analyse multiple or varied data sets. In summary, the application of the PCA provides …

I-Berlioz: Towards Interactive Computer-Aided Orchestration With Temporal Control, Er Miranda, A Antoine, J-M Celerier, M Desainte-Catherine

School of Art, Design and Architecture

This paper introduces i-Berlioz, a proof-of-concept interactive Computer Aided Orchestration (CAO) system that suggests combinations of musical instruments to produce timbres specified by the user by means of verbal descriptors. The system relies on machine learning for timbre classification and generative orchestration, and tools to write and execute interactive scenarios. The paper details the two main parts of i-Berlioz: its generative and exploratory engines, respectively, accompanied with examples. The authors discuss how i-Berlioz can aid the composition of musical form based on timbre.

The Uk Government Internet Safety Strategy – Time To Listen To The Youth Voice?, Ad Phippen

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

The policy space around “online safety” has been active in the last 18 months, with development from manifesto commitment through green paper to proposed white paper. The goal is developing a legislative and regulative programme that will, it is proposed, ensure that UK citizens are “safe” when they go online. With the proposed white paper anticipated in Autumn 2018, it is worthwhile to pause and reflect on the policy direction, drawing from both empirical and personal perspectives on working with children and young people, and what it means to be a young person growing up in this “digital age”. By …

Africa Starts At The Pyrenees: Humor, Laughter, And Financial Recession In A Spanish Enclave In Morocco, B Campbell

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Determining The Impact Of A Bowel Management Protocol On Patients And Clinicians’ Compliance In Cardiac Intensive Care: A Mixed-Methods Approach, Dawn Warren, Bridie Kent

School of Nursing and Midwifery

No abstract provided.

A Structured Methodology For Tailoring And Deploying Lean Manufacturing Systems, Kenneth John Gembel Ii

Wayne State University Dissertations

The seminal works of Peter Drucker and James Womack in the 1990’s outlined the lean manufacturing practices of Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) to become a world leader in manufacturing. These philosophies have since become the springboard for a significant paradigm shift in approaching manufacturing systems and how to leverage them to optimize operational practices and gain competitive advantage. While there is no shortage of literature touting the benefits of Lean Manufacturing Systems (LMS), there has been significant difficulty in effectively deploying them to obtain and sustain the performance that TMC has achieved.

This body of work provides a novel methodology …

Attitudes Of Jordanian Women Towards Interpersonal Violence Against Women And Help-Seeking Preferences, Nariman Zarzour

Wayne State University Dissertations

Violence against women is a public health concern bearing substantial importance in developed and developing countries. In Jordan, there are no specific foundations or legislations in the penal code that illegalize domestic violence, and there are no confining orders to apply in cases of abuse. The purpose of this study was to examine Jordanian women attitudes towards spousal abuse and help-seeking preferences. A quantitative study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire; the survey contained questions from the Muslim Marital Violence Scale (MMVS, 2006) as well as demographic questions. A convenience sample of 199 women was recruited from Jordanian University of …

Solvent Effects And Charge Transfer States In Organic Photovoltaics, Kangmin Liu

Wayne State University Dissertations

Due to their various advantages, including lightweight, flexible, and cheap manufacturing, organic photovoltaic materials have gained enormous research interest. Over nearly two decades, the power conversion efficiency of organic solar devices has increased dramatically. However, it is still low compared to traditional inorganic semiconductors. In order to improve efficiency, a better understanding of the basic thermodynamic properties of the light-to-electricity power conversion process is needed. One nontrivial aspect of organic solar cells is the low dielectric constant, which leads to tightly-bound excitons upon vertical excitations. The separation of electron-hole pairs requires a larger driving force to overcome the Coulombic binding …

Functional Characterization Of Accessory Proteins And Novel Activities In Direct And Indirect Trna Aminoacylation, Udumbara Menike Rathnayake

Wayne State University Dissertations

Indirect tRNA aminoacylation is essential for most bacteria and archaea, particularly when these species do not have genes encoding asparaginyl- and/or glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (AsnRS and GlnRS). In the absence of AsnRS, the first step in Asn-tRNAAsn synthesis involves misacylation of tRNAAsn with aspartate to produce Asp-tRNAAsn; this reaction is catalyzed by a non-discriminating aspartyl-tRNA synthetase (ND-AspRS). Subsequently, in bacteria, an amidotransferase called GatCAB converts Asp-tRNAAsn to Asn-tRNAAsn. An analogous, two-step processes exist to produce Gln-tRNAGln. In this case, a non-discriminating glutamyl-tRNA synthetase (ND-GluRS) misacylates tRNAGln to produce Glu-tRNAGln, which is then converted to Gln-tRNAGln by GatCAB. The central hub of …

Molecular Mechanisms In Cftr-F508del Degradation And The Functional Defect Of Cftr Absence In Rabbits, Carthic Rajagopalan

Wayne State University Dissertations

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most common, lethal autosomal recessive disorder, and is caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator protein (CFTR), an anion channel that is found in most epithelial cells lining the airway and gut. The most common mutation of CFTR is deletion of phenylalanine at position 508 (CFTR-F508del), which produces a misfolded protein. Through the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS), this misfolded protein is ubiquitinated and signaled for degradation via the cytosolic proteasome. Previous studies demonstrating experimental restoration of F508DEL-CFTR trafficking to the plasma membrane showed partial function of the chloride channel, raising therapeutic speculations. …

Optical Nanostructures For Controllable And Tunable Optical Properties, Ashfaqul Anwar Anwar Siraji

Wayne State University Dissertations

Optical nanostructures are heterogeneous media containing subwavelength inclusions in periodic or aperiodic fashion. The optical properties of optical nanostructure can be controlled and tuned using their constituent material properties and spatial arrangement of the inclusions. While optical nanostructures have been widely studied, controllable and tunable nanostructures using low loss transparent materials has not been studied in detail in the literature. The objective of this research is to perform efficient design and analyses of controllable and tunable optical nanostructures using low loss transparent materials.

To that end, versatile and highly accurate numerical methods like finite different tie domain and plane wave …

More Transparency, Please, Kyle Mcentee

FIU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Ringing Changes: Systems Thinking About Legal Licensing, Joan W. Howarth, Judith Welch Wegner

FIU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Extraction Rate In Vapor Assisted Extraction Of Heavy Oil (Vapex), Vijitha Mohan, Parthasakha Neogi

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Heavy oil recovery requires either heat (SAGD) or a solvent (VAPEX) to reduce its high viscosity first and then the less viscous oil can be recovered. We show here that the existing data, on the rate of oil recovered in VAPEX process in sand packs show a square root dependence on the height of pay zone, following expectation. This dependence had remained uncertain and is of importance in oil field operations. We have used dimensional analysis and inverse viscosity-diffusivity dependence to obtain an expression for the rate that agrees well with the available sand pack data. The dimensional analysis overcomes …