Digital Commons Network^™

Game Engine Architecture : A Comprehensive View, Donald Kehoe

Theses

Game development is an ever growing interdisciplinary field. A variety of different skill sets need to come together to create a professional game. These range from art, audio and design through programming and development. It is difficult to isolate the different disciplines in game development since every aspect of the game is co-dependent on everything else. Even in the programming domain there are a number of sub-disciplines that a game can require such as physics programming, environmental programming, artificial intelligence and programming the core game engine, A game can even be developed in a number of different ways depending on …

Water Purification In Haiti : An Engineers Without Borders Project, Melissa Valoura

Theses

The objective of this thesis was to present the necessary steps to help a town in Haiti develop an organization focused on improving their water quality. It goes through the technology needed to create the organization and explains the procedures for implementing a charitable project in a foreign country. A narrative of the student project in Milot, Haiti, where students from the New Jersey Institute of Technology's Engineers Without Borders Chapter implemented a water purification project, explains the course of action that was taken and gives an example of a successful project. A summary of Haiti and its history paints …

The Seven Prerequisites For Life, Jon Karafin

Theses

The Seven Prerequisites for Life is a biological sculpture that exhibits all of the main functions of a natural organism: growth, evolution, metabolism, response, reproduction, order, and regulation. Exhibited in Rochester, New York in December 2007, this sculpture has attained recognition in local news media and the internationally syndicated Ripley's Believe It or Not for its innovation in the field of art-science integration. The following thesis explores my artistic motivations behind this endeavor, traversing from early fascination with magic through more mature investigations into the relationship between the fine arts, sciences, and mathematics. Intertwined with my enduring attraction to photography …

An Examination Of Scent-Marking, Individual Odors, And Individual Discrimination In The Raccoon (Procyon Lotor)., Laura Alice Kent

Theses

This study had three objectives: 1) to characterize the patterns of scent-marking in captive raccoons; 2) to determine if wild-trapped raccoons can discriminate individual differences in the odors of urine, feces or anal sac secretions; 3) to analyze the variation in chemical composition of urine samples among individuals. I observed five raccoons living in a semi-natural enclosure at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska and recorded all behaviors related to scent-marking. For the studies on individual differences and discrimination through odors, I used the familiarization-discrimination technique with raccoons housed in conditions that approximated their natural environment. In the chemical …

3d Head Motion, Point-Of-Regard And Encoded Gaze Fixations In Real Scenes: Next-Generation Portable Video-Based Monocular Eye Tracking, Susan M. Munn

Theses

Portable eye trackers allow us to see where a subject is looking when performing a natural task with free head and body movements. These eye trackers include headgear containing a camera directed at one of the subject's eyes (the eye camera) and another camera (the scene camera) positioned above the same eye directed along the subject's line-of-sight. The output video includes the scene video with a crosshair depicting where the subject is looking -- the point-of-regard (POR) -- that is updated for each frame. This video may be the desired final result or it may be further analyzed to obtain …

Computer 30 Models Of Pulmonary Epithelium And Endothelium Cross Sections And Alveoli Across A Septum, Valerie Henry

Theses

The first portion of the project deals with creating three-dimensional computer generated models for the use in lung/particle studies. The models are to be proportional, to scale, and representative of the real structures. The models were created using Autodesk Maya 2008. The structures created are cross-sections of an alveolar epithelium and a capillary endothelium as they are found on either side of the respiratory basement membrane, and two alveoli with the septa! wall between. The models of the cellular cross-section include the cytoskeletal components, vesicles, and cellular membrane. The filaments of the cytoskeleton (microfilament, intermediate filament, microtubule) have been made …

Creating Furniture Inspired By Building A Wooden Canoe, Brian Bright

Theses

Creating Furniture Inspired by Building a Wooden Canoe. This is much more than what the title implies and quite different than what I, the artist, had originally set out to achieve. What it became was an exploration into what motivates me to create and a realization and understanding of my personal aesthetic. Through the process of building a traditional wooden canoe, I explore what it is that motivates me to design and build the objects I create. Through the successes and failures of the furniture I chose to create, I gained an understanding of the importance of our everyday experiences, …

Classifying The Fire Regime Condition Class For Upland Oak-Hickory Forests, Paul David Tikusis

Theses

Several reports of widespread establishment of mesophytic vegetation within oak-hickory upland forests have been documented throughout the Central Hardwoods Region. Previous studies suggest deviations from historic disturbance regimes may be a primary driver of vegetation change, necessitating the use of Fire Regime Condition Class (FRCC) guidelines to measure changes in forest structure. Current parameters of forest structure and fuel loading were assessed within mature oak-hickory uplands throughout the ecological subsections of the Shawnee National Forest, including the Greater Shawnee Hills, Lesser Shawnee Hills, Cretaceous Hills, and the Illinois Ozarks. Present species importance values and forest structure were compared with reference …

Aortic Valve Performance With Transaortic Ventricular Cannula, James Cezo

Theses

A novel transaortic ventricular cannula, known as the 'double barrel' cannula (DBC), is designed to minimize the invasiveness of Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) implantation by combining the inlet and outlet cannulae into a single dual lumen cannula. Both the inlet and outlet lumen will pass through a single opening in the apex of the left ventricle with the outflow then continuing past the aortic valve, into the aortic arch. This design offers several potential advantages over the current state of-the-art. The benefits of the DBC include less invasive surgery and providing mechanical support to the septum. By routing the outflow …

Music In Motion: The Synthesis Of Album Design And Motion Graphics For Downloadable Music, Ryan Mott

Theses

In an age when downloading media is increasing at an exponential rate, static album art has become obsolete. Current digital album artwork does not take advantage of the available technology. Nor does it provide the user with an integrated experience. Previous attempts at linking music to moving imagery have resulted in uninspiring "visualizer" plugins. These types of media player add-ons do not produce emotionally or narratively relevant imagery for the user. Furthermore, the limited selection of downloadable media that includes a digital booklet, separates the booklet contents from the album cover. More importantly, these disconnected elements do not compensate for …

Are All Universals Instantiated?, Lawrence Joseph Rosenberger

Theses

In contemporary metaphysics the struggle between realism and nominalism is apparent and important, but it tends to overshadow the struggle within realism itself. As a realist, D.M. Armstrong is very aware of this internal struggle and forms a theory of universals at the heart of this issue. His theory is based on the naturalistic notion that the physical universe is all that there is. This naturalism leads him to formulate the Principle of Instantiation, stating that all universals must be instantiated in a particular. That is, there can be no universals that are uninstantiated and thus reside in what has …

The Quest Of Childhood Memory, So Yeon Yang

Theses

An articulation of my experience is found in my artworks. The works are confessional because their themes are based on my autobiographical traces. Each piece of artwork represents a personal situational narrative in itself. The creation of life size underwear and outfits in plastic - the whimsical, transparent, and glittery images of cutout silhouettes depict hidden desire as well as nostalgia. Because dresses possess distinctive nuances such as activeness, fantasy, and intimacy, I will research a variety of styles along with different poses and gestures to explore their expressions. By interpretation and analysis of the object - the artwork produced, …

Hey, Brother, Hyungho Shin

Theses

The production of the thesis film, "Hey, Brother" by Hyungho Shin, a 3D computer animation film, is a story about two brothers (Peter and Sam) who restore their relationship through the challenges they face. The purpose of the report is to sum up the whole film making process from creating a story to the final production.

A Mathematical Model Of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, Karthik Bathena

Theses

A SIS model for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis is developed and analyzed. The model contains a human population of incidental hosts, along with animals that are the reservoir hosts and the sandfly vector. Reproductive rates for the persistence of the infection are derived from the model. Conditions for the existence of endemic and disease-free equilibrium are obtained. The stability analysis of the disease-free equilibrium is investigated and numerical simulations for the model are provided.

Reliability Of Resting Brain Networks Using Fmri, Suril Rajeshkumar Gohel

Theses

Resting state FMRI studies on human subjects are primarily focused on elaborating effects of resting state brain networks on task induced paradigm and to check consistency of these networks between different groups of populations. Recent studies have shown consistency of RSFC networks within same subjects with intra-site and intra-session variation.

The primary objective of this study was to check consistency of resting state networks between sites and between different groups of people in spite of change in scanning parameters and population. A total of 437 subjects resting state FMRI data from six different sites were collected varying in age group …

An In Vitro Study To Characterize A New Automated High Throughput Neuronal Stretch Injury System, Nicolae Valerian Hususan

Theses

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most prevalent long-term neurological conditions and its overall economic consequences rival that of stroke. Considering the importance of the topic, new models for studying TBI are often designed and created. Based on a model developed by the University of Pennsylvania, NJIT constructed a fully automated version, which injures neuronal cell cultures in uniaxial regime and provides the high experimental yield required in pharmaceutical and neuroscience studies.

In this investigation, a new methodology for culturing primary cortical neurons of rat origin was established. Viable cell cultures developed for the first time in NJIT …

In Vitro Comparison Of A New Stand-Alone Anterior Lumbar Interbody Cage Device With Established Fixation Techniques, Nitin Chawla

Theses

Around 70% of the population in the United States experience low back pain at some point of their lives, of these 4% underwent surgical intervention on the lumbar spine to relieve the pain. Spinal arthrodesis, i.e. joint fusion, is beneficial in many cases as the final option for patients suffering from certain types of low back pain (LBP). In order to promote solid fusion across a decompressed spinal segment, interbody spacers/cages are used with and without posterior instrumentation to provide an initial "rigid" fixation of the segment.

In this study three fresh/frozen human cadaveric lumbar spines were used. Each lumbar …

Development Of An Experimental System To Determine The Contribution Of Titin And Collagen To Passive Stiffness Of Myocardium, Saurin Bharat Shah

Theses

Diastolic dysfunction is known to be a major factor for congestive heart failure in aged humans and other mammals. The main contributors to increase in the myocardial stiffness, hindering the cardiac mechanics, are alterations in intracellular titin and extracellular collagen matrix. Titin is a giant extensible protein, the third filament of striated muscle after actin and myosin, which provides elasticity to passive sarcomeres. The aim of this study is to develop an efficient experimental system that will prove to be instrumental in comparing the contribution of titin against collagen to the passive stiffness of cardiac muscle extracted from experimental animals …

Moarabisque: The Essence Of Arabia : A Motion Graphics Piece That Promotes The Diverse Saudi Arabian Arts And Culture, Wail Al Hamid

Theses

Moarabisque: The essence of Arabia is an "Arabian custom designed motion graphics series". This Series is inspired by the diverse geography, architecture, arts, and culture of the Arabian Peninsula. These series are merged together as a cohesive motion graphics piece that visually reflects and promotes the varied Arabian culture through arts, architecture, music, and Islamic iconography. The final motion graphics video will introduce a series of visual icons that are of vital importance to religious and cultural values of Muslims; especially the Arabic nation. These icons delineate the characteristics of the Arabian culture; an Islamic civilized culture that emerged from …

The Potential For Misleading Visual Communication On Food Packaging, Terry Ann Hayes

Theses

Consumers today are becoming more health conscious in light of America's growing obesity epidemic. Because of this, food companies often selectively highlight the healthfulness of their products, while carefully de-emphasizing the unhealthy components. These messages are frequently communicated by the food packaging itself, because packaging is a major influence on a shopper's perception of the food inside. The design of the food package, comprising both the two-dimensional surfaces and overall three-dimensional form, conveys these messages through variables related to color, imagery, typography, language, and shape. This thesis examined both organic and natural food packaging to uncover how healthfulness is communicated …

Anecdotes, James Bellucci

Theses

Anecdotes is a set of illustrations derived from Biblical text, scientific discovery and self-created stories. This body of work questions these texts through the temporal nature of the anecdotal storytelling convention. The images, created through the manipulation of three-dimensional materials such as paper, cardboard, string, and fabrics in constructed sets and photographically represented as a two-dimensional images, question the authenticity of the grand narrative. The images explore scientific discoveries along with religious beliefs revealing my reservations, perceptions, and sentiments toward both. In considering my changing knowledge and beliefs from childhood into adulthood, Anecdotes deconstructs these conflicting narratives into a directorial …

Sleep Shift, Neal Dhand

Theses

An overview of the process of the proposal, attempt at production, re-proposal, and ultimate result of the live-action feature film, Sleep Shift. The goal of Sleep Shift on the technical level is to write a feature-length script, raise funds, and produce and finish the film. The aesthetic purpose of Sleep Shift is to evoke a visceral response from the audience as they watch a murder mystery unfold. Included are the original proposal and re-proposal, sample budgets, sample business plans, a finder's agreement, a letter of intent from a production company, storyboards, trailer stills, and the script.

Black Box, Ryan N. Shuler

Theses

Fear and paranoia are steadily on the rise throughout the world as a result, in part, of media's presentation of violent and traumatic imagery. The dissemination and reception of these types of images are consequential for a viewing public, including an increasing desensitization to violence through over-exposure; the potential for aggressive behavior by people of all ages; and the loss of a viewer's accountability as witness to a disturbing event. Black Box is an aesthetic investigation of the reception of traumatic images by a viewing public. In order to trace this reception, the image of the American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos), …

Museum Discovery Rooms Engaging Families Using Learning Theories, Cassandra E. Demski

Theses

No abstract provided.

The Lantern, Ting Liu

Theses

The Lantern is a computer animated master’s thesis film by Ting Liu at Rochester Institute of Technology. This work creates an impressionistic and metaphysical atmosphere as the story reveals the relationship between a grandfather and his granddaughter and the promise she has made to make a lantern for her grandfather in order to conjure her memories of him. The Lantern is a reminiscence of the filmmaker’s own childhood memories of her grandfather and the Chinese lanterns. This Thesis Report includes a discussion of the creation process of The Lantern as well as the original proposal, concept visualization artworks, and color …

Architecture And Urban Design As Influences On The Communication Of Place And Experience In Graphic Design, Candice Reese

Theses

Most architects and urban designers are challenged to design schemas and structures to create a particular experience and sense of place. It is through the manipulation and design of actual three-dimensional spaces that they are able to achieve this. How then is a three-dimensional experience of a place conveyed in two dimensions? Distilling an actual experience into a graphic solution can be exceptionally challenging, but graphic designers may need to accomplish this for particular clients. Examining the ideologies and methodologies of architecture and urban design may offer new and thoughtful approaches for graphic interpretations of three-dimensional experiences. This thesis first …

Co Co Nut, Jiunnfu Su

Theses

This paper is a companion to my thesis film, CoCo Nut. Thesis film is the third animation I made at RIT. From Position (one quarter film) to Noble (two quarter film), the core focus of my story moved from individuality to family; so for my third and last film at RIT, I wanted to make my country the core essence of my story. The idea of my thesis film is about Taiwan, where I was born and raised. It is a story on the importance of cooperation. Due to our unique historical and political background, the two ruling parties of …

Biomersa: The Biology Media Repository With Semantic Augmentation, Adam Cornwell

Theses

With computers now capable of easily handling all kinds of multimedia files in vast quantity, and with the Internet now well-suited to exchange these files, we are faced with the challenge of organizing this data in such a way so as to make the information most useful and accessible. This holds true as well for media pertaining to the field of biology, where multimedia is particularly useful in education, as well as in research. To help address this, a software system with a Web-based interface has been developed for improving the accuracy and specificity of multimedia searching and browsing by …

Motive And Responsibility As Influences On Graphic Design Outcomes, Jackie Clements

Theses

In the world of visual communication many message-making strategies are used to convey information to a defined audience. The ways in which these strategies are used can greatly impact the meaning and success of a graphic design solution. Often strong emotion is employed to intentionally influence a defined audience. In addition, the format and context in which facts are presented in a message are also greatly effective. When looking at the potential communication power that solutions can hold, it is important to assess the types of messages being communicated and related ethical responsibilities that accompany them. This thesis study focuses …

Benthic Macroinvertebrate Diversity In A Shallow Estuary: Controls On Nutrient And Algal Dynamics, Natalie Ann Mclenaghan

Theses

Nutrient loading has produced radical shifts in the structure and function of shallow estuaries, with substantial impacts upon the community composition of invertebrates and autotrophs. The progression of eutrophication is regulated by both bottom-up and top-down factors, which may be mediated by fauna via trophic interactions and nutrient release. We conducted field surveys of benthic invertebrates in West Falmouth Harbor (WFH), MA, an estuary subject to localized wastewater enrichment, across a 1 km gradient of suspected degradation. Dominant taxa included gammarid amphipods and nereidid, orbiniid, and capitellid polychaetes, with lower diversity and opportunistic species characterizing the inner basin nearest the …