Computer Sciences Commons^™

Beyond Human-Centric Models In Cybersecurity Education: A Pilot Posthuman Analysis Of The Nice Workforce Framework For Cybersecurity, Ryan Straight

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

This study applies a posthuman lens to the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Workforce Framework, examining two key Work Roles in cybersecurity education. Employing a novel posthuman coding scheme, the associated Tasks, Knowledge, and Skills (TKS) statements were analyzed. Findings reveal significant posthuman elements within the framework while identifying opportunities for further integration. The analysis demonstrates a strong presence of human-technology entanglement and adaptive learning concepts, yet highlights areas where the framework could emphasize system complexity and interconnectedness. This research contributes to ongoing discussions on cybersecurity education in complex technological landscapes, proposing a theoretical framework for integrating posthuman concepts …

Between Copyright And Computer Science: The Law And Ethics Of Generative Ai, Devin R. Desai, Mark Riedl

Northwestern Journal of Technology and Intellectual Property

Copyright and computer science continue to intersect and clash, but they can coexist. The advent of new technologies such as digitization of visual and aural creations, sharing technologies, search engines, social media offerings, and more, challenge copyright-based industries and reopen questions about the reach of copyright law. Breakthroughs in artificial intelligence research, especially Large Language Models that leverage copyrighted material as part of training, are the latest examples of the ongoing tension between copyright and computer science. The exuberance, rush-to-market, and edge problem cases created by a few misguided companies now raises challenges to core legal doctrines and may shift …

Phishing Emails: An Evolving Cyberattack, Brooke Waltz

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

This paper describes the history of phishing attacks and how they turned into cyberattacks, focusing on companies. Over the course of 34 years, phishing has been evolving at an alarming rate, especially with AI now coming into play. As phishing attacks have become more prominent towards companies, there has been an increase in financial loss and data breaches, resulting in a loss of trust in companies. With this loss, companies are trying to find solutions to this problem. Some notable attacks were the RSA breach in 2011, the Texas Energy Company in 2014, and the ILOVEYOU virus in 2000. They …

Machine Learning-Driven Process Analysis And Optimization In Solid-State Welding And Fusion-Based Additive Manufacturing, Radif Uddin Ahmed

Master's Theses

In the modern era of advanced manufacturing, optimizing process parameters is pivotal in ensuring the quality and reliability of sophisticated component fabrication. This study presents a novel, data-driven approach to parameter optimization in two cutting-edge manufacturing techniques: Friction Stir Welding (FSW) and Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF). By leveraging machine learning methodologies, this research addresses the critical challenge of efficiently determining optimal process parameters, a task traditionally relying on time-consuming and resource-intensive trial-and-error methods. This study will lead to a robust data-driven framework for process analysis of more advanced manufacturing techniques like the Additive Friction Stir Deposition (AFSD) process. Friction …

Improving College Students’ Attention Retention With A Brain-Controlled Drone Simulation, Ji Won Bae

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In contemporary society, individuals are continuously exposed to a plethora of stimuli, which can precipitate distractions and impede cognitive performance in tasks such as professional work and academic studies. This investigation proposes an innovative approach aimed at enhancing attentional focus through the utilization of Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI). BCIs represent advanced methodologies for deciphering neural activity patterns. Specifically,electroencephalography (EEG), a technique for monitoring the brain's electrical signals, serves as the foundation for BCI applications. EEG analyses reveal distinctive wave patterns indicative of states of concentration, vigilance, and cognitive engagement. Consequently, BCIs hold promise for the real-time assessment of users' attentional states. …

Robotic Multi-Object Grasping From A Pile: Techniques And Algorithms For Enhanced Dexterity, Tianze Chen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As robots become increasingly integrated into real-world applications such as warehousing, fulfillment centers, and manufacturing, the need for efficient and adaptable robotic systems grows. One of the key challenges is enabling robots to grasp multiple objects simultaneously, as this significantly boosts the efficiency of tasks like batch picking, sorting, and object transferring, reducing both time and energy consumption. This dissertation presents a comprehensive multi-object grasping (MOG) pipeline that includes pre-grasp selection, end-pose selection, grasping synergy calculation, and a data-driven model for estimating the number of objects being grasped. Central to this work is the development of the Experience Forest structure, …

Developing Robotic Task Planning Methods For Diverse Real-World Challenges, Md Sadman Sakib

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The deployment of robotic systems across various domains has expanded significantly, with applications ranging from domestic tasks, such as cleaning and cooking, to industrial operations requiring precision and automation. These advancements highlight the critical importance of effective task planning in ensuring that robots can perform tasks safely, efficiently, and autonomously. However, task planning in robotics faces challenges related to generalization, executability, flexibility, and limitations in existing knowledge bases.

This dissertation addresses these challenges through innovative strategies aimed at enhancing robotic task planning and execution. We first focus on adapting to unknown scenarios by utilizing the Functional Object-Oriented Network (FOON) to …

Exploring Factors That Influence Artificial Intelligence Adoption In Banks And Credit Unions, Vijaya S. Tumma

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The importance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is exploding in the banking sector, fueled by enhanced productivity, improved efficiencies, and personalized services to the consumers. For credit unions, the adoption of AI technologies presents opportunities and challenges. This research explores the factors influencing AI adoption in the banking sector through the lens of Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) framework. This study aims to explore the influence of key aspects of UTAUT model, Performance Expectancy (PE), Effort Expectancy (EE), Social Influence (SI), and Facilitating Conditions (FC) on the intention of AI adoption among credit unions, banks, and their …

Multi-Dimensional Visualization Strategies Using Web Scraping Tools: A Word Formation Synthesis Case Study For Russian Verbs Of Sound, John Simmons

Graduate Student Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

Coding Connections: Exploring Relationships Between Computer Science Learning And Mathematics Achievement In Secondary Education, Bradley Hayes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation in practice explores the intersection of computer science education, specifically computational thinking and programming, with mathematics achievement among 15-year-old students in selected English-speaking countries. The research addresses a gap in understanding whether skills developed through computer science can positively influence mathematics performance by assessing the extent to which learning in computer science transfers to mathematics.

To achieve this, a quantitative methodology was employed, incorporating pilot study data from a single school and large-scale survey data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022. The analysis assessed the correlation between regular participation in programming activities and mathematics attainment, …

Balancing Context And Clarity Through Visualizations For Better Decision-Making, Bhavana Doppalapudi

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this era of a data driven world, the effective communication of data through visualizations is pivotal for converting complex information into accurate insights. Effective visualizations not only enhance users' comprehension of complex data but also induce trust, leading to better decision-making. This dissertation explores methods to improve trust in visualizations by providing additional context and enhancing their clarity, ensuring appropriate data interpretations and better decisions from users.

The work in the dissertation begins by examining the impact of scatterplots combined with statistical metrics such as accuracy on users' trust and decision-making focused on recommender systems. In addition, we show …

Intersections Of Living And Machine Agencies: Art-Based Models Of Adaptive Conversation With The More-Than-Human World, Carlos Castellanos

Tradition Innovations in Arts, Design, and Media Higher Education

Today’s AI systems are not built to have reciprocal interplay with their environments and thus they demonstrate little interest in emergence, adaptation or developing mutually productive relationships with the natural world. Is a different kind of AI possible? How can artists contribute to its development? In this essay, I will discuss ways in which the arts might help guide us towards a new kind of AI, built upon adaptive conversation (i.e. shared construction of meaning) with nature. I will discuss how can work with AI while also challenging its prevailing ontology, and even suggest alternative ontologies and epistemologies. I will …

Internet Of Medical Things: Integrating Machine Learning And Wearables For Healthcare, Jingwen Zhang

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), which integrates Internet of Things technologies into healthcare, has become a powerful tool for enhancing health monitoring and predicting clinical outcomes. By leveraging wearable devices, IoMT facilitates continuous, cost-effective, and convenient tracking of patients' health conditions over time. This dissertation applies data-driven methods to address critical clinical challenges involving wearable devices. Specifically, it focuses on three significant clinical problems: (1) indoor contact tracing for healthcare workers using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons, (2) predicting surgical outcomes using wearable data, and (3) developing robust models for surgical outcome prediction that account for patient variability using …

Internet Of Medical Things: Integrating Machine Learning And Wearables For Healthcare, Jingwen Zhang

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), which integrates Internet of Things technologies into healthcare, has become a powerful tool for enhancing health monitoring and predicting clinical outcomes. By leveraging wearable devices, IoMT facilitates continuous, cost-effective, and convenient tracking of patients' health conditions over time. This dissertation applies data-driven methods to address critical clinical challenges involving wearable devices. Specifically, it focuses on three significant clinical problems: (1) indoor contact tracing for healthcare workers using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons, (2) predicting surgical outcomes using wearable data, and (3) developing robust models for surgical outcome prediction that account for patient variability using …

A Method For Key Node Identification In Operational Target System Based On War Gaming, Yongfu Zhang, Yang Liu, He Yuan

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: The identification of key nodes in an operational target system is an important basis for combat command decision-making. Due to the lack of experimental verification of key node identification in the current operational target system in a campaign-level dynamic confrontation environment, a complex network model of operational target system with large-scale entities and complex interaction relationship was constructed by taking integrated air defense network as an example, with the help of the data derived from the large joint war gaming; the characteristics of wargame data were considered, and the value characteristics of combat targets and network structure characteristics were …

Platform Path Optimization Method Based On Cumulative Detection Probability Of Sonar Search, Xiang Wei, Xingxuan Liu, Dianzheng Fu, Tianji Yang, Jiaxuan Yang

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: To address the lack of research on the optimal path of mobile search platform to search for moving targets, this paper proposes a path optimization method of mobile search platform based on cumulative search probability theory. Based on the cumulative detection probability (CDP), one of the important criteria of sensor performance evaluation, a single-peak CDP calculation formula is constructed by using a time series correlation model, namely the (λ, σ) process model. A set of target motion scenarios are constructed, and the trajectory probability of target scenarios and their CDP at different time are corrected by Bayesian posterior probability. …

Modeling For Decision Support Of Flight Ground Support Process, Zhiwei Xing, Ruiwen Yu, Biao Li, Zhaoxin Chen

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Aiming at the problems of insufficient decision-making ability and low operational efficiency of the flight ground support process, a decision support model of the flight ground support process based on the department of defense architecture framework (DoDAF) is proposed. Starting from the support operation, support resources, and the relationship between them, the quantitative description of the flight ground support process is performed. DoDAF and the model-based systems engineering (MBSE) modeling method are combined to establish a decision support model of the flight ground support process. The decision utility function is established to analyze the utility value of the comprehensive …

End-To-End Motion Planning Of Unmanned Vehicles Based On Multimodal Deep Reinforcement Learning, Kaiyuan Ding, Askar Hamdulla, Bin Zhu, Eksan Firkat, Zhengtang Ma

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Since the agent cannot sense the surrounding environment and cannot successfully avoid obstacles, reinforcement learning fails to be generalized to robot motion planning in difficult terrain. Therefore, a solution based on multimodal deep reinforcement learning, which learns to blend proprioceptive states with high-dimensional depth sensor inputs, is proposed for the motion planning of unmanned vehicles. To be specific, proprioceptive states offer contact measurement for immediate reaction, and the unmanned vehicle can learn and forecast environmental changes with its attached visual sensors, proactively navigating around obstacles and uneven terrains numerous time steps ahead. TransProAct (transformer-based proactive action), a unique end-to-end …

Flexible Job Shop Scheduling Method Based On Collaborative Agent Reinforcement Learning Algorithm, Jian Li, Huankun Li, Pengbo He, Huabei Wang, Liping Xu, Kui He

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: To enhance the efficiency of flexible job shop scheduling, this paper develops a Markov decision process with specific constraints tailored to the scheduling problem. A cooperative agent reinforcement learning method is proposed to solve the problem of concurrent selection of workpieces and machines. During the construction of the Markov decision process, a disjunctive graph is introduced to represent the state characteristics. Two agents are introduced to select the workpieces and machines. The reward parameters governing the entire scheduling process are established by predicting variations in the minimum-maximum completion time across different time points. A GIN(graph isomorphic network) graph neural …

Dual-Resource Constrained Distributed Flexible Scheduling For Aerospace Structural Components, Yufang Wang, Dianqing Zhang, Xiaolin Hua, Binbin Yao, Fan Chen

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: A dual-resource constrained distributed flexible job-shop scheduling model was established by taking into account the worker constraints of the finishing process and the requirements of distributed multi-factory collaboration in the production of aerospace structural components. A hybrid grey wolf optimization algorithm based on the critical factory was proposed to solve this problem. The model contained four subproblems: factory selection, operation sequencing, machine selection, and worker selection. In view of these four sub-problems, a four-layer coding and a new decoding method were designed to avoid the use conflict of machines and workers. In addition, a new mechanism for hunting and …

Misinformation, Fraud, And Stereotyping: Towards A Typology Of Harm Caused By Deepfakes, Paulina Trifonova , '25, Sukrit Venkatagiri

Computer Science Faculty Works

Scholars, politicians, and journalists have raised alarm over the potential for AI-generated photos, video, and audio—often referred to as deepfakes—to reduce trust in one another and our institutions. Despite these clarion calls, little empirical work exists on how deepfakes are being used to harm individuals outside of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII). This research provides a preliminary analysis of 50 wide-ranging incidents of deepfake harm. We find that the most common types of harm are relational, systemic, financial, and emotional. Apart from AI-generated NCII, the most prevalent uses of deepfakes to cause harm were instances of mis- and disinformation, fraud, and …

Video Label Refinement And Temporal Localization Using Motion Signal Patterns, Jennifer Piane

College of Computing and Digital Media Dissertations

Performing video analysis for activity recognition presents challenges beyond classification, including obtaining class labels and performing temporal localization. One such challenge is precisely labeling a video with class labels having the exact start and end frames of an activity - a difficult task for a human to perform. Moreover, the task of annotating a video at any level of precision can quickly become tedious, impacting the attentiveness of the annotator and resulting in class label errors. Temporally localizing an activity within a video presents a second challenge. This dissertation investigates novel signal and image processing methods for motion features extracted …

Automatic Detection Algorithm For Typical Defects Of Substation Based On Improved Yolov5, Zhongkai Xu, Yanling Liu, Xiaojuan Sheng, Chao Wang, Wenjun Ke

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: In response to the challenges present in the context of defect recognition in substations, such as complex substation defects and sample imbalance, an improved YOLOv5 algorithm was proposed. The Transformer model was introduced into the YOLOv5 network structure, leveraging the self-attention mechanism to capture long-range dependencies among features. A focal loss-based optimization was employed to improve the loss function, as well as the detection accuracy and robustness of defects of small sample substations. To meet the requirements of substation defect recognition, a dedicated dataset was constructed. A clustering algorithm was applied to the real annotation boxes to generate more …

Analyzing And Extending Machine Learning Frameworks On High Risk Domains, Chengbin Hu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Machine learning (ML) has become a transformative force in high-risk domains such as genomics and cybersecurity, where accurate predictions and robust defenses are essential. This dissertation advances ML frameworks in these areas by developing methods to enhance predictive power in health applications and assess vulnerabilities in machine learning systems.

In the genomics field, the work addresses challenges in Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) of monogenic disorders by proposing a deep learning model that reconstructs the fetal genome using maternal plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and parental whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data. This model achieves high accuracy in single nucleotide variation (SNV) prediction, surpassing …

Hacker, Their Actions, And Fear Appeal: A First Look Through The Lens Of Children, Rizu Paudel, Mahdi Nasrullah Al-Ameen

Computer Science Student Research

With the increasing use of computers and smartphones by children, their online safety has become a major concern due to the lack of security awareness. Prior studies pointed to children's poor password habit and vague perceptions on the significance of passwords. While users must be sufficiently motivated to perform a target behavior, a little study to date, focused on understanding how we can encourage children towards strong password creation. As we begin to address this gap, we examined children's perceptions of adversary's actions that instill fear in the context of password compromise. Our semi-structured interviews with 20 children (aged between …

Flowgpt: Exploring Domains, Output Modalities, And Goals Of Community-Generated Ai Chatbots, Xian Li, Yuanning Han, Di Liu, Pengcheng An, Shuo Niu

Computer Science

The advent of Generative AI and Large Language Models has not only enhanced the intelligence of interactive applications but also catalyzed the formation of communities passionate about customizing these AI capabilities. FlowGPT, an emerging platform for sharing AI prompts and use cases, exemplifies this trend, attracting many creators who develop and share chatbots with a broader community. Despite its growing popularity, there remains a significant gap in understanding the types and purposes of the AI tools created and shared by community members. In this study, we delve into FlowGPT and present our preliminary findings on the domain, output modality, and …

Harnessing Llms For Automated Video Content Analysis: An Exploratory Workflow Of Short Videos On Depression, Jiaying (Lizzy) Liu, Yunlong Wang, Yao Lyu, Yiheng Su, Shuo Niu, Orson Xuhai Xu, Yan Zheng

Computer Science

Despite the growing interest in leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs) for content analysis, current studies have primarily focused on text-based content. In the present work, we explored the potential of LLMs in assisting video content analysis by conducting a case study that followed a new workflow of LLM-assisted multimodal content analysis. The workflow encompasses codebook design, prompt engineering, LLM processing, and human evaluation. We strategically crafted annotation prompts to get LLM Annotations in structured form and explanation prompts to generate LLM Explanations for a better understanding of LLM reasoning and transparency. To test LLM's video annotation capabilities, we analyzed 203 …

Object Detection Of Lightweight Transformer Based On Knowledge Distillation, Gaihua Wang, Kehong Li, Qian Long, Jingxuan Yao, Bolun Zhu, Zhengshu Zhou, Xuran Pan

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: In autonomous driving, the efficiency and accuracy of object detection are significant. Object detection based on Transformer structure has gradually become the mainstream method, eliminating the complex anchor generation and non-maximum suppression (NMS). It has problems of high computing cost and slow convergence. An object detection model of the based lightweight pooling transformer (LPT) is designed, which contains a pooling backbone network and dual pooling attention mechanism. A general knowledge distillation method is intended for the DETR (detection transformer) model, which transfers prediction results, query vector, and features extracted by the teacher as knowledge to the LPT model to …

A Hybrid Genetic Search Algorithm For Capacitated Electric Vehicle Routing Problem, Dongyao Jin, Mi Liu, Yena Zhu, Yijiang Zhao

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: The capacitated electric vehicle routing problem (CEVRP) is an NP-hard combinatorial optimization problem in logistics distribution, aiming to minimize the total delivery distance of electric vehicles while satisfying carrying capacity and battery charge constraints. A hybrid genetic search algorithm is proposed to solve CEVRP by decomposing it into two subproblems: capacitated vehicle routing problem (CVRP) and fixed-route vehicle charging problem (FRVCP). A coding scheme with a two-layer chromosome structure is designed to represent the decision variables of these two subproblems. A Split operation is employed to generate vehicle routes for solving CVRP, and five neighborhood search operators, including Relocate, …

Traffic Sign Recognition Model With Long-Tail Distribution Based On Yolox-Tiny, Yunpeng Wu, Yingxiong Fu, Lijun Shen, Feng Cui

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Accurate recognition of traffic signs plays an important role in the field of intelligent driving. Traffic sign training datasets with long-tail distribution increase the difficulty of traffic sign recognition. A traffic sign recognition model with long-tail distribution based on YOLOX-Tiny was proposed to improve the poor performance of the model trained on long-tail distribution datasets. A long-tail traffic sign dataset was created based on the TT100K_2021 (tsinghua-tencent 100K 2021) dataset. YOLOX-Tiny was chosen as the underlying model by considering picture numbers in datasets, sample distribution, and model size. Equalization loss v2 (EQL v2) was used as classification loss to …