Digital Commons Network^™

Open-Vocabulary Video Anomaly Detection, Peng Wu, Xuerong Zhou, Guansong Pang, Yujia Sun, Jing Liu, Peng Wang, Yanning Zhang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Current video anomaly detection (VAD) approaches with weak supervisions are inherently limited to a closed-set setting and may struggle in open-world applications where there can be anomaly categories in the test data unseen during training. A few recent studies attempt to tackle a more realistic setting, open-set VAD, which aims to de-tect unseen anomalies given seen anomalies and normal videos. However, such a setting focuses on predicting frame anomaly scores, having no ability to recognize the specific categories of anomalies, despite the fact that this ability is essential for building more informed video surveillance systems. This paper takes a step …

Choose Your Own Research Adventure: An Asynchronous Tutorial To Address “Research As Inquiry”, Stacy Brinkman, Samantha Hilton

Communications in Information Literacy

The Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education posits that the practice of asking questions in order to deepen inquiry and understanding is a key element of information literacy. While the “Research as Inquiry” frame is teachable in library instruction, it can be difficult to scale. Popular instructional design software tends to present information in linear formats that can limit how students understand the iterative nature of research. This article presents an attempt at an asynchronous tutorial that overcomes this limitation of medium and that presents “Research as Inquiry” through an iterative and question-based online game. We discuss the development, …

Performance Analysis Of Underground-To-Aboveground Communication In Agricultural Iot Networks, Irfana Ilyas Manzil

Theses

This thesis investigates the potential of LoRa, a low-power, wide-area networking technology, for establishing reliable communication between underground sensors and aboveground infrastructure. We comprehensively analyze LoRa's performance in both single-hop and multi-hop configurations, considering the impact of diverse environmental factors such as soil composition, moisture content, underground transmission distance, and path loss on signal propagation. We delve into the crucial role of the spreading factor (SF) within the LoRa communication system, analyzing its influence on network performance. Furthermore, we develop a comprehensive mathematical model for bit error rate (BER) under various channel conditions, including additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and …

Occipital Nerve Block For Headaches: A Narrative Review., William H. Arata, Rajiv K. Midha, Giustino Varrassi, Kelly Sala, Michael J. Plessala, Jared Brodtmann, Kylie Dufrene, Zachary Palowsky, Patricia Griffin, Shahab Ahmadzadeh, Sahar Shekoohi, Alan D. Kaye

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The occipital nerve block involves the injection of a local anesthetic and possibly a corticosteroid near the occipital nerves at the base of the skull and aims at providing relief from chronic headaches by temporarily numbing or reducing inflammation around the occipital nerves. It has proven to be efficacious in treating chronic headaches, especially those that are refractory to medication; it is both diagnostic and therapeutic with symptom abatement from weeks to months. Occipital nerve blocks can be utilized alone or with standard-of-care therapy for various other headache conditions, such as cluster headaches, episodic headaches or chronic migraines. This review …

Curb Appeal, Eric Liu

Masters Theses

This thesis hopes to reimagine the suburbs and challenge the conventional role of architects and the homogeneity of suburban housing. Currently, architects are nearly excluded from the building of suburban homes altogether, resulting in cookie-cutter houses lacking resilience for evolving demographics. The suburban home, symbolizing consumerism, prioritizes affordability and return on investment over adaptability and community.

Homebuyers must also redefine homeownership, valuing diversity and community over financial investment. Rather than focusing on McMansions and superficial renovations, this proposal advocates for a more collective, interconnected approach to suburban design. It explores depictions of the nuclear family, reconfigures single-family homes, and utilizes …

Snapbot - The Enhanced Physical Play, Morong Li

Masters Theses

Snapbot is a building toy set. It investigates the integration of physical and digital mediums within the realm of play, addressing the dominance of video games in children’s entertainment. By merging Morong’s interests in toys, design, and psychology, this project aims to balance different play mediums to offer combined benefits without diminishing each one’s value.

To address screen time’s dominance, I developed a toy concept for 11- to 13-year-olds that merges physical and digital play. This concept allows for the physical construction of robotic toys that, when transferred to a digital environment, come alive and tackle digital challenges. In this …

The Day The Door Flew Open, Clara Delgado

Masters Theses

A journey is a chance to better oneself, to go and come back anew. This kind of pilgrimage does not only happen in the spectacular realm of far-off travels. Often it happens where the soles of one’s feet comprehend the curvature of the land. Then, without forewarning, time opens a sliding door that appears on the recognized ground. Stepping in, the world is realized in a new way.

The writings that strike my tongue with ravishing bittersweet flavors are fictional narratives, with voyages that sail through day and night, disguised as lovely prose while critically probing the world. This written …

This Is For You: A Handbook For Design Students, Gabriel Drozdov

Masters Theses

This Is For You is a handbook for design students. It is a collection of stories, projects, and conversations on the subjects of design, code, and teaching. The book’s first part, “Learning,” contains stories about the experiences that shaped me as a designer. The second part, “Making,” summarizes the projects that taught me how to design. The third and final part, “Sharing,” is a series of conversations with the people that helped me along the way. In collecting and publishing these resources, This Is For You is an attempt to create an open-source example of what a career in design …

Thickness Of Place: Urban Stratigraphy And Rammed Earth Construction In Cambridge, Massachusetts, Alexandra Goodenough

Masters Theses

How can people connect with a place through a new understanding of its stratigraphy? In urban environments, there is an inherent separation between people and the ground beneath us. We experience our landscapes solely through what is visible on the surface, and lack an understanding of the complex underground strata which create the world around us. Too often, landscape architecture contributes to this dissociation through superficial designs which mask the history of a site, bury its internal workings, and rely on global materials, resulting in landscapes which lack a sense of place and strain the planet's resources. In order to …

Animatronic Lego Girl Scout, Jared Sinasohn, Filippo Maresca-Denini, Jacob Lantin, Sean Nakashimo

Mechanical Engineering

This Final Design Review Report provides a comprehensive overview of our Senior Design Project, with a focus on the testing, modifications, and final design of our animatronic robot. The primary objective was to ensure the robot met the sponsor's requirements through rigorous final testing and targeted enhancements. Significant updates include enabling the robot to display the Girl Scout salute, wave, and give a low five. Throughout the design process, critical milestones were achieved, such as the complete assembly of the robot frame and securing it onto the platform, allowing the robot to perform its programmed actions effectively. The implementation of …

Interactive Storytelling And Game Design, Augustus J. Soto, Rithvik S. Ram

Liberal Arts and Engineering Studies

A deep dive into the methods used in interactive fiction to tell compelling stories through the medium of game design and programming.

Impact Of Similarities In Gender And Physical Appearance Between User And Embodied Conversational Agents On Trustworthiness, Empathy, And Service Evaluation, Sookyoung Park

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Embodied conversational agents (ECAs) have significantly enhanced human-machine interactions and show considerable potential in various industries such as customer service, education, healthcare, entertainment, and finance [1, 2]. This study explores the impact of similarities in gender and physical appearance between ECAs and users on the perceptions of trustworthiness, empathy, and service evaluation within the context of counselor ECAs. We conducted a within-subject experiment (n=50), using a 2x2 factorial arrangement, that varied the gender and the physical appearance of four distinct AI avatars. Participants interacted with each avatar, completing a post-experiment survey and participating in semi-structured interviews. Our findings indicate that …

Medieval And Modern: Celtic Mythology Through The Lens Of Urban Fantasy, L. E. Martchenke

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

My project, “Medieval and Modern: Celtic Mythology Through the Lens of Urban Fantasy” is the result of my interest and investment in Celtic mythology, and more specifically Irish mythology, most of our knowledge of which comes from records in the medieval period, made by Christian monks. I pursued research into Medieval Celtic myth and folklore to gain a deeper understanding of those stories of mythological figures and heroes. With that knowledge and genuine love for the source material, in this thesis, I have crafted three individual and distinct stories that capture mythological elements, such as a prominent Folk Hero or …

Catalytic Role Of Histidine-114 In The Hydrolytic Dehalogenation Of Chlorothalonil By Pseudomonas Sp. Ctn-3, Grayson Gerlich, Callie Miller, Xinhang Yang, Brian Bennett, Judith Klein-Seetharaman, Richard C. Holz

Physics Faculty Research and Publications

Chlorothalonil (2,4,5,6-tetrachloroisophthalonitrile; TPN) is an environmentally persistent fungicide that sees heavy use in the USA and is highly toxic to aquatic species and birds, as well as a probable human carcinogen. The chlorothalonil dehalogenase from Pseudomonas sp. CTN-3 (Chd, UniProtKB C9EBR5) degrades TPN to its less toxic 4-OH-TPN analog making it an exciting candidate for the development of a bioremediation process for TPN; however, little is currently known about its catalytic mechanism. Therefore, an active site residue histidine-114 (His114) which forms a hydrogen bond with the Zn(II)-bound water/hydroxide and has been suggested to be the active site acid/base, was substituted …

The Role Of Micrornas On Systemic And Central Nervous System- Inflammation In Aged Mice, Anik Banerjee

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

MicroRNAs play a crucial role in multiple biological processes, including development, cell differentiation, proliferation, metabolism, and cell death. Aberrant regulation of microRNAs is seen in many diseases, such as sepsis, cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases such as stroke, and metabolic disorders. Because of their involvement in disease processes, microRNAs have been investigated as both potential biomarkers, and as therapeutic targets. Age-related inflammatory diseases including diabetes, obesity, and atherosclerosis are important risk factors for infection and sepsis. Intestinal barrier impairment occurs with aging and after brain injuries, including stroke. Both aging and stroke increase the risk of infection and sepsis and are …

Patent Law's Role In Protecting Public Health, Sean B. Seymore

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Innumerable inventions implicate public health-including drugs, vac- cines, dietary supplements, and sewage treatment plants. Over the past cen- tury, the Patent Office and the courts have modulated the ability to obtain or enforce patents for these inventions-whether in response to a public health crisis or to protect the credulous public from unscrupulous inventors. While normative and policy-based arguments can justify these interventions, they've disrupted the delicate balance of two competing policy objectives in patent law- enhancing public welfare and promoting innovation. This Article offers a new approach for courts to protect public health in patent cases-by making public health an …

Assessment Of Caloric And Micronutrient Intakes In Female Collegiate Student Athletes, Rachel L. Victor

Master's Theses

Nutrition can play a key role in athletic performance. Optimal nutrition can help athletes maintain their overall health and well-being and can contribute to training adaptations, recovery, performance, and injury prevention. Many studies focus on the intakes and importance of macronutrients in athletic performance. However, micronutrient intakes may also play important roles. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the calorie and selected micronutrient intakes of female collegiate student-athletes across a variety of sports. The participants were instructed to complete 3-day food records which were analyzed and compared to their individual nutrition needs. Results of this study indicated …

Hydrologic Response Of Meadow Restoration Following The Removal Of Encroached Conifers, Oriana Ramirez

Master's Theses

Meadows are important within forest ecosystems because they provide diverse species habitats, facilitate water cycling, help with sediment capture, aid in carbon sequestration, and create natural fire breaks in forested regions. However, fire suppression, poor grazing practices, and climate change have accelerated the encroachment of conifers into historical meadow habitat. This has led to an extensive loss of meadow habitat within the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountain Ranges. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to quantify changes in percent soil moisture and groundwater levels following the removal of encroached lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) in a historic meadow habitat …

City Sonatas, Duoduo Lin

Masters Theses

Countries like the UK and France, as shown in Statista's 2023 report, benefit from significant national cultural attractions and monuments that boost museum attendance by attracting tourists. The data suggests a positive correlation between museum attendance and the historical significance, as well as the suitability for tourism, of the institutions2. However, faced with rapid societal advancements, most museums' responses to these challenges have been varied and slow. Contemporary museums, as crucial conduits for the dissemination and exchange of artistic culture, continue to face persistent challenges of low engagement and levels of attention in many countries. Furthermore, a series of remarkably …

Here—There, Glikeriya Shotanova

Masters Theses

Here—there explores the nature and ways of gathering, proposing an alternative path to organizing a cultural center. Divided into three acts (Act One: There, Act Two: Here, and Act Three: Together), it touches on the topics of collective knowledge and the importance of its accessibility to the local communities. How do we organize communities in a way that operates as a body, and how do we use industrial spaces as a bridge between knowledge and those who carry the knowledge? Due to alienation in societies, the decentralization of creative communities, and the inaccessibility of real estate to younger generations, there …

Perform—Produce, Rebecca Wilkinson

Masters Theses

Perform — Produce defines graphic design as a discipline rooted in work rather than a process that springs forth spontaneously from the creative imagination.

Perform — Produce is driven by strict constraints and machine-like craft, employing outdated tools and the physical body in processes of making that are stubbornly slow.

Perform — Produce deploys performance as a tactic to expose the otherwise invisible labor of design, and to reveal the ways design acquires value.

Perform — Produce proposes a new organizational model that integrates live happenings, cross-disciplinary exchange, and self-publishing to consider not just the product of design but also …

Never Real Historians, Emily Bluedorn

Masters Theses

Never Real Historians is a graphic inquiry into how surfacing hidden histories can lead to a liberatory and layered design practice. It is both a record of my process and a template for future making and future ancestors. Mining inheritance can be an ambiguously murky territory, full of contradictions, collisions, and tension between the past and present. My hope is that this thesis functions as a model of navigating that terrain, by interacting with storied objects and ephemera, in order to revive forgotten and marginalized histories. By re-examining my own shared and personal inheritances, as an American woman designer living …

Cultivating Agriculture - Cultivando Agricultura Communications Specialist, Daniela Ramos

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

The goal of this project is to provide a space for industry professionals of minority backgrounds to share their story on how they reached their current position in agriculture. I anticipate for this podcast to inspire students and our society on the resiliency these speakers faced and overcame in an industry that was not built for them to succeed in. To fulfill my Masters of Agriculture Education Program, this project entails being a Co-Host, Director, and Communications Specialist of an agricultural podcast focused on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in agriculture. I will be collaborating with my colleague, …

Bounded Extraterritoriality, Ruth Mason, Michael S. Knoll

Michigan Law Review

Twenty-first-century politics has inspired a new mode of interstate rivalries and reprisals consisting not of the tariffs that plagued the Founding but rather of regulations with significant impacts outside the enacting state’s borders. Employing the dormant Commerce Clause doctrine of extraterritoriality, the Supreme Court has limited overbroad state regulations, but the extraterritoriality doctrine is unclear both in its normative grounding and practical application. This Article proposes a conceptual framework that situates the prohibition of extraterritoriality as an aspect of horizontal federalism. Our conceptualization of extraterritoriality enables us to distinguish it from two dormant Commerce Clause doctrines with which it is …

Queer Impersonality: Compulsory Visibility And The Politics Of Form In Modernist Women's Life Writing, Margot Kotler

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Modernist impersonality is an aesthetic practice typically associated with Anglo-European formalism and the doctrine of artistic autonomy. Although central to the modernist canon, impersonality has not been taken up by queer and feminist studies because critics have considered its implied evacuation of emotion and personal identity to be apolitical, and even dangerous. At its worst, impersonality reproduces an unmarked, white, and masculine subjectivity, yet it also questions the parameters of selfhood, posing a radical challenge to liberal-humanist conceptions of identity. Queer Impersonality moves beyond this critical impasse by tracing impersonality’s queer and feminist histories among modernist women writers whose engagement …

Not Sanitized For Your Protection: Aids And The Politics Of Trash, Emma Banks

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Metaphors of waste are particularly potent when enlisted to describe and justify the segregation and subjugation of marginalized communities. For, as discard studies scholars have shown, waste is not merely about trash; it is about power (Liboiron and Lepawsky). Maintaining power necessitates hierarchical categorization, whereby the needs and desires of some people are prioritized over those of others, to frequently catastrophic effect.

At the turn of the 21st century, AIDS patients and allies needed no such explanation of what it meant to be relegated to the fringes and designated as waste. Thrown to the proverbial curb of society, PWAs (people …

Beyond The Madwoman In The Attic: Representations Of Female Madness In Victorian Popular Literature, Beth Sherman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation pushes back against the feminist notion of madness as a social construct applied to women by a patriarchal order as a means of social control. I argue that representations of female insanity in Victorian novels are instead tied to prevailing 19^th Century medical theories, revolving around phrenology, physiology, and especially the notion of partial or moral madness. Starting with Charlotte Bronte’s infamous Bertha Mason, I study how the notion of madness has changed and evolved in Wilkie Collins’s The Woman in White and Mary Elizabeth Braddon’s Lady Audley’s Secret. I discuss how non-canonical texts by Collins, …

Context In Computer Vision: A Taxonomy, Multi-Stage Integration, And A General Framework, Xuan Wang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Contextual information has been widely used in many computer vision tasks, such as object detection, video action detection, image classification, etc. Recognizing a single object or action out of context could be sometimes very challenging, and context information may help improve the understanding of a scene or an event greatly. However, existing approaches design specific contextual information mechanisms for different detection tasks.

In this research, we first present a comprehensive survey of context understanding in computer vision, with a taxonomy to describe context in different types and levels. Then we proposed MultiCLU, a new multi-stage context learning and utilization framework, …

Worldbuilding: A Theory Of Resilience In Transgender And Gender Expansive Young People, Jennifer Debower

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Transgender and gender expansive (TGE) young people have long histories of surviving, resisting, and even thriving despite hostility. However, dominant narratives rarely explore their stories of agency and resilience. This research aims to address that gap by asking: Where are the stories of TGE youth's strength, creativity, and resistance? What lessons lie within them? Using a critical, constructivist grounded theory approach, this study examines how 16 TGE young people navigate and challenge transphobia’s precarious conditions. Results suggest that because the current realities do not make space for their existence, TGE young people find strength in creative practices (fashion, hair, body …

High Mdmx (Mdm4) In Mutant P53 Expressing Breast Cancer Cells Activates The Cxcl12-Cxcr4 Metastasis Signaling Axis, Rusia H. Lee

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The metastasis-promoting G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) CXCR4 is activated by the cytokine CXCL12 (also known as SDF-1) to promote metastasis through CXCR4 upregulation. High CXCR4-expressing cancer cells utilize CXCL12, the exclusive endogenous ligand of CXCR4, to intravasate into the blood as circulating tumor cells (CTCs) which then extravasate to distant metastatic sites. We previously determined the oncogenes, Mouse Double Minute 2 and 4 (MDM2 and MDM4, also known as MDMX), drive TNBC metastasis and positively correlate with high expression of CXCR4. Interestingly, this upregulation of CXCR4 was only observed in primary tumor cells grown in the tumor microenvironment …