Digital Commons Network^™

Malware Classification Using Long Short-Term Memory Models, Dennis Dang, Fabio Di Troia, Mark Stamp

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Signature and anomaly based techniques are the quintessential approaches to malware detection. However, these techniques have become increasingly ineffective as malware has become more sophisticated and complex. Researchers have therefore turned to deep learning to construct better performing model. In this paper, we create four different long-short term memory (LSTM) based models and train each to classify malware samples from 20 families. Our features consist of opcodes extracted from malware executables. We employ techniques used in natural language processing (NLP), including word embedding and bidirection LSTMs (biLSTM), and we also use convolutional neural networks (CNN). We find that a model …

Malware Classification With Gmm-Hmm Models, Jing Zhao, Samanvitha Basole, Mark Stamp

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Discrete hidden Markov models (HMM) are often applied to malware detection and classification problems. However, the continuous analog of discrete HMMs, that is, Gaussian mixture model-HMMs (GMM-HMM), are rarely considered in the field of cybersecurity. In this paper, we use GMM-HMMs for malware classification and we compare our results to those obtained using discrete HMMs. As features, we consider opcode sequences and entropy-based sequences. For our opcode features, GMM-HMMs produce results that are comparable to those obtained using discrete HMMs, whereas for our entropy-based features, GMM-HMMs generally improve significantly on the classification results that we have achieved with discrete HMMs.

The Dialectic Of Presence And Interpretation In Everyday Aesthetics: Applying Heidegger And Gumbrecht To A Walk In One’S Neighborhood, Thomas Leddy

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Gumbrecht’s Heidegger-inspired book, Production of Presence, provides valuable tools for resolving issues in everyday aesthetics. Gumbrecht distinguishes between “presence cultures” and “interpretation cultures.” (Gumbrecht 2004) We live in an interpretation culture, and yet even in our culture there are presence effects. Gumbrecht understands aesthetic experience in terms of the idea of presence. His paradigms are great works of art and great athletic events, all of which take us away from the everyday. I argue that his theory can be adapted, ironically, to everyday aesthetics, in particular to the experience of taking a walk. Much of what we experience aesthetically while …

Noninvasive Genetic Sampling With A Bayesian Spatial Capture-Recapture Analysis To Estimate Abundance Of Roosevelt Elk (Cervus Canadensis Roosevelti), Makenzie Henk

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Determining abundance of Roosevelt elk (Cervus canadensis roosevelti) in central Humboldt County, California has presented a unique challenge to wildlife managers due to the dense forest habitat and the animals’ elusive behavior. As the elk population has increased, so has human-wildlife conflict, and wildlife agencies need efficient and repeatable methods for determining abundance to inform management decisions. Traditional monitoring methods such as helicopter surveys are ineffective due to low sighting probability and strong behavioral responses to the aircraft. They also often lead to biased sex ratios when the distribution of males and females varies across the landscape. Non-invasive …

Comparison Of Low-Cost Commercial Unpiloted Digital Aerial Photogrammetry To Airborne Laser Scanning Across Multiple Forest Types In California, James Edward Lamping

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Science-based forest management requires quantitative information about forest attributes traditionally collected via sampled field plots in a forest inventory program. Remote sensing tools, such as active three-dimensional (3D) Light Detection and Ranging (lidar), are increasingly utilized to supplement and even replace field-based forest inventories. However, lidar remains cost prohibitive for smaller areas and repeat measurement, often limiting its use to single acquisitions of large contiguous areas. Recent advancements in unpiloted aerial systems (UAS), digital aerial photogrammetry (DAP) and high precision global positioning systems (HPGPS) have the potential to provide low-cost time and place flexible 3D data to support forest inventory …

Using Uav And Traditional Remote Sensing Data To Detect Vegetation Vigor And Monitor Stream Morphology In A Desert Riparian Ecosystem, Jordan Bradley Adair

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Mono Lake is a terminal lake in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains. The streams that feed Mono Lake support a unique desert riparian ecosystem. Rush Creek was the stream of interest for this study. The objective of this research is to determine if remotely sensed imagery can be used to determine vegetation vigor and measure stream morphologic features in a desert riparian area. The goals were to evaluate different sources of remotely sensed imagery to make these determinations. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used to monitor vegetation vigor along Rush Creek. Google Earth imagery and UAV derived imagery …

Laboratory To Landscape: Mycorestoration, Riley Sanae Allen

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Mycorestoration is the use of saprophytic fungi to remediate pollutants from land and water. To address contaminant presence in non-point source pollution primarily from agricultural runoff, we worked towards identifying the community-scale implementation process of mycofiltration, a type of mycorestoration that filters contaminants from water, in Arcata, California. This place-based study used Participatory Action Research (PAR) to collaboratively conduct Transdisciplinary Research (TR) to collect baseline qualitative and quantitative data that did not exist for Arcata’s context. These data have been compiled into a written implementation plan which is intended to exist as a living document that is referenced and transformed …

Wingate Muscular Power Test Reference Values For Active Healthy Adults Ages 19-29: Normative Data And Differences Between Sex, Levi Basist

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The Wingate Muscular Power Test (WMPT) has existed for several decades and to this day is considered the gold standard for evaluating an individual’s muscular power. However, the utility of this test is predicated on having accurate and relevant normative data with which to compare individual results. At present, the existing literature on this subject is either several decades old and/or inclusive of only specific subject groups (i.e. men only or sport-specific athletes). This study presents WMPT normative values for active healthy adults ages 19-29, separated by sex. The sample consisted of 330 active healthy volunteers (186 men and 144 …

A Look At Land Cover Classification Methods In Northern California With The Use Of High Spatial Resolution Geospatial Data, Lucila Corro

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Land use and land cover (LULC) mapping plays a vital role in understanding the state of the world, showing us a visual representation of the natural and anthropogenic features covering our planet. Northern California in the United States is home to many critical habitats that provide for a variety of endemic and some threatened and engendered species, making it an area of particular concern to better understand and monitor. There is a greater need to identify specific methods for vegetation modeling in Northern California due to its unique species; to do this we examined two case studies with the following …

Can A Remote Sensing Approach With Hyperspectral Data Provide Early Detection And Mapping Of Spatial Patterns Of Black Bear Bark Stripping In Coast Redwoods?, Shayne R. Magstadt

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The prevalence of black bear (Ursus americanus) bark stripping in commercial redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) timer stands has been increasing in recent years. This stripping is a threat to commercial timber production because of the deleterious effects on redwood tree fitness. This study sought to unveil a remote sensing method to detect these damaged trees early and map their spatial patterns. By developing a timely monitoring method, forest timber companies can manipulate their timber harvesting routines to adapt to the consequences of the problem. We explored the utility of high spatial resolution UAV-collected hyperspectral imagery as a …

Comparison Of Standard And Environmental Dna Methods For Estimating Chinook Salmon Smolt Abundance In The Klamath River, California, Doyle Joseph Coyne

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Evaluating abundance of juvenile salmonids is critical to conservation and management. Current abundance estimation involves use of rotary screw traps and mark-recapture studies. Use of environmental DNA (eDNA) in water samples offers a noninvasive and less expensive approach that may potentially improve or eventually replace traditional monitoring. Here I evaluate the utility of eDNA to predict weekly abundance estimates of outmigrating Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) smolts in the Klamath River, California. A total of 15 water samples were collected per week over the 17-week smolt outmigration in both 2019 and 2020. Chinook salmon eDNA concentration in each water …

Integrated Curriculum In Physical Education, Delaney M. Rice

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This paper seeks to address an absence of resources for teachers that highlight cross-curricular integration of physical education and core academics to benefit the learning, motivation, health, and academic outcomes of students. Curricular integration, or the highlighting of overlapping themes between subjects, has become a popular way to maximize educational time in schools. The benefits of curricular integration are well documented, however, less known are the benefits of curricular integration in the fields of physical education and special education. By analyzing existing literature, reviewing existing curricula and educational resources, and surveying educational professionals, a guide was created to support teachers …

Effects Of Large Wood Restoration On Coho Salmon In A Northern California Watershed: A Before-After-Control-Impact Experiment, Natalie B. Okun

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Substantial time, money, and effort are invested in river and stream restoration projects to aid in the recovery of imperiled salmonid populations, but there is little evidence that these efforts have had lasting positive impacts on juvenile fish growth and survival. To assess the effectiveness of large woody debris (LWD) restoration, which is one of the most common restoration practices, I evaluated the growth and survival response of endangered Central California Coast coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in a paired watershed before-after impact-control (BACI) study. To determine if LWD supplementation influenced coho salmon growth and survival, two neighboring, similar …

Structural And Thermochronologic Evidence Of Paleogene-Neogene Faulting And Exhumation Of The Klamath Mountain Province, Taylor C. Team

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The Klamath Mountains Province (KMP), located at the southern end of the forearc of the Cascadia Subduction Zone, displays a distinct topographic and geologic signature. Compared to the forearc in the north, the KMP comprises Paleozoic-Mesozoic basement rocks with relatively high modern elevation and relief. This study investigates the pattern of rock cooling in the KMP by using thermochronology on plutons exhumed by faults and plutons outside of mapped faults. In this study, I target three regions in the KMP: the Ashland pluton offset by the Siskiyou Summit fault in the northeast KMP, the Grayback pluton in the northwest KMP, …

Effects Of A Dual-Task Paradigm On Tandem Gait Performance, Courtney Angela Perry

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In concussion management, a variety of cognitive and motor control tests, like the tandem gait, have been used for assessing the presence of a concussion injury at the sideline and through recovery. More recently, research suggests that introducing a secondary cognitive retention task during tandem gait (i.e., dual task) may provide a better assessment of concussion. The purpose of this study was to determine if a tandem gait test paired with a 6-digit retention is a valid and reliable tool. Participants completed three trials of both the single-task (ST) and dual-task (DT) tandem gait tests, and their average (MEAN) and …

Caution Fatigue: Group Identification And Disgust Provide Protection In The Covid-19 Pandemic, Logan F. Ashworth

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The current Coronavirus pandemic has yielded an abundance of concerns regarding the psychological effects of isolating a highly social species through widespread lockdowns and enhanced social distancing. Research show that many are suffering from mental health crises, while also refusing to isolate (Brooks et al., 2020; Czeiler, et al., 2020). These behaviors combine to increase risk of viral infection. An emerging term to explain this paradox is “Caution Fatigue”. Yet, there is no research that outlines its specific underlying mechanisms. The goal of this paper is to propose a series of models that delineate caution fatigue through the effects a) …

Awareness And Use Of Drdo E-Journal Consortium By The Scientists Of Bengaluru Based Drdo Labs In India, V Senthil Mr, Margam Madhusudhan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

To examine and evaluate the use of e-journals covered under DRDO e-journals consortia by the Bengaluru based DRDO lab scientists. This study is beneficial for the administering/implementing body (DESIDOC) of the DRDO e-journal consortium, improving access to e-journal service based on the results and suggestions. Analyses revealed that the majority of the users are well aware of e-journals and consortia and consult them for research and development, finding relevant information for the projects, and update their subject knowledge. The study findings reveal that the lack of free Wi-Fi connectivity slows downloading were reported the barriers linked to access of …

Application Of Hadoop As Big Data Infrastructure In Libraries, Gopal Ji, Ranjeet Kumar Singh

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

In the era of data explosion and big data, it is a challenging task for the data managers or data analysts to store and process big data for analysis and visualize it. Big data imposes many challenges and libraries to have big data which can be analyzed to bring new insights which will help in managing the library and its services better. The present study shows the traces of big data in libraries and how library big data can be used as an opportunity to serve the patrons better. The present study advocates the use of the Apache Hadoop framework …

Ranking Of Institutions Of Higher Education –Indian Perspective ---- Critical Analysis, Abhay Maurya, Smarajit Paul Choudhary

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Higher education plays an important role in uplifting society and the world. It helps in framing opinions regarding all facets of human life making us better individuals. In Indian society, higher education enhances job and marital prospects. The institutes of higher education in India is plagued by various demerits. India has a large number of educational institutes both in the public and the private sector, the private participation increasing after globalization. In a bid to bring about competition among the institutes of higher education, the system of ranking had been introduced in the west though almost all the universities worldwide …

Challenges In Management Of Retrospective Conversion Of Catalogue Records Among Federal University Libraries In South East, Nigeria, Chinako Asogwa, V. N. Nwachukwu, Leticia Mmomelu

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study investigated the challenges in management of retrospective conversion of catalogue records among federal university libraries in South East, Nigeria. The researcher sought to find out the facilities available for retrospective conversion exercise, the approaches used, challenges faced in management of retrospective conversion, as well as strategies to enhance the management of retrospective conversion of catalogue records in the libraries under study. To get data on this topic, the researcher employed a descriptive survey design. The population of the study was 56. The cataloguers and others involved in retrospective conversion formed the population of the study and a total …

Accessibility And Usability Of Internet Among Postgraduate Medical Trainees Of Postgraduate Medical Institute (Pgmi) Peshawar, Saeed Ullah Mr, Saeedullah Jan Dr, Ahmad Sohail Dr, Muhammad Yahya Jan Mr

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study is quantitative in nature. It is conducted to determine the approach of Postgraduate Medical Trainees towards internet use. This study is carried out at Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The main theme of this piece of document was to examine the purpose, location of internet usage by Postgraduate Medical Trainees along with the Problems being faced during the browsing of internet. This study will also try to know the satisfaction level of these medical trainees. Data was collected through questionnaires. A total of 235 copies of questionnaires were distributed, out of which 231 copies were …

Roles Of Parent-Teacher Association In The Management Of School Library, Felicia Ukamaka Iremeka, Ifeyinwa O. Ezenwaji, Chisom Ogochukwu Ezenwaji

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The parent-teacher association (PTA) is a non-commercial, non-sectarian, and non-partisan body that comprises parents/legal guardians of students, teachers, and administrative staff of the school whose aim is to collaborate with the school to promote students' educational success and wellbeing. This paper aimed at highlighting the contributions of the PTA to school library management. Deducing from the literature review, the PTA supports the rights of libraries to supply materials and information that encompass all perspectives on recent and previous happenings that are uncensored in terms of bias, partisanship or doctrinal criticism. In addition, the PTA could assist the school by providing …

The Market As Negotiation, Rebecca E. Hollander-Blumoff, Matthew T. Bodie

All Faculty Scholarship

Our economic system counts on markets to allocate most of our societal resources. The law often treats markets as discrete entities, with a native intelligence and structure that provides clear answers to questions about prices and terms. In reality, of course, markets are much messier—they are agglomerations of negotiations by individual parties. Despite theoretical and empirical work on markets and on negotiation, legal scholars have largely overlooked the connection between the two areas in considering how markets are constructed and regulated.

This Article brings together scholarship in law, economics, sociology, and psychology to better understand the role that negotiation plays …

Abolish Municipal Courts: A Response To Professor Natapoff, Brendan Roediger

All Faculty Scholarship

If we are serious about disrupting the generational reproduction of the racial social order, we are going to have to learn to let go. Taking up the legacy of criminal municipal courts and racial control, this Response argues against the practice of prescribing from the traditional “medication list” of liberal reforms (substantive, procedural, and “democratizing”) without grappling with whether a system or apparatus is so inextricably bound up with the maintenance of race and class hierarchy that it should be demolished. I assert that we should always ask whether something is redeemable before we ask whether it is reformable. In …

Comments On Rights To Federally Funded Inventions And Licensing Of Government Owned Inventions, National Institute Of Standards And Technology (Nist), United States Department Of Commerce, Notice Of Proposed Rulemaking. 86 Fr 35. Agency/Docket Number: 201207-0327, Joshua D. Sarnoff, Liza Vertinsky, Yaniv Heled, Ana Santos Rutschman, Cynthia M. Ho

All Faculty Scholarship

This letter is written in response to the notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Federal Register on January 4, 2021, seeking public comments on the revised regulations proposed by NIST to the University and Small Business Patent Procedure Act of 1980 (the “Bayh-Dole Act”). We submit this letter as academics who engage in research on patent law and biomedical innovation. The arguments also reflect practical knowledge that one of us has acquired from a decade of working with U.S. universities and biotech companies in the process of technology transfer as a lawyer practicing in two highly regarded Boston law …

Intellectual Property As A Determinant Of Health, Ana Santos Rutschman

All Faculty Scholarship

Public health literature has long recognized the existence of determinants of health, a set of socio-economic conditions that affect health risks and health outcomes across the world. The World Health Organization defines these determinants as “forces and systems” consisting of “factors combin[ing] together to affect the health of individuals and communities.” Frameworks relying on determinants of health have been widely adopted by countries in the global South and North alike, as well as international institutional players, several of which are direct or indirect players in transnational intellectual property (IP) policymaking. Issues raised by the implementation of IP policies, however, are …

Vaccine Clinical Trials And Data Infrastructure, Ana Santos Rutschman

All Faculty Scholarship

We find ourselves at a momentous turn in the history of vaccines. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a quasi-global vaccine race that not only compressed vaccine research and development (R&D) timelines, but also paved the way for the administration of a new type of vaccine technology – mRNA vaccines, which work in substantially different ways from the vaccines in use before the pandemic.

While the process of bringing emerging COVID-19 vaccines to market has taken place in an unusually short timeframe, it was largely predicated on the same scientific and regulatory processes that govern the development, approval and deployment of new …

Social Media Self-Regulation And The Rise Of Vaccine Misinformation, Ana Santos Rutschman

All Faculty Scholarship

This essay examines the main characteristics and shortcomings of mainstream social media responses to vaccine misinformation and disinformation. Parts I and II contextualize the recent expansion of vaccine information and disinformation in the online environment. Part III provides a survey and taxonomy of ongoing responses to vaccine misinformation adopted by mainstream social media. It further notes the limitations of current self-regulatory modes and illustrates these limitations by presenting a short case study on Facebook—the largest social media vehicle for vaccine-specific misinformation, currently estimated to harbor approximately half of the social media accounts linked to vaccine misinformation. Part IV examines potential …

Queering Bostock, Jeremiah A. Ho

All Faculty Scholarship

Although the Supreme Court’s 2020 Title VII decision, Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, is a victory for LGBTQ individuals, its doctrinal limitations unavoidably preserve a discriminatory status quo. This Article critically examines how and why Bostock fails to highlight the indignities experienced by queer minorities under decades of employment discrimination. In Bostock, Justice Gorsuch presents a sweeping textualist interpretation of Title VII that protects against sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination. Yet, the decision sparsely recognizes queer lived experiences, compared to prior pro-LGBTQ cases where such recognition contributed to developing an anti-stereotyping framework that confronted some of the heteronormative biases …

Functional Seizures Are Not Less Important Than Epilepsy, A A Asadi-Pooya, Francesco Brigo, Benjamin Tolchin, Kette D. Valente

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Functional seizures (FS) are frequently encountered in neurology clinics, often affect young adults, and have significant negative impacts on many aspects of a person's life. In the current narrative review, we searched the literature regarding some of the consequences of FS (i.e., psychiatric comorbidities, social consequences, costs that are associated with the condition, cognitive impairment in patients with FS, the quality of life of the people with FS, and the increased risk of mortality that is associated with FS). Evidence shows that FS have significant negative consequences, comparable in their magnitude to those affecting patients with epilepsy. The clinical and …