Digital Commons Network^™

Hiding In Plain Sight, Evan Seeling

Theses

This thesis considers how perceptual, emotional, and behavioral patterns—often inherited, unnoticed, or obscured—can be revealed through the optical phenomena of glass. It connects visual experience with themes of grief, memory, and identity, using glass to explore the boundary between what is seen and what is felt. Through material investigations in refraction, reflection, and spatial arrangement, the studio research examines how glass can both obscure and reveal, echoing the instability of perception itself. These investigations, paired with a focus on viewer interaction, suggest that patterns hiding in plain sight become visible through intentional acts of perception and reflection.

The World Is Beautiful, Chelsea Demott Wildey

Theses

My thesis, The World is Beautiful is a short, digitally animated film that follows the journey of a jaded employee working at a dystopian fishery. The intention of this piece was to tell a well-paced, coherent story that also served as an allegory to spark verbal discourse in an audience. As a surface level story, the film portrays a working protagonist who has been forced to remain seated at her desk by a mechanical chair. She, presumably, has been monotonously pressing icons on a screen for her entire life until something catches her eye and prompts her to break free …

Genomic And Metabolic Network Characterization Of Fusarium Species, Hend Hussain Mueenuddin

Theses

Fusarium covers the wide genus of fungi with over 400 species that are key in agricultural and medical practice. The purpose of the current study was to perform a comprehensive genomic profiling of the 19 Fusarium species that were captured in the National Centre of Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database. The study was made to make a comparison of the data, based on the descriptive statistics of every species, with graphical representation images enabling clear demonstration of the numbers. The study indicated that the chromosomal numbers were in the range of 0-15, the gene count was roughly 11000 -19000, while that …

باستخدام مجموعة بيانات متعددة من الطائرات بدون طيار Yolo البحث والإنقاذ البحري القائم على في ظروف الطقس الصعبة, Aysha Ali Alshebli

Theses

Object detection models, powered by deep learning and computer vision, are revolutionizing marine search and rescue (SAR). By analyzing aerial imagery and live drone footage, these systems automatically identify critical targets like survivors, life rafts, and debris across vast and treacherous ocean areas. This capability enhances operational efficiency by reducing human workload and accelerating response times, even in challenging conditions such as poor light, high seas, or cluttered backgrounds. The result is continuous monitoring, faster decision-making, and a significantly improved probability of successful rescue.

Departing from prior methodologies, YOLO introduced a paradigm shift through its single-shot architecture, which concurrently predicts …

Extremism Governance In The United Arab Emirates: A Case Study Using Qualitative Policy Framework, Haya Saleh Almansoori

Theses

This thesis investigates how the United Arab Emirates governs extremism using various models of governance and Gareth Morgan’s metaphorical organizational models. This research goes beyond a focus on security and looks at extremism as a governance and policy problem related to social cohesion, institutional trust, and legitimacy. The research utilizes a qualitative case study design through analyzing federal laws and national strategies, as well as institutional frameworks to understand how authority, coordination and meaning are organized in the UAE’s governance of extremism.

The results show that the UAE’s governance of extremism is characterized as a hybrid governance model with hierarchical …

Screening For Potential Plant Growth‐Promoting Rhizobacteria (Pgpr)-Assisted Phytoremediation To Mitigate Lead Toxicity In Uae Soils, Zeinab Mohamed Abdalla

Theses

This study investigates the potential of lead (Pb)-tolerant actinobacteria that possess 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACCD) activity and plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits to serve as a biological tool for enhancing the growth of corn (Zea mays L.) under Pb stress. The primary objective of this research was to isolate and characterize novel, Pb-tolerant, rhizosphere-competent actinobacteria and to evaluate their efficacy in mitigating Pb toxicity, reducing its uptake, and promoting biomass accumulation in corn grown in contaminated soil. A total of 43 actinobacterial isolates were obtained from Pb-contaminated rhizosphere soil and screened for Pb tolerance, rhizosphere competence, ACCD activity, and PGP traits. …

The Simulation Of Hyperspectral Observations By The Upcoming Spacecraft "Arab Satellite 813", With The Radiative Transfer Model Sciatran, Sara Maher Alhasan

Theses

The Arab Satellite 813, which is scheduled to be launched in 2025/2026 by the UAE Space Agency, is set to increase earth observation and monitor the climate across the middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This study uses the SCIATRAN radiative transfer model which was originally developed for the Envisat mission to simulate the hyperspectral observation specifically tailored for the satellite's payload. Using calibrations that were used by the previous research in their SCIATRAN V4.6 study and adjusting parameters like the Leaf Area Index (LAI), a simulation which agreed robustly with the benchmarks set by the previous research was …

Examining Children’S Intuitive Understanding Of Mechanical Systems With A Gears Assembly Task, Nicole Taboada

Theses

Children’s causal reasoning about machines and their components is crucial for acquiring knowledge about science and math. Mechanistic understanding involves knowing how parts can be effectively connected to work together as a functional mechanical system. Little is known about how children’s understanding of mechanical systems develops across the lifespan. Legare and Lombrozo (2014) developed a gears assembly task to assess children’s understanding and learning of mechanics but did not track this skill across ages. The present study adapted the gears assembly task to measure mechanistic understanding in children between the ages of 4 to 11 years and adults. The goal …

Phenotypic, Genetic And Genomic Prediction Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions In Irish Cattle, Clodagh Ryan

Theses

Enteric methane is the largest source of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland, accounting for 63% of the sector’s total. Achieving the legally binding target of a 25% reduction in agricultural emissions by 2030 requires low-cost, scalable mitigation strategies. Genetic selection offers a cumulative and permanent solution, with potential to reduce emissions without compromising productivity. This thesis aimed to quantify the genetic variability of methane and carbon dioxide emissions in growing beef cattle, investigate their relationships with economically important traits, and evaluate the feasibility of incorporating a methane trait into the Irish national beef breeding objective. Emissions data were collected …

A Framework For Adaptive Ride-Sharing And Management Of Electric Vehicles, Avinash Nagarajan

Theses

Europe aims for carbon neutrality by 2050, with transportation currently amount- ing 20% of its total emissions. Motivated by the sustained mass transition to Autonomous Electric Vehicles (AEVs) and by the distributed energy generation and storage of local Smart Energy Communities (SECs), this thesis presents the design, implementation and evaluation of a carbon-neutral, community-based, scalable ride-sharing service. Its models formalise the partition of an AEVs fleet over the SECs of a city, as well as the allocation of trip petitions (TPs) to AEVs, their routing and charging scheduling over a simulated time horizon. These models integrate energy generation, allocation and …

Co-Designing Work-Integrated Learning At The Phd Level, Kristin Bracewell

Theses

This study seeks to understand work-integrated learning (WIL) at the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) level in Ireland through an exploration of the opinions and experiences of the three primary stakeholders to WIL, students, academic supervisors, and potential host organisations or employers. The research utilises the experiences and opinions of the key stakeholders in WIL and centres the student voice. Empirical evidence is used to challenge the assumption that WIL is a wholly positive inclusion and, instead, consider both its benefits and drawbacks. The study takes a pragmatic approach and considers how WIL at the PhD level can be optimised to …

The Antimicrobial And Antibiofilm Effects Of Marine-Derived Crude Extracts, Monica Murphy

Theses

Marine-derived compounds are promising candidates in the search for new antimicrobials. This thesis explores their potential against a suite of clinically relevant bacterial strains. Saltwater environments were screened for antimicrobial compounds, leading to the identification of two lead bacterial strains, Bacillus subtilis_MTUA2 and Bacillus velezensis_MTUC2. Cell-free supernatant (CFS) of these strains significantly reduced the growth of MRSA and clinical S. aureus isolates (50%), inhibited biofilms by 99% and 90%, respectively, and reduced E. coli biofilms by 90%. To expand the scope of bioactive marine sources, crude extracts from two seaweeds, Codium fragile and Fucus vesiculosus, obtained using methanol and water …

Evaluation Of Existing Grazing Infrastructure And Development Of A Cost- Optimal Infrastructure Upgrade Methodology For Commercial Dairy Farms, Paul Maher

Theses

Grazing infrastructure is a critical component of pasture-based dairy systems, yet its performance on commercial Irish farms has not been fully quantified. This thesis aimed to: (1) assess current pasture allocation practices, (2) evaluate roadway network efficiency, (3) identify factors influencing herd movement and roadway suitability, and (4) explore cost-effective strategies to reduce labour input related to herd movement. Chapter 3 assessed pasture allocation frequency and the configuration of roadway networks across 135 commercial Irish dairy farms over the grazing season of 2020. Data were gathered from PastureBase Ireland and detailed maps of each farm. The distance between the milking …

Investigating The Effects Of Cbd And Caffeine Interaction On Embryonic Development In Xenopus Laevis, Jeanesia M. Pierre

Theses

This study examined the interactive effects of cannabidiol (CBD) and caffeine on Xenopus laevis embryos over a 96-hour exposure period. Developmental toxicity was assessed using toxic unit isobole analysis, with LC₅₀, EC₅₀, and teratogenic index (TI) values calculated for CBD, caffeine, and mixtures at 3:1, 1:1, and 1:3 ratios.

Results showed that mixtures produced concentration-dependent interactions. When caffeine levels were higher, the mixtures displayed synergistic toxicity; as the proportion of CBD increased, the interaction shifted toward a concentration-addition model. Mortality was elevated in mixtures relative to single-compound exposures, while malformation rates decreased, indicating reduced teratogenicity. Overall, findings suggest that CBD …

'In A Mirror, Dimly, Then Face To Face:' Reflecting On Bodily Sin And Spiritual Purity In The Central Female Figures Of Hugo Van Der Goes' Vienna Diptych, Sara Kluka

Theses

This thesis seeks to examine the so-called Vienna Diptych (1478/1479) by Hugo van der Goes. The two panels of the diptych have been displayed together since the 19th century, yet difficulties in provenance and the dating of the artist’s oeuvre have resulted in the continued questioning of its intended creation as a single campaign. This research seeks to assert the diptych’s thematic unity through a concentrated analysis of its leading female figures, a vantage point that has not yet been fully addressed in the literature. This paper will therefore examine the iconographic precedents for the unique imagery of the panels …

Ambiguous Bodies: Third Gender Expressions In Ancient Maya Art, Jayme Horne

Theses

This thesis examines the interpretations of Lintels 23, 24, and 25 from Yachilán, Drawing 18 from Naj Tunich, and Stela H from Copán, with a specific focus on third gender expression. These artworks depict figures that blend masculine and feminine attributes, from costuming to actions, to present intentionally ambiguous representations of the body that all ancient Maya people would have understood. Third gender expression is defined through the blending of masculine and feminine signifiers. It is a gender identity for people who do not identify as male or female, but rather as neither, both, or a combination of male and …

Draft Card Battler, Brian Moore

Theses

This project investigates how design transparency and player interaction mechanics can enhance emotional connection and strategic depth in competitive digital card game environments. Draft Card Battler transforms traditional sequential turn-based Trading Card Game (TCG) gameplay into a structured round-based system featuring asymmetric card-play patterns (1-2-2-1) and simultaneous combat resolution. Beginning with a physical card game prototype, the project evolved through iterative design and digital implementation, informed by research in social capital theory and player psychology. Through reflective playtesting and technical development, this study explores whether visibility, pacing, and commitment mechanics foster trust, fairness, and cooperation alongside competitive tension. The implementation …

The Mystical Kitchen: Feminist Magic And Alchemical Transformation In The Work Of Lenora Carrington, Theresa Burwell

Theses

This thesis analyzes the inherent feminism in alchemical and magical symbolism, particularly in representations of kitchens in the art and writing of Leonora Carrington. The kitchen has historically been viewed as a gendered space for domestic work. By subverting cultural and religious conventions, Carrington’s kitchen becomes a site for transmutation and feminine ritual. Using feminist discourse, formal art historical analysis, and the history of alchemical symbolism, this thesis asserts that Carrington’s imagery transforms the kitchen from an oppressive domestic space to a mystical laboratory of feminine power. A thorough analysis of Grandmother Moorhead’s Aromatic Kitchen (1975) and The House Opposite …

Immersive Art, Nature, And Afrofuturism: Cultivating Wellness And Cultural Awareness, Jojo Abenaavi Wright

Theses

This research demonstrates how Afrofuturistic art, combined with nature and scent, enables powerful methods to transform African Diaspora perceptions and support holistic wellness through sensory-emotional engagement. The project introduces The Next Narrative: An Immersive Journey Through Black Time as a multisensory immersive exhibition that combines Afrofuturistic aesthetics with Harlem Renaissance cultural elements. The exhibition presents salons as a sequence that allows visitors to experience time through visual, sonic, and atmospheric transitions. The three senses of touch, scent, and sound operate as fundamental tools for grounding and transformation, which disable analytical thinking while using bodily experiences to perform decolonial memory work. …

Population Genomics And Status Of The Flattened Musk Turtle (Sternotherus Depressus) In The Locust Fork Of The Black Warrior River, Seamus C. O'Brien

Theses

Alabama is home to some of the highest freshwater endemism in the world and ranks near the top in numbers of endangered and extinct species. One of these endangered species is the Flattened Musk Turtle (FMT), only found in the Black Warrior River Drainage of Alabama above the Fall Line. The FMT is listed as “Threatened” by the United State Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act and is considered Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature due to drastic declines in populations since the 1980s. Declines have been attributed to several factors, including …

Illustrations For A Scientific Review Article Publication : Human Stem Cell-Derived Organoids, Sunghwan Bae

Theses

This thesis explores the role of scientific illustration in improving the comprehension of complex scientific concepts. It traces the historical development of illustrations in scientific literature and examines their functions in both research and review articles. The central contribution of this work is the development of twelve vector-based illustrations that elucidate the applications of human organoids within a review article context. These visuals transform intricate ideas into clear, engaging representations, supported by extensive research and verification to maintain scientific accuracy. The thesis concludes by addressing the future of scientific illustration, advocating for reader-oriented design approaches and the use of innovative …

Characterizing Fish Communities Using Traditional And Emerging Monitoring Approaches In San Diego County Estuaries, Natalie Katherine De Wet

Theses

Fish communities are essential to estuarine health, playing key roles in food webs, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem functioning. However, the persistence of native fish populations is increasingly threatened by the cumulative impacts of coastal development, pollution, and climate change. Rapid, effective monitoring of species distributions is a priority, enabling timely conservation and management. However, the study of any ecosystem is limited by time, resources, and the consideration that research of a system can damage the ecosystem under study.

This research aimed to characterize fish species richness and evaluate the benefits and limitations of different estuary monitoring approaches. Specifically, this study …

Impact Of Temperature On Larval Mortality And Performance Of The Acorn Barnacle Chthamalus Fissus In San Diego, Ca, Alberto Rivera

Theses

Rising ocean temperatures and increasingly frequent marine heatwaves threaten the physiological performance and survival of marine larvae. This study quantifies the thermal tolerance, respiration, and swimming behavior of Chthamalus fissus cyprid larvae to establish a baseline for understanding their vulnerability under future climate scenarios. Larvae were collected from the Scripps Pier in La Jolla, CA and exposed to a range of temperatures (12–50°C, dependent on the experiment) to assess oxygen consumption, mortality, and swimming speeds. Oxygen consumption rates increased significantly with temperature, peaking at 30°C, with cyprids exposed to temperatures above 26°C showing significantly higher respiration rates than those below …

Advancing Institutional Sustainability Through Green Roofs: Performance-Based Policy For Rit, Theoren Heilman

Theses

Utilization of green roof systems continues growth as a sustainable architectural strategy, offering enhancements to key building performance metrics while contributing to overall community resilience. The ability of green roofs to deliver a wide range of performance benefits, even in environments with harsh climatic conditions, positions them as an asset for advancing sustainable development. Within this context, university campuses represent an underutilized, yet important, setting for green roof adoption. Functioning much like small cities, campuses contain diverse building types and extensive infrastructure networks, which draw significant energy demands, positioning them to lead in sustainable building practices. Yet, most lack rigorous, …

A Morpho-Kinematic Model Of Molecular Line Emission In Planetary Nebulae, Diana E. Ryder

Theses

Planetary nebulae (PNe), the late-stage remnants of low- to intermediate-mass stars, offer valuable insights into the final phases of stellar evolution and the enrichment of the interstellar medium via intermediate-mass star ejecta. Molecular emission from these objects serves as a powerful diagnostic for probing physical conditions, chemical composition, and kinematics of these ejecta. In this thesis, we describe the flexible, modular modeling framework we are developing to analyze high spatial and spectral resolution molecular emission-line data for planetary nebulae, as obtained by modern mm-wave interferometers such as the Submillimeter Array (SMA) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The Python- …

Explorerit: An Interactive Timeline Of The History Of Rit, Melson Miranda

Theses

Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has a rich architectural and cultural history spanning over 57 years and the Henrietta Campus has more than 75 buildings, yet there is no central, engaging platform for exploring this heritage. This thesis, exploreRIT, addresses that gap by designing an interactive timeline that showcases the evolution of the campus through detailed building stories, architectural milestones, and contextual events. Using a Microsoft Surface Studio as a kiosk and a custom interface, the project integrates micro-interactions inspired by Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines, visual storytelling, and clear information architecture to create a tactile, accessible experience. Through iterative prototyping, …

Transparent Display Design For Vending Machines, Quincey Williams

Theses

This thesis explores the innovative application of transparent display technology in vending machines, addressing the limitations of traditional vending interfaces in consumer engagement. By integrating comic book and manga-inspired aesthetics with cyberpunk visual effects, the project transforms vending machines into dynamic, interactive canvases. These designs incorporate transparent overlays, comic panel UI layouts, and glitch-inspired animations to enhance user interaction and visibility of products. This thesis critically evaluates the design process, methodologies, and outcomes while highlighting research findings that inform the integration of emerging display technologies with bold visual storytelling. The final solution presents a seamless fusion of futuristic visual elements …

Nestview-Transforming House Hunting With Ar, Chia-An Lee

Theses

NestView is an augmented reality (AR) based smart glasses system which aims to facilitate the process of finding rental homes for people. Conventional rental websites bombard users with two-dimensional data and have no sense of place, which is why they're both time-consuming and mentally taxing. NestView gives the user real-time mobile listings displayed in AR right in their physical space, providing an immersive, contextually aware rental experience. Informed by a user-centered design methodology, this study examines what frustrations the renters experience, and in what ways AR applications can meet those frustrations. The system comes with proximity-driven filtering, voice interactions, an …

Dyadic And Multiparty Turn-Taking In Two Deaf Preschool Classrooms, Savannah Tellander

Theses

Conversational turn-taking skills are needed to succeed in most conversational interactions. Timing of turn-taking is crucial for young deaf signers, who need early, accessible, and consistent input in a signed and/or spoken language. For deaf children who acquire a language in either modality, they must acquire appropriate turn-taking skills. Without these abilities, children may miss critical language input, and in a cascading effect–they may miss opportunities both for input (and thus new knowledge) and expressive language. In addition to documenting deaf children’s turn-taking skills across development, it is important to also document timing data for further understanding of cognitive language …

Predicting Hollywood Movie Success Using Predictive Machine Learning Algorithms, Saeed Alghabshi Hathboor

Theses

The Decision Trees are always simple to understand and interpret techniques, a single tree may not be enough for the model to learn the characteristics from. In this IMDb movie review prediction problem, evading all other simple mechanisms, the Random Forest, on the other hand, is a "Tree"-based algorithm that makes judgments by combining the attributes of numerous Decision Trees is used. The primary goal of this work is to evaluate the predictive performance of a random forest model with various parameters used for forecasting numerical user ratings of a movie based on pre-release data such as actors, directors, profit, …