Digital Commons Network^™

A Localized Morphometric Study Of Panicum Virgatum And Sister Taxa (Poaceae: Panicoideae: Paniceae), Sarah Elizabeth Youngstrom

Theses

Morphological distinctions were evaluated between taxa of Panicum section Virgata Nees as recognized by Hitchcock and Chase (1951) and Freckmann and Lelong (2002b): P. virgatum var. virgatum, P. virgatum var. cubense, P. amarum subsp. amarum, and P. amarum subsp. amarulum, using morphometrics and greenhouse experiments on material from the southeastern United States, a region with the most extreme overlap in distribution. 31 characters for 104 specimens were subject to univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses. Spikelet bivariate graphs showed two groups with large (C) and small (A+B) spikelets. When habitat, distribution, and phenology was superposed on these graphs, non-exclusive trends polarized …

Greater Sensitivity To The Stimulating And Anxiety-Like Effects Of Methamphetamine In The Hiv-1 Transgenic Rat, Marley D. Kass

Theses

No abstract provided.

Foufou: Using Multimedia To Promote A New Product And Establish A Brand Identity Online, Yu-Chang Huang

Theses

One night, my friend and I went to a night market in Taiwan and we were amazed by the great variety of adorable and interesting merchandise items, such as: puppets, stationery, t-shirts, and gadgets that were imprinted with Mashimaro, a Korean fictional character. Mashimaro has becaome incredibly popular in Asian countries, with it coming to force mainly through the Internet. In Japan, most popular cartoon characters, including Doraemon, Pokemon, and Hello Kitty, are introduced and established rapport with the people because of a bombardment of cartoons and advertisements on television. As these cartoon characters become more popular, merchandising begins. They …

Past With Present: A Design Process, Spencer Knape Biegler

Theses

The design process detailed in this thesis addresses how a designer brings a design that is both relevant but dated into the present. Four stages make up the design process: investigation, scattered design, design réseau, and focused design, and the process covers the choice of artifact, historical and cultural research, and the conclusions derived from research. The chandelier acts as artifact in this design process iteration. The goal of the thesis project is a process that stresses both innovation as well as the cultural and symbolic importance of older designs; the outcome of this design iteration is honed chandelier concepts …

"Do You Hear What I Hear", Zachary Giles

Theses

This paper will follow the creative process which I underwent while making the film “Do You Hear What I Hear?” Starting with the initial inspiration and breaking down each process so that the reader may better understand my creative motivations for the film. The Character and Set Design, along with Lighting and Rendering will be paid the most attention because, in my studies, these areas were where most of my attention was being placed. I will discuss the creative choices which were made in each area, and finish with the first official screening of the film as well as the …

Longshi, Pei-Cheng Lee

Theses

LONGSHI is a Graduate Thesis film, a M.F.A Thesis at the Rochester Institute of Technology 2009, made by Pei-Cheng Lee. LONGSHI is a story about a man in search of a legendary treasure which is very valuable in the historical record. The reality of this treasure is actually a trap set up by barbarians to attract the greedy. The film is a 3D computer animation, created primarily using Autodesk MAYA 8.5 for production, Adobe Photoshop, After Effect, and Premiere for pre and post-production. This film＇s technical aspects focus on texturing, lighting and compositing to represent an illustration-style animation. The following …

In Silico Drug Design Of Potential Novel Anti Malarial Agents, Vishal Thovarai

Theses

This thesis project incorporates the principles of rational and computer aided drug design in the quest for an improved anti-malarial agent. The target, a pathway for isoprenoid biosynthesis (the deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate (DOXP) pathway) occurs in the parasite plastid – the apicoplast, and among the factors that make it an excellent target for an anti-malarial agent is its uniqueness from the pathway in the host, thus accounting for its specificity and low toxicity. A library of 18 potential anti malarial analogues/ ligands were designed and tested in silico against the receptor using molecular docking. The analogue L ο (omicron) - {3-[acetyl(hydroxy)amino]-1-hydroxypropyl} phosphonic …

Neuronic Sonic, Nicholas G. Baish

Theses

The production, Neuronic Sonic, partially fulfills the requirements for the degree of Masters of Fine Arts in Imaging Arts/ Computer Animation from the School of Film and Animation at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The completed work is a high-definition digital movie file that was created with custom coded software designed specifically for the purpose of this project, as well as off-the-shelf, industry standard, visual hardware and computer software technology. The following paper details the development of the work starting with the initial concept, and it explores areas such as pre-production experiments and production phases, as well as my personal …

Unintended Consequences Of Ethanol Production: Geospatial Lifecycle Analysis, Amanda Louise Malone

Theses

Ethanol use has been lauded as a way to provide a secure, diverse, environmentally friendly and economically beneficial energy supply for the US. However, along with this praise has been criticism due to potential unintended consequences that may arise from ethanol production and use. This thesis addresses one such unintended consequence: the displacement of emissions from downstream vehicle operation locations to upstream farming and production areas. The thesis uses the Upstream Ethanol Production (UEP) Model, a geospatial lifecycle model developed for analyzing spatial emissions inventories for ethanol production. The UEP model is based on the US GREET model – the …

Genesis, Xinxin Su

Theses

Genesis is a feature-length science fiction/fantasy screenplay written for partial fulfillment of the requirements for the MFA degree in Imaging Arts/Film. The script tells the story of two parentless children and their rescuer as they journey across a barren landscape in a world disintegrating before an impending catastrophic event. Their goal is to reach a generation ship called Genesis designed to save only a portion of humankind. Along the way they encounter rebels and misfits who threaten and assist the three along their way. This submission includes: a thesis report which contains an analysis of the conception and writing process; …

Chasing The Moon, Yumi Kim

Theses

In a small city, there were several murders of politicians. The Detective Diana and a werewolf hunter Orson suspected Scott, a politician, as the prime suspect. “Chasing The Moon” is a narrative animation created mainly in the 3D software: Maya. The following thesis report is about the technical and artistic process of making the film.

Preparation Of Nanovehicles For Targeted Drug Delivery, Anagha Avinash Bhakay

Theses

Application of nanotechnology in pharmaceutical research has opened new frontiers for drug development and its efficient delivery. In recent years, the focus of the research has been on the engineering of nano/micro-particulate structures for efficient and targeted delivery of drugs for selective and enhanced absorption. This work throws light on the preparation of biodegradable and non-toxic nanoparticulate systems for targeted drug delivery. The drug vehicles were made by two different processes namely electrostatic interactions and desolvation process. The drug carriers made by these processes were found to be in the size range of 150-200nm which is necessary for cellular uptake …

Deciphering The Biology Of Axon Stretch-Growth, Joseph R. Loverde

Theses

Traditional nerve regeneration strategies focus on growth cone-mediated growth, a form of nerve growth that occurs primarily during embryogenesis. Early axons continue to grow from the end distal to the soma, seeking targets on which to synapse. It is believed that once the axons synapse, stretch-growth takes over and is responsible for the great lengths achieved by nerves of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Recent work has demonstrated stretch-growth in vitro resulting in dramatically increased growth rates compared to the growth cone. Here, the aim was to decipher the underlying biology associated with axon stretch-growth using two approaches. First, …

Assessing Trainer Hand Forces For Manual Body Weight Supported Walking, Manish Raval

Theses

Spinal cord injuries occur in approximately 12,000 to 15,000 people per year in the U.S. About 10,000 of these people are permanently paralyzed. Most spinal cord traumas occur in young, healthy individuals. Males between 15 and 35 years old are most commonly affected.

Recently new approaches to facilitate walking recovery for individuals after a spinal cord injury, have been directed towards a therapy known as Locomotor Training (LT) that implements repetitive stepping on a treadmill using body weight support. A major intent of LT research is to investigate the effect of an extended period of LT on bilateral muscle activation …

Rna Secondary Structure Detection Programs With An Emphasis On Covariance Models, Justin Slotman

Theses

RNA secondary structure prediction requires a different approach from traditional alignment methods. Functional RNAs often have their secondary structure better conserved than their primary structure. Covariance models, probabilistic models that utilize stochastic-context-free grammars, are one approach. CMs allow for homology to be detected where purely sequence-based methods would fail. A background on CMs is given, as well as a background of the major classes of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Comparisons are made between some CM-using tools (the Infernal suite and CMfinder) and some other RNA secondary structure tools (CARNAC, miRNAminer, Pfold, Mfold) as well as between Infernal and the primary alignment …

Learning To Like Facebook? Effects Of Cultural And Educational Capital On The Use Of Social Network Sites In A Population Of University Students, Randy Lynn

Theses

This study explores the reasons why university students prefer to join or participate frequently in one social network website (SNS) over another. Drawing from previous research into motivations and environmental factors influencing SNS behavior, a theoretical model of SNS selection and frequency of use is constructed and evaluated. Random sampling methods are used to generate a population of students from a midwestern, urban, public university with an enrollment of nearly 16,000. Subjects responded to a questionnaire soliciting information regarding personal characteristics and SNS behaviors, and additional data was extracted from a content analysis of SNS profiles. The results show that …

Managing Early Museum Collections Of Ancient Egyptian Materials, Dimitrios Meleounis

Theses

No abstract provided.

The Work Of Abe Kobo In The 1960s The Struggle For Identity In Modernity; Japan, The West, And Beyond, Devon A. Cahill

Theses

No abstract provided.

" Radical Overlap Of Outage" Oppression And Exploitation In Jane Austens's Work, Joris S. Beck

Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Text And Graphic Search Goals On Web Advertisement Viewing, Brian Ashbaugh

Theses

Advertising has become an integral part of the Internet's capacity to generate revenue, drive traffic to websites, and to increase brand recognition. This study examined how text and graphic search goals influence how many times and how long people look at graphic and text advertisements. Twenty-four participants were eye tracked while they searched for text or graphic information on six websites. Results show that when people searched for text information they increased the amount of time and the number of times that they viewed text advertisements. When people searched for graphical information, they increased the amount of time and number …

The Unearthing Of The Body In Adrienne Rich's Poetics, Michael J. Collins

Theses

No abstract provided.

Heart Frontal Section And Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, Robin Kang

Theses

The heart is one of the most vital and complex organs in the body. However, most of the existing heart animations focus on showing the outer surface of a beating heart, and attempt to simulate its function with its outer views. This thesis model, however, focuses on the inner structure of the heart in order to provide detailed visualizations of different parts of the heart, their functions and the related disease. This thesis model has been created by using a real human heart provided by the Rochester Institute of Technology, as well as published material about the inside structure of …

The Molecular Identification Of Non Tuberculosis Mycobacteria (Ntm) From Clinical And Water Samples., Anne Curtin

Theses

Nontuberculosis Mycobacteria (NTM) are now considered a major source of opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients. Reliable and rapid identification of NTM species is of the upmost importance for patient treatment regimes. Firstly, this study looked at the epidemiological trends of a small number of NTM isolates (n=50) from a large teaching hospital in Southern Ireland Cork University Hospital (C.U.H.). We found that 85% of clinical isolates were sampled from the respiratory tract, which is not unusual as the majority of samples analysed in the hospital lab originated from sputum samples. Also, the majority of patients were 59 years of age …

Application Of Multiple Mass Spectrometric Techniques In The Isolation, Determination And Characterisation Of The Marine Toxins; Azaspiracid, Keith O'Callaghan

Theses

The Azaspiracids are a class of polyether marine biotoxins that present a significant health risk to consumers of shellfish. Since their discovery in the late 1990s several human intoxications have been reported, and traced to Irish shellfish farms resulting in closures or harvest rejections. As such incidents involving azaspiracid shellfish poisoning have a major socio-economic impact on communities that rely on shellfish farming revenues.

Recent evidence suggests that azaspiracid poisoning events may become more commonplace. With this increased risk the understanding of azaspiracids mode of action and biological targets becomes crucial. To support these endeavours effective analytical methods need to …

The Application Of Social Marketing In Reducing Binge Drinking Among Female College Students: An Investigation Of A Third Level College In Cork, Fergus Murphy

Theses

Ireland has one of the highest levels of alcohol consumption in the EU, consuming 10.6 litres of pure alcohol per person in 2003, increasing to 13.4 litres in 2006. This rise in consumption has led to increases in alcohol-related harm and disease, and has resulted in more than 1,775 deaths according to the Health Research Board (Mongan et al., 2007). In general, increases in overall consumption are accompanied by a greater incidence of health and social problems. In addition to the high volume of alcohol consumed by people in Ireland, drinking occasions appear to be strongly related to heavy episodic …

Through Windows, Sarah E. Jones

Theses

This short story collection focuses on the female perspective and expectations based on a host of influences: familial, cultural, and mythical. Even in extraordinary circumstances decisions are made about how to lives one's life. The collection explores the context in which women put their life experiences and personal relationships, and the space needed to consider these things. Readers familiar with Lorrie Moore's short fiction may find echoes of her solitary souls in these stories.

How To Make A Love Box, Sarah Wienke

Theses

No abstract provided.

Rock Child, Deborah Garwood

Theses

Physician Lawrence "Doc" Bass lives in Ellington, Missouri. Forced to close his practice due to crippling arthritis, Doc has resigned himself to early retirement-until the day he meets Aubrey, a boy with an unusual birthmark on his back. Aubrey fits perfectly into the already quirky family of Hickcocks. He may be just a child, but strange things-good things-begin to happen whenever Aubrey is around. But not all of the Ellington folks feel the same way about him; some have an agenda for the boy. Doc, his good friend Sheriff Baines, and a host of other folks come in contact with …

Designated Dater, Michelle Marek

Theses

The following stories are a collaboration of my most influential moments in life concerning relationships with men and my family. I take seriously what a lot of people have said to me based on their words, choices, and decisions. I am an avid listener and am constantly thinking about how I could incorporate something into a story. I spent a lot of time thinking about my past and talking with those close to me to determine what type of memoir would best exemplify the real me.

In the beginning of this collaboration, I write mainly about men and how I …

A Conference Centre : The Case For Cork., Eddie Chambers

Theses

This current research study is an examination of the impact on business in Cork City that the building of a Conference Ireland will have. It examines the current Conference Centre facilities available in Ireland and the imperative need for such a facility to be built in Cork to ensure that business in the City grows. This research study presents the ideas, estimations and beliefs of respected individuals that have a vested interest in the building of a Conference Centre in Cork City. There are a number of challenges facing the Docklands region, the proposed site of a Conference Centre with …