Digital Commons Network^™

Lightfastness Of Water-Based Inks Vs. Latex Water-Based Inks, David Lopez Lopez

Theses

This study focused on the lightfastness properties of non-latex water-based inkjet inks and latex inkjet inks for conventional process colors, i.e., cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. Lightfastness is defined as the property of ink that describes the degree of resistance to fading when exposed to light. Lightfastness varies among inks based on their formulation. The degradation of inks caused by light happens when the light is absorbed by the pigments and reacts with the pigments and molecules in the printed substrate. This research evaluated the lightfastness degree of water-based inkjet inks vs. latex inkjet inks. The experiment used printed samples …

Polarization Dynamics In Nonlinear Photonic Resonators, Saif A. Al Graiti

Theses

The global market demand for higher-bandwidth communication is increasing exponentially. Although optical networks provide high transmission speed using light to transmit signals, a bottleneck-inducing conversion is often needed to perform the processing of optical signals in the electrical domain. Such processing imposes a major barrier that would limit the high transmission speed of fiber-optic communications. This bottleneck conversion may be mitigated by extending signal-processing capabilities directly into the optical domain itself. Thus, I have studied the dynamics of optical polarization in a nonlinear photonic resonator to understand a new optical physical behavior to enhance the capabilities of optical signal processing. …

Examining The Tradeoffs Of Green Infrastructure For Stormwater Management: Ecosystem Services Vs. Environmental And Human Health Impacts, Ciara M. Heister

Theses

As green stormwater infrastructure (GI) practices become more widely implemented, it is important to develop a full understanding of both the positive and negative ways that GI practices may influence environmental and human health. Additionally, as climate change leads to shifts in precipitation patterns, it is necessary to understand how the resulting changes in stormwater runoff volume, soil moisture, and vegetation species composition will impact both biogeochemical cycling and the production of ecosystem services and disservices. The overall objective of this study was to compare green stormwater infrastructure practices by weighing the tradeoffs that exist between negative impacts such as …

Assessing The Degree Of Agreement Between Polarized And Unpolarized Densitometry In Offset Lithographic Applications, Devin J. Schneider

Theses

Automated color measurement systems have become significant components of offset lithographic printing presses for better process control and reduced job waste. In Europe, printers have broadly adopted polarized densitometry, which is uncommon in US standard operating procedures. It is recognized that some European press manufacturers provide automated color measurement instrumentation limited to polarized density readings. Introducing polarized densitometry into an environment where unpolarized densitometry is utilized can be problematic. The increasing significance of this issue has motivated print professionals to look for a solution. The present study applies the Bland-Altman method together with other statistical analyses to determine if a …

Helps Tourists To Customize Travel Plans Easily With Local Experience: Dotrips App, Shenyu Zhang

Theses

Traveling with group tours can no longer meet the needs of tourists. In-depth tourism has become a new choice for Chinese tourists, especially middle- and high-income groups. Outbound travel, tourists need to find far away from the hustle and bustle of the city and to deeply understand the cultural heritage and folklore origins. Pursue a personal experience of natural beauty and artistic style or a bold exploration of the way of life and the essence of life. The rapid development of the tourism industry and the proliferation of user-shared content have made the problem of information overload in the field …

The Effectiveness Of Solving Commercial Disputes: Alternative Dispute Resolution Vs Commercial Litigation In Kosovo, Diar Ramadani

Theses

This study assesses the effectiveness of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms, particularly through a comparison between the two ADR pillars – Arbitration and Mediation, and Commercial Litigation in resolving business disputes. The study specifically draws parallels with respect to time, cost, and user-satisfaction as key indicators in assessing which one of these pathways of solving commercial disputes is most effective for businesses in Kosovo. Consistent with the literature review, businesses resort to commercial litigation because of common practice, whereas mediation is chosen because it is a traditional, and historically successful method of solving disputes through an intermediary – even in …

Emerging From Covid: Online Work And Its Implications For The Worker Performance In Kosovo, Ujvara Fetoshi

Theses

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we live and work. Employers in Kosovo shifted their operations to a new and unfamiliar form of work for them and their workers and found new ways for their organizations to survive and strive in unexplored virtual environments. This study investigates the existing practices of remote work, the changing dynamics in remote environments, the opportunities and challenges and the implications for worker performance. To do so, this study analyzes primary quantitative and qualitative data which were collected in the time period of March-December 2020. The quantitative data was collected from a …

Integration Of A Visible-Telecom Photon Pair Source With Silicon Photonics For Quantum Communication, Vijay Soorya Shunmuga Sundaram

Theses

Reliable transfer of quantum information between nodes of quantum processors and memories is crucial for the realization of many groundbreaking technologies. These include distributed sensing, distributed computation, entanglement swapping, quantum metrology, quantum key distribution etc... which would vastly expand the potential of today’s quantum computers and form the framework for a secure quantum internet. However, most quantum nodes are accessed using visible photons which are incompatible with the telecom-band optical fiber network. In this thesis, we propose a method to bridge this spectral mismatch between the quantum nodes and the communication channel using a highly non-degenerate (810nm+1550nm) photon pair source …

The Inclusion Of Children Of The Autism Spectrum In Kosovo’S Education (K-12): A Policy Review, Aurora Kingji

Theses

This research was conducted to unravel the factors that need to be taken into consideration when drafting a policy for the inclusion of children in Kosovo’s education from grades K – 12. A literature review of existing materials on the history, general information, the legal perspective, the educational perspective, and the socio-cultural perspectives, on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is presented. Moreover, the results of primary data gathered from 13 interviews spanning across the aforementioned fields (policy, education, society/culture) have been collected. This data has been analyzed using the knowledge, attitude, practice (KPA) approach. KPA has been applied to, among others, …

Trade Liberalization Versus Protectionism In Developing Countries: The Case Of The 100% Tariff In Kosovo, Bind Ahmetaj

Theses

The principal aim of this Honors project is to analyze the effects of the protective trade measures, by the example of the 100% tariff in Kosovo. The analysis is carried out mainly with respect to three dimensions: price of goods and consumption, volume of trade, and new trade patterns; with the purpose of deriving lessons for the development of future trade policies in Kosovo. The research methodology for this study includes a combination of primary and secondary data. In line with the goal of providing an in-depth analysis on the impact of the 100% tariff on trade and Kosovo’s economic …

Hyperspectral Polarization Data For Particulate Materials, Rachel Golding

Theses

Polarization is a useful quantity in understanding optical data. However, it is also one of the least understood quantities in remote sensing of granular media, and knowledge is particularly sparse in the area of hyperspectral data. There particularly have been few studies of the negative branch of polarization and these models have had limited success in describing observation. This thesis reviews previous studies of both positive and negative polarization by Hapke, Shkuratov, and others, presents experimental results taken in the Rochester Institute of Technology’s GRIT laboratory, and describes plans for future research to understand and model polarization. Experimentation described in …

An Interactive Memorial For Healthcare Workers Who Lost Their Lives During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Tianjin Zhang

Theses

COVID -19 started spreading in the U.S. at the beginning of 2020. During 18 months of trauma, more than 3,600 U.S. health care workers perished on the frontline in the first year of the pandemic. We are losing our guardians who fight against the disasters and save human beings' lives. With deeply in pain the lost, survived people desire to remember and perpetuate the history. However, there is less data support to track health worker deaths in the nation, limited places to gather for the vigil, extend heartfelt condolences and remember the deceased. We want to know what health care …

The Relationship Between Augmented Reality Games And Well-Being Outcomes: A Self-Determination Theory Approach, Matt Poquadeck

Theses

Video games have become a prevalent source of media entertainment globally. Their popularity has made them a topic of interest to researchers, medical professionals, educators, politicians, and many more who are concerned about the role and impact video games have in society. Research has often focused on the effects of violence and addiction; however, the use of video games as an educational tool has been explored as well. Additionally, the literature suggests that video games may also be a useful medium for increasing positive health behaviors such as exercise. A popular type of video game known as an augmented reality …

Effects Of Microplastic On Freshwater Benthic Ecosystems: Toxicity And Impacts On Biogeochemical Cycling, Kristina Chomiak

Theses

The accumulation of plastic debris in waterways is an increasingly complex environmental problem due to the ubiquity and magnitude of plastic debris across freshwater ecosystems, along with the unknown impacts on ecosystems and public health. However, “plastic” is a catchall term for numerous polymers with unique physical and chemical properties. Further complicating the prediction of risk, plastic characteristics may change from environmental exposure, with changes in density, adsorption or leaching of toxins, and accumulation of biofilms that further influence material properties, fate and impact. Recent studies suggest that a substantial proportion of plastic entering freshwater systems is deposited in the …

What Is This Noise?: A Comparison Of Narrative And Statistical Program Notes' Ability To Affect Enjoyment, Luke Henderson

Theses

Program notes, brief written statements provided to attendees of classical music performances, have in some cases increased audiences’ enjoyment of what they hear, but results from such research are inconsistent. This study sought to explore the effects of program notes on enjoyment, eudaimonic appreciation, and intention to attend a concert, as well as whether narrative or statistical styles of notes would be more effective. Participants in an experiment were randomly assigned to one of three conditions--no program notes, narrative style program notes, and statistical program notes--then asked to listen to a piece of music. Those who received program notes reported …

Motivations Of Following Beauty Instagram Influencers And Relationship Between Influencer’S Attractiveness And Follower’S Attitude, Clara Kim

Theses

Many research studies have studied how social media influencers can influence followers’ attitudes or behaviors. They showed how the users reflect themselves through the images on social media. Uses and gratifications approach explains that individuals have a choice to choose what media they use to satisfy their inherent needs and wants. Social influence theory explains how attitudes or behaviors of people are influenced by other people. Based on these theories and approaches, this research aimed to find out why Instagram users follow beauty influencers, and whether there is an attitude change towards products endorsed by beauty Instagram influencers. An online …

Bodies, Blood, And Fluids As Resistance In Feminist Art, Laura Alice Page

Theses

This thesis looks at examples of women’s bodies and their fluids being used as both subject and media in performance art. These selected works of art are analyzed for how the inclusion of these images and issues creates resistance through visibility in a society that seeks to sanitize and commodify women’s bodies. This thesis will focus on women’s bodies as a medium in performance art. It will also describe menstrual blood as a medium and how this seeks to highlight and make visible and normal this important and natural bodily function. It also looks at the use of other bodily …

A Comparative Study On Cannabidiol In Melanoma Migration And Invasion: Charlotte's Web Vs. Purified Cbd, 2020–2021, Ruby Thamert

Theses

Over the last decade, much attention has been focused on compounds from Cannabis sativa in treating a variety of diseases including cancer. This study examines the abilities of two different cannabidiol oils to decrease the migration and invasion of melanoma cells in vitro. Skin cancers are the most common cancers in the world. While malignant melanoma is the least common type of skin cancer, it is the deadliest. Patients diagnosed with stage IV disease have only a 15-20% five-year survival rate even with aggressive multimodal treatment, demonstrating the need for additional therapeutic options. Because melanoma is often fatal when …

Select Heresies Issues Published From 1977-79: Situating The Individual In Late Second-Wave Feminism, Audra Verona Lambert

Theses

Heresies was a grassroots second-wave feminist publication based in New York City that produced issues from 1977-93. The publication was spearheaded by recognizable feminist artists and critics, and it designated one issue to each theme, covering topics such as The Great Goddess (1978) and Sex Issue (1981), soliciting contributions from feminist writers and artists to engage with each issue’s specific subject matter. To contextualize the environment of late stage second-wave feminism, Heresies issues were published a half-decade after feminist milestones like the Roe v. Wade decision (1973) and the Equal Rights Amendment vote (1972).

Heresies, as a critical theory-driven, self-published …

Cannibalizing The Popular Work Of Barbara Wagner, Beatriz Arcoverde De Oliveira

Theses

This project offers an analysis of the appropriation of popular culture aesthetics and imagery in contemporary art through a critical examination of the work of Brazilian artist Barbara Wagner. Wagner’s work contributes to an understanding of this increasing tendency, and also fosters the possibility of a discussion about its consequences in the social world, in creating a paradox of both challenging colonized sensibilities, and also working to maintain a structure of social inequality. Her work is also a good way to discuss the expanding contemporary definitions of popular culture

Digital Marketing For Small Businesses During Covid-19 And Beyond, Emily Lenore Guyer

Theses

The directed project has two parts: the Prospectus for AMC 60000 Thesis/Directed Project I, and the website https://eguyer123.wixsite.com/directedproject2 for AMC 61000 Thesis/Directed Project II. The website takes this information and puts it into resources, namely infographics and videos. My goal is to help small businesses, whether they are established and transitioning from traditional to digital marketing, or brand new and are starting their marketing strategies from scratch. Throughout this project, they’ll learn the importance of navigating social media marketing, content marketing, search engine optimization, and digital marketing through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Elementary Rhythm Pedagogy Analysis, Antonio D. Griffin Jr.

Theses

Rhythm is a foundational element for a child’s development. Rhythm builds motor skills, aids in language acquisition, and is at the root of all musical experience. While the concept of rhythm is universal, there is no universal approach that educators agree best helps students develop rhythmic ability. This research seeks to discover the most common research-based methods and better practices for elementary rhythm instruction and align each to current national music standards and expectations.

Neo-Pop In Brazil: When Pop Art Addressed Politics, Larissa Couto Rogoski,

Theses

After the consolidation of Pop Art in the 1960s, the American movement started to be incorporated and interpreted, on its own terms, outside the United States. In Latin America, Brazilian artists created their own “pop language.” Based on qualitative, critical, postcolonial readings of various texts and works of art, I argue that Neo-Pop art in Brazil can be understood as incorporated under the Brazilian concept of “anthropophagic culture.” The term “anthropophagy,” as defined by Gazi Islam, “marks moments of intercultural contact, where devouring the other at once acknowledges an appetitive desire for appropriation and an aggressive process of deconstruction.”1 Anthropophagy …

Textile Artists And The Incorporation Of Sustainability: Evaluating Perceived Eco-Friendly Textile Art Processes, Mallary C. Owens

Theses

Environmentalism is a topic that has permeated all facets of society, to include the arts community, especially in textile art. Textile art has shown promising potential for the purposeful incorporation of eco-friendly materials in the creation of textile art. This allows for the textile artist to follow their primary goal of creative freedom while obtaining a secondary goal of being environmentally friendly in art creation. There are six identifiable areas of choice for use of materials, these being use of recycled textiles, reuse of textiles, use of natural fibers (animals as one category, plants as the second category), use of …

Birth Of A Nation Effects – Effective Use Of Multimedia To Present Content, Brittae Gray-Ross

Theses

This project will investigate the effective use of multimedia, spanning back to 1915, with the film Birth Of A Nation. The final deliverable is an interactive web application. The web application will include modern day interactive web graphics. The web application will also include research and effective media that can be applied to any subject or thing.

Visual Communication – A Designer’S Guide To Reaching Target Audiences, Timothy Lerch

Theses

Visual communication is the cornerstone of graphic design. All graphic design projects communicate a visual message. As with all forms of communication, visual communication is a two-way street. For a message to be effective, a designer must understand how to reach their audience. Scholarly design programs focus primarily on visual cues, while marketing programs focus on in-depth audience analysis and consumer behavior. This creates a problem for designers as they complete their degree program and enter the job market, particularly if they intend to seek freelance work. This guide is innovative because it presents components of visual communication from perspectives …

Fraud Detection Using Data Analytics, Ayesha Karmustaji

Theses

At present, the biggest concern of every organization is to detect and control financial fraud. Tax frauds cause the loss of billions of dollars every year. As a result, data mining techniques are used to combat the growing problem of tax fraud. Tax evasions cause a reduction in revenue collection. It also has a bleak impact on government policies and budget. The goal of this study is to describe the use of data analytics tools to process and analyze tax data related to value-added tax evasions. This study is a conceptual perspective that provides a theoretical and methodological basis for …

An Enhanced Statistical Phonon Transport Model For Nanoscale Thermal Transport And Design, Michael P. Medlar

Theses

Managing thermal energy generation and transfer within the nanoscale devices (transistors) of modern microelectronics is important as it limits speed, carrier mobility, and affects reliability. Application of Fourier’s Law of Heat Conduction to the small length and times scales associated with transistor geometries and switching frequencies doesn’t give accurate results due to the breakdown of the continuum assumption and the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium. Heat conduction at these length and time scales occurs via phonon transport, including both classical and quantum effects. Traditional methods for phonon transport modeling are lacking in the combination of computational efficiency, physical accuracy, and …

Using Linear Arrays Of Micro-Ring Resonators To Enhance The Hong-Ou-Mandel Effect For Quantum Optical Networks In Silicon Nanophotonics, Peter Kaulfuss

Theses

Quantum Information Processing (QIP) is a quickly evolving field, from basic research to next-generation, deployable technology. Its development is catalyzed by the inherent scalability and efficient packaging provided by working in silicon nanophotonics. The Hong-Ou- Mandel (HOM) effect is a versatile quantum photonic tool used in a wide variety of applications throughout QIP. In this thesis we examine new types of circuits using linear arrays of Micro- Ring Resonators (MRRs) to enhance the attainability of the HOM effect. We propose three new devices: a circuit exhibiting robust expansion to the HOM effect using small series of identical MRRs, a HOM …

A Spectral Component Analysis Of Repeating Frb121102, Zachary Diermyer

Theses

Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are extremely luminous, millisecond duration radio pulses of unknown origin. While many FRBs are transient events, a few sources are confirmed to be the progenitor of multiple bursts. These "repeaters" offer an extraordinary chance to study the properties of mysterious FRB signals. The FRB121102 source was the first repeater to have ever been discovered and it has since provided us with a wealth of data to be analyzed. A unique feature of repeaters, including FRB121102, is the presence of a multicomponent burst structure. This is a phenomenon where individual portions of the burst are separated in …