Computer Sciences Commons^™

Modeling And Visualization Of Uncertainty-Aware Geometries Using Multi-Variate Normal Distributions, Christina Gillman, Thomas Wischgoll, Bernd Hamann, James Ahrens

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Many applications are dealing with geometric data that are affected by uncertainty. It is important to analyze, visualize, and understand the properties of uncertain geometry. We present a methodology to model uncertain geometry based on multi-variate normal distributions. In addition, we propose a visualization technique to represent a hull for uncertain geometry capturing a user-defined percentage of the underlying uncertain geometry. To show the effectiveness of our approach, we have modeled and visualized uncertain datasets from different applications.

Next Generation Tcp/Ip Side Channels, Xu Zhang

Computer Science ETDs

Side channel techniques have been developed in recent years to fulfill various tasks in modern computer network measurements. However, due to their nature, these techniques are typically limited in terms of both fidelity and their ability to be used on the real Internet without raising ethical concerns because of packet rates. I propose the next generation of TCP/IP side channel techniques that exploit information flow in modern systems’ network stacks to overcome weaknesses in previous techniques. The proposed work is novel, non-intrusive, and can carry out measurements with high fidelity. I achieved this by deeply understanding the behaviors of modern …

Proactive Empirical Assessment Of New Language Feature Adoption Via Automated Refactoring: The Case Of Java 8 Default Methods, Raffi Khatchadourian, Hidehiko Masuhara

Publications and Research

Programming languages and platforms improve over time, sometimes resulting in new language features that offer many benefits. However, despite these benefits, developers may not always be willing to adopt them in their projects for various reasons. In this paper, we describe an empirical study where we assess the adoption of a particular new language feature. Studying how developers use (or do not use) new language features is important in programming language research and engineering because it gives designers insight into the usability of the language to create meaning programs in that language. This knowledge, in turn, can drive future innovations …

Using Github In Large Software Engineering Classes: An Exploratory Case Study, Miroslav Tushev

LSU Master's Theses

GitHub has been recently used in Software Engineering (SE) classes to facilitate col- laboration in student team projects. The underlying tenet is that the technical and social feature of GitHub can help students to communicate and collaborate more effectively as a team as well as help teachers to evaluate individual student contribution more objectively. To shed more light on this, in this case study, we explore the benefits and drawbacks of using GitHub in SE classes. Our study is conducted in a software engineering class of 91 students divided into 18 teams. Our research method includes an entry and an …

Creative Graphical Coding Via Pipelined Pixel Manipulation, Dale E. Parson

Computer Science and Information Technology Faculty

Creative coding is the act of computer programming intended to create aesthetic artifacts in one or more digital media such as graphical images, animated videos, computer games, or musical performances. Visual artists and musicians use computers to compose, to render, and to perform. Algorithms remain as important as they are for any computer program, but their intent is to inspire, or at least to entertain, in contrast to more utilitarian applications of algorithms. This paper outlines the software structures and aesthetic perspectives of two novel algorithms for the creative manipulation of pixels in the Processing language. The first algorithm focuses …

Multiple Sclerosis Identification Based On Fractional Fourier Entropy And A Modified Jaya Algorithm, Shui-Hua Wang, Hong Cheng, Preetha Phillips, Yu-Dong Zhang

Publications and Research

Aim: Currently, identifying multiple sclerosis (MS) by human experts may come across the problem of “normal-appearing white matter”, which causes a low sensitivity. Methods: In this study, we presented a computer vision based approached to identify MS in an automatic way. This proposed method first extracted the fractional Fourier entropy map from a specified brain image. Afterwards, it sent the features to a multilayer perceptron trained by a proposed improved parameter-free Jaya algorithm. We used cost-sensitivity learning to handle the imbalanced data problem. Results: The 10 × 10-fold cross validation showed our method yielded a sensitivity of 97.40 ± 0.60%, …

Identification Of Individuals From Ears In Real World Conditions, Earnest Eugene Hansley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A number of researchers have shown that ear recognition is a viable alternative to more common biometrics such as fingerprint, face and iris because the ear is relatively stable over time, the ear is non-invasive to capture, the ear is expressionless, and both the ear’s geometry and shape have significant variation among individuals. Researchers have used different approaches to enhance ear recognition. Some researchers have improved upon existing algorithms, some have developed algorithms from scratch to assist with recognizing individuals by ears, and some researchers have taken algorithms tried and tested for another purpose, i.e., face recognition, and applied them …

Entropic Bounds On Two-Way Assisted Secret-Key Agreement Capacities Of Quantum Channels, Noah Anthony Davis

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In order to efficiently put quantum technologies into action, we must know the characteristics of the underlying quantum systems and effects. An interesting example is the use of the secret-key-agreement capacity of a quantum channel as a guide and measure for the implementation of quantum key distribution (QKD) and distributed quantum computation. We define the communication task of establishing a secret key over a quantum channel subject to an energy constraint on the input state and while allowing for unlimited local operations and classical communication (LOCC) between a sender and receiver. We then use the energy-constrained squashed entanglement to bound …

Topical Analysis Of The Enron Emails Using Graph Theory, Casey Kalinowski

Student Scholar Showcase

The Enron Scandal of the early 2000s shook the financial world. The subsequent investigation of the Enron Corporation resulted in the arrests of many top-level executives, but are these employees the only ones responsible for the wide scale fraud in the company? A topical analysis of a social network of over 150 employees of the Enron Corporation using Graph Theory could result in new findings or prove that the investigators were correct in their original findings. The research is a retrospective analysis of a corpus of over 500,000 emails from more than 150 employees and top-level executives of the Enron …

Profiling The National Center For Atmospheric Research’S Weather Research And Forecasting Model, Jacob Miller, Jeremy Evert

Student Research

This project employs High Performance Computing (HPC) to analyze the National Center for atmospheric research’s Weather, Research, and Forecasting Model (NCAR-WRF). Once an appropriate profiler is found, it will be used to determine if NCAR-WRF is compute bound, meaning its speed is determined by the power of its processors, or memory bound, meaning that the wall clock time is determined by the amount of available memory.

Introducing Hpc To Local High School Curriculums, Madison Matli, Devin Smoot, Jeremy Evert

Student Research

High Performance Computing is a topic that hasn’t been introduced or discussed in most Oklahoma high school curriculums. While students are being pushed to take more general electives, they are missing out on important knowledge pertaining to their field of study. This process usually occurs because students lack access to educational materials or because the school simply does not offer certain specialty courses. Learning high level information at a young age can help students excel in future college courses and research projects. My research is focused on providing Oklahoma high schools with a simplistic High-Performance Computing guide that walks through …

Perfsonar And Offn: Diagnosing And Testing Science Dmz Connections For The High-Speed Transfer Of Large Datasets On Oneoklahoma Friction Free Network, Dylan Ortega, Jeremy Evert

Student Research

The OneOklahoma Friction Free Network (OFFN) is a Science DMZ network that is designed with the purpose of enabling collaboration between high performance computing centers and higher learning institutions from across the state of Oklahoma. OFFN allows researchers the ability to transfer datasets at speeds faster than a standard internet connection by allowing direct connections to servers on OFFN by not having to deal with firewalls. We use PerfSonar to measure the performance of OFFN. A PerfSonar testing server is needed on each OFFN node to monitor the health of the network as a whole. PerfSonar can perform response testing, …

A Radiative Transfer Framework For Non-Exponential Media, Benedikt Bitterli, Srinath Ravichandran, Thomas Müller, Magnus Wrenninge, Jan Novák, Steve Marschner, Wojciech Jarosz

Computer Science Technical Reports

We develop a new theory of volumetric light transport for media with non-exponential free-flight distributions. Recent insights from atmospheric sciences and neutron transport demonstrate that such distributions arise in the presence of correlated scatterers, which are naturally produced by processes such as cloud condensation and fractal-pattern formation. Our theory accommodates correlations by disentangling the concepts of the free-flight distribution and transmittance, which are equivalent when scatterers are statistically independent, but become distinct when correlations are present. Our theory results in a generalized path integral which allows us to handle non-exponential media using the full range of Monte Carlo rendering algorithms …

Multi-Point Vibration Measurement And Mode Magnification Of Civil Structures Using Video-Based Motion Processing, Zhexiong Shang, Zhigang Shen

Department of Construction Engineering and Management: Faculty Publications

Image-based vibration measurement has gained increased attentions in civil and construction communities. A recent video-based motion magnification method was developed to measure and visualize small structure motions. This new approach presents a potential for low-cost vibration measurement and mode shape identification. Pilot studies using this approach on simple rigid body structures were reported. Its validity on complex outdoor structures has not been investigated. In this study, a non-contact video-based approach for multi-point vibration measurement and mode magnification is introduced. The proposed approach can output a full-field vibration map that increases the efficiency of the current structural health monitoring (SHM) practice. …

Rtk4all: Implementing A Low-Cost And Accurate Positioning System, Charcey Petersen, Andrew Berns

Research in the Capitol

Global positioning systems are in many electronic devices for location based functionality. These systems yield position accuracy within 5 meters. Survey grade location information yield position accuracy within centimeters. Survey grade equipment costs tens of thousands of dollars to collect high accuracy location data. However, highly accurate data is crucial to utilizing imagery captured with unmanned aerial systems. This project introduces a low cost alternative to a survey grade system. By utilizing the open source library RTKLIB and electrical system design this project implemented a network of ground control points embedded with real time kinematic capabilities. These ground control points …

Supporting User Evaluation Of Messaging Interactions With Potential Romantic Partners Discovered Online, Douglas Zytko

Dissertations

Online dating systems have transformed the way people pursue romance. To arrive at a decision to meet for a face-to-face date, users gather information about each other online pertinent to romantic attraction. Yet sometimes they discover on the date that they made the wrong choice. One aspect of online dating system-use that may be a contributing factor, but is largely overlooked in the literature, is interaction through text-based messaging interfaces. This dissertation explores how messaging interactions inform face-to-face meeting decisions through two qualitative studies, and explores through a mixed methods field study how innovative messaging interfaces that embody theory from …

An Investigation Of Scenic Visualization Using Virtual Reality During Rehearsal, Cyrus Jian Bonyadi

Computer Science

In this paper, we discuss the use of virtual reality as a tool for actors during the rehearsal process and assess methods to implement and continue this research in future works. During the rehearsal process, the scenic design is normally introduced to actors close to the end of rehearsals. In introducing a virtual reality environment to train actors, we hoped to help them develop a better understanding of the design at an earlier point in the process. Our investigative pilot study involves two productions in a university theatre, where we render the scenic design of the production for which our …

Survey Of Techniques For Producing Blended Images: A Case Study Using Rollins College Archives, Hannah Holman

Computer Science

The Rollins College Archives are a treasure trove of historic resources relating to the college’s history, and they are often underutilized or overlooked by both the student body and the surrounding community. In particular, historic resources are all too often excluded from work in computer science and related fields. This project aims to bridge that gap by bringing the two areas together. To that end, the goal of this project is to merge past and present by blending historic photos with input of a present day scene in order to reveal changes and juxtapositions of the same scene across eras. …

Economics Of Commitment: Why Giving Away Some Freedom Makes Sense, Vladik Kreinovich, Olga Kosheleva, Mahdokhat Afravi, Genesis Bejarano, Marisol Chacon

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

In general, the more freedom we have, the better choices we can make, and thus, the better possible economic outcomes. However, in practice, people often artificially restrict their future options by making a commitment. At first glance, commitments make no economic sense, and so their ubiquity seems puzzling. Our more detailed analysis shows that commitment often makes perfect economic sense: namely, it is related to the way we take future gains and losses into account. With the traditionally assumed exponential discounting, commitment indeed makes no economic sense, but with the practically observed hyperbolic discounting, commitment is indeed often economically beneficial.

Fixing The Future, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Silicon Valley’s business model has wreaked havoc on the world. Human agency will be crucial to save it

The World Wide Web, when it exploded into mainstream culture in the mid-1990’s, promised to democratise information and level a playing field that had become tilted towards the rich and elite. When the United States Congress enacted the 1996 Communications Decency Act to regulate pornographic material on the internet, activist John Perry Barlow wrote A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace, urging governments to “leave us alone” in a realm where “anyone, anywhere may express his or her beliefs, no matter …

Making Scientific Applications Portable: Software Containers And Package Managers, Curtis Noecker

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

Scientific workflows for high-performance computing (HPC) are becoming increasingly complex. Developing a way to simplify these workflows could save many hours for both HPC users and developers, potentially eliminating any time spent managing software dependencies and experiment set-up. To accomplish this, we propose using two programs together: Docker and Spack. Docker is a container platform and Spack is a package manager designed specifically for HPC. In this paper, we show how Docker and Spack can be used to containerize the extreme-scale Scientific Software Development Kit (xSDK). Doing this makes the xSDK far more accessible to non-computer scientists and lowers time …

Cross-Platform Openhds Web Application, Nick Littlefield

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

A proof of concept cross platform data collection application for Demographic and Health studies has been developed. This application allows for the collection of information about locations, individuals, births, and deaths within a region. This application can be run on both mobile devices, laptops, and desktops.

Surveying Digital Collections Stewardship In Nebraska [Original Survey Form], Jennifer L. Thoegersen, Blake Graham

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Data Repository

No abstract provided.

Why Bellman-Zadeh Approach To Fuzzy Optimization, Olga Kosheleva, Vladik Kreinovich

Departmental Technical Reports (CS)

In many cases, we need to select the best of the possible alternatives, but we do not know for sure which alternatives are possible and which are not possible. Instead, for each alternative x, we have a subjective probability p(x) that this alternative is possible. In 1970, Richard Bellman and Lotfi Zadeh proposed a heuristic method for selecting an alternative under such uncertainty. Interestingly, this method works very well in many practical applications, while similarly motivated alternative formulas do not work so well. In this paper, we explain the empirical success of the Bellman-Zadeh approach by showing that its formulas …

Social Recommendations For Personalized Fitness Assistance, Saumil Dharia, Magdalini Eirinaki, Vijesh Jain, Jvalant Patel, Iraklis Varlamis, Jainikkumar Vora, Rizen Yamauchi

Faculty Publications

Wearable technology allows users to monitor their activity and pursue a healthy lifestyle through the use of embedded sensors. Such wearables usually connect to a mobile application that allows them to set their profile and keep track of their goals. However, due to the relatively “high maintenance” of such applications, where a significant amount of user feedback is expected, users who are very busy, or not as self-motivated, stop using them after a while. It has been shown that accountability improves commitment to an exercise routine. In this work, we present the PRO-Fit framework, a personalized fitness assistant aiming at …

Similarity Based Classification Of Adhd Using Singular Value Decomposition, Taban Eslami, Fahad Saeed

Parallel Computing and Data Science Lab Technical Reports

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common brain disorders among children. This disorder is considered as a big threat for public health and causes attention, focus and organizing difficulties for children and even adults. Since the cause of ADHD is not known yet, data mining algorithms are being used to help discover patterns which discriminate healthy from ADHD subjects. Numerous efforts are underway with the goal of developing classification tools for ADHD diagnosis based on functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging data of the brain. In this paper, we used Eros, which is a technique for …

Feature Detection In Medical Images Using Deep Learning, Anthony Pasquarelli

Honors Projects in Information Systems and Analytics

This project explores the use of deep learning to predict age based on pediatric hand X-Rays. Data from the Radiological Society of North America’s pediatric bone age challenge were used to train and evaluate a convolutional neural network. The project used InceptionV3, a CNN developed by Google, that was pre-trained on ImageNet, a popular online image dataset. Our fine-tuned version of InceptionV3 yielded an average error of less than 10 months between predicted and actual age. This project shows the effectiveness of deep learning in analyzing medical images and the potential for even greater improvements in the future. In addition …

Automatic Analysis Of Musical Lyrics, Joanna Gormley

Honors Senior Capstone Projects

Is music getting less sophisticated over time? That is the question which this study aims to answer, with the goal of improving upon previous analysis done on the topic. The blog posts which inspired this project lacked accuracy and dimensionality. Realizing that a larger data set of songs would make a significant difference in the precision of our analysis, we set out to design a piece of software constructed with the capability to analyze several thousand songs. Mimicking previous works which analyzed sophistication of music, the software focuses on the lyrics of songs. Three metrics were used in order to …

The Algorithmic Composition Of Classical Music Through Data Mining, Tom Donald Richmond, Imad Rahal

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

The desire to teach a computer how to algorithmically compose music has been a topic in the world of computer science since the 1950’s, with roots of computer-less algorithmic composition dating back to Mozart himself. One limitation of algorithmically composing music has been the difficulty of eliminating the human intervention required to achieve a musically homogeneous composition. We attempt to remedy this issue by teaching a computer how the rules of composition differ between the six distinct eras of classical music by having it examine a dataset of musical scores, rather than explicitly telling the computer the formal rules of …

In The Beginning... A Legacy Of Computing At Marshall University, Jack L. Dickinson, Arnold R. Miller Ed.E

Manuscripts

This book provides a brief history of the early computing technology at Marshall University, Huntington, W.Va., in the forty years: 1959-1999. This was before the move to Intel and Windows based servers. After installation of an IBM Accounting Machine in 1959, which arguably does not fit the modern definition of a computer, the first true computer arrived in 1963 and was installed in a room below the Registrar’s office. For the next twenty years several departments ordered their own midrange standalone systems to fit their individual departmental requirements. These represented different platforms from different vendors, and were not connected to …