Digital Commons Network^™

Reporter - November 11th 2011, Rit Reporter Staff

University Publications

No abstract provided.

War Letters: A Thematic Approach And Comparison Of Military Letters From World War Ii And The Vietnam War, Jeanne Yamonaco

Theses

Letters, a form of mediated interpersonal communication, provide readers and writers the opportunity to transcend space and time. Letters can also serve as a permanent record of communicated information. The present study compares themes of selected letters written by soldiers from two wars: World War II and Vietnam. Two research questions are posed: What are the themes expressed in soldiers` letters? Is there a difference in themes that relate to the particular war fought? This study analyzed 202 letters written by military personnel from both World War II and the Vietnam War. After content analysis of the 10 most prevalent …

Relics, Rex Kalehoff

Theses

RELICS is a group of familiar, yet evocative objects, handcrafted in wood. Inspired by first-hand experiences living abroad, each sculpture aims to represent the physical remains and ideologies of past cultures around the world. The work reflects gently on universal themes of cultural persistence and survival, and presents a thoughtful investigation into our current patterns of living. My message is in support of a sustainable future, celebrating diversity, and nurturing nature.

Let’S Go Viral ! Bye-Bye Graffiti Vandalism : Using Outdoor Building Projection To Secure Attention About Scribbling Habits On Public Properties, Jae Yeon Song

Theses

The synthesis of design with human behavior in everyday life is a designer's fate. Overall, designers have been seeking the most effective approaches to communicate with humans. As a designer, observing human behavior and finding relationships between patterns of human behavior and my current design field is the most significant concern. In my thesis project, I pointed out one of the human behaviors that has an immoral and careless aspect such as scribbling habits on public properties. Additionally, I tested how I could bring and spread this issue more effectively by utilizing computer graphic design discipline. "Bye-Bye Graffiti Vandalism" is …

Reporter - November 4th 2011, Rit Reporter Staff

University Publications

No abstract provided.

Using Mathematical Models In The Hotel Industry: Maximizing Revenues Through Discount Strategies, Karin Meuwissen

Theses

Mathematical modeling is an effective tool when maximizing revenue in hotels. With over 120,000 different combinations of variables and elements to consider when maximizing revenue, the process of finding the most lucrative combination can be time consuming and costly to hotels. An effective mathematical model assists in reducing the guesswork involved. This study will demonstrate how the implementation of discounts reduces revenue loss by forcing pre-payment and increasing occupancy levels. In an effort to reduce revenue loss, hotels have implemented many strategies such as using credit card guarantees, demanding pre-payment, and offering discounts, all of which are used to reduce …

Feasibility Of Integrating Multiple Types Of Electroactive Polymers To Develop A Biomimetic Inspired Muscle Actuator, William Spath

Theses

The focus of this project is to see if it is possible to integrate multiple EAP materials in an electro- mechanical system to produce a closer representation of a biological muscle with smooth varying motion. In this preliminary study, two common types of EAPs, ionic and dielectric, were investigated to determine their mechanical and electrical properties in order to assess their potential to be combined into a working artificial electromechanical muscle prototype at a later time. A conceptual design for an artificial electromechanical muscle was created with biomimetic relationships between EAP materials and the human bicep muscle. With the assistance …

Life Force Of Nature, Sooyoung Kim

Theses

My work strives to illustrate the bond between Mother Nature and human beings. Primarily, I seek the harmony created by balanced compositions of natural and man-made objects. Any accidental visual conflict arising from this pairing is also a subject matter I find myself exploring within the execution my pieces. In our high-speed daily lives, we often find ourselves unsettlingly disconnected from nature. Stephen Harrod Buhner describes this feeling as "a loss of connection to plants, to the land, to Earth, [that] leaves the holes with which we are naturally born unfilled," and proposes that "the solution is reconnection to the …

A Novel Approach To Engineering Structures Of A Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (Sofc): 3d Direct Write Technology, Prasanna Khatri-Chhetri

Theses

This thesis centers on the use of 3D direct write printing processes to produce Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) structures having engineered porosity and macro structure. The objective of the work presented here is to be able to locally control porosity in the anode and cathode structure using 3D direct write printing methods. It is well understood that grading the electrodes enhances the SOFC's performance. A hierarchically graded porous electrode structure, varying from smallest pores at the electrode/electrolyte interface to largest pores at electrode/gas interface can be printed via 3D direct write methods. Layers as thin as 15µm have been …

Distributed Reactive Routing For Selective Forwarding Attack Resilience In Wireless Sensor Networks, Jonathan Szymaniak

Theses

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are an emerging technology that may one day supply real-time information to many services and Internet-based applications. The utility of WSNs relies on the ability to provide valid information, even in the presence of failures or attackers. Current research in the field has identified a large variety of attacks and countermeasures, however, few works address how WSN routing protocols can autonomously react to detected attacks. The works that do provide attack-reactive schemes generally require nodes to coordinate or exchange trust/detection reports. This work aims to maximize data delivery in the presence of selective forwarding attacks with …

A Computational Flow Model Of Oxygen And Nitric Oxide Transport & Reactions And The Relation With Glaucoma, Lukas Holsen

Theses

The purpose of this project is to create a computational model of a precapillary arteriole network near the optic nerve head (ONH) using computational fluid dynamics modeling (CFD, Fluent, ANSYS, Inc.). The CFD analysis will contain a blood flow model coupled with oxygen (O2) and nitric oxide (NO) transport and reactions. Until recently it was believed that elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) was causal in glaucoma, however recent studies demonstrate that glaucoma is associated with sensitivity to IOP itself. Because of this insight, other mechanisms besides mechanical damage that could cause glaucomatous neurodegeneration need to be explored, such as alterations in …

Parallel Implementation Of Maximum Parsimony Search Algorithm On Multicore Cpus, Andrew Darling

Theses

Phylogenetics is the study of the evolutionary relationships among species. It is derived from the ancient greek words, phylon meaning "race", and genetikos, meaning "relative to birth". An important methodology in phylogenetics is a cladistics methodology (parsimony) applied to the study of taxonomic classification. Modern study includes as source data aspects of molecular biology, such as the DNA sequence of homologous (orthologous) genes. The algorithms used attempt to reconstruct evolutionary relationships in the form of phylogenetic trees, based on the available morphological data, behavioral data, and usually DNA sequence data (Fitch W. M., 1971). The topic of this thesis is …

Ntid Focus Fall/Winter 2011, Ntid Marketing And Communications

National Technical Institute for the Deaf Papers

No abstract provided.

Tractatus, Rodrigo Gonzalo Encinar

Theses

Tractatus is an act of criticism concerned with the current matters of economy, war and home. The work visually investigates through a range of interdisciplinary projects issues related to the nature of the photographic medium and the functioning of the capitalist system. Tractatus uses systematic methodologies embedded in Conceptualism that focus on a more complex, more politicized and more critical understanding of photographs, interrogating the documentary use of the camera.

Creating Animation For A Video Game Opening - The War Of Water, Yen-Chin Wu

Theses

The project creates 3D animation for a video game opening. The main idea of this animation is to ask people to save the water. The designer created the characters, the story, and the animation. The main stage is set in 2116 AD. The world has no clean water, and the main character, Taimei, is a twenty-year-old girl, who is going to find a new source of water for all of humanity. On the other hand, the R.O.C. Robot Army is doing everything they can to stop her. This game will adapt Japanese cartoon style with Toon Shader and Toon Outlines …

Part 1: Size-Independent Quantification Of Ligand Binding Site Depth In Receptor Proteins. Part 2: Representing Rod-Shaped Protein 3d Structures In Cylindrical Coordinates, Srujana Cheguri

Theses

Abstract 1 We have developed a web server that implements the two complementary methods to quantify the depth of ligand and/or ligand binding site (LBS) in a protein-ligand complex. The two methods are the `secant plane' (SP) and the `tangent sphere' (TS) methods. In the SP and TS methods, the protein molecular centroid (global centroid, GC), and the LBS centroid (local centroid, LC) are first determined. The SP is defined as the plane passing through the LBS centroid and normal to the line passing through the LC and the protein molecular centroid. The "exterior side" of the SP is the …

Characterizing Adaptive Capacity To Climate Change In Developing Countries: A Case Study On Peru, Rosa Mitsumasu Heredia

Theses

Climate change is expected to impact biodiversity, global temperatures and the water cycle resulting in changes that affect communities in the social system. The capacity to adapt to such climatic fluctuations will vary across social groups, depending on the group's socio-economic and demographic characteristics. This thesis constructs a methodology that bridges existing approaches to study adaptation, providing an alternative that includes high level deterministic approaches to quantify adaptive capacity (AC) and case-by-case strategies to enhance region-specific AC. The proposed methodology consists of an exploratory model and a principal component analysis. The goal of the methodology is to create a sub-national …

Environmental Impact Comparison Of Distributed And Centralized Manufacturing Scenarios, Lionel Senyana

Theses

Centralized manufacturing and distributed manufacturing are two fundamentally different methods for producing components. This work describes a centralized manufacturing scenario in which parts are produced via forging and finish machining at one central location and are then shipped to the end user. The distributed manufacturing model involves a scenario in which an additive manufacturing process (Electron Beam Melting) is used to produce parts to near net shape with minimal finish machining. Because the process doesn't require molds or dies, production can take place in small production quantities "on demand" at job shops located close to the end user with little …

Hunger For The Hungry: Understanding And Benefitting The Global Hungry Through Installation Art And Post-Digital Interactive Design, Doug Burnett

Theses

Remember when your dad used to tell you not to waste your vegetables because people in Africa were starving? And remember how you looked down at those mushy brussels sprouts and said, “Let them eat it then!” Well, you should. In fact, if everyone did, we would effectively end world hunger.

How can this story be told? Installation art has the potential to make a powerful, tangible impact on participants but on relatively few people. Interactive design can reach many hut often with a shallow impact. What can be accomplished through a new fusion of these two media?

Installation art, …

Non-Intrusive Identification Of Speech Codecs In Digital Audio Signals, Frank Jenner

Theses

Speech compression has become an integral component in all modern telecommunications networks. Numerous codecs have been developed and deployed for efficiently transmitting voice signals while maintaining high perceptual quality. Because of the diversity of speech codecs used by different carriers and networks, the ability to distinguish between different codecs lends itself to a wide variety of practical applications, including determining call provenance, enhancing network diagnostic metrics, and improving automated speaker recognition. However, few research efforts have attempted to provide a methodology for identifying amongst speech codecs in an audio signal. In this research, we demonstrate a novel approach for accurately …

Puffery, Whitney Warne

Theses

The external body is a place to perform a version of ourselves, rather than be ourselves. To perform is to strike a balance between the self and the rules, between individual action and gesture and the script--between what you know and what other people tell you to know. Puffery explores the culturally constructed performance and expected behaviors of the modern female. I have created video and photography documented durational performances that question a female's relationship with exterior presentation. Viewers watch as she exposes her façade--examining it and breaking it down in an effort to negotiate self, power, and control.

An Analysis Of Vp8, A New Video Codec For The Web, Sean Cassidy

Theses

Video is an increasingly ubiquitous part of our lives. Fast and efficient video codecs are necessary to satisfy the increasing demand for video on the web and mobile devices. However, open standards and patent grants are paramount to the adoption of video codecs across different platforms and browsers. Google On2 released VP8 in May 2010 to compete with H.264, the current standard of video codecs, complete with source code, specification and a perpetual patent grant. As the amount of video being created every day is growing rapidly, the decision of which codec to encode this video with is paramount; if …

An Analysis Of Open Security Issues Of Android Interfaces To Cloud Computing Platforms, Corey Beres

Theses

Smartphone usage is on the rise and some may argue that these devices are ubiquitous in today's society, even among non-technical users. To remain competitive, mobile devices and applications need to quickly perform tasks with as minimal as possible impact on battery life. The emergence of cloud computing, open-source cloud platforms, and cloud-supported ventures such as Apple iCloud and Amazon Silk provide new and promising methods to improve device and application performance. However, little work has been done to examine the security of offloading processing from mobile devices to cloud services and the performance effects of implementing security features. This …

Unhinged, Gayane Bagdasaryan

Theses

"Unhinged" is an animated graduate thesis film 7 minutes, 30 seconds long, which was originally conceived as a story about decision making, and it turned into a story about loneliness and an acceptance of it. It tells a story of a troll, Lancelot, who carries on a lonely life in a neglected cabin in the middle of a desert. He entertains himself by playing masquerade with his friends, mannequins-hat-holders. One day he hears a knock on the door and struggles with fear to open the door. This film is a hand-drawn animation that was mostly produced in TVPaint Animation Software. …

Factors That Contribute To Success Of Probationers: Probation Officers’ Point Of View, Brittany Archambeau

Theses

With such large numbers of individuals requiring supervision in the United States, it is essential to understand what contributes to the success of probationers. Probation officers work closest with probationers and develop a unique understanding of what contributes to a probationer's success. The framework for this research is rooted in the idea that the officers experience conflicting goals of rehabilitation and law enforcement. Extensive interviews were conducted with probation officers in Federal and local probation to assess their views on the goals of probation, needs of probationers, and best practices. Hypotheses tested involve the importance of evidence-based practices, cognitive-behavioral therapies, …

Reporter - October 28th 2011, Rit Reporter Staff

University Publications

No abstract provided.

Family Communication Patterns And African-American Adolescent Females’ Self-Reported Use Of Condoms, Natasha Hibbert

Theses

African-American females are the fastest growing HIV/AIDS population in the U.S. The best preventative measure after abstinence is condom usage. Although the importance of condom usage is widely publicized, it is not always adopted. In trying to identify ways to increase adolescents' condom usage, past research has shown that positive communication between parents/guardians and adolescents has increased their condom usage and caused condom usage to be more consistent. This pilot study explores the relationship between African-American adolescent females and parents/guardians and if open communication about sexual intercourse and contraceptive usage increases adolescent condom usage. Data have been collected from self-administered …

Disengagement, Petra Tuns

Theses

Disengagement is a body of photographic work that recounts my memories of suffering from depression. My aesthetic is directly influenced by the pathology of the illness. My thesis aims to let the viewer witness how depression has impacted me, so they can understand the disease on a more personal level rather than a stereotypical image, such as TV commercials for anti-depression medication. I analyze both depression in art and the history of depression through the writings of Christine Ross, and Michel Foucault. Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalytic theory also inform my work. They are also the foundation from which I defend …

Reporter - October 21st 2011, Rit Reporter Staff

University Publications

No abstract provided.

Immanent Beauty, Jenamarie Bacot

Theses

This document defends a creative process that is driven by emotion and faith, within which the impulsive, improvisational, and expressive act exists. It is a spiritual act because of the belief that I am creating through the work something honest and therefore important. This defense will be supported by analysis of me and my work, evaluation of artists and artwork created throughout history that have inspired me, as well as philosophical, theological, and critical thoughts towards creative experiences inspired by beauty defending truth.