Digital Commons Network^™

Noteworthy Sages: The Men In My Making, Paul B. Steingruby Iii

Theses

This collection of prose, short fiction, and poetry focuses on relationships and observations of select males and their enduring influence on my life. It's a celebration of the good fortune of having been nurtured by many good, strong, and noble males who gave time, shared wisdom, and endured hardships; each leaving a lasting impression on me while doing their part in life. Not all of the men are remembered for their virtues, some are recalled for their misdeeds and the ramifications of their errant or reckless behavior on themselves or others.

The gentlemen I venerate are family members, soldiers, coaches, …

Come Closer, Eli Marco Hall

Theses

This Culminating Project describes the design process from many different perspectives. It includes the designing of a book of poetry enabling me to apply design concepts.

Working as a graphic designer in the early twenty first century has provided opportunities to witness the effect that technology has had on the industry. Through the ongoing research, the change in roles of the modern graphic designer is established. Also during this time, print and digital media aggressively work toward a merger. When choosing to do a book for the Culminating Project, it was taken into consideration what the digital and print world …

Catholics, Curses, And Cousins In A Cracker Box, Kathryn Wallace Iffrig

Theses

In a small sitting room of a mortuary in a rural Missouri town, the author considers the life of her recently departed cousin. Having shared a family home early in their childhood, and despite similar upbringing, their lives had ultimately diverged, with him choosing a path that many would consider self-destructive and bound to lead to an early death.

Contemplating the circumstances of her cousin's death, the author falls into ruminations on their childhood, family, and common experiences they shared during those early years. Considering the disparate paths their lives ultimately took, the author questions the influence of nature versus …

The Development Of Functional Food Ingredients From Yeast Cell Wall Beta Glucans, Susan Keogh

Theses

The intracellular contents of spent yeast can be used to produce flavours and flavour enhancers. However there still remains after this process, a significant quantity of cell wall material, which makes up 20-25% of the dry weight of yeast biomass. A major component of the yeast cell wall is the polysaccharide P-glucan. This project involved the investigation of the extraction and characterisation of p-glucan as well as its evaluation as a functional food ingredient. A preparation of spent yeast p-glucan was obtained from two types of spent yeast species, Saccharomyces cervisiae (brewers yeast) and Kluyveromyces marxianus (dairy yeast) obtained from …

Molecular Epidemiology Of Antibiotic Resistant Salmonella Enterica Strains From Different Animal And Human Sources In Ireland, David George Lee

Theses

In this study, 176 isolates of Salmonella were collected from different laboratories in Ireland. All isolates were confirmed to be of the genus Salmonella by performing bacteriological and biochemical tests. Briefly, all isolates were cultured onto XLD agar after which pure cultures were verified and stocked at this institute. Definitive identification was carried out using the API 20-E system and a separate urease test was also performed on all isolates. After confirmation of the genus, all isolates were prepared for antibiotic susceptibility testing and r-types were determined using sixteen antibiotics. Depending on the antibiotic resistance profiles, isolates were selected for …

Zero Effluent Stretch Target (Zest), Orla O'Connor

Theses

The goals of this project were to assess the viability of avoiding water use and of “cascading” water uses, i.e. using outlet water from one process in another activity, possibly with some purification, including the upgrading of the final effluent stream for internal reuse. Water use has been inventoried at FMC Biopolymer, Cork. Avoidance and reduction measures were identified that could reduce water consumption from 49m /hr to 19 m /hr (a reduction in excess of 60%), with an annual saving in excess of €350,000. These projects were assessed for feasibility and implementation. Potential streams that could be subject to …

Preparation For Radiological Disasters: A Radiation Effects Epidemiological Database, Martha S. Raj

Theses

Not Included

Study Of Visualizations For N-Body Stellar Models, Christian Gray

Theses

The visualization of large datasets is invaluable to the advancement of scientific knowledge. N-Body problems produced large dataset that present several challenges to visualization. These challenges include over-plotting and self-obscuring data. Using the general visualization framework, Spiegel, five different visualization techniques are explored to solve these problems: slicing, projection, 3D projection, 3D density shells, and direct volume rendering. Each visualization looks to solve the problem in a slightly different manner while all have kernel density estimation as their starting point. While none of the visualization is ground breaking or perfectly solves the problems they do provide new insight allowing for …

Huayru, Cristian Mogrovejo

Theses

For this project, I will design a board game based on Huayru, a traditional ritual game played by some indigenous people from the Andes mountain range for centuries. Mostly played currently at funerals, this tradition is considered to be in extinction [...]. It is not among my objectives to reintroduce the practice of the ritual; instead, I will aim to rescue its memory and trnsmit knowledge about it by designing a different game using the elements of the original as inspiration.

Putting The Community Back Into Community Networks: A Content Analysis, Michael A. Horning

Theses

This study examines the role that community networks can take in fulfilling McQuail's call for a more democratic participant form of media. Community networks, which are grassroots organizations designed to promote local community initiatives, increased their presence on the Internet in the 1990s. However, in recent years their number has declined. Research suggests that community networks fail because they lack a unified identity, have not determined their specific purpose on the Web, and do not provide relevant information to network members. Findings suggest that community networks wishing to achieve sustainability should concentrate their efforts on developing social capital and fostering …

A Low-Power Interface Design For Intelligent Sensor Nodes Utilized In Wireless Sensor Networks, Shruti Lakdawala

Theses

This thesis describes a means for performing complex event detection at a single sensor node of a wireless sensor network (WSN) by interfacing a low-power mixed signal Programmable System on Chip (PSoC) to a MICA2 wireless sensor node. The proposed system helps to reduce the overall power consumption of the node, by lending it the advance computational capability to process a significant amount of data at the node rather than transmitting it. This allows the node to "intelligently" monitor a signal for impending events instead of transmitting the "raw" signal to the base constantly. Previous work by others has indicated …

The Work Of Fred Troller: An Evaluative Study Of A Graphic Designer, Tara Markert

Theses

This thesis will provide a process to help graphic design scholars and historians conduct an evaluation of a designer whose work has been rarely documented within a specific design style. Through implementation of this model of research and evaluation, graphic design scholars will not only be able to identify that designer's philosophy and personal style, they will also recognize the value of studying within a specific style of graphic design. This evaluation process includes placing the work of the rarely documented designer beside the work of pioneers in this stylistic idiom in order to highlight similarities of thought, process, form …

Photographic Strategies For Graphic Design Problem Solving, Suthida Sakulsurarat

Theses

Graphic design and photography are both forms of visual communication although they are separate disciplines. This thesis will explore the potential benefits of applying useful approaches in photography and demonstrating their potential for solving graphic design problems. ... The main goal of this project is to outline the possibilities of bringing principles of photographic approaches into graphic design. This thesis attempts to help designers understand that two different disciplines can support each other to provide a wider range of opportunities. In addition, the thesis is designed to enlighten, challenge and inspire designers. To accomplish the thesis, the designer will research …

Parent Perceptions Of School Climate And Its Impact On Their Child's School Performance, Danielle Malinowski

Theses

This study compared the relationship of student and parent perceptions of school climate to the student's academic performance and school problem behaviors (disciplinary referrals, unexcused absences, and tardiness). A sample of students (n=531), grades 7-12, completed the School Climate Survey (Haynes et al., 1996). Additional information was obtained regarding each student's academic performance and school problem behaviors. A randomly selected sample of parents were sent the School Climate Survey,

Parent Edition and were asked to voluntarily return them (n=45). Correlation results found no significant relationship between parent and student perceptions of school climate. A significant relationship was found between Parent …

The Effects Of Focused Deterrence On Gang Homicide: An Evaluation Of Rochester's Ceasefire Program, Christopher Delaney

Theses

In the late 1990’s, a problem-oriented policing initiative in Boston, “Operation: Ceasefire”, achieved significant reductions in youth homicide by focusing on gang behavior. The program was driven by a concept known as “Focused Deterrence”. Gang members are typically frequent offenders for whom general deterrence mechanisms have little effect. Additionally, the social norms of gangs often encourage offending behavior, making typical attempts to deter futile. Focused deterrence attempts to modify individual behavior and group norms with a credible and severe threat of collective punishment for an individual offending behavior. In “Operation Ceasefire”, when a gang member committed a homicide, his gang …

Recovery From Crisis: Jordan Tourism Facing Political Instability, Rasha Hani Saoudi

Theses

This study outlines tourism crises facing international tourism to Jordan. The study also examines major efforts taken by the public and private sectors to recover from the loss of international tourism arrivals to the country caused mainly by the ongoing political crisis in the Middle East. A number of internal and external tourism challenges are identified based on the opinions of key stakeholders in the Jordanian tourism industry. Different approaches to crisis management, drawn from an overview of recovery marketing literature and studies, are also presented. The study concludes that the continuous cooperation and coordination of tourism stakeholders before, during, …

Rochester Institute Of Technology's Laser Safety Manual, Joseph Whitney

Theses

Rochester Institute of Technology's Laser Safety Manual and Training Guide have been created as a recommended safety manual and training guide to help laser users work with lasers and laser systems in a safe manner. Standard operating procedures and protocols have been provided in order to assist the laser user in complying with Local, State, and Federal regulations.

The immense number and variation of lasers that are available makes laser safety a necessity. This manual contains guidelines that enable the laser user to identify areas of concern and apply corrective actions as needed. This manual addresses a wide array of …

School Connectedness: Using School Websites To Foster A Sense Of Belonging In School, Valerie L. Mergler

Theses

The current study explored the relationships between adolescents' internet use, feelings of school connectedness, social anxiety, and interest in the school's website. Participants were 8th (n = 121) and 11th (n = 71) grade students from a rural upstate New York, middle and high school. Data was collected using the Social Use of the Internet Survey, which was designed to measure participants' internet use, interest in the school's website, feelings of school connectedness and loneliness. No significant mean differences were present between the 8th and 11th grade groups on school connectedness and on interest in the school's website. Multiple regression …

Sweetness And Light, Stephanie Leach

Theses

Not included

Synthesis Of Some Pyridinone Nucleoside Analogues As Antitumor Agents, Shaikha Saif Saeed Alneyadi

Theses

Abstract

3-Deazapyrimidine nucleosides have been shown to exhibit great potential as pro drug for use in medicine especially as antagonists to cancer tumors and the HIV-virus. Recent research has focused on the design, synthesis and characterization of novel nucleoside analogues.

Fluoropyridinone and their corresponding nucleoside derivatives have been synthesized and characterized to induce the activity against tumors. 4, 6-diaryl-3-cyano-2(1H)-pyridinones (82a-i) and their nucleosides were prepared. A trifluoromethyl group was introduced into the pyridinone ring system to study its effect on different tumor cells. The glycoside analogues (83a-e, 85a-e, 87a-e and 88a-d) have been synthesized …

A Philosophical Inquiry Into The Development Of The Notion Of Kalos Kagathos From Homer To Aristotle, Geoffrey Coad

Theses

In this thesis, I shall attempt to show that the Greeks believed in the ideal of a marriage between the beautiful and the good. This important philosophical ideal rests upon the premise that beauty depends upon function, behaviour and the intention of the agent. It is the anti-modernist position. This notion known to the ancient Greeks as kalos kagathos, which dates back to the times of Homer, seems to have been forgotten in our times. This study will trace the development of this ideal from Homer to Aristotle. This world view differs from the one we have come to understand …

A Grounded Theory: Realising Family Potential Through Choice Of Schooling, Angela Mccarthy

Theses

This study was designed to develop a substantive theory that would explain the process through which a family makes educational choices in Western Australia. The grounded theory method was chosen for this research. The participants in the study were mainly parents of children in Catholic schools who were invited to assist in the research through purposive sampling. Further theoretical sampling extended the parental informant group to include parents of children in the government sector as well as in non-government schools other than Catholic schools. The data were primarily obtained through formal interviews. The analysis of the data was conducted through …

The Analysis And Characterisation Of Rotavirus And Norovirus Circulating In The South Of Ireland, Norma Reidy

Theses

On average more than 3,000 cases of rotavirus diarrhea are detected annually amongst Irish children less than 3 years of age. Rotavirus disease occurs mainly during the winter months, with peak infections detected from February to April. The symptoms of disease are diarrhea and dehydration, with 80% of patients requiring hospitalisation, The mean duration of hospitalisation is 3-4 days, with an average cost per day of €409. Eighteen percent of infections were detected in infants less than 6 months of age, suggesting inadequate maternal derived protection from existing strains, or the existence of novel strains in Ireland with little or …

Implementation Of Image Processing Approach To Translation Of Asl Finger-Spelling To Digital Text, Divya Mandloi

Theses

This thesis describes the ongoing development of an image processing technique for the translation of American Sign Language (ASL) finger-spelling to text. The present analysis is the phase one of a broader project, the Sign2 Project, which is focused on a complete technological approach to the translation of ASL to digital audio and/or text. The methodology adopted in this analysis employs a gray-scale image processing technique to convert the American Sign Language finger-spelling to text. It attempts to process static images of the subject considered, and then matches them to a statistical database of pre-processed images to ultimately recognize the …

Effects Of Novel Synthetic Nucleosides As Anti-Tumor Agents On Human Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Cell Line (Hl-60), Salma Awad Merghani Mahmoud

Theses

Nucleosides and their analogs are considered a clinically proven class of therapeutic agents possessing anticancer and antiviral activity. Several trifluoromethyl-substituted pyrazole N-nucleosides (coded NIA, NIIA and NIIA) and their nucleobases were synthesized and tested for the ability to induce apoptosis in acute human promyelocytic cell line (HL-60). The growth and proliferation of HL-60 was more effectively inhibited by NIA, NIIA and their nucleobases compared to NIIIA and its nucleobase. In addition, DNA fragmentation was detected in a concentration-dependent manner as a result of nucleosides treatment. A caspase-3-dependent apoptosis was observed based on the Western blot analysis of poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) …

Assessment Of The Effectiveness Of Available Pollution Control Technologies In Reducing Phenol Level At Enoc Refinery Wastewater Treatment Plant, Waddah Shihab Ghanim Al Hashemi

Theses

Phenols are present in discharge effluents of many heavy industries such as refineries. They are regulated and monitored by environmental authorities. Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) processes condensate oil and produces wastewater that is treated at the ENOC Processing Company's (EPCL-refinery) wastewater treatment plant (ETP) through the use of physical, chemical and biological treatment processes. This study provides an in-depth description of the unit processes employed to treat the different waste streams generated at the EPCL refinery and identifies the different types of phenols which are formulated in the processes. Characterization of phenol level at EPCL-ETP and assessment of the …

A Study Of Factors Influencing The Occurrence Of Algae Bloom (Hab) Along The Abu Dhabi Coast, Uae., Buthaina Salem Saeed Al Qubaisi

Theses

During last few years, the frequency of Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) has increased worldwide. The occurrence of HAB in the Gulf region has only recently been recorded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Specifically, these occurrences have not been thoroughly investigated. This phenomena, was found to be associated with the increase in nutrient load, depletion of oxygen and a significant decrease in fish populations that is caused by a bloom of a certain phytoplankton species, results in economic and social problems. Therefore, the Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi (EAD) has decided to conduct a study on different aspects of this phenomenon of …

Recommendations For A Comprehensive Identity Theft Victimization Survey Framework And Information Technology Prevention Strategies, Sara Berg

Theses

While steps have been undertaken in the last five years to better understand the problem of identity theft, there has been little research done in the areas of high tech crime victim profiling and prevention. Most studies focus on victim demographics without examining ways in which the victimization may have been facilitated technologically. Attempts to look at precipitating behaviors in the context of victimization are limited. As such, a weak empirical base exists on which to generate additional research and potential solutions to identity theft victimization. This thesis bridges previous identity theft research with other empirical studies in order to …

Web Based Monitoring System In Wireless Sensor Networks, Kanishk Panwar

Theses

Goal of the project is to develop a scalable web application to monitor a wireless sensor network. Wireless sensor network, an upcoming technology, is comprised of multiple data sensors that send back packets of information back to the base station. The sensor network runs on a real time operating system called TinyOS and the application is implemented using Moteiv Telos Revision B wireless sensors. The web application collects the reading from the base station and generates graphical representation of the readings for the front end and creates PDF reports when readings are not within defined thresholds. This application incorporates various …

Advanced Thermodynamic Analyses Of Energy Intensive Building Mechanical Systems, Erin N. George

Theses

A review of past research reveals that while exergetic analysis has been performed on various building mechanical systems, there has not been extensive efforts in the areas of air distribution systems or cooling plants. Motivations for this new work include demonstrating the merits of exergetic analysis in association with retrocommissioning (RCX) an existing building air handling unit (AHU), as well as conducting an advanced analysis on an existing chiller. The following research demonstrates the benefits of including a second law analysis in order to improve equipment operation based on lowered energy consumption and improved operation, and as a means for …