Digital Commons Network^™

Community Detection Using Deep Learning: Variational Graph Autoencoder Enhanced With Leiden And K-Truss Techniques, Jyotika Hariom Patil

Master's Projects

Community detection in networks is essential for understanding the complex structures of connected systems. Traditional deep learning (DL) methods such as Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) and Graph Convolutional Networks (GCNs) have shown promised results in supervised tasks, like classification, but often fail in unsupervised tasks like community detection because of the lack of labels. Self- supervised approaches where we integrate crucial community information offer a solution. This project seeks to explore DL methods for community detection, focusing specifically on using Graph Variational Autoencoders (VGAEs). While classical approaches can efficiently handle small to medium-sized networks, they typically struggle with larger-sized structures. …

Adaptive Bounded-Confidence Model For Opinion Maximization, Jacob Ortiz

Master's Projects

Social networks have become a significant source of information due to their easy accessibility, low cost, and ability to spread information quickly. Opinions are crucial in shaping our communication and decision-making processes, and our social connections significantly influence them. We model opinions as continuous values from 0 to 1, i.e., 0 means strong disagree and 1 means strong agree. Each agent has an initial opinion as well as a confidence about her opinion and through interactions with the other agents both are updated. Opinion maximization has gained popularity due to social media’s growing impact on our daily lives, where we …

Frame Rate Enhancement Using Gans: A Deep Learning Approach, Shanmukah Sri Harsha Anivilla

Master's Projects

Videos are sequences of frames that are displayed continuously within a time frame, which creates the illusion. FPS is defined as the number of frames per second, and is crucial to determine the smoothness of motion or scene changes in the video. To improve the appearance of the videos, we can a technique called Frame Rate Enhancement. This is an approach to augment generated frames between pairs of frames using Generative Adversarial Networks. There are a few traditional techniques using Convolution Neural Networks and Optical Flow based methods, but they create unwanted artifacts such as blurring or ghosting and might …

Distinguishing Chatbot From Human, Gauri Anil Godghase

Master's Projects

There have been many recent advances in the field of Generative Artificial Intelligence and Large Language Models, with GPT 3 or ChatGPT model being one of the frontrunners in this field. These large language models have become so powerful that it has become difficult to differentiate between text written by humans and machine-generated text. This paper proposes a solution to the problem of classification of the origin of data (human or chatbot) by using Machine Learning. In addition, the proposed solution also helps us analyze the text generated by such Language Models and understand the underlying patterns present in the …

Gender Classification Through Postural Analysis: A Comparative Study Of 2d Images And 3d Reconstructions., Prathamesh Dixit

Master's Projects

In computer vision, gender classification has become a vital task having applications in human-computer interaction, healthcare, and surveillance. In this study, we look at a two-step approach based on human joint information for gender classification. In this research, we use convolutional neural networks (CNNs).

With Leeds Sports Pose (LSP) dataset, we use a C5 pre-trained model to map and extract joint information from 2D RGB images and after pre-processing and background removal, we use PiFUHD to transform these 2D images into 3D representations. Next, we train our models on RGB images and joint images for both 2D and 3D representations. …

Unveiling Gender Bias: An Eye-Tracking Analysis Of Scene Perception, Naga Srija Gopisetty

Master's Projects

Gender bias deeply affects how we perceive and interact with the world around us. This study examined how gender bias affects scene perception by using eye-tracking technology. The relation between gender bias and pupil dilation is examined utilizing art as a stimuli and also studied the underlying cognitive processes. This experiment combines image presentations along with input from participants, drawing on previous research in gender bias, cognitive psychology, and eye-tracking methodologies. The experiment design showcases a series of images to participants, subtly replacing one image during the trial, and then asks participants whether the

replacement took place. This study uses …

Breaking The Cycle: Countering Popularity Bias For Diverse Content Discovery, Brandon J. Weaver

Master's Projects

The ways most people consume the media have become very much driven by some pre-set algorithms. It is increasingly important to examine the outcome of these artificial intelligence (AI) models and ensure that any potentially dangerous long-term effects are addressed before they have a significant negative impact in our society. Popularity bias is one of these potentially harmful impacts, which stemmed from the shift from human intelligence to AI, or machine intelligence/machine learning (ML), when one explores the media and receives recommendations (often without requesting). In ML, three key steps usually occur; i.e, pre-processing, in-processing, and post- processing steps. The …

Intelligent Caching Using Continuous Machine Learning In Named Data Networking, Sai Sameer Yanamandra

Master's Projects

Our project focuses on improving Named Data Networking (NDN), an alternative network architecture to traditional IP networks, particularly in unstable conditions where connections frequently drop, and data movement is unpredictable. In NDN, data is cached at various routers across the network, enhancing accessibility even amidst unstable connections. A key challenge we address is determining the optimal level of data redundancy in unstable scenarios. We aim to balance the need for data availability with the risk of excessive data duplication. Our solution involves developing a novel data caching approach for the NDN’s content store based on continuous machine learning. This method …

Comparitive Analysis Of Time Series Forecasting Using Frequency Informed Dense Neural Networks And Lstm, Avinash Mangalore Suresh

Master's Projects

Time series forecasting influences our lives on a daily basis, being a versatile tool in various application areas like environmental studies, finance, medicine and much more. While there are many established statistical and deep learning approaches to model time series data, each implementation comes with their own set of drawbacks or areas of improvements. Most of the existing deep learning architectures and research have focused on modeling time series data in the time-domain exclusively. However training deep learning models in the time-domain has some drawbacks, mainly due to the inherent temporal dependence of each time-step on the time-steps before it, …

Advancing Discourse Analysis In Multiparty Meetings: Comprehensive Classification Of Argument And Relation Types, Vishal Vaitla

Master's Projects

In multi-party meetings, accurately analyzing dialogue is crucial for enhancing communication effectiveness and decision-making. However, the informal and dynamic nature of these discussions presents complex challenges for computational analysis. Dialogues in such settings often include non-standard language, interruptions, and rapid topic changes, making it difficult to extract useful information with conventional text analysis tools. To tackle this challenge, two specific methods were developed:

Argument Classification: We use machine learning models like Gradient Boosting to identify and categorize the main points people make in their discussions. This helps us understand what each person is trying to say, making it easier to …

Intelligent Caching In Named Data Networking, Deep Pradipbhai Shah

Master's Projects

Named Data Networking (NDN) has a built-in caching capability that is enabled with the help of its Content Store. Caching in NDN has several benefits, such as reducing overhead on the producer side, avoiding a single point of failure, and reducing network load. The primary caching policy of the NDN architecture is to leave copies everywhere. However, this scheme induces significant cache redundancy. Existing advanced cache techniques either periodically share the entire list of cached content at a node or make a caching decision without knowing the cached content at other nodes in the network. We propose an intelligent cache …

J-Cag: Java Comment Analysis & Generation - A Sublime Text Plugin Powered By Gpt, Linh Le

Master's Projects

Developers are notoriously disinterested in writing and maintaining comments for their code. The J-CAG plugin automates code analysis and comment generation to save developer time and improve code quality. The project utilizes the Generative Pretrained Transformer model to analyze and provide users with constructive feedback on JavaDoc comments and functions. Embedded within Sublime Text, J-CAG is designed to provide developers with useful advice. It can also generate JavaDoc comments based on the function itself, reducing the time developers spend on writing documentation. The plugin integrates seamlessly with Sublime Text, offering an intuitive interface. With positive results in comment analysis and …

Multimodal Retrieval-Augmented Generation: Design And Application, Charul Rathore

Master's Projects

The rapid advancement in generative AI and large language models have forever revolutionized how we synthesize data. This project explores and experiments with the potential of a multimodal Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) framework for processing text, tabular and image data. Starting with prompt engineering techniques, we address their limitations in dynamic and domain-specific real world applications by building a multimodal RAG pipeline and evaluating it against human-generated ground truth. The project culminates in BrightMind.ai, a full-stack educational platform featuring novel personalized AI companions for context-aware and adaptive response generation. Its innovative capabilities extend to music, video, and code generation, setting it …

Leveraging Large Language Models For Transforming Student Information Into Actionable Data, Sree Hari Karri

Master's Projects

Admission season places significant demands on university committees, necessitating the review of vast arrays of documents to assess students’ competence. This project advances the development of an automated system designed to streamline this process by evaluating application materials such as Letters of Recommendation (LoRs), Statements of Purpose (SoPs), and resumes. Utilizing a variety of advanced Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques, the system compares the performance of several Large Language Model (LLM) approaches. It also experiments with different data handling strategies, including the use of vector stores versus traditional context-based processing, to optimize model efficiency and accuracy. Special attention is given …

Knowledge Graph-Based Multiple-Choice Question Generation, Durga Muralidharan

Master's Projects

Knowledge-based tests are widely used to assess knowledge on a specific subject and have many applications in education and professional certifications. These tests usually consist of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), where a question with a few possible answers is given. Along with the correct answer, three or more incorrect answers are provided, which are called distractors. MCQs are a popular method for these tests because they are easy to grade. These tests can check different levels of comprehension ranging from beginners to advanced by creating distractors that may confuse unprepared test takers. This project proposes the Knowledge Graph Multiple Choice …

Sdebuddy - Code Documentation Using Large Language Models, Nischay Nagendra

Master's Projects

In this fast developing world of software development, it is crucial to maintain the quality of code and the developers’ productivity. This can be done effectively with good code documentation. SDEBuddy uses the latest generation of Large Language Models (LLMs) and finetuning procedures to create code documentation. In this project, state-of-the-art models such as Llama2 and Llama3 are employed to mimic the behavior of the given code and produce documentation. Such models are tuned for various programming languages and documentation formats using LoRA and QLoRA fine-tuning approaches. These models are evaluated in terms of the BLEU score, ROUGE score and …

Facial Expression Mood Classification Using Machine Learning, Tiantong Li

Master's Projects

Facial expression classification is a powerful tool for understanding human emotions, with applications spanning human-computer interaction, healthcare, and entertainment. By analyzing facial cues, systems can interpret emotional states and adapt their responses, creating more personalized and emotionally aware experiences. One emerging application of facial expression classification is in music recommendation systems, where user emotions are integrated to suggest music that aligns with their current mood. While prior research has primarily classified facial expressions into four emotion categories, this study broadens the scope to seven emotions: angry, disgust, fear, happy, neutral, sad, and surprise. The project evaluates four machine learning techniques—CNN, …

An Attributed And Diverse Encoder-Decoder Processing Technique For Anomaly Detection., Kenneth Antony John

Master's Projects

Attributed graphs are graphs that contain extra information about the attributes of nodes and edges. They can be used to model a plethora of real-world scenarios like social networks, bank transactions, and even academic citation data. Anomalies in such graphs can be irregularities or unusual patterns that are observed in the attributes or the structure of the graph. Anomaly detection in attributed networks is a crucial task, aiming to identify such anomalies. Existing methodologies use various deep learning techniques using graph neural networks, graph encoder-decoder architectures, and multi-layer perceptions. This study proposes a new approach to improve the existing methods …

Cluster Analysis For Concept Drift Detection In Malware, Aniket Mishra

Master's Projects

The rapid evolution of malware presents significant challenges for detection systems. This is due to malware families adapting through feature manipulation and obfuscation, which causes concept drift. A clustering based approach is used to detect and adapt to these shifts. The KronoDroid dataset is segmented into batch sizes of 50 and analyzed with MiniBatch K-Means clustering. The silhouette coefficient is used to evaluate clustering quality, and help identify drift by detecting significant changes in cluster patterns. Concept drift will cause retraining of supervised classifiers, including Linear SVM, RF, MLP, and XGBoost. Three scenarios are used: static models, periodic retraining, and …

Wall-E: An Autonomous Ai Rover For Precision Agriculture, Simar Ghumman

Master's Projects

Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) are emerging as a crucial tool in the world of precision agriculture. By working with UGVs equipped with machine learning, we can find solutions to a range of complex agricultural problems. My project, titled “Wall-E: Artificial Intelligence Robot for Precision Agriculture,” focuses on developing a UGV capable of navigating through agriculture fields autonomously while capturing data. Using machine learning, computer vision, and other sensor technologies, Wall-E is capable of estimating the total yield of crops, self-localization, mapping its environment in real time, and avoiding obstacles along its route. The purpose of this project is to automate …

Llamatalk: Empowering Conversations With Retrieval-Augmented Generation, Aravind Rokkam

Master's Projects

This research report talks about the implementation and a comparative study of Llama 7B model’s fine-tuning technique and Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) capabilities in the context of creating a reliable AI therapist. This study focuses on training these models using diverse datasets consisting of doctor-patient conversations predominantly addressing general health issues. Using a technique like fine-tuning within the Llama 7B model, the project focuses on training the model with a diverse dataset comprising doctor-patient interactions primarily addressing general health concerns. Additionally, carefully organized mental health dataset from HOPE dataset, ensuring the bot's responsiveness to mental health inquiries. Through integration with …

Malware Detection Using Qr And Aztec Code Representations, Atharva Khadilkar

Master's Projects

In recent years, the use of image-based techniques for malware detection has gained prominence, with numerous studies demonstrating the efficacy of deep learning approaches such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in classifying images derived from executable files. In this paper, we consider an innovative method that relies on an image conversion process that consists of transforming executable files into QR and Aztec codes. These codes capture structural patterns in a format that may enhance the learning capabilities of CNNs. We design and implement CNN architectures tailored to the unique properties of these codes and apply them to a comprehensive analysis …

Building Lean Standalone Web Servers, And Routing Engine, Ajita Shrivastava

Master's Projects

As a result of advancement in technology the web and email servers have greatly expanded in size.
This has created a need for miniaturization, and people are trying to minimize technology whilst
making it fast and efficient. This report discusses the development of a set of servers aligned with
the miniaturization trend: Atto servers. These are simple to use single file PHP servers created for
moderate usages including web traffic and email tasks. The purpose of this project is to develop
small server solutions which could act as working counterparts of products like Apache or Nginx.
It makes the server …

Full Issue

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Upon Seeing A Student Carry Two Swords Across The Campus Courtyard, Isaac Richards

Inscape

These were real swords, mind you. Long as a leg, snug in their scabbards, boasting ornamental handles. By my best recollection, one was a cutlass, the other a fencing foil. He carried them under his arm, nonchalant.

End Matter

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Full Issue

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Liberty Jail: Seedbed For Eternal Temple Blessings, Steven L. Olsen

BYU Studies

The difficult Missouri winter of 1838–39 exacerbated an emerging existential crisis for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its founding prophet, Joseph Smith. Latter-day Saints were being driven from their homes and killed by armed militias who justified their aggression with the “extermination order” of Governor Lilburn W. Boggs. This forced evacuation also dispossessed the Latter-day Saints of their “land of promise” and “center place of Zion”—the capital of their millennial utopia that was named for the primordial patriarch Enoch’s “City of Holiness,” whose inhabitants’ righteousness was sufficient, according to Joseph’s visions, to effect its translation into …

3m’S Bankruptcy: Pausing The Largest Mass Tort Litigation In Federal District Court History,, John Thomas, Drew Roberson

Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Case Studies

No abstract provided.

Borneo Stalagmite Evidence Of Significantly Reduced El Niño-Southern Oscillation Variability At 4.1 Kybp, C.M. Theaker, S.A. Carolin, C.C. Day, K.M. Cobb, S. Chen, Pamela R. Grothe, H.O. Couper

Earth and Environmental Sciences

The timing and geographic extent of a potential “4.2 ky event” remain highly contested. Here we present records of ENSO variability at 3.8 kyBP and 4.1 kyBP derived from a Borneo stalagmite, which suggest a significant change in ENSO properties between these time intervals. The Borneo records show evidence of significantly reduced ENSO activity at 4.1 kyBP, relative to other measured windows within the Holocene. This reduced ENSO activity coincides with a period of drier conditions and enhanced dust events in the Middle East that took place ∼4.0–4.3 kyBP. The Borneo records show evidence of enhanced ENSO activity at 3.8 …