Digital Commons Network^™

An Examination Of Meat Consumption As A Pro-Environmental Behavior And Its Weak Correlation To Delay Discounting, Sarah Parkinson

Theses

This study presented meat consumption as an environmentally relevant behavior (ERB) and examined how the delay to an environmental loss might affect peoples’ decisions to eat meat. Participants completed a delay discounting survey where they selected what percentage of meat they would eliminate from their diet based on varying delays to rising sea levels flooding of their neighborhood. After watching a brief educational video, participants completed the survey a second time to examine whether the video had any influence on discounting rates in the post-survey. Participants also completed the 27-Item Monetary Choice Questionnaire (MCQ; Kirby & Marakovic, 1996) in order …

Catch Me If You Can: Henri Matisse’S Chase For Symbolic Capital In The New York Art Market Of The Early Twentieth Century, Monica M. Mitchell-Werp

Theses

This paper analyzes how the development and consequence of symbolic capital influences an art market. This comprehensive, qualitative analysis examines the early twentieth century New York modern art market activated by French artist Henri Matisse (1869-1954) and the 1913 Armory Show. This examination derived from the French sociologist, philosopher, and anthropologist Pierre Bourdieu’s (1930-2002) theories provides evidence of the use of symbolic capital by Matisse. The evidence points to the twofold function that symbolic capital holds within the emerging modern art market. The first function of symbolic capital manifests through the nonmonetary value Matisse received from the intangible qualities of …

Churches Can Increase Membership Among Millennials And Generation Z By Using Social Media, Deja Erin Mcghaw

Theses

This project examines how churches can increase membership among Millennials and Generation Z on social media. The final deliverable is a 45-minute webinar offering tips for churches to create effective and relevant content online. This webinar will be housed on a website created called Social Media for Churches. It features many videos and resources to help churches with social media such as trends, recommendations, practical tips, and free tools for content creation. Doc

A Best Practices Guide For The Web Designer Utilizing Search Engine Optimization And Social Media Optimization, Kimberlie Ann Nash

Theses

Today, searching on the Internet is a common everyday occurrence, and behind the scenes, search engines go to work finding websites based on keywords. This project focuses on the different methods applied within Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Social Media Optimization (SMO) and how they can benefit a web designer. The purpose of this study is to identify the best practices for a web designer utilizing SEO and SMO. This research is a blend of qualitative and quantitative methods, with the primary focus as a customized survey questionnaire designed to extract a list of best practices from the various SEO …

Native Activism And Materiality Through The Work Of Cannupa Hanska Luger: A 21st Century Indigenous Artist, Rachel Daniela Vera

Theses

This thesis focuses on a specific work by Cannupa Hanska Luger called This is Not a Snake. This project examines the materiality of the artwork, including beads, crochet, sewing, ceramics, and non-traditional materials. The materials used in this work address 21st-century indigenous issues while also promoting activism from the Water is Life movement, which is centered at Standing Rock Reservation, North Dakota. The materials of this work are relative to Luger’s 21st-century contemporary style. The use of repurposed heavily merchandized inorganic materials refers to the protests in Standing Rock. This is Not a Snake was inspired by these events, activism …

Exploring The Visual Arts With Rog: A Four-Part Series, Roger Heuberger

Theses

This project report addresses the research which led to the choice of content, formatting of curriculum, delivery system, and video conference management. The combined art appreciation and art history classes are innovative as they are built around high-interest key art events or movements instead of linear chronologies or systematic reviews of art elements. The research for this Thesis II project extended beyond art historical materials. The literature review and analysis additionally explored educational theories which could be adapted for use with the target audiences of 65+ aged seniors and lifelong learners. The original project submitted in mid-2019 was for in-class …

Shutdown University: Comparing Video Content Performance Against Non-Video In Digital Crisis Communications At Institutions Of Higher Learning During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Brian Patrick Vorce

Theses

This thesis project examines best practices in crisis communications at institutions of higher learning during the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. With a large amount of literature stating the importance of video content in the digital realm, video communications were closely examined and compared with non-video communications in terms of efficacy and successful engagement on social media platforms. The final deliverable for the project is a website where communications professionals can access resources, data, and research on these crisis communications, all delivered through accessible blogs and videos.

Three-Way Comparison Of Selected Substrates Used In Wine Labels: Wood-Based Paper, Synthetic Paper, And Stone Paper, Sanjana Babu

Theses

Wine labels are one of the most important factors that attract customers to a particular wine bottle. This exploratory study came from an opportunity to expand on the limited material science research published about wine label substrates. It limits its geographic scope to the European and Indian wine label markets. Two synthetic substrates and a stone-based substrate were selected and tested, and their results were compared with test measurements from popular wood-based substrates in this market. When tested, each substrate had an adhesive coating and a liner backing suitable for the substrate. These substrates were tested using six properties: four …

Using Machine Learning Software In The Human Resource Recruiting Process For Candidates From Dubai Police Academy, Ibrahim Alkhazraji, Ali Saeed Buhaliba

Theses

Since Machine learning software explored the first recruitment software and found that utilizing technology improves their efficiency at work, speed, and makes the process easier, the use of machine learning for recruitment has become one of the major themes in human resources. In a few years, hiring top talents may lean entirely on the ability of the recruiters to automate their workflows intelligently. Over time, the function of human resource management has indeed evolved in organizations, as technology has been marveled for its greater efficiency in almost every sector. The use of Machine learning for recruiting in organizations has not …

Environmental Effects Of Coronavirus Pandemic: Analysis And Prediction Of Global Air Pollution Levels, Nouf Saif Alhmoudi

Theses

The Covid-19 pandemic started last semester when I was starting on my proposal. At that time, the pandemic lockdowns were at their peak levels with strict restrictions against movements. This was the case in most countries across the world. The effect this had on the air pollution was immediately felt. There were negligible amount of flights and road traffic had also significantly reduced. This led to an amazing clearing of the skies of pollution. For the first time in years, the Himalayan mountains could be seen, and many cities saw their smog and blanket of air pollution disappear. At that …

Engram, An Application Of Recording And Throwing Back Memories With Your Parents, Tong Wu

Theses

Adults can recall memories from the age of three. Our brains help us sort out important things for long-term memory and more trivial things for short-term memory. 1 We pull up these pieces of memory when we need them. We can remember a lot, but we also keep forgetting, forgetting details.

Therefore, humans have always had the habit of recording. Today we record our lives by posting in social media, taking photos, and so on. In most of the more modern methods, we record our life initiatively, which means we need to do something to record a piece of memory. …

Roll Back, A User Experience Design To Help People Recall Memories, Haotian Sun

Theses

This article introduces a user experience design of recalling memories. People take numerous photos in their whole lives, so they need a powerful tool to help them organize and review all those pictures in an interesting way. After having interviews with target users, most of them have problems with organizing massive digital photos. This process costs them a lot of time and makes them feel boring. In this article, a mobile app named “Roll Back” is designed to solve this problem, users can review their memories randomly by solving a simplified Rubik’s Cube game, their photos will display on the …

Electrical Identification Of Innate Immune Cells, Rasha Ayman Nasser

Theses

This thesis is concerned with the electrical characterization of the key players of the innate immune cells. Innate immunity is basically the nonspecific immune response that is triggered by any foreign body that attacks the human system. The key players of the innate immune system are mainly dendritic cells and macrophages. Accurately classifying these cell types helps us understand the mechanism of the immune system thereby enabling the development of models to improve new prospects for therapeutics and diagnostics. The characterization described in this thesis is based on extracting the capacitance for each biological cell using I-V curves. The main …

Proactive Exploration Of Fire Incidents Using The Integration Of Direct Alarm System And Cctv System, Abdullah Ahmed Abdi

Theses

By 2050, the population of urban cities will have increased by millions of people. Statistics by the UN Department's population division of economic and social affairs (United Nations, 2018) indicate that today, at least 55% of the world's population live in urban centers. Further, the UN department forecasts that by 2050, at least 68% of the world's population will be living in urban areas. This means that more than 2.5 billion people will relocate from rural areas to urban areas. According to the International Association of Fire Service Trainers and FDNY and Standard operating procedures, the fire is the most …

Deafspace™: Existing Buildings Adapted To Provide A More Optimal And Sustainable Environment, Christopher William Brucker

Theses

Architectural design often creates spaces that are accessible to many, but not all people. In particular, many buildings are designed for hearing people; those who design with accessibility in mind typically consider the needs of blind people and wheelchair users, but often neglect the needs of Deaf people. Thus, most built environments are hearing-centric and unconducive for Deaf people. Furthermore, the relationship between architecture and accessibility for people with disabilities did not become a priority in the United States until 1990 when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was introduced. The ADA requires architects to think differently and design barrier-free …

Barrier-Free Assistant, Jiajia Li

Theses

With the rapid development of the Internet in recent years, social media is also changing and influencing people's social ways. Become an indispensable part of people's social life. Social contact should belong to the whole people, and daily communication is the demand of everyone. However, some particular groups still need to face many obstacles when using social media. For Pre-lingually deaf people, sign language is their first language, and English is their second language. Sometimes when they read some information in the second language, they can't fully understand it, which leads to obstacles when they use social media. Secondly, in …

We Eat, Maliheh Rahrovan

Theses

We Eat is an animated short film showing the struggles of a survivor living in an apocalyptic world within a cruise ship that holds the last of humanity, most of whom are wealthy, opulent, greedy people. We follow the protagonist on her journey through the ship as she attempts to save a single baby calf. The inhabitants on the ship are obese, obsessed with consumption, and all are wearing animal masks that cover their eyes. Justine, the protagonist, frightened as she slips from a room, closes an unseen item in her luggage case, and begins to flee the hungry passenger …

Miss, Jiahui Liu

Theses

Miss is a 2D animation graduate thesis film, with a length of 5 minutes and 50 seconds. The production phase went from September 2019 to November 2020.

"Miss" is a microcosm of ordinary children's emotional expression facing the death of their loved ones in reality. The protagonist is a child. The first time he met his relatives' death, he was at a loss and didn't know how to deal with it. He tries to pray and find an answer. But the answer is already in the heart of the little boy in the end. The temple gods are very kind …

Automatic Pigment Classification In Painted Works Of Art From Diffuse Reflectance Image Data, Tania Kleynhans

Theses

Information about artists' materials used in paintings, obtained from the analysis of limited micro-samples, has assisted conservators to better define treatment plans, and provided scholars with basic information about the working methods of the artists. Recently, macro-scale imaging systems such as visible-to-near infrared (VNIR) reflectance hyperspectral imaging (HSI) are being used to provide conservators and art historians with a more comprehensive understanding of a given work of art. However, the HSI analysis process has not been streamlined and currently requires significant manual input by experts. Additionally, HSI systems are often too expensive for small to mid-level museums. This research focused …

Smart Grid Program For Large Firms, Masood Alolama

Theses

A smart grid can help utilities conserve energy, cut costs, increase reliability and accountability, and increase efficiency in processes. Nevertheless, the growing use of IT-based electrical power systems increases the vulnerabilities of cyber security causes which increases the importance of cyber security in interconnected power grids. Utilities should understand protection of the smart grid, including vulnerable areas, strategic issues, layered security. However, there is a lack of awareness over the country since the inhabitants less informed about its importance in our life to transform into a smart grid and being part of this plan. Knowing that the government started already …

Plan 2014: A Case Study On Shared Water Governance, Bobby Moakley

Theses

Coastal areas of the United States are highly populated due to their richness in natural resources and economic opportunity. With this opportunity comes increasing competition for development. This places intensive strains on natural resources and land along coasts, resulting in damage to ecosystem health. In addition to competitive development, climate change poses a major threat to coastal communities as they are vulnerable to a variety of environmental factors (EPA, 2016). Many coastal communities have formed coordinated approaches to manage water levels and build resilience along shorelines. However, many of these approaches result in a variety of problems and are not …

Conducting A Feasibility Study For Generating Power From Renewable Energy Resources And Utilizing High Voltage Direct Current For Interconnection In The Middle East And North Africa, Rashid Al Maazmi, Mahmood Broushan

Theses

Electricity consumption is on the rise as the global population is increasing. The need of energy has been discussed in length over the years. Oil and gas have been the primary resource for generators fuel. As oil and gas are a finite resource, an alternative resource that does not harm the environment is needed to generate energy. The Middle East and North Africa have a huge potential for using solar and wind energy to generate electricity as MENA region has one of the highest levels on solar irradiation. A new system of transferring the power through the MENA region is …

A Model For Achieving Sustainable Commercial Complexes In Shanghai, China, Yudong Yan

Theses

In recent years, political and social concerns have risen in China related to green energy utilization and sustainable architecture. Architectural development in China has increased dramatically since the 2000s, and there is an increasing demand for and focus on energy-saving and sustainable architecture. However, there are few commercial complexes in China that apply sustainability standards. This research explores the future development of sustainable commercial complexes as the next step of architectural development in China, green technology evolution, and appropriate solutions for local conditions to provide a suitable sustainable commercial complex in Shanghai, China. The documentary analysis will be performed based …

Breathing Room, Madeline Rile Smith

Theses

Breathing Room is a thesis driven by a conceptual investigation of glass as an embodiment of physical limitation. My research considers glass as a somatic medium, as a material with limitations that mirror those of the human body, and a way to engage bodies in space. This work, which used hot glass, scientific flameworking techniques, and collaborative gestures, resulted in a series of performances and objects. My thesis research culminated in two separate yet related bodies of work and two thesis exhibitions. This dissertation will analyze the work and studio-based research in relation to historical and contemporary performance art focusing …

Lightsup: Modern Organization For The Modern Living Room, Fang-Yi Lin

Theses

Studies show a cluttered home makes people feel anxious, helpless and overwhelmed. Home should be a place where people can relax and live comfortably. A messy house can lead to negative behavior, making people impatient and argumentative. An organized house can not only make people be in a good mood but also encourage harmonious relationships in a family. This paper puts forth how design can help people be more organized in their homes thus creating a relaxing environment. The research shows how clutter affects people’s behaviors, emotions and relationships; why people do not organize; and the importance of finding a …

A Cross-Cultural Study On The Relationship Between Environmental Awareness And Social Media Use: Saudi Arabia Vs United States, Mohammed Alsahafi

Theses

For many countries today, environmental sustainability is a subject of concern, and the world has witnessed the rise of environmental activism in recent years. Social media is increasingly being used by relevant stakeholders to raise environmental awareness. This study explores the relationship between social media use and environmental awareness from a cross-cultural perspective. Building upon previous research, this study compares social media use, environmental awareness, and their relationship between Saudi Arabian and American college students. Survey data was collected from a convenient sample of 266 Saudi Arabian and 290 American college students on their use of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram …

Pond Scum: Partygeddon, Zachary Kirwin

Theses

Pond Scum: Partygeddon is a film about three lowlifes, Algee, Oozer and Ewwglena, who set out to throw a party to end all parties, and get a little more than they bargained for. Their scrappy friendship will be all that keeps them alive by the end of the night.

The film is hand drawn 2d animation created in Toon Boom Harmony and composited with original, hand-painted, watercolor backgrounds in Adobe After Effects. The soundtrack is a mix of original songs by the bands Pond Scum, Lord Scum, and Sh*t Rat.

This paper is both a documentation of the process of …

Data Warehouse Performance Comparing Relational Database Management Systems And The Hadoop-Based Nosql Database System, Nazar Al-Wattar

Theses

One of the biggest problems that many companies face nowadays is dealing with the huge volumes of data that they generate daily. In the data-driven world all data needs to be stored, organized and analyzed to get the required information that will help the administration to make the right decision to support the next step of the company. Big Data and Business Intelligence have become very popular terms in the business field, where Big Data highlights the tools that are used to manage the huge volume of data. One of the Big Data tools is the Data Warehouse, which is …

Design Of A Comprehensive Modeling, Characterization, Rupture Risk Assessment And Visualization Pipeline For Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms, Golnaz Jalalahmadi

Theses

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) is a dilation of the abdominal aorta, typically within the infra-renal segment of the vessel that cause an expansion of at least 1.5 times the normal vessel diameter. It is becoming a leading cause of death in the United States and around the world, and consequentially, in 2009, the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) practice guidelines expressed the critical need to further investigate the factors associated with the risk of AAA rupture, along with potential treatment methods. For decades, the maximum diameter (Dmax) was introduced as the main parameter used to assess AAA behavior and its …

Incidental Exposure, Laural Hartman

Theses

This thesis is an exploration of my lack of environmental and situational accessibility as a Deaf person. I will be identifying and highlighting how my life experiences differ from my hearing counterparts by utilizing visual elements from my personal collection that I’ve accumulated over the years. In this thesis, I will discuss how I give the viewer an interactive way to experience incidental exposure, what I learned about the importance of experimenting with different mediums and techniques, and how I found the combination of medium and technique that best emulates and reinforces the impression of my own incidental exposure. As …