The Semi-Volatile Fraction Of Atmospheric Aerosols, Daniel J. Ruff

Theses

Atmospheric aerosols are significant contributor to climate effects as well as health problems. Many of these aerosols are mostly organic where their effects are dependent on their chemical composition. Atmospheric aerosols consist of a complex mixture of organic and inorganic components. The properties of the organic components within the aerosols can vary widely including the degree of oxidation and their vapor pressure. Recent studies have shown that a large fraction of newly formed atmospheric aerosols are semi-volatile and may vaporize back into the environment. This semi-volatile fraction of organic aerosols is largely unknown due to its difficulty to model. We …

Multi‐Modal Analysis Of Deciduous Tree Stands Toward Ash Tree Inventory: Biomass Estimation And Genus‐Level Discrimination In A Mixed Deciduous Forest, Timothy D. Rupright

Theses

The invasive species Agrilus planipennis (Emerald Ash Borer or EAB) is currently impacting ash trees in a large part of the continental United States. One way of measuring the effect of this infestation on the US markets is to determine the spread of the species and the biomass destruction/loss due to this invasive pest. In order to assess such impacts, it is necessary to determine how and where ash trees are located toward accurately measuring the relevant ash species biomass and tree count.

This study utilizes data captured over the campus of Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY. Hyperspectral …

Using Microalgae To Remediate Food And Bio-Digester Effluents From Western New York Agro Industries And Prospecting Harvested Algae Biomass For Biofuel Feedstocks, Daniel Anini Baah

Theses

Agro-industries of Western NY contributes to the US economy in diverse ways. Among these are dairy, poultry, cheese, tofu and Greek Yogurt plants whose processes discharge effluents high in pollutants such as NH3, PO4, NO3, and Fe which adversely affect aquatic systems and the watershed if discharged untreated. Waste hauling causes an economic burden to industries as WWTPs remain restrictive to these effluents, but Algae Remediation Technology provides a sustainable alternative to treating agricultural wastewaters onsite. This study sampled, assessed and treated effluents from selected production plants within NY State with various algae. The research applied free suspended Algae technology …

Effect Of Humidity And Testing Strategy On Friction Performance Of Model Brake Pads Containing Nano-Additives, Saikrishna Kancharla

Theses

Interaction of brakes with external environment can considerably influence their performance which could relate to friction instabilities. Humidity can alter the chemistry of friction surfaces that could relate to unwanted phenomena which increase the cost of product. In addition to the chemical phenomena leading to unwanted reactions, there are physical effects related to adsorption of humidity and to modification of adhesion, accompanied with changes in contact surfaces and contact mechanics. The goal of this paper is to address these chemical and physical phenomena occurring at friction interfaces of model friction materials and to relate them to their performance. Friction tests …

Investigation Of Erg1a Potassium Channel Modulation Of Calpain Activity In C2c12 Myotubes, Clayton Alan Whitmore

Theses

Skeletal muscle atrophy is a result of an imbalance in protein synthesis and protein degradation. It is a part of the normal aging process, but also may occur in response to several stimuli including disease, injury, and disuse. Currently there is no truly effective pharmacological treatment for atrophy. The best treatment is a healthy diet and exercise, however, sick and aging individuals are not always capable of participating in the appropriate activity. Therefore, exploration of the mechanisms contributing to atrophy is essential because this may lead to discovery of an effective therapeutic target. The ether-a-go-go related gene (Erg1a) K+ channel …

Cultural Naturalism And The Market God, David Timothy Denenny

Theses

This work employs John Dewey's cultural naturalism to explore how and why the orthodox economic tradition functions as a religious faith.Scholars such as the theologian Harvey Cox and others now view orthodox economic practice as a religion. Other scholars such as Max Weber, Alasdair MacIntyre, and numerous others view modern economic practice as exemplifying a particular ethic. The focus in this work is placed upon the destructive consequences of practicing the Market faith. This work argues that much of contemporary economic practice maintains a view of science that is incompatible with the kind of naturalism found in Classical American Pragmatism. …

Critical Incidents In Multicultural Supervision And Their Impacts On Supervisees And The Supervision Relationship, Monica Becerra

Theses

Multicultural competency is essential in the field of psychology and a major component of training involves multicultural supervision. Neglecting cultural issues may led to negative consequences in the development of the supervisor and supervisee relationship and in turn affect the work done with clients. Using a stratified random sample of 50 graduate students in APA accredited programs and internship sites, the researchers explored the specific supervisor behaviors and interventions that represent effective and poor multicultural supervision. This qualitative replication study incorporates Chu and Chwalisz’s (1999) critical incident questionnaire (CIQ) and a demographic questionnaire. The qualitative data was analyzed using Grounded …

Sources Of Currency Depreciation In Ghana, Hilarious Edem Anku

Theses

This paper investigates the factors driving the real exchange rate in the Ghanaian economy. The paper aimed at finding the principal factor(s) that influence the real exchange rate and explains the channels by which these factors exert their influence using standard empirical methods of vector autoregressive (VAR) models. The paper established that inflation rate differentials and interest rate differentials influence the exchange rate through the expectations medium. Domestic and foreign money supplies which are exogenous macroeconomic variables were also found to be important in the Ghanaian money market as far as the exchange rate matters. The paper also highlighted how …

Flightfit: An Application Enabling Air Travelers To Do Stretches Onboard, Ninglin Jiang

Theses

Currently, with the development of economy and the improvement of people's living standards, more people would prefer traveling by air. However, sitting for extended periods of time on a long flight would be an uncomfortable joyless experience and it may have negative implications for health. A study from the World Health Organisation confirmed that the risk of developing venous thromboembolism (VTE) approximately doubles after travel lasting four hours or more. So carrying out some stretches frequently as well as standing up and moving around as often as possible under permitted conditions would help to improve blood circulation and relieve muscle …

Looking Past The Images: Art And Film As Propaganda Apparatuses, Alexander Schumm

Theses

This paper aims to show that art and film can operate as propaganda in subtle and unintentional ways. Jacques Ellul called such propaganda “sociological propaganda.” Recent work in philosophy has relied on the notion of intention in defining how propaganda works to affect the beliefs and attitudes of its recipients. This paper argues that intention is not a necessary condition for messages to be propagandistic and works to decouple propaganda from intention. Because our current models rely on intention in defining propaganda, recent work in philosophy cannot account for sociological propaganda. Ellul’s gestures toward defining propaganda explicitly feature intention as …

Behrdie, Brendan T. Murphy

Theses

Humans are and always will be consumers. They have utilized goods to solve problems and explore creative ideas. As cultures evolved, new products came about with increasing complexities and functions. People began to consume products for their meaning rather than for the service the objects provided. Currently, products dominate human life, a culture of materialism driving incredible consumption rates. Excessive consumption creates problems for the environment and human well-being. Many strategies have been proposed to reduce the rapid accumulating of products, however, as they do not address consumers, but instead producers, lasting impact has yet to be found. A solution …

Temporal Changes In The Diversity And Composition Of Tropical Andean Forest Communities, Claudia Andrea Aparicio-Chavez

Theses

During the last few thousand years, human population growth and resource use has been reshaping the planet’s nutrient cycles, climate and biodiversity and might be causing significant changes to spatial and temporal patterns in the distribution of species, and a general erosion of biodiversity at global scales. Many studies have been looking to model and predict how species could respond to actual rates of change on environmental conditions, with a high interest in terms of species distribution and richness with potential extinctions. However, how global change impact local communities still remains unclear. Moreover, previous research suffers from a significant bias …

Rover: A Virtual Reality Puzzle Game About Creating An Experience That Helps The Player Rediscover Something About Themselves, Like Dream And Family., Shengjie Liu

Theses

With the development of virtual reality technology, VR is currently replacing old systems and modifying practices and processes in many fields, such as automotive, healthcare, training and psychological therapies (Salanitri et al., 2018). Amongst these fields, the industry of games particularly enjoys an increasingly mature technique in virtual reality technology. It is in no small part because such technology provides an immersive experience during the games, and it in turn enhances players’ comprehension upon the affections incurred in the games. Encountered with such an emerging visual carrier, many products and programs await creation. Throughout this project, motion patterns and visual …

Co-Exist, Samyuktha Valluru

Theses

My thesis is a visual narrative expression of co-existence in relationships. As I look deep inwards, I think about what has shaped the person I am today. I realize that if it were not for my learning to adapt and co-exist and the people I have met in my life, I would not be able to appreciate my personal evolution. Whether with self, family, society or the universe - behaviors like maintaining balance, flexibility, self-introspection, respect and transformation are all some fundamental stepping stones to co-existence.

For my thesis, I have crafted wearable jewelry, interactive small-scale objects and kinetic body …

Coloquio: Pro-Social Games For Healthy Social Interaction, Mintesinot T. Gebre

Theses

This study was conducted to address the unhealthy social and emotional development of children today as they are exposed to the adverse effects technology dominant environment. The extent of interference of screen interaction in today’s group activities at home, hinders opportunities for families to interact with one another. Surveys and tests were conducted for the purpose of finding where the undesired behaviors and habits formed by screen interaction become very pervasive. And the design solution proposes a pro-social activity that makes use of cognitive abilities to allow social activities and conversations to happen in parallel.

Sensitivity Analyses Of Electric Vehicle Life Cycle Impacts Based On Consumer Behaviors., Zaid Thanawala

Theses

Electric vehicles (EVs) are being promoted as a viable vehicle technology to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with conventional vehicles. Previous studies have shown that the use phase of the EVs is the main contributor to EV life cycle environmental impacts. Use phase impacts depend on multiple factors such as the type and amount of electricity used to charge the batteries, driving behavior, and life span of the battery.

Comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) studies exist on the impacts of electric vehicle. However, most studies assume no variability in user behavior. This variability could play a significant role in …

Evaluating Different Densities Of Lettuce (Lactuca Sativa L) With Varying Levels Of Feeding Regimes On Tilapia Fish (Oreochromis Niloticus L) In Aquaponics System, Ahmed Salem Mohammed Suhail Alkaabi

Theses

Aquaponics uses waste generated by fish as plant nutrients within a re-circulating system that returns clean water back to the fish. The purpose of this study was to cultivate the high quality of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) production in an integrated aquaponic system with recirculating aquaculture system in the UAE climatic condition on three different densities and feeding regimes. An experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions in the United Arab Emirates in 2016 (from April to August). The evaluation of the production was based on three parameters viz., head of the …

Mathematical Modeling Of Corona Virus In The United Arab Emirates, Alya Saif Ahmad Alshehhi

Theses

The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a viral in-fectious disease that can be transmitted to humans through interaction with infected ani-mals or humans. The Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is still one of the main public health concerns in the Gulf region including United Arab Emirates. The fact that diseases have been imported into other parts of the world show the possibility of has a MERS pandemic. In this work, we are aiming to study a mathematical model of the MERS transmission among the UAE population and camels. The goal is to determine what are the paths of …

The Use Of Bacteriophages To Control Legionella Spp. In Environmental Water Samples, Naama Abdulla Ali Al-Kaabi

Theses

Legionnaires' disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia which can affect human, but principally affects those who are susceptible and predisposed to infection due to old age, illness, immunosuppressed and patients at risk. Legionnaires' disease is caused by Gram-negative rod bacteria called Legionella pneumophila. An estimation of 8,000 to 18,000 are actually confirmed cases of Legionnaires' disease per year in the USA. In the UAE, there has been an increase in the number of cases of Legionnaires’ disease which are associated with recent travel to Dubai. Incidents doubled between October 2016 and August 2017. Legionella pneumophila is found …

Lc-Ms/Ms Based Analysis Of Vitamins B3 And B6 In Healthy And Obese Emirati Population, Ghada Rashad Mohamed

Theses

Water-soluble vitamins like Vitamin B3, B6, and B9 are of utmost importance in human health and disease, as they are involved in numerous critical metabolic reactions. Not surprisingly, deficiencies of these vitamins have been linked to various disease states. For example, Vitamin B6 deficiency has been related to many diseases in humans especially in women with type 1 diabetes and in patients with systemic inflammation, liver disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and those infected with HIV. Similarly, derivatives of Vitamin B9 (such as folates), are needed to synthesize, repair, and methylate DNA as well as to act as a cofactor in certain …

Forensic Art In Law Enforcement: The Art And Science Of The Human Head, Kourtnei F. Rodriguez

Theses

Forensic art is a highly specialized career field, but there are very few full-time forensic artists working today. There is only one school in the world that offers a degree in forensic art and it is located in Dundee, Scotland at the University of Dundee. The university’s School of Science and Engineering offers a Master of Science (MSc) in Forensic Art and Facial Identification. However, there have been a variety of training courses and workshops provided for individuals interested in studying forensic art locally throughout the United States. Some people may have heard the term used before, but they still …

Genesee Waterways Center, Andrea Stylianou

Theses

The Genesee Waterways Center, or GWC, is home to multiple competitive and recreational rowing programs and clubs, but lacks the appropriate facility to properly house and cater to its patrons and visitors. Rowing is an activity that values discipline and teamwork and has evolved into a sport that welcomes all those who are interested in joining. The GWC is located in Rochester, NY’s Genesee Valley Park which brings many recreational visitors past or through the boathouse. GWC wants to provide the opportunity for all those interested, but faces three major problems: a disconnection with its surroundings, lack of a facility …

How Architecture Can Promote A Sustainable And Therapeutic Experience For Patients In Psychiatric Hospitals In China, Xili Li

Theses

Mental, physical and social health are the interwoven strands of well-being for all individuals’ lives. Mental health, in particular, is crucial to the overall robustness of humans, as it enables individuals to realize their abilities, cope with the normal stresses of life, work productively, and contribute to their communities. Unfortunately, mental disorders have suffered the stigma of disgrace. Although the world has long struggled to understand, identify, and treat mental illnesses, the quality of relative facilities and treatments lags far behind other medical fields. The conditions of mental healthcare facilities are especially inadequate in developing countries, like China.

The author’s …

The Design And Realization Of A Dual Mode Photoacoustic And Ultrasound Imaging Camera, Zichao Han

Theses

Prostate cancer is currently the second leading cause of cancer death in American men. Diagnosis of the disease is based on persisting elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels and suspicious lesion felt on digital rectal examination (DRE), prompting transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) imaging guided biopsy. This method, however, has long been criticized for its poor sensitivity in detecting cancerous lesions, leading to the fact that these biopsies generally are not targeted but systematic multi-core in nature that try to sample the entire gland. The thesis presents a new modality that, in combination of ultrasound (US) imaging with multi-wavelength photoacoustic (PA) imaging, improves …

Design Vs. War: Modular System Of Toys For War-Affected Children, Shima Ghaheri

Theses

Toy and play as integral childhood components have proven to be crucial in child development. [1] It has been adults’ responsibility to provide children with suitable toys or help them find or make ones. However, this task seems to be challenging about children in war zones. Children that still have the rights to be recognized as children, to spend their time playing delightfully, and to grow peacefully.

In this project, first I examine how wars affect lives. To dig into the effect further, I explore the affected war children as the most vulnerable group of the society. Then I study …

For That What Didn't, Sue Britt

Theses

ABSTRACT The work of this book was pursued with the objective of exploring psychological and sociological causes and effects of the human condition with themes including family, love, solitude, loss, abandonment, estrangement, maternity, sex, and gender power dynamics--especially that of male dominance of women and varying female responses to this sociological organization--using characters, animals, settings and voices in the artistic medium of poetry. The assembly of the book is in the style of novel structure, but neither story nor chronology were considered in the order of organization as each poem is an independent piece. Epigraphs were used at the beginning …

Effects Of Slips And Trips On Resultant Lumbar Kinematics, Lumbar Muscle Activity And Low-Back Loads, Kavish J. Kathawala

Theses

Slips, trips, and falls (STFs) represent one of the leading causes of occupational injuries and fatalities. In particular, many prior reports have linked STFs with the onset of low-back disorders, which, depending on the severity of the incident, can leave the worker physically limited both in the workplace and at home. In contrast, the incidence and outcomes of loads acting on the low back due to a slip and trip that does not lead to a fall (i.e., slip/trip without fall: STWF) remain only marginally investigated to date. To address this research deficit, this quantitative study was designed to explore …

Web Whys? An Investigation Into The Capacity, Capability And Commitment Of Youth Work Providers To Engage Young People In Their Services Through New Media And Technologies., Nora Butler

Theses

Firstly, we shall explore what technologies young people have at their disposal and how tools like social networking sites have created a shift in our communication processes. In order to harness the potential of this technology and improve the relationship between youth work and technology, we must first understand how it is used in practice which requires investigative research, of which this paper has undertaken. I suggest that Web Whys? is used as a resource for other practitioners in Youth Work to understand the real impact and potential of digital platforms for improving young people’s lives.

A mixed method approach …

The Design, Test And Evaluation Of A Sensing System For Process Analytical Technology (Pat), Trevor Murphy

Theses

Increased globalisation and competitiveness has given rise to a more dynamic and diverse global market that has begun to place incredible strain on manufacturing supply chains. Conventional manufacturing methods such as the batch manufacturing methods employed largely by the materials processing industries i.e. pharmaceuticals, polymers and magnesium processing plants are ill-suited to cope with the demands of today. As products evolve with technological advancements they become more complex to produce and require alternative approaches to manufacturing to ensure product quality while reducing costs and increasing manufacturing efficiencies.

A potential solution to the growing demands on today’s supply chain is process …

Sustaining Dockless Bike-Sharing Based On Business Principles, Neil Horowitz

Theses

Currently in urban areas, the value of money and fuel is increasing because of urban traffic congestion. As an environmentally sustainable and short-distance travel mode, dockless bike-sharing not only assists in resolving the issue of urban traffic congestion, but additionally assists in minimizing pollution, satisfying the demand of the last mile problem, and improving societal health. Despite the positives that this new transportation mode provides, currently there are few effective measures in place to make the development of dockless bike-sharing providers more sustainable.

This study endeavors in establishing a foundation for resolving this problem through developing business models of dockless …