Computer Sciences Commons^™

Privacy-Preserving Structure Learning For Geospatial Data Using Information-Theoretic Dependency Measures, Ahmed Mudhish

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation proposes a privacy-preserving framework for structure learning in Bayesian networks (BNs) that addresses the challenges of distributed geospatial data face. Geospatial datasets often exhibit region-specific patterns such as sparsity and nonlinear dependencies. These patterns undermine the effectiveness of traditional machine learning models. Additionally, learned BN structures may reveal sensitive relationships in the generated graph by BNs. These relationships pose a significant privacy risk if reverse-engineered. To address these issues, three novel algorithms are introduced. First, the Selective Naïve Bayes with HSIC (SNB-HSIC) algorithm applies a kernel-based dependency measure to filter redundant and irrelevant features in sparse datasets, improving …

Federated Boolean Matrix Factorization Using Integer Programming, Quynh Anh Nguyen, Ngoc Nguyen, Nhat Phan

Research from the Berry Summer Thesis Institute, 2025

Identifying the underlying structural patterns in data and extracting meaningful insights is a key challenge in data analysis. One effective approach to this problem is matrix factorization (MF), which approximates large matrices with lower-dimensional representations, making it effective for uncovering hidden patterns. MF techniques are widely applicable across various domains, such as recommender systems, cancer genomics, system identification, clustering, and image processing. Despite their effectiveness, existing MF methods often struggle with computational constraints and convergence challenges when tackling large-scale, nonsmooth, and nonconvex optimization problems, which are common in real-world applications.

This project aims to explore both the theoretical understanding and …

An Envisioned And Efficient Design Of Next Generation Decentralized Iot Bot Detection Model, Ahmed Abdullah Almalki

Doctoral Dissertations

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) are revolutionizing critical infrastructures, but their expansion has also introduced severe cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Traditional IoT Bot Detection Systems (IBDS) struggle to scale in environments characterized by high-dimensional, large-scale, and redundant network traffic. These challenges hinder the development of reliable cloud-based intrusion detection systems. The limitations of static and rulebased methods in detecting evolving IoT botnet attacks—such as those launched by Mirai and Gafgyt—underscore the need for intelligent, adaptive approaches. To address this, the present study proposes a machine learning and deep learning-driven IoT Botnet Detection Model, validated through …

Developing Deep Learning Methods For Cognitive Impairment Detection Based On Non-Invasive Data, Muath Alsuhaibani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive impairment detection is on the rise to help reduce the burden of healthcare costs on institutions and individuals. Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is an early stage of cognitive decline progressing to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or AD-related Dementia (ADRD). Detecting the early stages of AD/ADRD is crucial for early interventions among older adults to mitigate cognitive decline over time. However, the current diagnostic methods are often costly and/or invasive, such as MRI and PET scans. Thus, the search for non-invasive and cost-effective screening tools for the early detection of cognitive impairment using speech, language, visual, and motor data is growing. …

Protecting Networks Against Entry-Point Attacks, Shivani Mishra

Theses - ALL

In many network applications, it is critical to protect sensitive nodes from discovery by malicious crawlers. This thesis addresses the network protection problem from the data protector’s perspective, focusing on strategically deleting edges to hide target nodes from entry-point attacks. Earlier work on this problem proposed node-level scores to identify key edges for deletion. We propose two novel edge-level scoring functions to identify critical edges for removal: the Shortest Path Change Score (SPCS), which quantifies the damage an edge’s removal causes to shortest paths, and the PageRank Edge Flow Score (PEFS), which estimates an edge’s usage in random walks from …

A Model Of Blind Quantum Diffusion, John Carver Vining

Dissertations - ALL

We introduce the Blind Quantum Diffusion Network (BQDN), a quantum computational framework designed for distributed systems operating under conditions of partial observability and asynchronous communication. BQDN generalizes the structure of Generalized Boolean Networks (GBNs) by replacing classical multivalued logic nodes with quantum registers, enabling the use of superposition, entanglement, and unitary evolution to model distributed computation and state propagation. Building on the properties of W-states and quantum teleportation protocols, the BQDN leverages entangled coin registers and a token-based control mechanism to implement blind diffusion across a graph. The system achieves synchronization-free evolution without classical coordination by embedding decision-making within quantum …

Designing A Data Collection And Visualization Toolkit For Scalable Tensor Algebra In Quantum Chemistry Applications, Epiya J. Ebiapia

LSU Master's Theses

Large-scale quantum chemistry computations, such as those executed with the Tensor Algebra for Many-body Methods (TAMM) framework, require careful configuration of runtime parameters to achieve high performance and cost efficiency in high-performance computing (HPC) and cloud environments. Without effective performance analysis tools, researchers risk inefficient use of computational resources, leading to longer runtimes and higher costs.

To address this challenge, this thesis presents the design and implementation of a performance profiling and visualization toolkit for TAMM, developed as part of the DOE TEC4 project in collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Microsoft, and Louisiana State University. The toolkit collects detailed …

Impact Of Retrieval Augmented Generation And Large Language Model Complexity On Undergraduate Exams Created And Taken By Ai Agents, Erick S. Tyndall, Colleen Gayheart, Alexandre Some, Joseph Genz, Torrey J. Wagner, Brent T. Langhals

Faculty Publications

The capabilities of large language models (LLMs) have advanced to the point where entire textbooks can be queried using retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), enabling AI to integrate external, up-to-date information into its responses. This study evaluates the ability of two OpenAI models, GPT-3.5 Turbo and GPT-4 Turbo, to create and answer exam questions based on an undergraduate textbook. 14 exams were created with four true-false, four multiple-choice, and two short-answer questions derived from an open-source Pacific Studies textbook. Model performance was evaluated with and without access to the source material using text-similarity metrics such as ROUGE-1, cosine similarity, and word embeddings. …

Mathematics And Mental Health: An Interdisciplinary Analysis Of Ai In Counselor Education, Jennifer M. Hightower, Catrina A. May

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Although use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in mental health care has become increasingly common, many professional counselors remain under informed about foundational components of AI. Fundamental issues associated with AI, including model bias and the Black Box Problem, must be considered as these tools become integrated into the counseling profession. This manuscript provides an interdisciplinary, theoretical analysis of AI use in counseling and counselor education grounded in foundational knowledge of AI and the American Counseling Association’s recommendations for the ethical integration of AI (Butler et al., 2023). The paper summarizes these recommendations, establishes accessible definitions of AI terms, explains the …

Investigating Resilience Of Cyberattack Detection Using Lyapunov-Based Economic Model Predictive Control To Data Poisoning, Helen Durand, Akkarakaran Francis Leonard

Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Faculty Research Publications

Cyberattacks may be performed on process control systems due to their integration of networking and computing with physical systems. Prior work in our group has developed detection strategies for nonlinear systems under sensor, actuator, and combined sensor and actuator attacks which can ensure, under characterizable conditions, that attacks can be detected before they cause safety issues. However, this work did not take into account the potential that an attacker could attempt to provide data to a process that causes an attack to remain undetected but that also is consistent with different process dynamics than those which the process has. This …

Response Of Dynamic Processes With Control Implemented On A Noisy Quantum Computer, Shilpa Narashimhan, Dominic Messina, Henrique Oyama, Helen Durand

Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Faculty Research Publications

A major challenge to determining the applicability (and potential outperformance over classical computers) of a quantum computer (QC) within chemical manufacturing processes is quantum noise. Computations by a QC are error-prone due to the influence of quantum noise inherent to the hardware. Errors in control inputs may destabilize a chemical process and lead to unsafe conditions for manufacturing personnel and the environment. The response of a process with control implemented on a QC to errors due to noise must be investigated thoroughly. In this work, the impacts of control input errors due to quantum noise on a process are modeled …

Heuristic Strategies For Process Stabilization Using Proportional Control Implemented By A Noisy Quantum Simulator, Keshav Kasturi Rangan, Helen Durand

Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Faculty Research Publications

Processing and storage demands of industrial processes are causing fields such as optimization, scheduling, and control to assess the effectiveness of quantum devices in their applications. A key objective of control systems is to ensure process safety. This paper focuses on the potential of quantum devices to compute control inputs that maintain system safety despite sources of nondeterminism inherent to currently available quantum devices (quantum noise). In our previous work, we employed a quantum simulator to assess whether a quantum implementation of a proportional (P) control law could stabilize a single-input/single-output system under quantum noise approximated from a real quantum …

Tools To Design Algorithms For Implementing Control Over Quantum Computers, Shilpa Narashimhan, Jihan Abou Halloun, Kip Nieman, Helen Durand

Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Faculty Research Publications

Quantum computers (QCs) may find future applications within control systems that operate manufacturing processes. For application within control engineering, quantum algorithm development must be led by control engineers. However, control engineers may face challenges in designing quantum algorithms for control engineering problems. In this work, we provide several path-finding studies that leverage engineering tools such as optimization, encryption, and computational "short-cuts" toward making algorithm design for QC easier for control engineers.

Modeling The Importance Of Life Exposure Factors On Memory Performance In Diverse Older Adults: A Machine Learning Approach, Evan Fletcher, Marianne Chanti-Ketterl, Emily Hokett, Yi Lor, Umesh Venkatesan, Ruijia Chen, Omonigho M. Bubu, Rachel Whitmer, Paola Gilsanz, Zvinka Z. Zlatar

Moss-Magee Rehabilitation Papers

INTRODUCTION: Many health life exposure factors (LEFs) influence cognitive decline and dementia incidence, but their relative importance to episodic memory (an early indicator of cognitive decline) among diverse older adults is unclear. We used machine learning to rank LEFs for memory performance in a large and diverse US cohort.

METHODS: Kaiser Healthy Aging and Diverse Life Experiences (KHANDLE) and Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans (STAR), participants underwent neuropsychological testing and answered questionnaires about multiple LEFs. XGBoost and Shapley Additive exPlanation values ranked the importance of factors influencing cross-sectional episodic memory in the full sample and by sex and …

Scene Generation Method For Maritime Target Recognition Based On Detection Parameters, Yuxuan Run, Dezhen Yang, Yeyang Liu, Wei Deng, Xiangyu Xing, Yi Ren

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Traditional scene generation methods for maritime target recognition consider only the effects of different environments on the generated scene data, while overlooking the changes in scene information caused by sensor detection parameters, resulting in a lack of accuracy and authenticity in generated scenes. To address this issue, a detection parameter-based scene generation method for maritime target recognition was proposed. For the task of maritime target recognition, key detection parameters affecting scene generation quality and essential scene features were analyzed. An association relationship modeling method based on Bayesian networks was proposed to construct a mapping relationship model between scene features …

Ship Fire Prediction Method Based On Evidence Theory With Fuzzy Reward, Chunyu Yang, Chuang Zhang, Xiaofan Zhang

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: A multi-source information fusion approach based on the dempster-shafer (D-S) evidence theory with a fuzzy reward-penalty mechanism was proposed to address the issues of underreporting and false reporting in the early prediction of ship fires. PyroSim was utilized to construct a ship's laboratory model for fire simulation. Variations in carbon monoxide, temperature, and smoke concentration were recorded for data acquisition, followed by the application of a sigmf function for membership assignment. By leveraging the classical D-S theory, a reward-penalty mechanism was applied in weighted evidence fusion. Reward-penalty factors were utilized to differentiate various basic probability assignments, with unified belief …

Research On Joint Simulation Of Special Vehicle Engine Operation Characteristics Based On Virtual Driving Scenarios, Xueyuan Xie, Chen Lin, Han Wu, Qinglan Zhao, Junfei Gao, Qiangguo Hao, Xinqian Zheng

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: The preliminary design of the overall operation performance of diesel engines cannot be guided by actual vehicle driving tests, which hinders the improvement of the power development level and efficiency of special vehicles. By using the virtual visual simulation engine Unity3D, two virtual driving scenario models were established: a flat road scenario and an undulating road scenario. Based on the speed characteristic parameters of the engine, a diesel engine's operation performance output model was constructed. Combined with the transmission system model and the longitudinal dynamics model of the vehicle's center of mass, a straight vehicle driving dynamics model was …

Short-Term Load Forecasting Based On Dual-Attention Temporal Convolutional Long Short-Term Memory Network, Lifen Li, Jinyue Zhang, Wangbin Cao, Huawei Mei

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: In order to improve the accuracy of load forecasting and fully extract the hidden relationships between load and other characteristic factors, a load forecasting method based on dual-attention temporal convolutional LSTM network (DA-TCLSNet) was proposed. Correlation analysis was conducted on the dataset using the maximum information coefficient method to perform feature screening to reduce the computational cost of the model. The model input was constructed using a sliding window. The DATCLSNet forecasting model was constructed. The temporal convolutional layer extracted dependencies at different time scales and captured the nonlinear characteristics among variables such as load and weather. The multi-head …

Dynamic Testing Architecture Of Intelligent Unmanned Systems Based On Parallel Battlefields, Dayong Liu, Zhiming Dong, Qisheng Guo, Wenjun Zhang, Jiancheng Gao

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: To improve the inadequacy of traditional test and identification systems, this paper proposed an overall architecture for dynamic testing across the entire lifecycle based on the concept of parallel battlefield (integration of physical, virtual, and cognitive battlefields), meeting the new requirements for the testing of intelligent unmanned systems. This architecture included high-fidelity mapping between virtual and physical battlefields, red-blue adversarial deductions and model optimization, simulation to reality (Sim2Real), human-machine collaboration, and cloud-end integrated control, as well as multidimensional assessment and confidence analysis. Centered on the principles of "mutual driving between virtual and physical battlefields, dynamic closed-loop, human-machine collaboration, and …

Adaptive Sampling And Ghost Multi-Scale Fusion For Lightweight Weld Defect Detection, Bin Lu, Xuan Yang, Zhenyu Yang, Xiaotian Gao

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: To improve the accuracy and speed of welding defect detection and achieve lightweight models, a lightweight weld defect detection network based on YOLOv8, named light adaptive-weight sampling-YOLO (LAW-YOLO), was proposed. A lightweight adaptive weight sampling LAWS module was designed. It constructed an adaptive weight attention feature map by learning the interacting features within the receptive field. An optimized efficient weighted bidirectional feature pyramid network was adopted as the feature extraction backbone in LAW-YOLO. Furthermore, a ghost multi-scale sampling module was designed, and a hybrid attention mechanism was introduced to enhance the detection capability for small-scale defect targets. Experimental results …

Resource Allocation Method For Virus Spreading Control Based On Multi-Granularity Cooperative Coevolution, Xuanli Shi, Weineng Chen, An Song, Tianfang Zhao

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: According to the principle of simplifying a complex problem into sub-problems for solution, a resource allocation method for virus spreading control based on multi-granularity cooperative coevolution (MGCC) was proposed. According to the characteristics of human's social network structures, MGCC decomposed the network into sub-networks with different scales according to different decomposition granularities. A contribution-based decomposition granularity selection strategy was proposed. Historical archives were used to record the contribution of different decomposition granularities to optimization, and the appropriate decomposition granularity was selected according to the optimization status. A projection-based constraint repairing strategy was designed to ensure the feasibility of solutions. …

Research On Simulation Technology Of Fire Extinguishing In Engine Compartment Of Special Vehicle, Jianmin Niu, Yue Zhong, Feng Xu, Jindun Ma

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: In view of the difficulty of measuring the detection response time and evaluating fire extinguishing abilities of the fire extinguishing system after a fire accident in the engine compartment, the turbulence model was adopted, and numerical modeling of the fire propagation and the diffusion process of Halon fire extinguishing agent during the firefighting process was carried out. The development of fire and the fire extinguishing process at the corner and the middle position of the vehicle compartment was simulated, and the temperature changes during the occurrence and extinguishing of fires in different environments were collected, so as to obtain …

Multi-Robot Hierarchical Collaborative K-Robust Path Planning For Path Interference, Kaixiang Zhang, Jianlin Mao, Niya Wang, Zhihao Xu

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: To plan collision-free paths for multiple robots in interference environments, based on the multi-robot k-robust path planning, this paper designed a multi-robot hierarchical collaborative k-robust path planning framework. In the priority optimization layer, in response to the starting predicament caused by the solution sequence, the multi-robot path solving sequence was determined based on the closure factor. In the multi-robot robust coordination layer, with the goal of improving solution efficiency, a safety interval was introduced as the basis for the design of k-robustness and collision-free avoidance. A collision-free path constraint for multiple robots in the sense of k-robustness was given. …

Storage Life Assessment Methods For Long-Term Storage Products Based On Multi-Scale Simulation: A Review, Hongmin Li, Xiao Han, Shuo Huang, Shengpeng Zhang, Shuanglong Rong, Hao Li, Cheng Qian

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Traditional experiment-based life assessment methods for long-term storage products suffer from drawbacks such as prolonged duration, high cost, and low prediction accuracy, greatly limiting the effectiveness of storage life assessment in practical applications. With the advancement of digital simulation technology, simulation analysis methods based on the physics of failure (PoF) have emerged as a research hotspot in the field of storage life assessment, as they can accurately characterize product aging behavior. The multi-scale characteristics of long-term storage products and their typical storage failure modes and mechanisms were analyzed. Multi-scale modeling and simulation analysis methods for storage failures of fundamental …

Research On Digital Simulation Method For Cognitive Load Evaluation Of Pilots, Zeng Fan, Mingjun He, Xiangyu Xing

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: The operator's cognitive load constitutes a critical determinant of task performance. Pilots, as the primary operators of aircraft, must face an overwhelming volume of information during complex missions, which significantly heightens the risk of cognitive overload and operational errors. Evaluating cognitive load during tasks helps reduce human errors and improve system safety by optimizing design schemes. A simulation model was established to dynamically predict the pilots' cognitive load during tasks for multi-task scenarios. Based on the multiple resource theory, a method for quantifying cognitive load in multi-task conditions was established. By considering cognitive capacity, task time constraints, task priority, …

Digital Testing And Evaluation: Current Status, Challenges, And Prospects, Bo Sun, Kai Zheng

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Digital testing and evaluation (DTE) represents a novel paradigm in the evolution of testing and evaluation methodologies within the digital era. It is achieved through the integration of multiple digital theories and technologies to conduct testing and evaluations in the digital domain. This paper analyzed the characteristics of test objects across different historical periods, reviewed the core features of testing and evaluation techniques in each stage, and unveiled the paradigm shifts within the testing and evaluation technology system. Building upon this foundation, it explored the new demands placed on testing by test objects in the information age, clarifying the …

Simulation And Optimization Of Support Processes For Aircraft Fleet Launch Under Limited Resources, Feng Gong, Tao Jiang, Qin Zhang, Yu Liu

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: To address the scheduling problem of aircraft fleet support processes under limited resources, a fleet support process optimization model that covered multiple aircraft, activities, and resource constraints was developed. An activity node graph model was used to establish the temporal logic, resource competition, and other constraints in the fleet support process, forming a "time – activity – resource" multidimensional optimization model. A genetic algorithm based on priority encoding was proposed, incorporating a serial decoding strategy and a dynamic penalty function to handle the complex constraints in the model, efficiently solving the optimization problem under complicated temporal and resource constraints. …

Optimization Of Product Oil Distribution With Multiple Trips And Multiple Due Dates Under Dynamic Demand, Yong Xie, Hailong Gao, Yutao Chen, Huanjiang Wang

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: In the case of dynamic demand, considering the order due date, vehicle transportation time window, and other factors, this paper developed an optimization model of periodic product oil distribution with multiple trips and multiple due dates to maximize the distribution revenue. The paper also designed a reinforcement learning-based large neighborhood search algorithm to solve the problem. The initial solution was constructed based on the forward insertion heuristic algorithm. Then, a deep reinforcement learning model for neighborhood operator selection was designed. By fitting the action value function through the double deep Q network, the optimal neighborhood operator was selected, and …

Research On 3d Visualization Of Safety Monitoring And Early Warning For Steel Continuous Casting Scenarios, Wei Zhang, Wei Sheng, Yidan Cao, Tingsheng Zhao

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: In order to improve the visualization and integration of production safety monitoring and fault warning, a three-dimensional (3D) visualization model architecture for whole-process industrial production safety monitoring and early warning for steel continuous casting scenarios was designed. By using 3ds Max and Unity3D, a multi-dimensional and multi-scale model was built, and functional modules such as visualization display and multi-level early warning for safety monitoring data were developed. By combining WebGL technology and Node. js runtime environment, the visualization of whole-process industrial production safety monitoring based on Web terminal was realized. The alarm threshold determination method for whole-process industrial production …

Trajectory Planning And Tracking For Multi-Quadcopter In Dynamic Obstacle Environments, Haosheng Jiang, Fangfang Wu, Zexian Huang, Ziyue Ma, Chunyun Dong, Xubin Ping

Journal of System Simulation

Abstract: Multi-quadrotor UAV systems face challenges when performing complex tasks in dynamic obstacle environments. Therefore, a comprehensive particle swarm optimization-based task allocation method, a trajectory planning integrating the traditional Informed-RRT* and A* algorithms, and a trajectory tracking method based on model predictive control were designed. The multi-quadrotor task allocation problem was constructed as a classical multiple traveling salesman problem, and then, the particle swarm optimization was used to assign the task to multi-quadrotor UAVs. A fusion algorithm that combined the advantages of traditional Informed-RRT* and A* algorithms for quadrotor UAV trajectory planning was designed, so as to ensure that a …