Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Social Media Influencers Play In A Company's Brand, Taylor Todi

Theses

Influencer marketing is a tactic that many companies have had to integrate into their businesses to better communicate with consumers. The purpose of this research is to analyze the role influencer marketing plays in a company's brand. This study assesses the way consumers build trust and relationships with companies through the help of influencers. There are many variables that come into play, for example, emotional attachment, authenticity, and loyalty are just three that have been measured in previous studies. These same variables are used in this research to see if they can also apply to a company that uses influencers …

Protectbot: A Chatbot To Protect Children On Gaming Platforms, Anum Faraz

Theses

Online gaming no longer has limited access, as it has become available to a high percentage of children in recent years. Consequently, children are exposed to multifaceted threats, such as cyberbullying, grooming, and sexting. The online gaming industry is taking concerted measures to create a safe environment for children to play and interact with, such efforts remain inadequate and fragmented. Different approaches utilizing machine learning (ML) techniques to detect child predatory behavior have been designed to provide potential detection and protection in this context. After analyzing the available AI tools and solutions it was observed that the available solutions are …

Cultivating Community, Convening, And Collaboration Through Rit’S Makerspace, Michael Buffalin Iv, Anna Pasquantonio, Scott Nost, Juilee Decker

Presentations and other scholarship

Makerspaces are places of community, convening, and collaboration. They are spaces where anyone can “teach, learn, and practice creative skills”[1]. As such, this article charts our journey as students, staff, and faculty who collaborated within and beyond our academic makerspace to produce an exhibition in winter 2022 at the University Gallery at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, NY. This project was a five-week-long undertaking in an interdisciplinary museum studies course in collaboration with The Construct (our university makerspace), the Museum Studies program in the College of Liberal Arts, and the Vignelli Center for Design Studies. We reproduced items …

Socioeconomic Disparities In Covid-19 Vaccination Rates In New York City, Jessica L. Barbieri

Theses

The Coronavirus Pandemic has exposed mass systemic inequalities experienced by vulnerable populations. Vaccines are critical in protecting people from disease and the rest of the damages COVID inflicted on the world, but vaccination distribution might not be equal. The purpose of this thesis is to discover which factors impact uptake of vaccination in New York City. My empirical analysis combines the data on the earnings, educational attainment, gender, age, population size, access to reliable internet, political leanings, and racial makeup of each ZIP code tabulation area (ZCTA) in New York City. The data on vaccination rates is collected at two …

Statistical Analysis Of The Mk-3 Customizable Authenticated Encryption, Peter Bajorski, Alan Kaminsky, Michael Kurdziel, Marcin Łukowiak, Stanisław Radziszowski

Presentations and other scholarship

To provide security autonomy capability, such that different users can have independent variants of the encryption algorithm, MK-3 is designed to be customizable. Two levels of customization are supported, Factory Customization and Field Customization. Customization is done by modifying functions and function parameters in the algorithm to yield differing cipher functions while preserving the algorithm's security. The main goal of this work is to present the results from the statistical analysis of the customizable MK-3 encryption scheme, focusing on field customized mixers. We recall the main components of the MK-3 algorithm and overview a subset of available factory and field …

Societal Impact Assessment Of Depression, Mohammed Salah Almazrouei

Theses

Depression is a mental problem characterised by unusual changes in the mood of a person, accompanied by a temporary different emotional response to everyday changes in the phenomena (WHO, 2020). Affected people suffer greatly, hence functioning poorly in the workplace, school, or at home in a family setup. Even though the public is well aware of its existence, there is little going on to combat this condition. Amongst the various stumbling blocks towards achieving an effective approach to address the problem include limited resources and associated well-trained personnel to help the victims.

A mental disorder associated with social stigma and …

User Behavior Analysis For User Profile Prediction, Islam Al Qaisi

Theses

The importance of user behavior analysis is becoming increasingly valuable to Software as a Service (SaaS) businesses such as EDI (Energy Data Intelligence). Users of big data applications require attention in order not to lose customer loyalty in a competitive business environment. With data analytics techniques, knowledge can be extracted about the user behaviors, and that would be a beneficial exercise to the business when it comes to improving services to the customers whether it’s a tailored customer support, targeted marketing campaigns or enhanced product features. This capstone project is focused on predicting user profiles through their web usage behavior. …

Using Markup Languages For Accessible Scientific, Technical, And Scholarly Document Creation, Jason J.G. White

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

In using software to write a scientific, technical, or other scholarly document, authors have essentially two options. They can either write it in a ‘what you see is what you get’ (WYSIWYG) editor such as a word processor, or write it in a text editor using a markup language such as HTML, LaTeX, Markdown, or AsciiDoc.

This paper gives an overview of the latter approach, focusing on both the non-visual accessibility of the writing process, and that of the documents produced. Currently popular markup languages and established tools associated with them are introduced. Support for mathematical notation is considered. In …

‘Meet New Vcd’ Immersive Art Gallery, Wenting Toby Xue

Theses

Students of the Visual Communication Design (VCD) program may have a relatively distressing question about how to explain some details of this program to others. Someone will always ask how to define and explain the VCD. Therefore, in the spirit of redefining the VCD program and creating a platform to more intuitively demonstrate the current success of VCD students in visual design. The curriculum of this program and related student works are mainly user-centered design as the primary starting point. Innovation and forward-looking are necessary. To better communicate the VCD project and expand its influence. According to the questionnaire and …

Perceptions Of Earth Science Using Assistive And Supportive Technologies By Students Who Are Blind Or Visually Impaired, Rhea G. Miles, Alana Zambone, Alex Manda

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Students with blindness or visual impairments (BVI) need to participate in scientific laboratory experiences at the K12 level to be successful in college-level science courses. These K12 level students need instruction to actively conduct science experiments and not only allow sighted students to conduct them. While it may be a challenge, with appropriate assistive and supportive technologies, students with BVI can be successful in conducting scientific investigations to address Next Generation Science Standards. The Discoveries in Earth Science (DES) program provides engaging accommodations adaptive to the needs of elementary, middle, and high school grade students with BVI to successfully prepare …

One-Pot Synthesis Of N-Rich Porous Carbon For Efficient Co2 Adsorption Performance, Qiyun Yu, Jiali Bai, Muslum Demir, Bilge N. Altay, Xin Hu, Linlin Wang

Articles

N-enriched porous carbons have played an important part in CO2 adsorption application thanks to their abundant porosity, high stability and tailorable surface properties while still suffering from a non-efficient and high-cost synthesis method. Herein, a series of N-doped porous carbons were prepared by a facile one-pot KOH activating strategy from commercial urea formaldehyde resin (UF). The textural properties and nitrogen content of the N-doped carbons were carefully controlled by the activating temperature and KOH/UF mass ratios. As-prepared N-doped carbons show 3D block-shaped morphology, the BET surface area of up to 980 m2/g together with a pore volume of 0.52 cm3/g …

Collaborative Constructions: Designing High School History Curriculum With The Lost & Found Game Series, Owen Gottlieb, Shawn Clybor

Articles

This chapter addresses design research and iterative curriculum design for the Lost & Found games series. The Lost & Found card-to-mobile series is set in Fustat (Old Cairo) in the twelfth century and focuses on religious laws of the period. The first two games focus on Moses Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah, a key Jewish law code. A new expansion module which was in development at the time of the fieldwork described in this article that introduces Islamic laws of the period, and a mobile prototype of the initial strategy game has been developed with support National Endowment for the Humanities. The …

Predicting Delays In The Supply Chain With The Use Of Machine Learning, Raghad Al-Saghir

Theses

The supply chain includes all the steps in an item's life cycle starting from raw material and all the way to the customers. Delays in these steps have always been a problem faced by businesses due to the huge financial loss these delays account for. These delays frequently cause significant financial losses, irritate customers, and loss of customer confidence. The aim of this study is to construct a prediction model that predicts late deliveries before its occurrence with the use of big data and machine learning. The study used Dataco Supply Chain dataset and cleaned, visualized, and trained it using …

Traffic Accidents Analysis & Prediction In Uae, Majid Alhosani

Theses

UAE has state-of-the-art roads and traffic infrastructure, and yet there has been a rapid increase in the number of traffic accidents. As per National Agenda 2021, the UAE traffic departments are working to minimize the rate of road traffic death per 100 thousand people. The Traffic and Patrols Directorate in Abu Dhabi launched a road safety management plan. This aims at decreasing the fatalities from traffic accidents to 3 per 100,000 inhabitants by 2021. According to police, distracted driving, sudden swerving, entering a road without ensuring that it is clear, tailgating and speeding without considering the road conditions has caused …

Fraudulent Insurance Claims Detection Using Machine Learning, Arif Ismail Alrais

Theses

As the different countries around the world evolve into a more economical-based and stimulating their economy is the goal. The main purpose of most of these countries is to fight off money launderers and fraudsters for better economic growth. A popular fraud topic in this regard is insurance fraud since it costs the companies and the public billions. Applying data analysis and machine learning are great ways used to address many problems regarding any automated system. To address this problem, first extensive research should be made to check out what has been applied and what the most promising solution using …

Predicting Electrical Faults In Power Distribution Network, Ahmad Adel Bin Sulaiman

Theses

Electricity is becoming increasingly important in modern civilization, and as a result, the emphasis on and use of power infrastructure is gradually expanding. Simultaneously, investment and distribution modes are shifting from the large-scale centralized generation of electricity and sheer consumption to decentralized generators and extremely sophisticated clients. This transformation puts further strain on old infrastructure, necessitating significant expenditures in future years to ensure a consistent supply. Subsequent technical and prediction technologies can help to maximize the use of the current grid while lowering the probability of faults. This study discusses some of the local grid difficulties as well as a …

Radiometric Effects Of Centimeter Scale Roughness Of Bare Soils, Dylan J. Shiltz

Theses

The roughness of a bare soil surface has important implications in both the reflective and microwave domains of remote sensing. In a natural environment, roughness is present at a wide range of length scales, from the roughness of individual particles to meter or kilometer scale geological features. This thesis will focus on centimeter scale roughness,i.e. surface features whose length scale is much greater than individual soil particles, but which are still small enough that they are unresolved in remote sensing applications. Wind driven and hydrologically driven features, such as the ripples found on a beach or on the surfaces of …

Understanding The Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear And Explosive (Cbrne) Defense Policy Making Process Through Historical And Current Event Analysis, Michaela Christine Mesiti

Theses

Understanding Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) defense policies is critical in promoting safety to civilian and military personnel in the United States and globally. This thesis first examines a few of the most significant CBRNE policies in history, their place in the world today, and how their creation has impacted society. Utilizing two canonical policy making models– the “linear model” and the “policy stream model”– a range of case studies are analyzed to examine how decision-making behind CBRNE policy compares with other comparable policy domains, particularly non-CBRNE biotechnology innovation. The likelihood of proactivity and the potential influence of …

Implications Of Unregistered Employment In Kosovo’S Pension System, Drin Cela

Theses

Governments give substantial importance towards retirement. Pension spending accounts for one of the largest spending items of public expenditure. The importance of pensions is going to increase in the future, as demographic trends reflect the greying of the population, in which a decreasing number of working people will need to support an increasing amount of retired people. At the same time, informal employment is a pressing economic issue as is apparent when comparing its size to the general economy. Kosovo is a country that faces both problems, ageing and high informal employment. This study explores the relationship between these two …

Repercussions Of A Disruption: The Impact Of Global Ict Supply Chain Trends In Kosovo, Dior Ramosaj

Theses

This study seeks to analyze what type of impact the global ICT supply chain trends, apparent in the last two and a half years, have had in Kosovo. Specifically, the study will focus on two areas, the global shortage of electronic chips, affecting the hardware sector, and a rise in demand for software, due to the transition of working from home following the recent COVID- 19 pandemic. A parallel will be drawn between the global trends and Kosovo. The research methodology is comprised of a combination of primary and secondary data. Primary data has been collected through interviews with representatives …

Skills Gap In The Information Technology Sector In Kosovo, Erze Ahmeti

Theses

The main focus of this research project is to identify the extent to which companies in the IT sector in Kosovo are being affected by the skill gaps and the ways through which they are trying to bridge these skill gaps. While the IT industry in Kosovo shows great growth potential, the skill gap appears to be a prevailing problem that hinders this sector’s development. The study analyzes the implications of the skill gap for the growth of private companies and the sector in general; as well as the ways used by the sector to narrow the skill gap. To …

Impacts Of Drugs On Neurotransmission, Wenrong He

Theses

The most sophisticated and mysterious human organ is the brain. The human brain is made up of billions of neurons, which are working nonstop to send and receive messages to regulate the body’s basic functions. Neurons communicate by releasing neurotransmitters from a sending neuron into the synapse, then a receiving neuron picks up the signals on its receptors from neurotransmitters. Drugs can interfere with the communication between neurons in the brain. They can affect the way people feel, react or behave. Drug use impacts the brain’s neuronal circuits which may lead to inflexible behaviors, lack of self-control, and compulsive drug …

Architecture Of Video Games: Potential Reference, Wael Mkaouar

Theses

The Architecture perspective / scale in video games has evolved throughout time to an extent that it is no longer a mere spatial visualization to host the game, but it has become an interaction medium between the player and the game. Architecture in recent video games played a fundamental role in bridging the gap between the real and the digital world. The analogy between these two is increasingly established through the representational immersion and the participation of the player in a highly realistic environment transforming the gaming experience into an entertaining and educational journey. The aim of this thesis is …

Framing Trust In Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Ethics Communication: Analysis Of Ai Ethics Guiding Principles Through The Lens Of Framing Theory, Namrata Nagar

Theses

With the fast proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in our society, several corporations, governments, research institutions, and NGOs have produced and published AI ethics guiding documents. These include principles, guidelines, frameworks, assessment lists, training modules, blogs, and principle-to-practice strategies. The priorities, focus, and articulation of these innumerable documents vary to different extents. Though they all aim and claim to ensure AI usage for the common good, the actual AI system outcomes in various social applications have invigorated ethical dilemmas and scholarly debates. This study presents the analysis of AI ethics principles and guidelines text published by three pioneers from …

Microengineering Aligned Collagen Substrates In Microfluidic Systems, Adeel Ahmed

Theses

Cells in vivo are surrounded by a fibrous matrix of proteins and macromolecules called the extracellular matrix (ECM), of which type I collagen is the major constituent. During tissue development or cell-matrix interactions, collagen fibers organize into aligned domains with defined degrees of alignment and directionality. Aligned fibers guide stem cell differentiation and influence cell-cell communication and cell motility. In the tumor microenvironment, aligned fibers guide tumor cell invasion and have been linked to poor patient outcomes. Since fiber alignment instructs cell behavior in vivo, there is a need for in vitro models to replicate fiber alignment and thus provide …

Rethinking University Selection For Students Through Real Life Testimonials, Pranav Shinde

Theses

The university selection process for students is a complicated process owing to the amount of investment and dedication it takes to take such a big step. The average cost and the time spent is a big factors and it is important to make a choice that students will cherish and make sure to see out through the entire course. However, in the course of making this decision, students have to rely on internet-based material such as university websites, comparison websites, and data-backed of to entice students which always necessarily isn’t right. What if students had an easier way to communicate …

Pillow Princess, Shayna Kiblin

Theses

Pillow Princess is a project that explores the way identity is crafted, and relates my own experiences with forming identity to handmade craft work. This work was an installation that consisted of three quilts and five soft sculptures. With these pieces I created a space that functioned as my bedroom, inviting viewers into one of my most intimate and private spaces. Using color, form, and materiality I have used these pieces to represent the campy femininity that I grew up consuming. Forming relationships that function as a found family is an aspect of gay culture that is necessary for many …

Interaction With Accessibility On Digital Gaming Platform, Thomas Scott Rothdeutsch

Theses

This project focuses on the designing an user-interface to solve these issues with these certain accessibilities could lead to a better, functionable platform that allows the user with disabilities to be able to play the digital games. It can be projected on projector or touchscreen technology, using its function to provide more availability to support the players to reduce their struggle interacting with an actual physical board and card games. These struggles include opening the packaging, losing pieces, instructions are confusing and constantly moving around to be on the right spot. The features with accessibility will include icons for the …

Open Museum：Make Art Accessible, Make Appreciators Becoming Creators, Collectors And Promoters, Zhenhua Yu

Theses

As a human activity that expresses emotional power, beauty, technical ability, or conceptual ideas, art has a long history and a large fan base. However, while people's interest in art has never waned, it has rarely increased. The lack of interactivity of art in comparison to other information on the Internet is a significant disadvantage, and the recent reduction in museum visitors due to COVID-19 has also hampered the growth of the art industry. My thesis addresses these issues and attempts to create new opportunities for the growth of the art world by combining art appreciation, art collecting, and art …

Implementing Tactile Learning To Aid Students Understanding Of The Bohr Model, Christin B. Monroe, Andrew B. Stein, Cindy Tolman

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

It is essential for introductory level chemistry students to understand atomic models and how atoms interact to form chemical bonds. The tactile model in this article utilizes marbles to represent subatomic particles, a cup to represent the nucleus and wooden rings to simulate the electron orbitals. These inexpensive items can be combined to construct models in which students can build foundational knowledge of atomic structure and how subatomic particles interact. Students were asked to provide feedback comparing the use of this tactile model to atomic computer simulations, videos and their textbook regarding the method they felt was most useful to …