Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Generative Adversarial Networks For Image-Based Malware Classification, Huy Nguyen

Master's Projects

Malware detection and analysis are important topics in cybersecurity. For efficient malware removal, determination of malware threat levels, and damage estimation, malware family classification plays a critical role. With the rise in computing power and the advent of cloud computing, deep learning models for malware analysis has gained in popularity. In this paper, we extract features from malware executable files and represent them as images using various approaches. We then focus on Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) for multiclass classification and compare our GAN results to other popular machine learning techniques, including Support Vector Machine

(SVM), XGBoost, and Restricted Boltzmann Machines …

Faking Sensor Noise Information, Justin Chang

Master's Projects

Noise residue detection in digital images has recently been used as a method to classify images based on source camera model type. The meteoric rise in the popularity of using Neural Network models has also been used in conjunction with the concept of noise residuals to classify source camera models. However, many papers gloss over the details on the methods of obtaining noise residuals and instead rely on the self- learning aspect of deep neural networks to implicitly discover this themselves. For this project I propose a method of obtaining noise residuals (“noiseprints”) and denoising an image, as well as …

Robustness Of Image-Based Malware Analysis, Katrina Tran

Master's Projects

Being able to identify malware is important in preventing attacks. Image-based malware analysis is the study of images that are created from malware. Analyzing these images can help identify patterns in malware families. In previous work, "gist descriptor" features extracted from images have been used in malware classification problems and have shown promising results. In this research, we determine whether gist descriptors are robust with respect to malware obfuscation techniques, as compared to Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) trained directly on malware images. Using the Python Image Library, we create images from malware executables and from malware that we obfuscate. We …

Investigating Lattice-Based Cryptography, Michaela Molina

Master's Projects

Cryptography is important for data confidentiality, integrity, and authentication. Public key cryptosystems allow for the encryption and decryption of data using two different keys, one that is public and one that is private. This is beneficial because there is no need to securely distribute a secret key. However, the development of quantum computers implies that many public-key cryptosystems for which security depends on the hardness of solving math problems will no longer be secure. It is important to develop systems that have harder math problems which cannot be solved by a quantum computer.

In this project, two public-key cryptosystems which …

A Novel Handover Method Using Destination Prediction In 5g-V2x Networks, Pooja Shyamsundar

Master's Projects

This paper proposes a novel approach to handover optimization in fifth generation vehicular networks. A key principle in designing fifth generation vehicular network technology is continuous connectivity. This makes it important to ensure that there are no gaps in communication for mobile user equipment. Handovers can cause disruption in connectivity as the process involves switching from one base station to another. Issues in the handover process include poor load management for moving traffic resulting in low bandwidth or connectivity gaps, too many hops resulting in multiple unneccessary handovers, short dwell times and ineffective base station selection resulting in delays and …

Improving User Experiences For Wiki Systems, Parth Patel

Master's Projects

Wiki systems are web applications that allow users to collaboratively manage the content. Such systems enable users to read and write information in the form of web pages and share media items like videos, audios, books etc. Yioop is an open-source web portal with features of a search engine, a wiki system and discussion groups. In this project I have enhanced Yioop’s features for improving the user experiences. The preliminary work introduced new features like emoji picker tool for direct messaging system, unit testing framework for automating the UI testing of Yioop and redeeming advertisement credits back into real money. …

Analysis Of Public Sentiment Of Covid-19 Pandemic, Vaccines, And Lockdowns, Devinesh Singh

Master's Projects

CoV-2 pandemic prompted lockdown measures to be implemented worldwide; these directives were implemented nationwide to stunt the spread of the infection. Throughout the lockdowns, millions of individuals resorted to social media for entertainment, communicate with friends and family, and express their opinions about the pandemic. Simultaneously, social media aided in the dissemination of misinformation, which has proven to be a threat to global health. Sentiment analysis, a technique used to analyze textual data, can be used to gain an overview of public opinion behind CoV-2 from Twitter and TikTok. The primary focus of the project is to build a deep …

Factors Affecting The Production Of Berries Of The Red Huckleberry Plant In The Redwood Experimental Forest, Kagat G. Mcquillen

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Vaccinium parvifolium (red huckleberry) is a culturally and commercially valued food for different coastal tribes of northwestern California.

Today some tribes are regaining access to ancestral lands, and Indigenous researchers are working to document information about culturally significant plant species and their management to reclaim traditional ecological knowledge and restore food sovereignty.

The present study, focused on red huckleberry, Vaccinium parvifolium, took place in the ancestral territory of the Yurok Tribe, currently managed by the US Forest Service as the Redwood Experimental Forest (REF) in Klamath, CA. Geographic Information Systems-based mapping, forest ecological field data collection, and a literature …

It Permeated Everything: A Lived Experience Of Slow Violence And Toxicological Disaster, Tara Jo Holmberg

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Impacts of disasters on individuals are dependent on numerous factors: local to international political dynamics, socioeconomics, geography, educational background, and outside support among others. Currently, much of disaster research focuses on those of natural origin, acute and large-scale environmental events, emergency management, and the ability of individuals, communities, and societies to prepare for, and recover from, likely known disasters in their region. However, there is a lack of data about individual experiences through ‘invisible’ anthropogenic disasters, especially those that fall under the umbrella of slow environmental violence (Davies, 2019; Rice, 2016). Through critical phenomenological autoethnography, I examine an individual experience …

Security Concerns On Machine Learning Solutions For 6g Networks In Mmwave Beam Prediction, Ferhat Ozgur Catak, Murat Kuzlu, Evren Catak, Umit Cali, Devrim Unal

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

6G – sixth generation – is the latest cellular technology currently under development for wireless communication systems. In recent years, machine learning (ML) algorithms have been applied widely in various fields, such as healthcare, transportation, energy, autonomous cars, and many more. Those algorithms have also been used in communication technologies to improve the system performance in terms of frequency spectrum usage, latency, and security. With the rapid developments of ML techniques, especially deep learning (DL), it is critical to consider the security concern when applying the algorithms. While ML algorithms offer significant advantages for 6G networks, security concerns on artificial …

A Comparison Of Deep Learning Algorithms On Image Data For Detecting Floodwater On Roadways, Sarp Salih, Kuzlu Murat, Zhao Yanxiao, Cetin Mecit

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Object detection and segmentation algorithms evolved significantly in the last decade. Simultaneous object detection and segmentation paved the way for real-time applications such as autonomous driving. Detection and segmentation of (partially) flooded roadways are essential inputs for vehicle routing and traffic management systems. This paper proposes an automatic floodwater detection and segmentation method utilizing the Mask Region-Based Convolutional Neural Networks (Mask-R-CNN) and Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN) algorithms. To train the model, manually labeled images with urban, suburban, and natural settings are used. The performances of the algorithms are assessed in accurately detecting the floodwater captured in images. The results show …

Bfv-Based Homomorphic Encryption For Privacy-Preserving Cnn Models, Febrianti Wibawa, Ferhat Ozgur Catak, Salih Sarp, Murat Kuzlu

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Medical data is frequently quite sensitive in terms of data privacy and security. Federated learning has been used to increase the privacy and security of medical data, which is a sort of machine learning technique. The training data is disseminated across numerous machines in federated learning, and the learning process is collaborative. There are numerous privacy attacks on deep learning (DL) models that attackers can use to obtain sensitive information. As a result, the DL model should be safeguarded from adversarial attacks, particularly in medical data applications. Homomorphic encryption-based model security from the adversarial collaborator is one of the answers …

A Pilot Course As A Step Towards New Academic Programs In Renewable Energies, Otilia Popescu, Orlando Ayala, Isaac Flory, Jose Fernandez, Vukica Jovanović

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The challenges arising from climate change have never before in human history been more pressing for solutions. Addressing pollution and the transition to clean energies are essential problems to solve in the upcoming decades. The process of transitioning to renewable energies has started already, with some states leading the process. As the development of industries sees a fast growth, the supply of qualified engineers and technicians to support these industries needs to keep up. At the community college level, some efforts have already started to introduce courses on renewable energies as well as boot camps or certifications to prepare the …

Defensive Distillation-Based Adversarial Attack Mitigation Method For Channel Estimation Using Deep Learning Models In Next-Generation Wireless Networks, Ferhat Ozgur Catak, Murat Kuzlu, Evren Catak, Umit Cali, Ozgur Guler

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Future wireless networks (5G and beyond), also known as Next Generation or NextG, are the vision of forthcoming cellular systems, connecting billions of devices and people together. In the last decades, cellular networks have dramatically grown with advanced telecommunication technologies for high-speed data transmission, high cell capacity, and low latency. The main goal of those technologies is to support a wide range of new applications, such as virtual reality, metaverse, telehealth, online education, autonomous and flying vehicles, smart cities, smart grids, advanced manufacturing, and many more. The key motivation of NextG networks is to meet the high demand for those …

Security Hardening Of Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces Against Adversarial Machine Learning Attacks, Ferhat Ozgur Catak, Murat Kuzlu, Haolin Tang, Evren Catak, Yanxiao Zhao

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Next-generation communication networks, also known as NextG or 5G and beyond, are the future data transmission systems that aim to connect a large amount of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, systems, applications, and consumers at high-speed data transmission and low latency. Fortunately, NextG networks can achieve these goals with advanced telecommunication, computing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in the last decades and support a wide range of new applications. Among advanced technologies, AI has a significant and unique contribution to achieving these goals for beamforming, channel estimation, and Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces (IRS) applications of 5G and beyond networks. However, the …

Development Of Experiential Learning Experiences For K-12 Students Focusing On Smart Cities, Murat Kuzlu, Vukica Jovanovic, Nathan Puryear, Patrick J. Martin, Sherif Abdelwahed, Özgür Güler

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The main objective of this paper is to describe a project focused on the development of experiential learning experiences for undergraduate and graduate students focusing on smart cities. The future workforce needs students with various data analytics skills, service reliability, and sustainability. The team of researchers from Old Dominion University and Virginia Commonwealth University is developing a virtual smart city lab environment at both universities and collaborating on multiple research projects. The main purpose of this virtual labs is to provide a testbed that can be used for students who are interested in careers related to cyber-physical systems (CPS). These …

Strange Stones Of Skull Creek: Basalt Glacial Erratics And Omars In Eastern Nebraska, Robert M. Joeckel, Jesse T. Korus, Judith Turk, C. C. Arps, N. V. Arps, Leslie M. Howard

Conservation and Survey Division

We describe unusual stream- reworked glacially transported rocks (erratics) from a locality 50 km east of the limit of all pre- Illinoian (pre- 190 ka) Pleistocene glaciations in the central USA. Almost all these erratics consist of the igneous rock basalt, and of those, the vast majority have at least one fl at, smooth face. Some have two or more such faces that meet at obtuse angles along one or more well- defi ned, straight edges. We attribute these features, as well as laminations, plumose marks, and other features, to columnar jointing in ancient lava fl ows and shallow intrusions. …

The Impact Of Sampling Methodology On Soil Bulk Density Measurement By The Clod Method, Aldi J. Airori, Trinity Baker, Judith Turk

Conservation and Survey Division

The clod method is a widely used and accurate bulk density method. However, its use is limited to sampling from soil pits. This study was conducted to: 1) determine whether clods collected from cores provide similar bulk density measurements to those collected from soil pits and 2) evaluate the impact of various clod bulk density methods on carbon stock calculation. Clods were collected from soil pits, 5.1 cm soil cores, and 8.9 cm soil cores. Three-dimensional laser scanning was used to measure the volume of the soil clods before and after oven-drying and bulk density was calculated as the dry …

2022 Nebraska Water Leaders Academy Final Report, Mark E. Burbach, Robert Matthew Joeckel, Brooke Mott, Gina S. Matkin

Conservation and Survey Division

Fifteen participants completed the 2022 Water Leaders Academy bringing the total number of graduates to 168 since the inception of the program in 2011. Assessments of participants’ transformational leadership skills, champion of innovation skills, water knowledge, engagement with water issues, civic capacity, entrepreneurial leadership behaviors, and boundary spanning skills increased significantly over the course of the year, according to both the participants and their raters. Feedback from the participants was highly positive and constructive. Academy planners are addressing participant concerns. Results of the program assessment indicate that the curriculum is meeting Academy objectives. Therefore, only minor changes are planned for …

Characterization Of Cyclopropyl Synthases Involved In The Maturation Of Ribosomally Synthesized And Posttranslationally Modified Peptides, Yi Lien

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) are a large class of natural products with significant human health implications. RiPPs are synthesized from a genetically encoded precursor peptide that undergoes significant modifications by maturing enzymes, or maturases. Recently, radical-S-adenosylmethionine (rSAM) enzymes have emerged as an important family of RiPP maturases. rSAM enzymes have been shown to install ether, thioether, and carbon-carbon bonds on the precursor peptide. These modifications usually define the backbone structure of the mature RiPP. This thesis describes the characterization of a novel RiPP modification catalyzed by the radical S-adenosylmethionine enzyme TigE. TigE belongs to the TIG biosynthetic …

Reconstructing Deglacial And Holocene Climatic And Environmental Change In The Snowy Mountains Of Southeast Australia, Aidan Warner Burdick

WWU Graduate School Collection

Multi-proxy, long-term records of deglacial and Holocene climatic and environmental change in southeast Australia are rare, leaving the region a gap in local and large-scale synoptic climate reconstructions. The Snowy Mountains include the highest and coldest regions of mainland Australia and were the only part of the mainland that was glaciated during the late Pleistocene. Lakes formed by the glaciers have provided continuous sediment traps since glacial retreat following the Last Glacial Maximum. In this report, I reconstruct the maximum ice extents of glaciers during the last glacial period and estimate their equilibrium line altitudes, revising the work of Barrows …

Glacier Peak And The Chocolate Factory: Recurring Debris Flows From The Eastern Flank Of Glacier Peak Stratovolcano, North Cascades, Washington State, Usa, Edward M. Fordham

WWU Graduate School Collection

Alpine mass wasting events can have wide ranging impacts that extend past their headwater origins reaching down to lowland population centers. The Suiattle River, which drains the eastern flank of Glacier Peak in the North Cascades of Washington State, is a dominant contributor of suspended sediment in the region. Normalized for drainage area, the Suiattle River supplies more suspended sediment than nearly any other river in the region and more than twice as much as the White Chuck River, which drains the western flank of the volcano. Despite its known importance to the regional sediment budget, the specific geomorphic drivers …

Synthesis, Characterization, And Applications Of Thiolated Silk Fibroin, Jeremy Martinez Talusig

WWU Graduate School Collection

Thiolated polymers, or thiomers, have demonstrated advanced adhesion to biological surfaces such as mucus membranes due to their ability to form disulfide bonds to the cysteine-rich domains in mucin making them an attractive drug delivery system. Silk fibroin, a protein derived from the Bombyx mori silkworm, offers a biocompatible and biodegradable platform absent in other thiomer systems. However, due to the small percentage of native cysteine residues in silk, installation of additional thiols is essential to create an advanced thiomer adhesive. In this research, covalent attachment of non-native thiols to the tyrosine residues of silk fibroin is accomplished with a …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Plga Capped Gold Nanoparticles For Use In Cancer Therapeutics, Tara Chin

WWU Graduate School Collection

This research project aims to create gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized with PLGA (poly(lactic co-glycolic acid)) polymers for generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) by way of Xray irradiation for use in cancer therapies. The current methods of cancer treatment rely on drugs and/or chemotherapy depending on the type of cancer present; these methods come with varying success rates which are also dependent on how severe the condition has become (the lower the severity, the higher chance of success). The latest method of cancer treatment is proton beam radiation therapy (PBRT) which can be specific in its targeting but not very cost …

Faith In A Changing Climate: Policy Framing And Southern Evangelical Christian Views On Climate Policy, Sydne Tursky

WWU Graduate School Collection

As the effects of climate change become more severe, many environmentalists push for federal climate policy to limit greenhouse gas emissions. However, no federal climate policy has amassed enough support to pass, largely because of America’s contentious political climate. White evangelical Christians, who are often Republican, trend toward climate change skepticism and climate policy opposition. They comprise 25% of voters in the United States (National Election Pool, 2016). Therefore, climate policies must have bipartisan appeal to pass. Policy makers may generate bipartisan appeal through creative framing of climate policy that emphasizes more than just the environmental benefits of climate change …

Analysis Of Eelgrass In Padilla Bay, Washington Using An Uncrewed Aerial System, Hannah Hein

WWU Graduate School Collection

Eelgrass is an important part of coastal environments in the Pacific Northwest as it provides crucial habitat and moderates storm surge. Padilla Bay, Washington is home to one of the largest eelgrass meadows in North America and contains the native Zostera marina and the non-native Z. japonica. The relationship between these two species is of interest due to the influx of Z. japonica in previously unvegetated areas. I used an uncrewed aerial system (UAS) and a multispectral camera to study species dynamics. I compared the ability of values derived from the band data, two vegetation indices, and a principal …

The Curious Case Of Concept: A Nation-Wide Survey Of Faculty Beliefs About Quantum Mechanics Concept Inventories Uncovers New Details Regarding Physical Chemistry Experts’ Understanding Of Conceptual Knowledge., Matt Smiley

WWU Graduate School Collection

According to the chemistry education literature, physical chemistry educators strongly believe developing students’ conceptual understanding is important; however, the vast majority of educators (84%) were found to assess students predominantly on mathematical knowledge. To better serve students of physical chemistry, the cause of misalignment between stated learning goals and assessment needs to be elucidated. To this end, the Faculty Perceptions of Published Quantum Mechanics Assessments Survey (FPPQMA) was developed. The FPPQMA is designed to probe physical chemistry educators’ beliefs regarding the dichotomy between conceptual and mathematical knowledge. In addition to free response questions that ask respondents to define conceptual and …

Assessing The Use Of The California Sea Cucumber (Apostichopus Californicus) Within Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture (Imta), Casey Pruitt

WWU Graduate School Collection

There has been recent interest in Washington State, USA in the culture of the California sea cucumber (Apostichopus californicus) for both wild-stock enhancement and as an aquaculture resource. The species is a good candidate for Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA), where the animals are supported entirely on the excess organic biodeposits from existing floating aquaculture operations (e.g., bivalves or finfish). In IMTA, excess nutrients and organic materials from higher-trophic-level organisms are taken up by lower-trophic-level species, providing both environmental benefits and secondary products for sale. Unfortunately, a reliable longterm tagging and tracking method is not currently known for A. …

Testing Potential Triggering Mechanisms Of Long-Runout Catastrophic Rock Avalanches In The Nooksack River Basin, Whatcom County, Washington, Eric R. Brown

WWU Graduate School Collection

The Nooksack basin contains five large Holocene long-runout rock avalanche deposits. Similarities and spatial proximity of the deposits suggest that they may share a common triggering mechanism. Two of the deposits, Van Zandt Landslide Complex (VZLC) and Church Mountain Sturzstrom (CMS) have published ages that overlap with prehistoric earthquakes, suggesting seismicity may be the cause. To further test this idea, I mapped and dated the remaining three deposits, Racehorse Creek (RHC), Middle Fork (MFN), and Maple Falls (MF). To establish ages for the slides, I combined radiocarbon dating of organics in sediment cores from bogs in the debris fields and …

Somatic Learning And Eco-Anxiety In Environmental Education Teacher Preparation, Pippa Hemsley

WWU Graduate School Collection

This study investigated the potential for somatic pedagogies to address eco-anxiety among prospective environmental educators. Although it can also have positive effects, eco-anxiety often becomes an overwhelming experience that contributes to high levels of burnout and inaction. Somatic pedagogies are those that purposefully include a sensory-reflective component. A short curricular intervention was implemented in an environmental education curriculum class of 19 undergraduate students to explore how using somatic pedagogies to reflect on eco-emotions impacted readiness to address eco-anxiety in their future teaching, and in what ways somatic pedagogies might support environmental education teacher preparation. Using grounded theory methodology to analyze …