Computer Sciences Commons^™

Parametric Modular Answer Set Programs Made Declarative, Jorge Fandinno, Yuliya Lierler, Torsten Schaub

Computer Science Faculty Publications

In this paper, we explore the concept of modularity in first-order answer set programming (ASP). We introduce a new formalism called parametric modular logic programs, which allows defining subprograms with parameters and intensionality statements. We demonstrate how this formalism can capture the semantics of clingo-programs with collective control , a feature that enables structuring and instantiating subprograms. We provide theoretical foundations for modular ASP, illustrate its usefulness, and connect to traditional non-modular ASP.

Teaching Machines To Deter: Exploring Strategic Deterrence In Ai Models, Will Taylor

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This capstone project investigates whether deterrence can emerge as a meaningful strategy within a zero-sum stochastic game using multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL). After outlining core concepts in game theory and deterrence, the study models a simplified deterrence environment in which two minimax-Q agents repeatedly interact under uncertainty and adversarial incentives. The agents learn from rewards shaped by escalation costs, unilateral vulnerability, and the stabilizing benefits of restraint. Results show that both agents consistently converge toward a conservative, status-quo strategy, overwhelmingly selecting the Maintain action while avoiding both escalation and restraint in most scenarios. This behavior reflects the risk-averse logic of …

Post-Quantum Cryptography Encryption Implementation For Messaging App, Callum S. Ward

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This paper and complementary capstone project aim to explore the state of post-quantum cryptography today by defining the algorithms with which quantum computers can decipher modern asymmetric cryptographic algorithms in exponentially accelerated time, exploring national standards body NIST’s recommendations to circumvent these weaknesses with post-quantum solutions, and implementing recommended algorithms in my group’s project for the UNO Computer Science Capstone course, LockTalk. After having decided on ML-KEM for quantum-resistant asymmetric key transfer and AES-256 for symmetric message encryption and decryption, I was able to cryptographically encode messages to obscure their plaintext values from communication interceptions without any discernible increase in …

Blockchain Message Integrity For Messaging App: Python-Based Implementation Of Blockchain-Backed Verification And Tamper Detection, Brendan J. Farrell

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

With the rapid development and use of digital communication, the need for maintaining the integrity and authenticity of transmitted information becomes more pressing than ever.  However, existing methods of data exchange have several flaws and drawbacks such as reliance on centralized networks which are subject to manipulation, modifications, and potential failures.  Thus, the current project offers an innovative approach to improving the integrity and detection capabilities of messages in real-time communication platforms using the power of blockchain technology.  The proposed solution uses the inherent features of blockchain-based systems to ensure secure and safe message transmission.

Message Malware: File Vulnerability Scanning In Messaging Apps, Miah Mason

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

As messaging platforms become primary communication hubs within highly secure environments, they introduce significant vulnerabilities regarding file sharing with potential malicious content. This research, an honors extension of the Northrop Grumman sponsored Capstone project ‘LockTalk’, evaluates the technical abilities of automated file scanning methods within messaging platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or our own developed platform LockTalk. This paper investigates a variety of scanning methods and their applications, with particular emphasis on comparing the qualities of static scanning, used in signature-based detection, and dynamic scanning with heuristics. Furthermore, this paper investigates the differences and advantages of both End-to-End Encryption (E2EE), …

Using Ai For Data Loss Prevention, Camden A. Wright

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) systems play a critical role in protecting modern systems that handle sensitive information from both accidental and malicious exposure. Traditional DLP approaches often rely on static rules and methods that can struggle to adapt to complex and evolving data patterns. This paper presents a hybrid DPL system that integrates machine learning-based message classification, rule based policy enforcement, and context-aware access control to improve both detection accuracy and decision reliability. In addition, the system introduces a second stage access control model that evaluates user context, including role of clearance level and job title to determine whether access …

Anthem 2.0: Automated Reasoning For Answer Set Programming, Jorge Fandinno, Zachary Hansen, Yuliya Lierler, Christoph Glinzer, Jan Heuer, Torsten Schaub, Tobias Stolzmaan, Vladimire Lifschitz

Computer Science Faculty Publications

ANTHEM 2.0 is a tool to aid in the verification of logic programs written in an expressive fragment of CLINGO ’s input language named MINI-GRINGO, which includes arithmetic operations and simple choice rules but not aggregates. It can translate logic programs into formula representations in the logic of here-and-there and analyze properties of logic programs such as tightness. Most importantly, ANTHEM 2.0 can support program verification by invoking first-order theorem provers to confirm that a program adheres to a first-order specification or to establish strong and external equivalence of programs. This paper serves as an overview of the system’s capabilities. …

Current Wind Simulation Techniques, Keegan J. Sims

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Not much exists in the realm of wind simulation. For what does exist involves tornadoes, and even then that is stretched far and few between. Due to this we have a lot of room to explore, and figure things out. How do we simulate real time wind? My capstone project involves a simple wind algorithm, how does it compare to what does currently exist? This paper covers the papers about wind and how it it interacts with objects and itself.

Capturing The Digital Scene: Applying Routine Activity Theory To Iot Smart Frames, Jordan Bakar

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This project investigates the forensic risks and investigative challenges posed by smart frames, which are WiFi-enabled Internet of Things (IoT) devices used to store, display, and share digital media. These devices often collect and synchronize sensitive media, metadata, and behavioral logs across cloud ecosystems that lack adequate transparency and privacy safeguards. Routine Activity Theory (RAT) provides a criminological framework for examining how the convergence of a motivated offender, a suitable target, and the absence of capable guardianship creates opportunities for misuse and forensic exploitation. Smart frames represent ideal targets because of weak default security configurations, passive data synchronization, and limited …

Optimizing The Peter Kiewit Institute Course Schedule Using Answer Set Programming, Joshua R. Gryzen

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This project introduces a program that automates the process of minimizing conflict between classes that students are likely to take simultaneously at the Peter Kiewit Institute at the University of Nebraska Omaha using Answer Set Programming. The main objectives of this project are to encode the specifics of a schedule regulation for courses pertinent to computer science majors, identify critical conflicts between the courses in a given schedule, and propose an assignment of timeslots. More specifically, a scheduled section is assigned a new timeslot, which is a combination of days, start time, and end time, from the list of timeslots …

Phoneme Recognition For Pronunciation Improvement, Matthew Heywood

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This project aims to improve English pronunciation by investigating speech errors and developing a tool to provide precise feedback. The study focuses on creating a new pronunciation tool that offers localized feedback, identifies specific errors, and suggests corrective measures. By addressing the shortcomings of current methods, this research seeks to enhance pronunciation refinement.

Utilizing cutting-edge technology, the tool leverages speech-to-phoneme AI models and modified lazy string matching algorithms to compare the user's spoken input with the intended pronunciation. This allows for a detailed analysis of discrepancies, providing users actionable insights into their phonetic errors. The speech-to-phoneme AI models mark a …

Historical Review Of Variants Of Informal Semantics For Logic Programs Under Answer Set Semantics: Gl’88, Gl’91, Gk’14, D-V’12, Yuliya Lierler

Computer Science Faculty Publications

This note presents a historical survey of informal semantics that are associated with logic programming under answer set semantics. We review these in uniform terms and align them with two paradigms: Answer Set Programming and ASP-Prolog — two prominent Knowledge Representation and Reasoning Paradigms in Artificial Intelligence.

Monero: Powering Anonymous Digital Currency Transactions, Jake Braddy

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Cryptocurrencies rely on a distributed public ledger (record of transactions) in order to perform their intended functions. However, the public’s ability to audit the network is both its greatest strength and greatest weakness: Anyone can see what address sent currency, and to whom the currency was sent. If cryptocurrency is ever going to take some of the responsibility of fiat currency, then there needs to be a certain level of confidentiality. Thus far, Monero has come out on top as the preferred currency for embodying the ideas of privacy and confidentiality. Through numerous cryptographic procedures, Monero is able to obfuscate …

Locally Tight Programs, Jorge Fandinno, Vladimir Lifschitz, Nathan Temple

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Program completion is a translation from the language of logic programs into the language of first-order theories. Its original definition has been extended to programs that include integer arithmetic, accept input, and distinguish between output predicates and auxiliary predicates. For tight programs, that generalization of completion is known to match the stable model semantics, which is the basis of answer set programming. We show that the tightness condition in this theorem can be replaced by a less restrictive “local tightness” requirement. From this fact we conclude that the proof assistant ANTHEM-P2P can be used to verify equivalence between locally tight …

Locally Tight Programs, Jorge Fandinno, Vladimir Lifschitz, Nathan Temple

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Program completion is a translation from the language of logic programs into the language of first-order theories. Its original definition has been extended to programs that include integer arithmetic, accept input, and distinguish between output predicates and auxiliary predicates. For tight programs, that generalization of completion is known to match the stable model semantics, which is the basis of answer set programming. We show that the tightness condition in this theorem can be replaced by a less restrictive “local tightness” requirement. From this fact we conclude that the proof assistant ANTHEM-P2P can be used to verify equivalence between locally tight …

Form Auto Generation: An Analysis Of Gui Generation, Jedadiah Mcfarland

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) have transformed how we interact with computers, offering visually appealing and intuitive systems. This paper explores the origins and evolution of GUIs, explicitly focusing on form auto-generation in modern GUI-driven environments. Form auto-generation has emerged as a prominent practice, enabling automatic form creation based on predefined models. To better understand form auto-generation, I investigate SurveyJS, an open-source form auto-generation library known for its active development and support. This investigation aims to understand how SurveyJS recognizes and renders objects from a JSON model. The methodology involves a trial and error examination of the library, exploring its live …

External Behavior Of A Logic Program And Verification Of Refactoring, Jorge Fandinno, Zachary Hansen, Yuliya Lierler, Vladimir Lifschitz, Nathan Temple

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Refactoring is modifying a program without changing its external behavior. In this paper, we make the concept of external behavior precise for a simple answer set programming language. Then we describe a proof assistant for the task of verifying that refactoring a program in that language is performed correctly.

System Predictor: Grounding Size Estimator For Logic Programs Under Answer Set Semantics, Daniel Bresnahan, Nicholas Hippen, Yuliya Lierler

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Answer set programming is a declarative logic programming paradigm geared towards solving difficult combinatorial search problems. While different logic programs can encode the same problem, their performance may vary significantly. It is not always easy to identify which version of the program performs the best. We present the system PREDICTOR (and its algorithmic backend) for estimating the grounding size of programs, a metric that can influence a performance of a system processing a program. We evaluate the impact of PREDICTOR when used as a guide for rewritings produced by the answer set programming rewriting tools PROJECTOR and LPOPT. The results …

Efficient Convoy Routing And Bridge Load Optimization User Interface, Brandon Lacy, Will Heller, Yonas Kassa, Brian Ricks, Robin Gandhi

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

No abstract provided.

How To Select Simple-Yet-Accurate Model Of Bridge Maintenance?, Akshay Kale, Yonas Kassa, Brian Ricks, Robin Gandhi

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

No abstract provided.

Developing Architecture For A Routing System Using Bridge Data And Adversary Avoidance, Will Heller, Brian Ricks, Yonas Kassa, Brandon Lacy, Rahul Kamar Nethakani

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

No abstract provided.

Building Explainable Machine Learning Lifecycle: Model Training, Selection, And Deployment With Explainability, Vidit Singh, Yonas Kassa, Brian Ricks, Robin Gandhi

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

No abstract provided.

Progress In A New Visualization Strategy For Ml Models, Alex Wissing, Brian Ricks, Robin Gandhi, Yonas Kassa, Akshay Kale

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Proceedings & Presentations

No abstract provided.

An Application Risk Assessment Of Werner Enterprises, Nathan Andres

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Risk assessments provide a systematic approach to identifying potential risks that could negatively impact an organization’s operations, financial performance, and reputation. Using a risk assessment, companies can evaluate potential risks and vulnerabilities, prioritize them based on their potential impact, and develop strategies to manage and address these risks effectively.

Werner Enterprises Inc. is a nationally known trucking company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska. Our cybersecurity capstone project motivation was to partner with Werner to produce an assessment of known application risks in a functional way that can be repeated for all of Werner’s applications. To achieve this, we created a risk …

Artificial: A Study On The Use Of Artificial Intelligence In Art, Hayden Ernst

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

In the past three to five years there have been significant improvements made in AI due to improvements in computing capacity, the collection and use of big data, and an increase in public interest and funding for research. Programs such as ChatGPT, DALL•E, and Midjourney have also gained tremendous popularity in a relatively short amount of time. This led me to this project in which I aimed to gain a deeper understanding of these art generator AI and where they fit into art as a whole. My goal was to give recommendations to museums and exhibits in Omaha on what …

The State And Use Of Virtual Tutors, Thomas Anthone

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Virtual tutoring is the process by which students and teachers participate in the learning experience in an online, virtual, or networked environment. This process can not only separate the participants from each other in a physical space, but it can also separate them by time. Virtual tutoring can take the form of the group of students coming together synchronously in an online setting and receiving lessons from a single tutor, or by asynchronous learning in which the teacher pre-plans lessons in advance that the students consume on their own time. The advent of online learning technologies and virtual learning environments …

Predicting The Pebcak: A Quantitative Analysis Of How Cybersecurity Education, Literacy, And Awareness Affect Individual Preparedness., Annie Goodman

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This essay explores the relationship between individuals' cybersecurity education, literacy, awareness, and preparedness. While cybersecurity is often associated with complex hacking scenarios, the majority of data breaches and cyber-attacks result from individuals inadvertently falling prey to phishing emails and malware. The lack of standardized education and training in cybersecurity, coupled with the rapid expansion of technology diversity, raises concerns about individuals' cybersecurity preparedness. As individuals are the first line of defense and the weakest link in cybersecurity, understanding the influence of education, literacy, and awareness on their adherence to best practices is crucial. This work aims to survey a diverse …

Attenuated Skeletal Muscle Metabolism Explains Blunted Reactive Hyperemia After Prolonged Sitting, Cody Anderson, Elizabeth Pekas, Michael Allen, Song-Young Park

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Introduction: Although reduced post-occlusive reactive hyperemia (PORH) after prolonged sitting (PS) has been reported as impaired microvascular function, no specific mechanism(s) have been elucidated. One potential mechanism, independent of microvascular function, is that an altered muscle metabolic rate (MMR) may change the magnitude of PORH by modifying the oxygen deficit achieved during cuff-induced arterial occlusions. We speculated that if MMR changes during PS, this may invalidate current inferences about microvascular function during PS. Objective: Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine if peripheral leg MMR changes during PS and to ascertain whether the change in the oxygen deficit …

Healthcare Facilities: Maintaining Accessibility While Implementing Security, Ryan Vilter

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

In the wake of the Tulsa, Oklahoma hospital shooting in the summer of 2022, it was made clear that more security needed to be implemented in healthcare facilities. As a result, I inquired: What is the happy balance for healthcare facilities to maintain their accessibility to the public while also implementing security measures to prevent terrorist attacks? With that base, I give recommendations in the areas of cybersecurity, physical infrastructure, and physical and mental health, based off the existing literature and data gathered from terrorist attacks against hospitals over several decades.

The Effects Of Demographics And Risk Factors On The Morphological Characteristics Of Human Femoropopliteal Arteries, Sayed Ahmadreza Razian, Majid Jadidi, Alexey Kamenskiy

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Background: Disease of the lower extremity arteries (Peripheral Arterial Disease, PAD) is associated with high morbidity and mortality. During disease development, the arteries adapt by changing their diameter, wall thickness, and residual deformations, but the effects of demographics and risk factors on this process are not clear.

Methods: Superficial femoral arteries from 736 subjects (505 male, 231 female, 12 to 99 years old, average age 51±17.8 years) and the associated demographic and risk factor variables were used to construct machine learning (ML) regression models that predicted morphological characteristics (diameter, wall thickness, and longitudinal opening angle resulting from the …