Digital Commons Network^™

Web-­Based Single Sign-On: An Examination Of Security And Usability, Samuel Waters

Theses

Among system administrators, users are generally considered the weakest link in the security chain. One of the biggest concerns is how users create and remember passwords. To try and ensure the security of their systems, administrators will generally create policies regarding how complex a user's password must be, and will exhort the user to never write down, share, or reuse that password. On the surface, this seems like good security sense, and from an administrator's perspective, it is. However, to the user, who may have dozens of unique accounts, stringent policies create a significant cognitive burden. As such, users are …

Environmental Science In Middle School Curricula: A Pilot Project In The Dominican Republic, Laura Tejeda

Theses

The Dominican Republic's (DR) public investment in education by 2010 was 2% of the GNP; falling behind the 6% minimum established by UNESCO in 2010 as a requirement to achieve quality education. The DR has not developed an Environmental Education policy. The DR's Environment Law 64-00 dictates Environmental Education to be introduced as one of the cross-cutting themes called "transverse axis" into the general curricula of all schools. However; due to lack of time and teachers able to integrate these axes into lesson plans, they were seldom implemented. This pilot project took place at The Community for Learning School (TCFL). …

Micro-Extrusion Process Parameter Modeling, Anuj Datar

Theses

Direct write processes are a family of technologies with the ability to deposit functional structures directly onto planar and non-planar surfaces. Direct writing includes a variety of processes that use different mechanisms to transfer materials on to substrates and can be generally distinguished from conventional rapid prototyping processes by a feature resolution in the sub-micron to micron range. The dispensing system studied in this thesis is a pneumatically actuated micro-extruder which is capable of processing a wide variety of materials. This material dispensing tool is capable of depositing small amounts of material to build three dimensional structures in an accurate …

Aerosol Jet Deposition Of Samarium-Doped Ceria Films, Niranjan Damle

Theses

Direct write processes include a range of additive manufacturing technologies. These technologies are employed to fabricate structures by depositing layer upon layer of functional material. The feature resolutions obtained are often in the micron or sub-micron range. This thesis focuses on use of the Aerosol Jet direct write printing process, which shows promise for the fabrication of ceramic films due to its fine feature resolution and flexibility with printing complex features. This study identifies significant process parameters and their relationship to the process output for deposition of Samarium-doped Ceria (SDC) nano-ink. A design of experiments approach is used to generate …

A Comparison Of Two Concurrent Think-Aloud Protocols: Categories And Relevancy Of Utterances, Katie Greiner

Theses

This paper discusses the results of an exploratory study that compared type and quality of participant verbalizations experienced from two concurrent think-aloud methods. The speech communication and traditional think-aloud methods were compared in terms of the number of participant utterances spoken and relevancy of those utterances in terms of further usability analysis. Though the speech communication method produced fewer utterances, it produced more relevant utterances than the traditional method. Participants preferred hearing the moderator's acknowledgment tokens in the speech communication condition to the moderator's silence in the traditional think-aloud method. There was a significant difference with how natural participants felt …

Beyond Ology, Denise Anderson

Theses

This is a documentation of the journey of an artist tracing her steps to produce art that speaks to the cause of the environment. Scientific research continues to spotlight the impact humans have on the demise of the environment. Contemporary art is a visual stimulus that is often used to draw attention to specific issues including those involving science and the environment. The juxtaposition of scientific data with images from nature functions to highlight the fragility, beauty and destructiveness of this interaction. The goal of this thesis exhibition was to create visually seductive work that: contained information about the environment, …

Reporter - November 9th 2012, Rit Reporter Staff

University Publications

No abstract provided.

Analytical Modeling, Performance Analysis, And Optimization Of Polarimetric Imaging System, Lingfei Meng

Theses

Polarized light can provide additional information about a scene that cannot be obtained directly from intensity or spectral images. Rather than treating the optical field as scalar, polarization images seek to obtain the vector nature of the optical field from the scene. Polarimetry thus has been found to be useful in several applications, including material classification and target detection. Recently, optical polarization has been identified as an emerging technique and has shown promising applications in passive remote sensing. Compared with the traditional spectral content of the scene, polarimetric signatures are much more dependent on the scene geometry and the polarimetric …

Establishment Of The Kosovo National Tourism Organization / [Presentation Given November 14, 2012], Nijazi Shala

Theses

The Kosovo National Tourism Organization (KNTO) is a proposed organization whose role will be to provide a bridge between industry and the government making them effective partners. Previous attempts by the current Tourism, within the Ministry of Trade and Industry (DT/MTI), to engage industry has provided some progress but it did not earn a credible and respected role as the united voice of the industry or as the government’s strategic partner. It is hoped that the new KNTO will achieve a genuine and significant breakthrough. This project identifies the motivations and concerns regarding the establishment of the KNTO by examining …

Stirrings: Interactive Tableware, Lorianne Resch

Theses

The goal of this thesis project was to create an object or set of objects that would serve as an interaction point to foster reciprocal learning and perceptual exchange between children and adults. The underlying investigation dealt with the notion that the child's point of view can be quite insightful, but it is often forgotten or overlooked and replaced by a more `reasonable' and rational perspective as we age. The project's final form serves not only as a whimsical, functional set of dishes, but also as a language of anthropomorphic forms.

Large Scale Archaeological Satellite Classification And Data Mining Tools, Kelly Canham

Theses

Archaeological applications routinely use many different forms of remote sensing imagery, the exception being hyperspectral imagery (HSI). HSI tends to be utilized in a similar fashion as multispectral imagery (MSI) or processed to the point that it can be utilized similarly to MSI, thus reducing the benefits of HSI. However, for large scale archaeological surveys, HSI data can be used to differentiate materials more accurately than MSI because of HSI's larger number of spectral bands. HSI also has the ability to identify multiple materials found within a single pixel (sub-pixel material mixing), which is traditionally not possible with MSI. The …

Community Knowledge Sharing Wiki For Higher Education Information Technology Professionals, Joseph M. Karam

Theses

Information Technology (IT) professionals in higher education regularly collaborate in communities of practice. The community knowledge sharing wiki is a collaboration tool IT professionals utilize as a centralized platform to improve knowledge and share best practices. The goals of the wiki are to improve the knowledge of IT professionals and the services of IT organizations in higher education. The primary benefit of IT professionals establishing a knowledge sharing wiki is having a centralized, structured, searchable, and expert reviewed resource for IT related service areas. As this wiki was further developed, measurements were to be defined to regularly report and review …

Cinch Furniture System, Betsy Barnhart

Theses

This thesis explores solutions to the problem young adults face when relocating on a budget. The target age range of 20 to 30 year-olds face multiple hurdles when it comes to their nomadic existence. On average this age group relocates once per year; they are a consumerist population often defining themselves by their possessions; and are often under tight budget constraints. Since nomadic cultures to the current day, relocation has allowed individuals access to better things and the essentials of life. The difference being that nomadic cultures had fewer possessions which were designed for easy packing and carrying, where as …

Reporter - November 2nd 2012, Rit Reporter Staff

University Publications

No abstract provided.

Evolutionary Star-Structured Heterogeneous Data Co-Clustering, Amit Salunke

Theses

A star-structured interrelationship, which is a more common type in real world data, has a central object connected to the other types of objects. One of the key challenges in evolutionary clustering is integration of historical data in current data. Traditionally, smoothness in data transition over a period of time is achieved by means of cost functions defined over historical and current data. These functions provide a tunable tolerance for shifts of current data accounting instance to all historical information for corresponding instance. Once historical data is integrated into current data using cost functions, co-clustering is obtained using various co-clustering …

The Age Of Consequences, Matthew Murray

Theses

Photography has played a major role in documenting social shifts and preserving memories of people and places beyond their death. My thesis exhibit examines the loss of places that are central to our society's identity, left as abandoned husks in our midst. By creating a memorial to our own era, and eulogizing it as a time when our own actions began to have serious and long-lasting effects, we envision these sites as signifiers of the decline of America as an empire and a grim harbinger of things yet to come. While photography of modern abandonments has been derided as `ruin …

Hey! Beijing: China Special Series: Promoting The Internet Travel Program Of Beijing With Motion Graphics, Pengxiao Zhao

Theses

Beijing, the capital of China, is considered one of the largest cultural centers in the world. Because of its mysteries and long historical heritages, visitors from all over the world love to travel and witness such a miraculous city. Thus, an Internet travel program featuring Beijing is the primary goal to introduce China to the world. Audiences, especially travelers, will always enjoy watching a high-quality Internet travel channel with a stylish, yet informative, title sequence. As a result, this thesis project aims to use a new computer graphic design technique to create and promote the original title sequences.

For the …

Facial Feature Point Fitting With Combined Color And Depth Information For Interactive Displays, Colin Bellmore

Theses

Interactive displays are driven by natural interaction with the user, necessitating a computer system that recognizes body gestures and facial expressions. User inputs are not easily or reliably recognized for a satisfying user experience, as the complexities of human communication are difficult to interpret in real-time. Recognizing facial expressions in particular is a problem that requires high-accuracy and efficiency for stable interaction environments. The recent availability of the Kinect, a low cost, low resolution sensor that supplies simultaneous color and depth images, provides a breakthrough opportunity to enhance the interactive capabilities of displays and overall user experience. This new RGBD …

Characterization Of Color, Gloss And Mechanical Performance Of 3d Printed Structures, Hrushikesh Godbole

Theses

The demand for customized products is on a rise. As such, there is a great need for methods to efficiently satisfy this need for customization. Rapid prototyping, also known as 3D printing, is a technology that enables economic production of customized low volume products and enables expedited product development cycles. Given the importance of color as a means to differentiate products generated through 3D printing processes, accurate color reproduction is essential for broad market acceptance. Color reproduction in 2D document printing is itself a complex science; achieving similar results in 3D printing will require significant research. This research work explores …

The Mystery Spot, Joe Arcovitch

Theses

Mystery Spot is a graduate thesis film that tells the story of a sorceress who has grown bored with her daily routine and disinterested in her magical abilities; significant though they may be. She seeks answers outside herself, feeling that the life and 'powers' outside her own are more interesting and more powerful. She discovers things aren't always as they seem. Other powers can come at a price and other lives are not necessarily so good. She returns home with a renewed interest and appreciation for what she has. The final film is a mixed media 2D/3D using Maya, Adobe …

Podification: Horatio And The Metamorphosis Mystery, Daniel Driscoll

Theses

The animated film, Podification: Horatio and the Metamorphosis Mystery is the tale of a caterpillar, Horatio, who is faced with what could be the final moments of his life. The story tells the end of his journey and his interactions with his few remaining friends. The film was created using Autodesk Maya, Adobe Creative Suite and edited using Final Cut Pro. The intention of the film was to create a small world, populate it with a broad range of characters, and communicate the central narrative theme which encompassed change, the unknown, and the uncertainties we all face in our own …

Bruce, The Multi-Function Robot, Terence Stewart

Theses

In our daily life. It has becoming really busy, perhaps more than ever. And trying to do thing at personal time is nearly impossible. You would need an extra person to assist doing things you won't have time for. Big issue is about trusting an extra person, we all need something we can easily trust. We could consider using robot that assist with several general chores, which we cannot cover while doing something else. This robot called, "Bruce". Bruce is a simple robot that does the basic idea of helping people with carrying, cleaning and other task people apply to …

The Soulless Machine, Nathan Lomas

Theses

Since their creation, we have grown increasingly reliant on machines to aid us in our understanding and perceptions of the world - the camera is no exception. As an extension of the human eye, it allows us the opportunity to examine our environments from new perspectives, offering up views that we may not be able to witness on our own. Though in truth, the structure of the machine is ingrained in everything we know: from the natural world to our social patterns, actions are prescribed, parts move with united purpose, yet there is a certain comfort in the surrender of …

A Practical Study Of The Problems Of Current Internet Routing Tables, Arnav Ghosh

Theses

The phenomenal growth of the Internet seems to amaze even the creators of this worldwide network. Apart from the constantly changing data protocols and services which the Internet has to adapt to; the sheer volume of users has been one of the biggest challenges which the Internet is coping with. This thesis is directed towards the study of Internet scale routing tables in a lab environment to understand the dynamics of route processing by routers and the effect of increasing number of routing table entries on the overall performance of the network. This study is an effort to simulate an …

Subject Vs Object, Francesca Lalanne Jeune

Theses

This paper focuses on the concepts that inform my thesis work for the Master of Fine Arts in Fine Arts Studio from Rochester Institute of Technology. I have always been intrigued by circumstances such as war and oppression. I have also wondered about the opposite, moments of peace and serenity. Inevitably, I have allowed these dualistic thoughts to govern my artwork, abstractly through form and underlying narratives. In my thesis, I investigate concepts such as identity, history, memory, and how they play a role in my artwork. I see history as a tool for examining identity, while memory serves as …

Obstacle As Inspiration: Producing Imago Dei, Jeremy Gemetta

Theses

Connecting, sharing, breathing into life: for me these are the magic behind film-making. I strive to express more than the sum of visible parts. Movement and its absence are visceral tools to express temporality and relationship dynamic; they formed the concept for my thesis film, Imago Dei. Story always captivated me: over time, I found I could engage people with it, but was frustrated by inconsistent results. My instinctive grasp of image as a storytelling tool did not help me string visual essays into a narrative. Imago Dei would be about the magic of human connection. Inspired by Chris Marker's …

Reporter - October 26th 2012, Rit Reporter Staff

University Publications

No abstract provided.

Getting Attention For A Ceramic Art Exhibition: A Case Study Of A Nonprofit’S Promotional Campaign, Steven Bodnar

Theses

A participant-observation case study of a promotional campaign developed and implemented for a temporary, nonprofit ceramic art exhibition. The subject is introduced through a review of both theoretical and practical research examples centered on marketing and public relations for arts and cultural attractions. The present study offers a descriptive and evaluative analysis of the campaign's promotional strategies and tactics. Strategies discussed include promotional objectives, prospective audiences, assessment of available resources, and scheduling and implementation. The tactics include direct mail and email delivery of press releases, promotional materials, and the use of social media. Findings demonstrate that publicity generated primarily was …

Mechanisms Of Psoriatic Arthritis, Laurel Myers

Theses

Psoriasis (Ps) is the most common chronic autoimmune disease in the United States. The immune system releases proinflammatory cytokines and growth factors that accelerate the growth of skin cells which accumulate and form thick red patches of skin on various parts of the body. About 25 percent of psoriasis patients develop inflammatory arthritis in which inflammation progresses to joints and entheses. Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) patients exhibit joint pain, stiffness, and swelling which can affect any part of the body. PsA occurs when the immune cells release cytokines that act on healthy cells and tissues to induce skin and joint inflammation. …

Palpable, John Archer

Theses

To provoke intrigue using simplified, whimsical, playful (toy-like) forms with recycled materials that convey complex, possibly dark, relationships to foster a curiosity of innocence lost and deliver a deeper meaning (Archer, 2012). To me life is an exercise in exploring the human condition; specifically relationships. From the day we arrive we establish relationships with everything in our world, even before we arrive, if we count the ten months of uterine swimming. The sights, sounds, and touch of lights, voices, and caress all play a part in our connection to the world. My thesis work focuses on the connections among interpersonal …