Digital Commons Network^™

Worldcuisines: A Massive-Scale Benchmark For Multilingual And Multicultural Visual Question Answering On Global Cuisines, Genta Indra Winata, Et. Al

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Vision Language Models (VLMs) often struggle with culture-specific knowledge, particularly in languages other than English and in underrepresented cultural contexts. To evaluate their understanding of such knowledge, we introduce WorldCuisines, a massive-scale benchmark for multilingual and multicultural, visually grounded language understanding. This benchmark includes a visual question answering (VQA) dataset with text-image pairs across 30 languages and dialects, spanning 9 language families and featuring over 1 million data points, making it the largest multicultural VQA benchmark to date. It includes tasks for identifying dish names and their origins. We provide evaluation datasets in two sizes (12k and 60k instances) alongside …

Hdwsa2: A Secure Hierarchical Deterministic Wallet Supporting Stealth Address And Signature Aggregation, Xin Yin, Zhen Liu, Guomin Yang, Guoxing Chen, Haojin Zhu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Hierarchical Deterministic Wallet (HDW) and Stealth Address (SA) are widely used in cryptocurrency communities due to their functionality and security. In the preliminary version of this work (ESORICS 2022), we formally define the syntax and security models of Hierarchical Deterministic Wallet supporting Stealth Address (HDWSA), capturing the functionality and security requirements imposed by the practice in cryptocurrency. We propose a concrete HDWSA construction and prove its security in the random oracle model. Note that when applied in blockchain, in practice, signature aggregation could reduce the cost of computation, storage, and communication dramatically. In this full version, we develop HDWSA definition …

Reverse Modeling In Large Language Models, Sicheng Yu, Yuanchen Xu, Cunxiao Du, Yanying Zhou, Minghui Qiu, Qianru Sun, Hao Zhang, Jiawei Wu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Humans are accustomed to reading and writing in a forward manner, and this natural bias extends to text understanding in auto-regressive large language models (LLMs). This paper investigates whether LLMs, like humans, struggle with reverse modeling, specifically with reversed text inputs. We found that publicly available pre-trained LLMs cannot understand such inputs. However, LLMs trained from scratch with both forward and reverse texts can understand them equally well during inference. Our case study shows that different-content texts result in different losses if input (to LLMs) in different directions---some get lower losses for forward while some for reverse. This leads us …

Disambiguart: A Neural-Based Inference Model For Knowledge Graph Disambiguation, Budhitama Subagdja, D. Shanthoshigaa, Ah-Hwee Tan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

One main challenge in constructing a knowledge graph (KG) is to deal with ambiguity. Specifically, an entity in the graph can be assigned with multiple meanings while two or more entities considered to have different meanings may actually be the same. Assigning an entity with the correct meaning may involve re-evaluation of its relevant contexts. This costly operation typically involves searching for other similar entities within the KG such that the context can be determined. In this paper, a new model called DisambiguART is proposed leveraging multi-channel matching and inference in a self-organizing neural network for sense disambiguation in knowledge …

Enhancing Deliberativeness: Evaluating The Impact Of Multimodal Reflection Nudges, Shun Yi Yeo, Zhuoqun Jiang, Anthony Tang, Simon Tangi Perrault

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Nudging participants with text-based reflective nudges enhances deliberation quality on online deliberation platforms. The effectiveness of multimodal reflective nudges, however, remains largely unexplored. Given the multi-sensory nature of human perception, incorporating diverse modalities into self-reflection mechanisms has the potential to better support various reflective styles. This paper explores how presenting reflective nudges of different types (direct: persona and indirect: storytelling) in different modalities (text, image, video and audio) affects deliberation quality. We conducted two user studies with 20 and 200 participants respectively. The first study identifies the preferred modality for each type of reflective nudges, revealing that text is most …

Query Understanding In Llm-Based Conversational Information Seeking, Yifei Yuan, Zahra Abbasiantaeb, Yang Deng, Mohammad Aliannejadi

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Query understanding in Conversational Information Seeking (CIS) involves accurately interpreting user intent through context-aware interactions. This includes resolving ambiguities, refining queries, and adapting to evolving information needs. Large Language Models (LLMs) enhance this process by interpreting nuanced language and adapting dynamically, improving the relevance and precision of search results in real-time. In this tutorial, we explore advanced techniques to enhance query understanding in LLM-based CIS systems. We delve into LLM-driven methods for developing robust evaluation metrics to assess query understanding quality in multiturn interactions, strategies for building more interactive systems, and applications like proactive query management and query reformulation. We …

A Pure Rotational Spectroscopic Study Of Two Nearly-Equivalent Structures Of Hexafluoroacetone Imine, (Cf3)C=Nh, Daniel A. Obenchain, Beppo Hartwig, Daniel J. Frohman, Garry S. Grubbs, B. E. Long, Wallace C. Pringle, Stewart E. Novick, S. A. Cooke

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

Rotational spectra for hexafluoroacetone imine, the singly substituted 13C isotopologues, and the 15N isotopologue, have been recorded using both cavity and chirped pulse Fourier transform microwave spectrometers. The spectra observed present as being doubled with separations between each pair of transitions being on the order of a few tens of kilohertz which is consistent with a large amplitude motion producing two torsional substates. The observed splitting is most likely due to the combined motions of the CF₃ groups, for which the calculated barrier is small. However, no transitions between states could be observed and, similarly, no Coriolis coupling parameters …

Random Processes With High Variance Produce Scale Free Networks, Josh Johnston

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The degree distribution of a real world network --- the number of links per node --- often follows a power law, so some hubs have many more links than traditional graph generation methods predict. For years, preferential attachment and growth have been the proposed mechanisms leading to these scale free networks, exemplified by the Barabási–Albert model. This dissertation provides an alternative model using a randomly stopped linking process, showing that mixtures of geometric distributions can lead to power laws, an intuition suggested by the Central Limit Theorem for distributions with infinite variance. Having a collection of Bernoulli trials with high …

Modeling Language And Vision At Human Scales, Clayton Fields

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The impressive results that have recently been achieved in natural language processing and artificial intelligence have been primarily driven by the introduction of the transformer deep learning architecture, increasingly large models with many parameters and using enormous datasets. The size of models and their training data requirements present costly demands that freeze many researchers out of training with cutting edge models. Beyond these practical implications, current methods learn from text alone, without the rich array of sensory information that human beings use in learning language. This means that language models are often incapable of reasoning about the concrete world that …

I Am Out With Lanterns, Looking For Myself: Influences On Early Childhood Professional Teacher Identity Development, Nichole Billetz

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation study seeks to understand the stories ECE educators tell themselves about themselves and what impacts these stories. It also seeks to make visible the role that metaphor plays in ECE educators' understanding of their shifting identities. Research questions explored in this study were:

1. What influences the stories ECE educators tell themselves about themselves?
2. What influences shifts in ECE educator identity?
3. What symbols and metaphors do ECE educators use to make sense of their identities?

Using a phenomenological case study method, four ECE educators participating in a state university emerging leaders program were surveyed, interviewed individually, and interviewed in …

Influence Of Terrain Model Resolution On Rockfall Dispersion And Tortuosity Of Rockfall Paths, Lucas Jason Arsenith

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The geology of the Snake River Plain region of southwestern Idaho contains terraces formed from downcutting of the Boise River and columnar jointed basalt cliffs from lava flows. Within the city limits of Boise, Idaho, rockfall events originate from these columnar jointed basalt cliffs. Whitney Terrace, a rockfall-prone location in southwestern Boise, was chosen as the study site. Site-specific LiDAR data was used to create a bare earth terrain model, and rockfall boulders were geolocated and measured to be used as inputs into rockfall models. The slope below the cliff face was divided into four distinct slope zones, each with …

A Multi-Tiered Approach To Improving Vaccination: Adjuvanticity, Alternate Routes Of Delivery, And Science Communication, Haley Agnes Bridgewater

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Vaccines have been used to prevent infectious disease for over 200 years. While they are an incredible way to prevent loss of life, they can be improved upon. Researchers around the globe are working to improve the immune response and ultimately the protection provided by existing and new vaccines. In this dissertation, I investigate three ways to improve vaccine immune responses: using an adjuvant, using a prime-boost intramammary delivery route in cows, and using microneedle delivery route. Cholera toxin (CT) is a bacterial toxin that has a non-toxic B subunit (CTB) used as a vaccine adjuvant. However, little is known …

Transformative Shift: Exploring Teachers' Dispositions Toward Culturally Relevant Pedagogy In A Community Of Practice, Maritt Wolfrom

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In this collaborative, embedded mixed-method study I explored the impact of teacher participation in a community of practice focused on improving attitudes toward and implementation of culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy. Using the Dispositions for Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Scale as a tool to induce critical reflection and dialogue; teachers collaboratively examined their beliefs, practices and perceptions regarding CRP. Through focus group interviews and exit tickets, changes in teacher behaviors and attitudes toward CRP were examined and identified. The goal of this study was to contribute to advancing knowledge on teacher empowerment through transformative learning experiences, CRP implementation, and professional learning …

Leveraging Machine Learning And Deep Learning Techniques For Voter Registration Fraud Detection, Nahid Anwar

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The primary objective of this research is to develop an advanced framework for detecting voter registration anomalies, with a specific focus on fraud detection, using the Idaho Voter Registration Election Dataset. The data set contains both anonymized real voter data and synthetically generated fraudulent instances, allowing for a comprehensive examination of potential vulnerabilities in voter registration systems. The real data was obtained from the Idaho Secretary of State's office. The initial part of the research involved data analysis and identification of misinformation and potential disinformation using statistical analysis and approximate string matching algorithms. Subsequently, we have created the aforementioned anonymized …

"I Feel An 'I'M Not Sure' Feeling": Young Children's Perspectives During Outdoor Risky Play, Erin Tanzer

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Young children’s outdoor risky play is an intriguing and challenging phenomenon in early childhood care and education settings (ECCE). While recent research on risky play conveys the numerous developmental benefits, types of play children engage in, environmental affordances, and approaches to risk assessment, minimal research includes children’s perspectives about their risky play experiences. This phenomenological case study explores preschool children’s experience and what they feel and wonder about during risky play in a setting where risky play is effectively supported. Data were collected using interactive observation and interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Children described feeling “good” and “scared” during …

Advancing Snow Water Equivalent Monitoring With Machine Learning And L-Band Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (Insar) Data, Ibrahim Olalekan Alabi

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Seasonal snow is a critical freshwater resource for an estimated 2 billion people worldwide. Yet, accurately measuring the amount of water sitting in a snowpack, referred to as snow water equivalent (SWE), over large, often mountainous regions has posed a long-standing challenge. Ground-based measurements of SWE are precise but sparse, while remote sensing techniques like passive microwave sensors struggle with coarse resolution and signal saturation in deep snow. Due to the challenges of direct SWE measurement, snow depth has emerged as an alternative pathway to SWE estimation. SWE is strongly correlated with snow depth, and by leveraging this relationship, we …

Lowering Barriers To Voting For Individuals With Disabilities: Mail In Ballots And No Excuse Absentee Ballots, Cynthia Weyerman

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The right to vote is an important part of the democratic process in America, but for individuals with disabilities it may not be as simple as simply showing up on election day and voting. Individuals with disabilities may face multiple barriers when it comes to voting. This paper looks at some of the common barriers to voting for individuals with disabilities, and focuses on ways that could improve turnout for individuals with disabilities. I look specifically at the data on mail in ballots and absentee ballots as a way to improve turnout for voters with disabilities. We do know from …

Adolescent Developmental Domains: Examining Risk And Protective Factors In Loneliness, Archer Ward

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Adolescent mental health is on the decline and questions have been raised as to what might be contributing. The experience of chronic loneliness has been linked to increased risk of developing anxiety, depression, and suicidal behaviors in both adulthood and adolescence. However, little research has been conducted on the relationship between known risk and protective factors and loneliness in adolescence. The objective of this secondary data analysis is to examine the patterns of association between risk and protective factors in key developmental domains on loneliness. A total of 7,696 adolescent (M age = 14.6, 51% male) responses were collected during …

From Molecular Crystals To Catalytic Surfaces: Computational Approaches To Complex Systems, Thiago Henrique Da Silva

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Understanding and modeling complex systems is one of the core challenges in modern science. Whether it be the intricate interactions within molecular crystals, the evolving mechanisms of bacterial resistance, or the dynamics of catalytic surfaces, accurately representing these systems is essential for scientific progress. This dissertation addresses these challenges by focusing on advances in computational modeling, demonstrating how various methods such as Density Functional Theory (DFT), machine learning, and custom-developed methods can simplify and help predict complex behaviors across multiple domains. By applying and understanding the scope of these methods to each field, this work underscores how computational modeling bridges …

Culturing And Characterization Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Native To The Sagebrush Steppe, Jacob Venable

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are obligate biotrophs that form symbiotic associations with the roots of over 70% of terrestrial plants. These symbioses are crucial in plant nutrient acquisition, stress tolerance, and soil health. AMF inoculum could be valuable for ecological restoration, but challenges in culturing and multiplying AMF limit their use in natural habitats. In this project, I investigated methods to characterize and culture AMF native to the sagebrush steppe. For comparison, I also grew a non-native strain of the AMF fungus Rhizophagus clarus. First, I used trap cultures to multiply AMF present in roots and field soil collected …

Empirical Models For The Prediction Of Lattice Constants In Perovskite Materials, Bryan Wright

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Perovskites are a class of materials famous for their many functional properties and are envisioned as a material that will pave the way for scientific advancement in the fields of renewable energy, high tech sensors, lasers, catalysis, computer chips, and many others. This wide variety of applications is not the result of a single fantastic property of perovskite materials but rather stems from the perovskite structure’s ability to display a host of functional properties. One area where there is room for significant improvement is in the rate of perovskite discovery. The high stability of the perovskite structure is responsible for …

A Comprehensive Review Of Carbon Sequestration And Its Assessment Techniques Using Remote Sensing And Geospatial Methods, Imen Ben Salem

All Works

Global warming has elevated carbon sequestration as a critical strategy for mitigating climate change, while enhancing sustainability in productivity. Agricultural land use systems contribute substantially to CO2 emissions due to crop residues, shifting cultivation practices, low-biomass crops, land degradation, and deforestation. The significant rise in CO2 emissions over the past thirty years is associated with burning fossil fuels, leading to substantial environmental changes, including global warming. Remote sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are advanced geospatial technologies that facilitate the rapid evaluation of terrestrial carbon stock over extensive regions. An integrated RS-GIS approach for carbon stock estimation and precision …

Circularity Within Service-Dominant Logic: The Role Of Perceived Ethics On Co-Creation In Sharing Economy Platforms, Saifeddin Alimamy, Waqar Nadeem

All Works

This study investigates circularity in service-dominant (SD) logic within sharing economy platforms (SEPs), focusing on how perceived ethics influence customer co-creation and commitment. It further explores the mediating roles of trust and reciprocity and the moderating effect of brand identification. Data from 365 SEP users were analyzed via partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results demonstrate that perceived ethics positively affect trust and reciprocity, which subsequently strengthen customers' willingness to co-create. Trust and reciprocity emerged as pivotal mediators, while brand identification significantly moderated their effects on co-creation. By emphasizing the role of ethical perceptions in fostering trust-based collaboration and …

Bridging The Education-Employment Gap: Barriers To Employment And Well-Being Among Unemployed Individuals In Abu Dhabi, Masood Badri, Mugheer Alkhaili, Hamad Aldhaheri, Guang Yang, Muna Albahar, Asma Alrashdi, Saad Yaaqeib, Alanoud Alsawai

All Works

Unemployment remains a critical socio-economic challenge with profound implications for individual wellbeing. This study examines the self-perceived barriers to employment and their impact on key well-being determinants, including life satisfaction, happiness, mental health (where higher scores indicate worse outcomes), subjective health, family relations, friend relations, and the ability to make ends meet (ATMEM), among unemployed individuals in Abu Dhabi. Using data from a comprehensive survey (QoL-5), the analysis reveals significant differences in well-being outcomes across demographic factors such as gender, age, education level, and head of household status. Notably, barriers such as lack of social networks, job competition, and education-related …

Teaching Gender Equality: Shifting The Focus From Aspiration To Practice, Rawia Ahmed, M. Fernanda Garcia, Imran Taj, Laila Al Reqabi

All Works

Purpose: This study aims to inform management educators and students about how to identify, analyze, and sustain gender equality as a business practice in organizational settings. Design, Methodology, and Approach: Guided by practice theory and social learning theory we: a) offer a theoretical framework to help students recognize gender equality practices in real-world contexts, and b) provide educators with an applied example and pedagogical tool for teaching students how to identify and analyze gender equality practices in written and audio texts. We draw from two theoretical templates to analyze excerpts related to gender equality practices taken from an interview with …

Quality Of Life Of Emirati Women With Cervical Cancer Using Eortc Qlq-30 And Cx24: A First Look In The Uae, Linda Smail

All Works

Background: Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women globally and remains a prevalent malignancy among Emirati women. This study assessed the quality of life of Emirati women with cervical cancer and identified key factors influencing their well-being to inform targeted interventions. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 72 Emirati women diagnosed with cervical cancer utilizing the Arabic-translated European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CX24). Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected. Statistical analyses included ANOVA, independent-sample t-tests, and, where assumptions were violated, Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney tests. …

International Rice Outlook: International Rice Baseline Projections 2024–2034, A. Durand-Morat, W. Mulimbi

AAES Research Reports and Research Bulletins

• Global rice consumption is projected to exceed global rice production for most of the coming decade, with stocks playing a crucial role in balancing the global market over the projected period.

• The projected growth in production is almost exclusively due to productivity gains.

• The projected global rice consumption is growing, driven mainly by population growth. However, the average global per capita rice consumption is estimated to increase slowly in the coming decade due to a regain in per capita consumption in Asia, the largest rice-consuming region worldwide.

• The international prices of long-grain and medium-grain rice are …

Insert Creation To Mimic Blood Vessels In Gel Phantoms, Courtney Bloom

Biomedical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Gel phantoms are commonly used in research settings due to their ability to mimic soft tissue. Creating these phantoms usually involves 3D printing an insert, embedding it in gel, and then washing the insert out. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is typically used as the insert material, but it often swells and deforms the gel during the washout process. Aquapour, a water-soluble material, was investigated as a potential replacement for PVA. Unlike PVA, Aquapour comes in a powdered form that can be mixed with water to create a castable slurry. To create molds to cast Aquapour, SolidWorks was used to design two …

Dental Microwear Of Miocene Primates From The Carpathian Basin, Rudabánya, Hungary, Anna K. Wilcox

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study reconstructs and compares the dietary habits of the late Miocene primates Anapithecus hernyaki and Rudapithecus hungaricus by analyzing dental microwear patterns on fossilized teeth recovered from Rudabánya, Hungary. Previous research suggested that these sympatric species were both primarily frugivores but were unable to separate them by diet. However, earlier studies were limited by smaller sample sizes and less advanced methodologies. This study used an expanded sample and modern microwear texture analysis techniques to compare molar and incisor microwear patterns between the two species. Results revealed that Rudapithecus molars exhibited higher complexity compared to Anapithecus molar complexity, suggesting a …

The Effects Of Daily Beef Consumption On Sleep, Mood, And Wellbeing In Postmenopausal Women, Caroline M. Coughlin

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Menopause is often accompanied by changes in sleep, mood, and overall well-being, partly due to hormonal shifts and loss of muscle mass. Protein intake, especially from nutrient-rich sources like beef, may help address these changes, but research in postmenopausal women remains limited. This study explored how daily beef consumption, as part of a higher-protein diet, affected sleep quality, mood, and well-being over eight weeks. Ten active postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to either a control group (meeting standard protein recommendations) or a treatment group consuming twice that amount, including one serving of lean beef per day. Sleep was measured using …