Digital Commons Network^™

Balancing Performance And Efficiency: An Autoencoder Approach To Api-Based Malware Detection, Selma Bouraoui

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The constant evolution of malware presents a critical challenge to today's interconnected world. It poses an increasing threat on different scales, spanning from individuals, organizations to critical infrastructures such as government’s security. Hackers continuously develop new techniques to evade detection methods. When confronted with the high volume and variety of malware, conventional approaches tend to struggle to perform in robust, accurate and timely manner. This thesis explores the application of deep learning methods to improve malware detection and classification techniques. By analyzing API call sequences, the proposed approach leverages Autoencoders to compress high-dimensional malware data into more optimized representations that …

Trouble, Trouble, Trouble: Taylor Swift, Ticketmaster, And Arbitration, Imre S. Szalai Professor Of Social Justice

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Through Ticketmaster’s use of arbitration and the controversy surrounding Ticketmaster’s botched sale of tickets for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, this Article explores problems with the broad use of arbitration in the United States. Arbitration, a private contractual method of resolving disputes in a binding manner, is a neutral process that can provide many benefits. However, under the current broad scope of arbitration law, virtually every type of claim can be arbitrated. A more limited arbitration law could provide more robust enforcement of laws, greater accountability and transparency, and stronger development of precedent within our legal system. Stronger parties (like …

Using Selective Lip Repositioning Surgery To Correct Gummy Smile And Improve Facial Asymmetry, Ting-Shao Lee, Chun-Ming Chen, Pao-Chang Chiang, Yen-Wen Huang

Journal of Dental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Contemporary Approaches To Orthodontic Treatment In Complex Mixed Dentition Cases: A Comparison Of Clear Aligners And Traditional Fixed Appliances, Hsin-Chung Cheng, Daniel Chen, Pyi Win

Journal of Dental Sciences

Abstract This study examined orthodontic treatment strategies for patients in the mixed dentition phase, with a focus on the advantages and limitations of clear aligners and traditional fixed appliances in addressing complex tooth movements. Herein, three cases were reported to illustrate the complementary strengths of these treatment modalities. In Case 1, presurgical orthodontics for a patient with a cleft lip and palate was performed using clear aligners, resulting in successful rotation correction and optimal alignment. In Case 2, a noninvasive approach involving a transpalatal arch and fixed appliances was used to manage a high labially impacted central incisor without the …

Comparison Of Artificial Intelligence Systems In Answering Prosthodontics Questions From The Dental Specialty Exam In Turkey, Büşra Tosun, Zeynep Şen Yılmaz

Journal of Dental Sciences

Abstract Background/purpose : Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly vital in dentistry, supporting diagnostics, treatment planning, and patient education. However, AI systems face challenges, especially in delivering accurate information within specialized dental fields. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of seven AI-based chatbots (ChatGPT-3.5, ChatGPT-4, Gemini, Gemini Advanced, Claude AI, Microsoft Copilot, and Smodin AI) in correctly answering prosthodontics questions from the Dental Specialty Exam (DUS) in Turkey. Materials and methods The dataset for this study consists of 128 multiple-choice prosthodontics questions from the DUS, a national exam administered in Turkey by the Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) between …

Full-Length 16s Rrna Sequencing Reveals Microbial Characteristics In Supragingival Plaque Of Periodontitis Patients, Wei-Jen Chang, Chih-Chieh Wen, Jerry C.-Y. Lin, Eisner Salamanca, Nai-Chia Teng, Yi-Jen Lin, Yi-Fan Wu, Hung-Ming Chang

Journal of Dental Sciences

Abstract Background/Purpose Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that disrupts oral microbial homeostasis and contributes to systemic inflammation. While previous studies have focused on subgingival microbiota, the role of supragingival plaque as an early microbial reservoir remains underexplored. Most previous studies have relied on short-read 16S rRNA sequencing but limited detailed classification. This study uses Third-Generation Sequencing (TGS) with full-length 16S rRNA sequencing and DADA2-based error correction to better characterize the supragingival microbiome in periodontitis. Materials and methods A total of 30 participants (15 periodontitis patients and 15 healthy controls) were recruited. Supragingival plaque samples were collected, and full-length 16S …

Analyzing The Performance Of Multimodal Large Language Models On Visually-Based Questions In The Japanese National Examination For Dental Technicians, Yuichi Mine, Tsuyoshi Taji, Shota Okazaki, Saori Takeda, Tzu-Yu Peng, Saiji Shimoe, Masato Kaku, Hiroki Nikawa, Naoya Kakimoto, Takeshi Murayama

Journal of Dental Sciences

Abstract Background/purpose Large language models (LLMs) offer promising applications in dentistry, but their performance in specialized, image-rich contexts such as dental technology examinations remains uncertain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of three multimodal LLMs, ChatGPT-4o (4o), OpenAI o1 (o1), and Claude 3.5 Sonnet (Sonnet), when presented with questions from the Japanese National Examination for Dental Technicians. Materials and methods A total of 240 multiple-choice questions from 2022 to 2024 theory sections of the exam were used. Each question, including its accompanying figures or images where applicable, was presented to the three LLMs in a zero-shot …

Performance Of Chatgpt-4, Gemini, And Deepseek-V3 On Answering The Multiple Choice Questions From Taiwan National Dental Technician Licensing Examinations And Their Self-Learning Abilities Over A Three-Week Period, Chung-Pin Chiang, Ching-Yi Huang, Yi-Pang Lee, Andy Sun

Journal of Dental Sciences

Abstract Background/purpose Large language models (LLMs) can help the students to learn specific dental subjects and thus can be used as educational support tools for dental students. This study evaluated whether LLMs could correctly answer the multiple-choice questions (MCQs) selected from the 2023 Taiwan national dental technician licensing examination (TNDTLE) and whether the LLMs had the self-learning ability to improve their performance on correctly answering the exam questions over a three-week period. Materials and methods Three different LLMs, ChatGPT-4, Gemini, and DeepSeek-V3, were used to answer the 194 text-based MCQs selected from the 2023 TNDTLE and the initial accuracy rates …

Evaluating The Impact Of Varying Post Angulations On The Fracture Resistance Of Maxillary Incisors Restored With Polyethylene Fiber Posts, Chung-Ming Liu, Christine Rovani, Nurhayaty Natsir, Irfan Yamin, Aries Trilaksana, Li-Rong Kuo, Bai-Hung Huang

Journal of Dental Sciences

Abstract Background/purpose Restoring anterior teeth requiring angulation correction remains clinically challenging. Polyethylene fiber posts have been introduced, offering superior adaptability within the root canal and improved aesthetics. However, the effect of varying degrees of post angulation on the fracture resistance of restored teeth has not been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the fracture resistance of maxillary incisors restored using polyethylene fiber posts at varying angulations. Materials and methods Thirty-two extracted incisors were selected according to the study criteria. Root canal treatment and gutta-percha removal were performed to prepare for polyethylene fiber posts. All study samples were subsequently divided …

Benchmarking Multimodal Large Language Models On The Dental Licensing Examination: Challenges With Clinical Image Interpretation, Yuichi Mine, Shota Okazaki, Tsuyoshi Taji, Hiroyuki Kawaguchi, Naoya Kakimoto, Takeshi Murayama

Journal of Dental Sciences

Abstract Background /purpose: Large language models (LLMs) have been studied in text-based healthcare tasks, but their performance in multimodal dental applications has not yet been fully explored. This study evaluated the performance of four multimodal LLMs on dental licensing examination questions with both text-only and visually-based components. Materials and methods Four multimodal LLMs, ChatGPT-4o (4o), OpenAI o1 (o1), Claude 3.5 Sonnet (Sonnet), and Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental (Gemini), were tested on 353 questions from the 2024 Japanese National Dental Examination, including 204 text-only and 149 visually-based questions spanning 17 dental specialties. A zero-shot approach was used without prompt engineering. …

Gee Marriages, Carter County Genealogical Society

Carter County Genealogy Collection

A collection of marriages regarding the Gee family in Carter County, Kentucky.

Stamper, Thomas Jefferson - Volume 2, Carter County Genealogical Society, Betty Stamper Wellman

Carter County Genealogy Collection

Genealogy of Thomas Jefferson Stamper Sr. family in Carter County, Kentucky.

Thomas is the eighth child of John R. 'Pewter John' and Sarah 'Sallie' Stamper

Stamper, James W. - Volume 4, Carter County Genealogical Society, Olive Stamper, Howard Pollitt

Carter County Genealogy Collection

Genealogy of the James W. and Sarah (Moore) Stamper family in Carter County, Kentucky.

James is the father of William 'Tater Bill' and John R. 'Pewter John' Stamper

Stamper, Thomas Jefferson - Volume 1, Carter County Genealogical Society, Betty Stamper Wellman

Carter County Genealogy Collection

Genealogy of Thomas Jefferson Stamper Sr. family in Carter County, Kentucky.

Thomas is the eighth child of John R. 'Pewter John' and Sarah 'Sallie' Stamper

Mechanosensitivity Of Macrophage Polarization: Comparing Small Molecule Leukadherin-1 To Substrate Stiffness, Hemant Joshi, Edgar Anaya, Anvitha Addanki, Alison Almgren-Bell, Elizabeth M Todd, Sharon Celeste Morley

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Macrophages sustain tissue homeostasis through host defense and wound repair. To promote host defense, macrophages upregulate surface markers associated with antigen processing and secrete pro-inflammatory mediators such as IL-6 and IL-1β. After pathogen clearance, macrophages shift phenotype to promote wound repair. Shifts in phenotypes are termed "polarization" and have historically been modeled by exposure to soluble mediators such as LPS+IFNγ (host defense) or IL-4+IL-13 (tissue repair). Greater emphasis is now being placed on understanding how the mechanical environment of macrophages, such as tissue compliance, regulates macrophages responses. Here, we compare incubation of primary macrophages on collagen-coated silica gels of varying …

Visual Outcomes In A Series Of Patients With Papilledema And Comorbid Nutritional Deficiency, Dan V Spiegelman, John Burkland, Evan Jameyfield, Gregory P Van Stavern, Leanne Stunkel

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Fulminant papilledema is a neuro-ophthalmologic emergency that can lead to permanent vision loss as a result of optic neuropathy. Despite appropriate treatment of intracranial hypertension and improvement of papilledema, some patients continue to experience worsening vision. In some cases, comorbid micronutrient deficiencies, which are an additional cause of optic neuropathy, may contribute to this decline. This case series highlights patients with papilledema whose vision worsened despite improvement in papilledema and who were found to have comorbid nutritional deficiencies.

METHODS: A retrospective case series of three patients with papilledema were seen between 2019 and 2022 at Washington University in St. …

The Stochastic Occupation Kernel (Sock) Method For Learning Stochastic Differential Equations, M. L. Wells, Kamel Lahouel, Bruno Jedynak

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We present a novel kernel-based method for learning multivariate stochastic differential equations (SDEs). The method follows a two-step procedure: we first estimate the drift term function, then the (matrix-valued) diffusion function given the drift. Occupation kernels are integral functionals on a reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS) that aggregate information over a trajectory. Our approach leverages vector-valued occupation kernels for estimating the drift component of the stochastic process. For diffusion estimation, we extend this framework by introducing operator-valued occupation kernels, enabling the estimation of an auxiliary matrix-valued function as a positive semi-definite operator, from which we readily derive the diffusion estimate. …

Optical Coherence Tomography Harmonization With Anatomy-Guided Latent Metric Schrödinger Bridges, Shuwen Wei, Blake E. Dewey, Samuel W. Remedios, Bruno Jedynak, Shimeng Wang, Peter Calabresi, Shiv Saidha, Aaron Carass, Multiple Additional Authors

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Medical image harmonization aims to reduce the differences in appearance caused by scanner hardware variations to allow for consistent and reliable comparisons across devices. Harmonization based on paired images from different devices has limited applicability in real-world clinical settings. On the other hand, unpaired harmonization typically does not guarantee anatomy consistency, which is problematic because anatomical information preservation is paramount. The Schrödinger bridge framework has achieved state-of-the-art style transfer performance with natural images by matching distributions of unpaired images, but this approach can also introduce anatomy changes when applied to medical images. We show that such changes occur because the …

Personalized Persuasion In The Digital Age: A Data-Driven Approach To Effective Communication, Annye Braca

Doctoral

This thesis investigates the potential of Machine Learning (ML) to personalize persuasive marketing messages. It explores the identification of individuals receptive to specific persuasion techniques based on their psychometric profiles. By developing ML models that incorporate these profiles, the thesis aims to predict the impact of tailored messages and improve the effectiveness of marketing communication.

Plasmonic Down-Shifting Layers For Cylindrical Solar Concentrators, Kenneth Coldrick

Doctoral

The efficiency of photovoltaics (PVs) and photo-thermal (PT) systems is hindered by spectral mismatches and low thermal conductivity. A promising solution to address these issues can be the use of luminescent down-shifting (LDS) layers. This involves the incorporation of luminophores into solid or liquid layers that will act as spectral beam splitters (SBSs). In solid polymers, they form luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs), while in liquids, they act as working fluids and SBS for hybrid photovoltaic-photothermal (PVT) systems. This thesis will examine the energy conversion in both solid and liquid configurations through experimental, simulation, and economic analyses. An open-source model that …

Capacity Building In The Irish Brewing And Distilling Sector For Raw Materials Utilisation, By-Products Management, And Environmental Impact Assessment, Ekene C. Umego

Doctoral

The Irish brewing and distilling sector has shown a consistent increase in number, production output, sales, and export value in the last decade. This has implications for raw materials requirements, assessment, and by-products management for the sustainability of the sector. As a result, the main aim of this research study was to evaluate the status of raw materials use and assessment within the Irish brewing and distilling sector, explore by-products management options and valorisation initiatives, and analyse the environmental impact of Irish whiskey production. The first approach was a survey study to collect data on major raw material inputs use …

You Get The Jury You Get And You Don’T Throw A Fit, Taurus Myhand

Scholarly Works

The proliferation of deepfake videos has resulted in rapid improvements in the technology used to create them. Although the use of fake videos and images is not new, advances in artificial intelligence have made deepfakes easier to make and harder to detect. Basic human perception is no longer sufficient to detect deepfakes. Yet, under the current construction of the Federal Rules of Evidence, trials judges are expected to do just that. Trial judges face a daunting challenge when applying the current evidence authentication standards to video evidence in this new reality of widely available deepfake videos. This article examines the …

A Conservative Attack On Urbanism - And Why It Fails, Michael Lewyn

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Into The Jurisdictionverse: How Tangled Jurisdictional Lines Around Indian Country Thwart Attempts To End The Crisis Of Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women, Evan Gamble

American Indian Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Native Fight For Hunting Rights: The Crow Tribe And Herrera V. Wyoming, Jacob Lewis

American Indian Law Review

No abstract provided.

‘It’S Just So Much Work For Our Little Hands’: Exploring The Multi-Dimensionality Of Pre-School Children’S Lived Experience In Shaping Expressions And Perceptions Of Learning., Sasha Tregenza

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

This thesis creatively explores the multi-dimensionality of pre-school children's lived experience in shaping expressions and perceptions of learning within Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC). Concepts of ECEC practice within England continue to be shaped by the lasting legacies of those regarded as early years ‘pioneers’, alongside theories of child development and an ever-increasing influence of governmental legislation and policy. Pioneers and policy combined, has led to growing emphasis upon school readiness and performativity culture, resulting in repeated and often unchallenged pedagogy within ECEC. This qualitative study draws upon aspects of facet methodology as a research orientation, to disrupt existing …

Sealed Justice: Federal Courts' Inconsistent Record-Sealing Rules And Their Impact On Judicial Transparency, David S. Ardia

Faculty Publications

Public access to court records is a cornerstone of democratic governance, enabling public oversight of the judiciary and fostering confidence in the rule of law. Despite a strong presumption in favor of openness under both the First Amendment and common law, the sealing of federal court records has become widespread, often with minimal judicial scrutiny. Re-cent investigations have revealed that excessive court secrecy shields government and corporate misconduct, conceals vital public-safety information, and erodes public confidence in the courts.

This Article presents the first comprehensive analysis of the local rules governing sealing in all 94 federal districts, reviewing more than …

A Patent System For Temple Grandin, Andrew Chin

Faculty Publications

This article explores the intersection of neurodiversity and innovation through the lens of Temple Grandin’s contributions to livestock handling systems and her philosophical alignment with the U.S. patent system. Drawing on cognitive research by Simon Baron-Cohen, archaeological insights from Penny Spikins, and personal reflections, I argue that autistic cognitive styles—characterized by heightened “folk physics” aptitudes and visual thinking—have historically driven technological progress. Grandin’s patented inventions, motivated by sensory-based empathy for animals, exemplify how neurodivergent inventors seek to embed their conceptions of ethical utility into the nation’s technological infrastructure. The article critiques modern patent litigation trends, advocating instead for a system …

Scrutinizing Transgender Healthcare Bans Through Intersex Exceptions, Holning Lau, Barbara A. Fedders

Faculty Publications

Major professional medical organizations—for example, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, and Endocrine Society—consider gender-affirming care to be safe and, at times, essential for vulnerable transgender youth. Despite these benefits, 26 states have banned gender-affirming care for minors. Proponents of these bans raise concerns about potential medical harms, the irreversibility of treatments, and the adequacy of informed consent.

Every state ban includes an exception for so-called gender-normalizing surgeries, which are performed on intersex infants to conform their bodies to socially constructed expectations about the male/female binary. The procedures are rarely medically necessary, but proponents of the surgeries contend …

Flooding The Zone: The State Of Federal Flood Insurance At The Beginning Of Trump 2.0, Maggie Caudle, Jacob Dowler, Donald T. Hornstein

Faculty Publications

The risks of flooding in the United States have never been more apparent, making all the more significant the state of flood insurance and the legal and political volatility of the National Flood Insurance Program. In this Article we discuss the details of “Risk Rating 2.0,” the most significant change to federal flood insurance in half a century, and its legal and political future in the new world of Trump 2.0. And, in addition to describing the details of this new change to federal flood insurance, we describe its advantages and disadvantages in both the newfound political environment in which …