Digital Commons Network^™

Facebook And Relationships: A Study Of How Social Media Use Is Affecting Long-Term Relationships, Rianne C. Farrugia

Theses

An online survey was conducted where 255 respondents provided information about their significant other. Respondents answered questions dealing with elements of relationship satisfaction, Facebook usage, surveillance, and jealousy. Results indicate a correlation between Facebook usage and relationship satisfaction. Individuals with varying levels of Facebook usage were shown to have a positive correlation with jealousy levels in their relationship, meaning as Facebook use increased, jealousy also increased. Altman and Taylor's theory of social penetration (1973) was used to describe the stages in a relationship from orientation into a relationship of stable exchange. This developmental theory illustrated the growth in relationship phases. …

Rescue Breathing In Noisy Environments, Brianna Slutsky

Theses

This study considered rhythmic performance of rescue breathing by trained emergency responders and lay persons. Participants were asked to complete rescue breathing in 10 different scenarios. Such scenarios were intended to evaluate the effects of target rhythms and distractors on the responder's ability to administer rescue breathing ventilations at the appropriate rate and rhythm, in accordance with the standards established by the American Red Cross (2011). Current research concerning rhythmic performance with target and distractor rhythms suggests that auditory rhythms, whether target or distractor, have a greater influence on the motor behaviors of the human than visual rhythms. This research …

University Magazine Fall 2013, University News Service, Office Of Alumni Relations

University Publications

This is the official magazine for RIT Alumni. Issued thrice a year in spring, fall and winter. Printing began in 1999.

Reporter - September 1st 2013, Rit Reporter Staff

University Publications

No abstract provided.

Ntid Focus Fall 2013, Ntid Marketing And Communications

National Technical Institute for the Deaf Papers

No abstract provided.

Framework For Near Real Time Feature Detection From The Atmospheric Imaging Assembly Images Of The Solar Dynamics Observatory, Santosh Suresh

Theses

The study of the variability of the solar corona and the monitoring of its traditional regions (Coronal Holes, Quiet Sun and Active Regions) are of great importance in astrophysics as well as in view of the Space Weather applications. The Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) provides high resolution images of the sun imaged at different wavelengths at a rate of approximately one every 10 seconds, a great resource for solar monitoring . Today, the process of identifying features and estimating their properties is applied manually in an iterative fashion to verify the detection results. We …

Reporter - August 30th 2013, Rit Reporter Staff

University Publications

No abstract provided.

R.M.P. Repetitive Multiple Progression, Nucharin Wangphongsawasd

Theses

In our daily life, we encounter repetitive patterns in many places, from the natural world to manmade objects. Interesting echoes emerge, such as the relationship between the spiral chambers in seashells and spiral staircases. Seashell chambers grow in spirals starting from the center, with each chamber increasing in size over time. Past craftspeople observed this pattern and applied the form to vertical staircases. The repeated step in vertical alignment forming a spiral pattern is a very effective method of construction for limited space, particularly in tall, narrow buildings such as lighthouses. Repetitive patterns create an infinite feeling of progressive movement. …

Optimization Of Inpatient Hemodialysis Scheduling Considering Efficiency And Treatment Delays To Minimize Length Of Stay, Manuel Tolentino Peña

Theses

Inpatient dialysis units face an uncertain daily demand of hemodialysis procedures for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients hospitalized for health conditions that may or may not be directly related to their renal disease. While hospitalized, these patients must receive hemodialysis in addition to any medical services needed for their primary diagnosis. As a result, when demand for inpatient dialysis is high, treatments and procedures required by these inpatients may be delayed increasing their length of stays (LOS). This research presents an optimization approach for daily scheduling of inpatient hemodialysis to maximize the efficiency of the dialysis unit while minimizing delays …

Recurring Side-Chain Triads In Monomeric Enzymatic Structures, Mikhail Osipovitch

Theses

An algorithm was developed to exhaustively screen monomeric enzymatic structures for recurring 3-residue side-chain arrangements. The algorithm was used in the screening of two datasets: 100 enzymatic structures with a recurring 3-residue active site, and 100 enzymatic structures with a unique 3-residue active site. In each structure, the algorithm considered all distinct side-chain triads that can be compiled from the entire complement of residues in a single isolated chain. Increasing chain length demonstrated a logarithmic growth in the number of recurring triads. The distribution of total distances in recurring triads adhered to normality while the distribution of unique triad distances …

An Optimization-Based Approach For Vaccine Prioritization, Timothy Schmoke

Theses

An effective vaccine prioritization process is essential to prevent the many issues that currently weaken global vaccination efforts. Identifying challenges associated with vaccine development is important when considering which initiatives will provide immunization that is effective, affordable, and easy to administer. The process of establishing priorities for vaccine development is complicated, though, by the conflicting interests of multiple stakeholders involved in the vaccine market. Additionally, uncertainties exist regarding: (1) the resources and time required for vaccine development, (2) the expected benefits of development, and (3) the anticipated demand for vaccination, further complicating the prioritization process. This study proposes a decision-support …

Optimization Modeling Approach To Facilitate Decision Making Process Of Energy Planning On College Campuses, Sourabh Jain

Theses

Increasing global environmental problems require a rapid response from universities (Sharp, 2002). Energy consumption of universities is increasing due to, for example, expansion in use of electronics and new building constructions (Levine, 2009; Sharp, 2002). There are increasing numbers of initiatives on university campuses to address climate change. The American College and University President's Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) is an effort by a group of colleges and universities that have pledged to eliminate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from their campus operations and become carbon neutral by a target date set by each university itself (ACUPCC, 2006).

This research presented an optimization …

Silence So Loud, Qian Li

Theses

In this thesis I will examine the relationship between dolls and human beings through a series of oil paintings and installations that involve the arrangement of canvases and small, three dimensional figures. The dolls that I paint are a metaphor for how humans interact. I also have incorporated language into the paintings. By lining up paintings of the dolls to "say" several short statements, each mouth on a doll's face is formed to represent part of a spoken word. Although the dolls attempt to say something, silence still remains. In the following document my childhood influence, and struggle of transforming …

Responsive Website Design For First Unitarian Church And Louis Kahn, Chen Zhang

Theses

Responsive Website Design for First Unitarian Church and Louis Kahn is a thesis project for Master Degree of Fine Arts in Computer Graphics Design program at the Rochester Institute of Technology. This thesis project is to design a responsive website for the First Unitarian Church, a website which has three user experiences: a desktop site, tablet site and a mobile site. The website audience is architecture or design students, professors, and enthusiasts. There are three objectives in this thesis project: first, to design a responsive website for cross-platform experience for users; second, to provide users a real digital visiting experience …

Homecoming, Posheng Chiang

Theses

A 30-minute narrative, based on a true story, Homecoming is about a journey of a family returning to Taiwan for father's funeral and disputing on the control with the uncle because of the cultural differences between Western (USA) and Eastern (Hakka). Through this event, Christian and Hakka conventions on death would be revealed, and reflects the spirits of life in two ways. However, the two generations would eventually find each other the common thing, the love of family. Pre-production of this overseas production happened in Rochester and Taiwan. The shoot was scheduled for 6 days in Taiwan only. The Budget …

A Dynamic Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Mri) Phantom Based On Electric Field Induced Residual Dipolar Couplings, Yujie Qiu

Theses

Multi-center functional MRI (fMRI) research studies are advantageous but unavoidably introduce variations in the results due to differences in imager vendor, magnetic field strength, imaging pulse sequences, and many other aspects. These variations make combining data from different MRI centers risky. Even for a single MRI center, temporal variations over the course of a study can make combining data problematic. Therefore, it is necessary in both situations to perform quality assurance (QA) measurements on a regular basis. Unfortunately, there are no dynamic standards or phantoms as they are called in the MRI community, which can mimic the small, rapidly changing …

Approximate Nearest Neighbors For Recognition Of Foreground And Background In Images And Video, Josh Allmann

Theses

Problems in image matching, saliency detection in images, and background detection in video are studied. Algorithms based on approximate nearest-neighbor matching are proposed to solve problems in these related domains. Image patches are quantized into features using a special Walsh-Hadamard transform, and put into a propagation-assisted kd-tree for indexing and search. Image saliency and background-detection algorithms are then derived by looking at patch similarity over time and space.

An Assessment Of Worldview-2 Imagery For The Classification Of A Mixed Deciduous Forest, Nahid Carter

Theses

Remote sensing provides a variety of methods for classifying forest communities and can be a valuable tool for the impact assessment of invasive species. The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) infestation of ash trees (Fraxinus) in the United States has resulted in the mortality of large stands of ash throughout the Northeast. This study assessed the suitability of multi-temporal Worldview-2 multispectral satellite imagery for classifying a mixed deciduous forest in Upstate New York. Training sites were collected using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, with each training site consisting of a single tree of a corresponding class. Six classes were …

Whole-Transciptome Analysis Of [Psi+] Budding Yeast Via Cdna Microarrays, Jared Carter

Theses

Introduction: Prions of yeast present a novel analytical challenge in terms of both initial characterization and in vitro manipulation as models for human disease research. Presently, few robust analysis strategies have been successfully implemented which enable the efficient study of prion behavior in vivo. This study sought to evaluate the utilization of conventional dual-channel cDNA microarrays for the surveillance of transcriptomic regulation patterns by the [PSI+] yeast prion relative to an identical prion deficient yeast variant, [psi-]. Methods: A data analysis and normalization workflow strategy was developed and applied to cDNA array images, yielded quality-regulated expression ratios for a subset …

Current State Of Chinese Direct Mail Industry, Jinkai Qian

Theses

Indicated by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), direct mail marketing expenditures in the USA were nearly $61.3 billion USD in 2008, which was much higher than that of China's $1.57 billion USD in the same time period (Chinese Graphic Arts Net). Direct mail products---as defined by DMA---include catalogs, letters, brochures, pamphlets, circulars and preprinted inserts, video and audiotapes, diskettes, promotional items and communications sent through the mail or other delivery services. In order to better understand the state of direct mail in China, the researcher conducted six detailed interviews with five Chinese printers and one advertising agency. The result showed …

Volunteer Communication And Media Richness: Recruiting, Communicating With, And Retaining Volunteers, Elizabeth Roach

Theses

With the advancement of online and Internet-based communication, including email and social networking sites, the way in which organizations recruit, communicate with, and retain volunteers is ever evolving. The not-for-profit sector relies heavily on volunteers to help with daily functions, supplementing the need for additional paid staff with volunteers. With the continued growth of Internet use across all generations, leaner media have become the preferred means of communication among volunteers and Volunteer Coordinators. An email survey of more than 100 current volunteers at the Seneca Park Zoo Society was conducted to determine which media channels are used and preferred. Although …

Assessment And Viability For An It Concentration Expansion At Auk, Lumbardh Sokoli

Theses

The research on the topic “Assessment and Viability of IT Concentration Extension at AUK” has been conducted in order to produce a full report on IT concentration by analyzing it from different perspectives. The report assesses the strength and weaknesses of the current IT concentration at AUK and analyzes the enrollment trend over the past years since the concentration initiation. The end purpose of the report is to provide recommendations and guidelines for effective and successful extension of the current IT concentration at AUK but also provide valuable insights in this concentration. AUK is the only higher institution in Kosovo …

Use, But Pay? Factors Affecting The Adoption Of News Websites Among Young Adults, Julian Koegel

Theses

This study explored young people's consumption of and willingness to pay for traditional news websites with both uses and gratifications and diffusion of innovation theory as theoretical frames. Based on a survey sample of U.S. college students, it revealed similarities and differences among certain groups of adopters. Regression analyses found when aiming for new young readers and potential payers, news producers should focus on addressing needs for surveillance, understanding, and entertainment, give as many people the opportunity to try out the website, and target particularly e-book readers, but avoid those playing a lot of online games. Social media features, expressed …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Iii-V Tunnel Field-Effect Transistors For Low Voltage Logic Applications, Brian Romanczyk

Theses

With voltage scaling to reduce power consumption in scaled transistors the subthreshold swing is becoming a critical factor influencing the minimum voltage margin between the transistor on and off-states. Conventional metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) are fundamentally limited to a 60 mV/dec swing due to the thermionic emission current transport mechanism at room temperature. Tunnel field-effect transistors (TFETs) utilize band-to-band tunneling as the current transport mechanism resulting in the potential for sub-60 mV/dec subthreshold swings and have been identified as a possible replacement to the MOSFET for low-voltage logic applications. The TFET operates as a gated p-i-n diode under reverse bias …

Effects Of Reputation And Aesthetics On The Credibility Of Search Engine Results, Bryan Christiansen

Theses

Search engines are the primary gatekeepers of online information, but are judged differently than traditional gatekeepers due to the interactive and impersonal nature of the online search process. The researcher distributed an online survey with 141 respondents and conducted 22 observational interviews. Information credibility was tested through measures of expertise, goodwill, and trustworthiness, which were each correlated with perceived reputation and perceived aesthetics. Search engine reputation was found to have moderate correlations with expertise and trustworthiness, and a lesser, but still moderate correlation with goodwill. Aesthetics was related to the credibility measures in similar but lesser proportions. Interviews indicated search …

Trends In Soft Proofing Utilized As Contract Proofs In Commercial Lithographic Printing, Xi Yang

Theses

The proofing market has changed dramatically in recent decades. The introduction of Soft Proofing Systems--with the ability to quickly produce proofs at each step in the color reproduction process for a lower cost than conventional proofs--has been cited as a factor in changing the economies of this market. According to a research project conducted by Print Industries Market Information and Research Organization (PRIMIR, 2005) titled Dynamics and Trends in Color Proofing 2005-2010, only 1% of the final contract proofs made by respondents were color-managed monitor proofs. This percentage was expected to increase 8% by 2010. A pertinent question as to …

Monitoring The Natural Processing Of Organic Carbon And Phenols In Selective Wetlands Within Monroe County, Ny, Muhammad Rubaiyat

Theses

Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) is one of the largest active organic carbon reservoirs formed from processes that break down terrestrial/aquatic matter and released from plant roots as exudates. In watersheds, DOC is continuously transported and processed through rivers, streams and lakes. DOC is present in wetlands around Monroe County, New York; in areas that function as groundwater recharge, stormwater retention, nutrient retention and habitats for wildlife. The conducted research was an initial step towards a more thorough understanding of DOC's processing, especially in regard to its phenolic content, in small urban/sub-urban wetlands in Monroe County, NY. DOC and phenol concentrations …

Stability Analysis Of Switched Dc-Dc Boost Converters For Integrated Circuits, Kevin Fronczak

Theses

Boost converters are very important circuits for modern devices, especially battery- operated integrated circuits. This type of converter allows for small voltages, such as those provided by a battery, to be converted into larger voltage more suitable for driving integrated circuits. Two regions of operation are explored known as Continuous Conduction Mode and Discontinuous Conduction Mode. Each region is analyzed in terms of DC and small-signal performance. Control issues with each are compared and various error amplifier architectures explored. A method to optimize these amplifier architectures is also explored by means of Genetic Algorithms and Particle Swarm Optimization. Finally, stability …

Large Substitution Boxes With Efficient Combinational Implementations, Christopher A. Wood

Theses

At a fundamental level, the security of symmetric key cryptosystems ties back to Claude Shannon's properties of confusion and diffusion. Confusion can be defined as the complexity of the relationship between the secret key and ciphertext, and diffusion can be defined as the degree to which the influence of a single input plaintext bit is spread throughout the resulting ciphertext. In constructions of symmetric key cryptographic primitives, confusion and diffusion are commonly realized with the application of nonlinear and linear operations, respectively. The Substitution-Permutation Network design is one such popular construction adopted by the Advanced Encryption Standard, among other block …

Simulation And Implementation Of Moth-Eye Structures As A Broadband Anti-Reflective Layer, Ketan Deshpande

Theses

Conventional single layer thin anti-reflective coatings (ARCs) are only suitable for narrowband applications. A multilayer film stack is often employed for broadband applications. A coating of multiple layers with alternating low and high refractive index materials increases the overall cost of the system. This makes multilayer ARCs unsuitable for low-cost broadband applications. Since the discovery of moth-eye corneal nipple patterns and their potential applicability in the field of broadband ARCs, many studies have been carried out to fabricate these bio-inspired nanostructures with available manufacturing processes. Plasma etching processes used in microelectronic manufacturing are applied for creating these nanostructures at the …