Digital Commons Network^™

Invisible Pain, Hairuo Ding

Theses

My thesis work was the exploration and thinking of the outbursts that can occur out of hiding emotions in people's minds, and the prejudice against mental illness. It was based on a question in my mind: Is psychological injury a real injury? If so, why do people always advocate gratitude for suffering? Why is it that when someone is experiencing frustration and pain, it's just seen as an obstacle to become a better person? What about the scars that these extreme emotions create, the ones that are hidden deep within people's hearts, under the polite and cheerful appearance that they …

A Depth-Based Computer Vision Approach To Unmanned Aircraft System Landing With Optimal Positioning, Nicholas Quattrociocchi

Theses

High traffic congestion in cities can lead to difficulties in delivering appropriate aid to people in need of emergency services. Developing an autonomous aerial medical evacuation system with the required size to facilitate the need can allow for the mitigation of the constraint. The aerial system must be capable of vertical takeoff and landing to reach highly conjected areas and areas where traditional aircraft cannot access. In general, the most challenging limitation within any proposed solution is the landing sequence. There have been several techniques developed over the years to land aircraft autonomously; however, very little attention has been scoped …

Bullying: How Feelings Of Fatalism May Influence Youth Choices To Offend, Tammy Shartzer

Theses

School age bullying continues to be a source of intense research as it is commonly linked to increased levels of delinquency in adolescents. In an effort to understand the process through which bullying victimization is linked to increased levels of delinquency, researchers continue to explore environmental and psychological components. This study used both OLS regression and negative binomial regression to examine the relationship between traditional and cyberbullying victimization and delinquency to assesses if fatalism mediates or moderates this relationship. An individual with fatalism often feels they are stuck within a revolving cycle of bad happenings and are powerless to change …

I Heard The North Wind Call Your Name, Ian Edward White

Theses

"I Heard the North Wind Call Your Name" is a photographic series of portraits and post-industrial landscapes made in Rochester, NY. In the fall of 2020, I began wandering, hoping through photography, that I could make connections to people and gain a better understanding of my new home. With no agenda in mind, I allowed myself to become comfortable with the unknown - to follow my intuition and curiosity wherever they took me. Chance encounters and conversations with strangers often turned into portraits. My work, and understanding of the city, are informed by these shared experiences with my subjects. I …

Modeling Users Feedback Using Bayesian Methods For Data-Driven Requirements Engineering, Moayad M. Alshangiti

Theses

Data-driven requirements engineering represents a vision for a shift from the static traditional methods of doing requirements engineering to dynamic data-driven user-centered methods. App developers now receive abundant user feedback from user comments in app stores and social media, i.e., explicit feedback, to feedback from usage data and system logs, i.e, implicit feedback. In this dissertation, we describe two novel Bayesian approaches that utilize the available user's to support requirements decisions and activities in the context of applications delivered through software marketplaces (web and mobile). In the first part, we propose to exploit implicit user feedback in the form of …

Toys Are For Adults, John Wippler

Theses

This paper explores the concept of toys, what they are and for whom they are made. The paper also provides a brief history of designer toys and pop culture, and how pop culture helped fuel the designer toy industry. The psychology of collecting is also referenced, and a direct correlation is made between the act of collecting toys and toy popularity.

The book I wrote is also mentioned and is a vital part of the purpose for the thesis. The book is an introductory guide to resin toymaking and is integral to the expansion of the designer toy community.

Improving Asteroid Remote Sensing By Examining Past Martian Methods, James Dean King

Theses

Deep Space Remote Sensing is an ever-evolving field. The very first missions into deep space were explorations that utilized trial and error, as humanity faced a new frontier of unknowns. Over these 70 years of deep space exploration, much attention has been given to our three nearest celestial neighbors: the Moon, Venus, and Mars. Mars, in particular, has been the target of much observation and study due to it being a target for future colonization. Meanwhile, the areas beyond Mars have had comparatively less focus. Asteroids and objects beyond Mars offer many new horizons for humanity to study. By using …

Alexander Calder And Studio Jewelry: Rethinking The Role Of The Decorative, Mandy Clark-Russell

Theses

Alexander Calder is best known for his monumental mobile sculptures. Firmly ensconced in mid-century modernism, Calder was highly influential for a number of other artists and movements between wars, especially Surrealism. Less known is that Calder was not only a sculptor, but also a jeweler. In fact, Calder’s work expanded from mobiles, stabiles, and sculptures into the world of studio jewelry as early as the 1930s. The recent revival of studio jewelry, coupled with increased attention of the artist due to record auction numbers, have begged a reconsideration of the role played by the “decorative” digressions of his oeuvre. Previously …

Christianity In Insular Artwork From The Seventh To Tenth Centuries, Alexandria White

Theses

With the birth and spread of Christianity to the British Isles, there was a fusion between the different cultures that existed on these islands that resulted in a style known as Insular Art. These cultures are the Scottish Picts, the Irish Celts, the Anglo-Saxons, the Welsh, and the Vikings. In examining several works of art from these different cultures in this paper, the syncretism of Insular Art will be explored. Their traditionally Pagan symbols were given new meanings from Christianity as it spread. Through the study of various symbols and iconography employed in this art style, the author will establish …

The Mindful App: Usability Report, Jocelyn Sands

Theses

Methodology

The primary focus of this research is looking at the effects of qualitative & quantitative methodologies during the creation of a user-centered designed application. Through this process, I conducted product research on applications currently on the market. I also conducted user interviews and surveys to understand user needs.

Research Process

Throughout this process, I have used qualitative and quantitative information to gain knowledge of what users may need while using this app. I used qualitative and quantitative methodology to screen participants by conducting testing in a variety of ways. This ensures users are able to effectively discuss their thoughts …

Never A Complete Success, Never A Complete Failure: Thomas Hirschhorn’S Commemoration Of Antonio Gramsci, Ryan March

Theses

This paper will analyze Thomas Hirschhorn’s Gramsci Monument, examining the level of collaboration which took place among the participating community members. The Gramsci Monument is an artwork that took place in 2013 in the Forest Houses projects in the Bronx, New York. It was an artwork that functioned as a temporary community center, providing different facilities such as a library, radio station, computer lab, newspaper center, and art studio to local residents. Hirschhorn hired a team of residents to build this monument, which was made of everyday materials like plywood, recycled wood pallets, packing tape, and cardboard. While the artwork …

The Role Of Physical Geographic Features In Video Games, Dexter Ferguson

Theses

This thesis examines how physical geographic features affect individuals when interacting with video game environments. There are very few studies on the geography of video games. I aim to bridge the gap between game studies and geography, a naturally occurring link. The observation of elements such as the geography of an area is critical when exploring an individual’s perception of a video game environment. Individuals interact with the geography of their location on a day-to-day basis, whether it be physical or human geography; how they can relate a video game’s geography to the real world dramatically affects their immersion. An …

Numerical And Theoretical Investigations Of Fractional Differential Equations, Sara Rafiq Al Fahel

Theses

Fractional calculus has been recently received huge attention from Mathematicians and engineers due to its importance in many real-life applications such as: fluid mechanics, electromagnetic, acoustics, chemistry, biology, physics and material sciences. In this thesis, we present numerical algorithms for solving fractional IVPs and system of fractional IVPs where two types of fractional derivatives are used: Caputo-Fabrizio, and Atangana-Baleanu-Caputo derivatives. These algorithms are developed based on modified Adams-Bashforth method. In addition, we discuss the theoretical solution of special class of fractional IVPs. Several examples are discussed to illustrate the efficiency and accuracy of the present schemes.

Performance Evaluation Of Minimum Quantity Lubrication (Mql) When Machining High-Performance Materials, Shafahat Ali

Theses

The manufacturing sector is among the fastest-growing in today's industrialized world. Manufacturers are concerned about increasing their competitiveness and profitability. Increasing the efficiency and sustainability of manufacturing processes is one way to improve productivity and improve profit margins. Learning about cutting conditions and how they affect machined surfaces and tool life can help improve productivity. Nowadays, the goal is not just to increase productivity but also to make processes more environmentally friendly and cleaner. This research aims to analyze the machinability of difficult-to-cut magnesium alloys through different cooling and lubrication strategies and their impact on the environment. This study conducted …

Using Machine Learning In Disaster Tweets Classification, Humaid Alhammadi

Theses

People share real-time updates on social media platforms (i.e. Twitter) when disaster occurs, this information is very valuable for disaster relief and response teams as it can alert them immediately in order to prioritize tasks. Text mining and Machine learning algorithm can scan the huge generated unstructured data on social media platforms such as Twitter, to spot such information through keywords and phrases that refers to disasters. One challenge that the algorithm might face is whether a tweet text is talking about a real disaster or uses those keywords as a metaphor, which can lead to huge mislabeling of tweets. …

Text Analysis Of Airline Tweets, Essa Altamimi

Theses

By acting as a succinct summary, keywords and key phrases can be a useful tool for swiftly assessing enormous amounts of textual material. A "keyword" is defined as a "word that briefly and accurately characterises the subject, or an aspect of the subject, presented in a text," according to the International Encyclopaedia of Information and Library Science (Bolger et al., 1989) (Feather et al., 1996). People are more likely to complain when they are anxious, according to research (Bolger et al., 1989)(Meier et al., 2013), and moods are affected by time (Ryan et al., 2010). Due to this study, airlines …

Yield, Nutrient Contents And Antioxidant Levels In Basil (Ocimum Basilicum L.) Grown In Aquaponic And Soil Systems, Maryam Ahmed Albedwawi

Theses

A study was conducted to evaluate the performance of Ocimum basilicum L. in both aquaponic and soil systems in the UAE climatic condition. The experiments were conducted under greenhouse conditions. Plants were raised in aquaponic beds with ornamental fishes in different concentrations. At the same time, a set of plants were raised in pots under a greenhouse set-up. The studied parameters were morphological (total weight and leaf number, shoot and root length, number of branches), biochemical (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, anthocyanin, xanthophyll, protein, and phenol contents) and antioxidant levels (Ascorbic acid and tocopherol). For analyzing the stress effects …

Possible Storage Of Co₂ In Saline Aquifer: Storage Factor Estimation, Sarah Abdul Aziz Al-Tamimi

Theses

The objective of this study is to perform laboratory measurements and a CO₂ underground storage study to cover the knowledge gap on CO₂-Brine relative permeability and assess various variables on the storage of CO₂ in a selected aquifer. Several factors that affect CO₂ storage have been discussed in the literature. These include both macroscopic and microscopic displacement efficiency of brine as a function of CO₂ pore volume injected. It is clear from the literature that there is still more work needed to investigate the effect of various variables such as formation temperature, brine viscosity, and the possible presence of free …

The Effect Of Google Docs-Based Collaborative Writing On The L2 Writing Quality Of High School Students In The Uae Public Schools, Aliyyeh Abdulrahman

Theses

This study investigated the effect of implementing collaborative writing using Google Docs on students’ writing quality in English. The study also explored students’ and the classroom teacher’s perceptions of Google Docs-based collaborative writing (GDBCW). Two intact classes with 46 students from a public school in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates participated in the study and were divided into an experimental group and a control group. To collect data, the researcher employed a pretest- posttest design, distributed a post-treatment student survey, and conducted an interview with the classroom teacher. Data were analyzed quantitively using a Mann-Whitney U test analysis, and students’ …

Numerical And Experimental Investigation Of Aerosol Jet Printing, Srikanthan Ramesh

Theses

Bacterial contamination of medical devices remains a threat to the success of many medical interventions. Oral administration of antibiotics is a convenient, non-invasive way to treat infections. Most orally administered drugs, however, encounter biochemical and biological barriers that reduce their bioavailability at the target site. Therefore, prophylactic physico- chemical changes of biomaterial surfaces are considered alternatives to inhibit bacterial aggregation and subsequent biofilm formation. Millions of years of evolution have enabled nature to develop micro-topographical surface features specifically designed to avoid bacterial attachment and colonization. Examples of such topographies can be seen on insect cuticles, plant leaves, and the feet …

Vertical Adaptive Reuse: Balancing The Past And Present, Jostin Sarmiento

Theses

Many countries like the United States are taking lands that are untouched and putting in new structures stripping away the natural beauty of the site. Structures that once thrived in the past lay in waste as society continues to move forward. Architecture can be used to revitalize abandoned historic structures keeping a balance between respecting the past while designing for the present and the future. This a design thesis that proposes to revive an existing structure by adding a vertical addition for the pedestrian to experience the past, present, and future while rising up.

An Analysis Of State Level Legislation Aimed At Reducing Pharmaceutical Prices: Are They Enough?, Braedon Williams

Theses

The rising cost of pharmaceuticals has been an issue of growing concern in many countries both developing and developed. In the United States, high pharmaceutical prices cause significant financial stress to patients and create barriers to access, causing treatable conditions to deteriorate. Many legislative attempts have been attempted on various levels to control prices, but in the United States it has been mostly left to states to address the issue. In this comparative case study, pharmaceutical utilization data and sentiment data are analyzed from three states to represent various approaches: South Dakota to represent states with little legislation, Rhode Island …

Lightness, Brightness, And Transparency In Optical See-Through Augmented Reality, Lili Zhang

Theses

Augmented reality (AR), as a key component of the future metaverse, has leaped from the research labs to the consumer and enterprise markets. AR optical see-through (OST) devices utilize transparent optical combiners to provide visibility of the real environment as well as superimpose virtual content on top of it. OST displays distinct from existing media because of their optical additivity, meaning the light reaching the eyes is composed of both virtual content and real background. The composition results in the intended virtual colors being distorted and perceived transparent. When the luminance of the virtual content decreases, the perceived lightness and …

Suffragettes For Cesareans: "Every Woman Should Have A Choice", Julia B. Imanoff

Theses

Patient choice for caesarean delivery (CD) is complex. This choice poses a challenge to Health Care Providers (HCPs) in terms of resource allocation, economics, and surgical risks. Yet, women's understanding of choice is poorly understood. This study answers the question: how HCPs might understand women's choice for CD? Four primiparous women who chose a CD were recruited. Semi-structured interviews were used to generate data. The interpretation followed a hermeneutic approach.

It’S Not That Serious, Drew M. Slickmeyer

Theses

This writing is intended to analyze, document, and examine the success of my efforts to develop and execute concepts that incorporate humor utilizing furniture, sculpture, painting, arrangement, found objects, repetition, tromp-lœil, itemization, numerals, transposition, and written word. These efforts are done within a gallery setting established as the main presentation method. Goals, intentions, origins, inspiration and execution of each specific piece, as well as the body of work as a whole will be discussed. The language used throughout this document is intended to be concise and direct, as to dictate concepts and analysis as clearly as possible in order to …

Reflectance And Emittance Spectra Of Intimately Mixed And Layered Media, Charles A. Tabor Jr

Theses

The remote characterization of intimately mixed and layered media is a com- plicated and yet critical aspect of understanding the natural and human ac- tivities that induce the mixing and layering of surface media. The study of this environment is aided by two Hapke models that attempt to address these challenges in the context of reflectance spectroscopy. The Hapke mixing model predicts the spectra of intimate mixtures based upon end member spectra and known geophysical parameters but has not been evaluated over a wide range of non-powder mixtures which are common in littoral environments. The Hapke model for the diffusive …

Sustainability In Design: The Exploration Of Using Digital Design As A Tool To Promote Environmental Conservation And Sustainable Practice, Kaitlyn Maxwell

Theses

The final website deliverable functions not only as a means of presentation, but as a jumping off point for digital designers to build off of, using the carefully curated resources and informational findings that are included in, and crafted specifically for, this project. By focusing on three main aspects of how to answer the research question 1) creating awareness, 2) making a case for caring, and 3) effective messaging methods, a framework has been created that the audience can expand upon without being overwhelmed by a question with many potential routes to travel down. A digital designer can promote sustainable …

Creating Engaging Online Curriculum In A Secondary Graphic Design Class, Berea Moss

Theses

This project focuses on how to improve online learning courses leading to increased student engagement. This project examines a variety of online tools and course structures such as Padlet, introductory videos, and prompt teacher feedback to engage a variety of learners throughout the online course. Prior research conducted on proper online course design was used in the development of an online unit of instruction. The unit created consists of four lessons with an emphasis on proper course layout, student-teacher interactions, and engaging online tools. The project studies the engagement of seventy-eight seventh and eighth grade graphic design students during the …

Climate Change Awareness In The United Arab Emirates, Mariam Matar Abdulla Mohammed Almheiri

Theses

Climate change has focused public attention in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the role of society in environmental protection. The objective of this study was to determine the level of public awareness of climate change in the seven emirates of the UAE. The study also aimed to determine the spatial and geographical distribution and gender differences, as well as to investigate the possible influence of human activities on climate change impacts. In a cross-sectional survey, the researcher used a questionnaire to collect data from a sample of 4000 participants to answer the research questions. The drop-off pick-up (DOPU) method …

English Language Teachers’ Perceptions Of Implementing Digital Game-Based Learning In The Uae Middle Schools, Israa Mohammed Abbas

Theses

This study investigates how English teachers perceive the use and implementation of DGBL in middle schools in the United Arab Emirates. Digital game-based learning is a relatively new method that is being integrated into the classroom. This method requires ICT skills in line with pedagogy to be practiced in a meaningful way. The main objective of this study is to highlight the positive aspects and the obstacles that teachers may face when using DGBL in the classroom. The study used a mix of methods to answer the research questions. The first phase used the quantitative method through a questionnaire distributed …