Digital Commons Network^™

Bioclimatic Design For Global Projects: The Case Of Maranatha One-Day Church, Cibele Eller Rodrigues

Theses

Bioclimatic design is an effective architectural approach for creating environmentally responsive buildings, improving comfort and quality of life for its users while using fewer resources. However, globalization of construction strategies and standardized systems are often applied to various locations without considering the specificity of each climate and site. Thus, working contrary to bioclimatic premises and reducing the overall building performance. This work analyzes the case of the One-Day Church (ODC) global project from Maranatha Volunteers International (MVI), which consists of building churches around the world using a standard roof and frame kit, and local materials. It proposes design improvements for …

Joint Source-Channel Coding Optimized On End-To-End Distortion For Multimedia Source, Ebrahim Jarvis

Theses

In order to achieve high efficiency, multimedia source coding usually relies on the use of predictive coding. While more efficient, source coding based on predictive coding has been considered to be more sensitive to errors during communication. With the current volume and importance of multimedia communication, minimizing the overall distortion during communication over an error-prone channel is critical. In addition, for real-time scenarios, it is necessary to consider additional constraints such as fix and small delay for a given bit rate. To comply with these requirements, we seek an efficient joint source-channel coding scheme.

In this work, end-to-end distortion is …

Retopologizing Mri And Diffusion Tensor Tractography Datasets For Real-Time Interactivity, R. Scott Riddle

Theses

Current technology allows MRI and other patient data to be translated into voxel-based 3D models for the purpose of visualization. However, these voxel models are extremely complex and are not suitable for rapid real-time manipulation. For true “on-the-fly” interactivity, polygon-based models must be hand-built using other methods and imported into a game engine.This project develops an algorithm to translate complex datasets into optimized models for real-time interactivity without sacrificing accuracy of the original imaging modality. A working prototype, ready for integration into game engines, has been built with brain tumor data exported from OSIRIX1 and 3D Slicer2 via Mudbox3, retopologized …

Characterizing The Transient Profile Shapes And Deposition Patterns Of Desiccating Colloidal Droplets, Marcette Sapphira Greyson

Theses

As a droplet containing colloidal material dries on a surface, the suspended particles are deposited onto it. Aqueous colloidal droplets often leave the majority of particles at the periphery of the deposition area. This phenomenon is known as the coffee ring effect, and it arises when a radially outward evaporative flows dominates within a droplet as it dries. This deposition non-uniformity can impact a diverse range of applications. In medical diagnostic testing, it can introduce uncertainty into microarray test results, while in inkjet printing it can produce finer printed circuitry. Controlling colloidal deposition could allow for higher-quality medical diagnostics and …

Memory Emphasizing Digital Camera, Jae Ho Seo

Theses

The thesis is focused on how users can realize the value of personal memories when they use cameras.

The design of a camera has barely changed over the hundreds of years of its history. In the current market, most companies emphasize functionalities, such as better quality images, faster processors, and safer storage. However, the basic rectangular form factor, the round lens, and the layout of control knobs and buttons are essentially the same amongst many different companies. Similar to the auto design, the camera design has changed minimally in its outer shape with slightly advanced inner components.

It is important …

Connecting For Better Health: Discovering Differences In Self-­‐Reported Preference In The Environment Of Social Media In Healthcare Communications, Ashley Zeh

Theses

Though working as a vital service to the community, health care companies have the same

challenges as other businesses needing to remain competitive in the marketplace. Health care providers, however, have the additional challenge of providing healthcare communications that are valuable to society. Social media presents a new environment for healthcare providers to communicate and form a relationship with their patient community. Better insights into this new environment are necessary in order to establish how patients self-report differences in preference for the different types of technology-mediated communications. Through survey methods, this study looks into the differences in self-reported claims of …

The Analysis Of Consumers’ Affective Responses To Brand Presentation, Awareness, And Loyalty: A Contemporary Development In Selecting Media Channels, Jessica F. Mcginn

Theses

In today’s digital age, it is becoming increasingly difficult for advertising professionals to effectively evaluate which media channel will best reach their target audience. This study investigated the differences in self-reported consumer affective responses to brand presentation, brand awareness, and brand loyalty by medium. An experiment was performed to determine if there were differences in brand presentation, brand awareness, and brand loyalty between traditional and digital media advertisements. Statistically significant differences were found between participants’ responses to viewing a Facebook-branded business page and a traditional print advertisement.

Understanding The Impact Of Diversity In Software Bugs On Bug Prediction Models, Harold Valdivia-Garcia

Theses

Nowadays, software systems are essential for businesses, users and society. At the same time such systems are growing both in complexity and size. In this context, developing high-quality software is a challenging and expensive activity for the software industry. Since software organizations are always limited by their budget, personnel and time, it is not a trivial task to allocate testing and code-review resources to areas that require the most attention. To overcome the above problem, researchers have developed software bug prediction models that can help practitioners to predict the most bug-prone software entities. Although, software bug prediction is a very …

Incorporating Gallery Lighting In A Color-­‐Managed Imaging Workflow For Cultural Heritage, Joel Witwer

Theses

Conservation prints of cultural heritage are often produced in order to preserve the appearance qualities of the cultural heritage. The standard workflow for creating these prints is to image the cultural heritage, or paintings in the case of this thesis, under a D50 light source and create a print optimized for viewing under illuminant D50. The goal of this thesis was to investigate whether incorporating an incandescent gallery light source into the workflow had the potential to better preserve the viewer experience when the artwork is seen in an incandescent gallery.

Six prints were created through various combinations of a …

Line Drawing, Structure Clay Clay Lines Sculpture, Josh Wagner

Theses

Line is the most simplistic element in art; it has often been viewed as only a two dimensional element. However, I am concerned with the articulation of line in space and how it is used to produce sculpture. Through the use of simplistic linear elements I created complex sculptures. Positive and negative space along with the way in which the sculptures inhabited my exhibition space was very important to me.

Traditionally clay is used to make very substantial pieces that are usually solid or hollow. My structures, however, are rather fragile and linear, making clay a challenging and perhaps interesting …

Discovery, Cloning, Expression, Purification, And Characterization Of Phosphoglycolate Phosphatase From Staphylococcus Aureus, Isreal Moreno

Theses

Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of hospital-acquired infections. The multi-drug resistant nature of certain S. aureus strains makes the discovery of new drug targets for S. aureus vital. A newly discovered virulence factor from S. aureus was described as an ortholog of NagD from E. coli, a member of the nitrophenyl phosphatase family of the HAD (Haloacid Dehalogenase) superfamily. This thesis will show that this virulence factor is not an ortholog of NagD UMPase from E. coli, but rather a phosphoglycolate phosphatase (PGPase). If phosphoglycolate accumulates in the cell, it will inhibit the glycolytic enzyme triose phosphate isomerase (TPI). …

From Information Cascade To Knowledge Transfer:Predictive Analyses On Social Networks, Biru Cui

Theses

As social media continues to influence our daily life, much research has focused on analyzing characteristics of social networks and tracking how information flows in social media. Information cascade originated from the study of information diffusion which focused on how decision making is affected by others depending on the network structure. An example of such study is the SIR (Susceptible, Infected, Removed) model. The current research on information cascade mainly focuses on three open questions: diffusion model, network inference, and influence maximization. Different from these studies, this dissertation aims at deriving a better understanding to the problem of who will …

Development Of Nanosphere Lithography For Semiconductor Device Applications, Xing Lei

Theses

Nanosphere lithography, a technique of generating hexagonally packed monolayers with nanospheres, has been studied and been shown to increase the efficiency of the devices such as light emitting diodes and solar cells. In this research, the fabrication of nanosphere lithography was explored with the aim of identifying robust deposition methods. Two resultant methods yielded large (1 cm by 1 cm) monolayers of nanospheres, with further mask modification via sphere diameter reduction using reactive ion etch. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements confirmed the existence of the monolayer and the enhancement due to the addition of nanospheres. A thin layer of aluminum was deposited …

Digitabs: Share. Learn. Play, Alfredo Lopez

Theses

This project focused on designing an effective online sharing network that includes video tutorials and music tablatures of any original or pre-existing song, created and shared by fellow musicians. This network encourages people with little to no musical background to perform their own versions of songs by practicing and learning music theory in a pedagogical interactive environment.

A Temporally Coherent Neural Algorithm For Artistic Style Transfer, Michael Dushkoff

Theses

Within the fields of visual effects and animation, humans have historically spent countless painstaking hours mastering the skill of drawing frame-by-frame animations. One such animation technique that has been widely used in the animation and visual effects industry is called "rotoscoping" and has allowed uniquely stylized animations to capture the motion of real life action sequences, however it is a very complex and time consuming process. Automating this arduous technique would free animators from performing frame by frame stylization and allow them to concentrate on their own artistic contributions. This thesis introduces a new artificial system based on an existing …

Exploring Tripadvisor Online Reviews: The Case Of George Eastman Museum, Mussab Aljahdali

Theses

Different studies have looked at visitor related motivations and experiences under different contexts in the tourism industry. The museum-related experiences remain one of the important elements which are sought by visitors to the museums. Therefore, this study purposes to investigate and determine personal context, social context and physical contexts of George Eastman museum visitors. More importantly, the study utilised a content analysis approach in its research. The specific data about visitors to George Eastman House was obtained from the social media website TripAdvisor. The findings of the study were based on three important elements: personal context, social context and physical …

An Analysis Of Saudis International Pleasure And Leisure Travel Behavior, Fawaz Alreshaidan

Theses

The past decade has seen the rapid increase of tourist flows from Middle East countries (World Tourism Organization, 2015). One of these countries is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. According to Tourism Information and Research Centre (2006-2012), the number of Saudi outbound tourists has been increasing continually in the last ten years. The Tourism Information and Research Centre reported 2 million outbound trips in 2006, while 21 million trips were reported in 2015. However, little is known about Saudi tourists and it is not clear what factors motivate them to travel abroad and what activities they participate in. This research …

Snakes In The Nest, Shane Durgee

Theses

This document accompanies my thesis titled, Snakes in the Nest, which was exhibited in the Bevier Gallery for two weeks in April 2016, and consisted of five paintings and one sculpture. In this essay I outline both the artistic influences and theoretical research that shaped the creation of my work. I argue that the construction of my identity has been largely manipulated by a culture of escapist consumerism as well as social conditioning performed by my society to maintain a gender binary. The making of my thesis exhibition sparked an investigation into my ongoing involvement with art. This called for …

Electrical Double Layer Potential Distribution In Nanoporous Electrodes From Molecular Modeling And Classical Electrodynamics Analysis, Evan Marshall Ney

Theses

When a solid surface is immersed in a solution, the surface can become charged in a variety of ways including crystal lattice defects, dissociation of atoms or molecules, ionization of surface groups, and adsorption of external ions or, in the case of an electrode, via the application of an external potential. The excess charge at the surface results in an accumulation of mobile ions in the solution near the surface. Relative to the charge on the surface, ions of opposite charge (counterions) build up near the surface to neutralize the surface charge, and ions of like charge (coions) are depleted …

Identification Of Hyperelastic Anisotropic Properties In Vascular Biomechanics Based On In-­‐ Vivo And In-­‐Vitro Measurements, Nikhil Meshram

Theses

To clarify the complex interaction between mechanical and biological processes in natural or artificial (surgical) phenomena, the knowledge of the properties of biological tissues is required. It is also of interest for biochemistry, biophysics, cardiology, radiology, physiology, surgery, and pathology. In particular we require a constitutive formulation to be capable of reflecting an actual experimental data over the wide range of deformation and stresses. The constitutive equations should ideally be relatively simple, involving a few parameters, capable to predict the material response of biological tissue subject to a static or dynamic load.

Almost 30 years ago Y. C. Fung and …

How Students Choose College In Croatia, Ivana Silic

Theses

This qualitative study explores the ways in which high school students in Croatia go through the process of making their college decision, and attempts to identify the key factors that influence their decision to choose a certain college. The study used focus group methodology to gain deeper understanding of the thought process students go through from the moment they start thinking about colleges, to the moment they make their final decision. The results of this research show that high school students in Croatia tend to start thinking more seriously about where they will continue their education in the third and, …

Patient History Elicitation And Diagnostic Decision Making, Nicholas Iuliucci

Theses

Technology has changed the way people communicate, and communication between patients and medical professionals has not been exempt from these developments. Clinicians are now text messaging, emailing, and video conferencing patient. Understanding the impact of the new modalities on communication patterns is imperative to ensure quality care. Thirty-two medical professionals of varying experience conducted a patient interview with two confederate patients over an instant messaging system. The first interview was 15 minutes and the second 7 minutes, the latter condition inducing time pressure. The results demonstrated that time pressure has an adverse impact on the medical professionals’ communication patterns. The …

Android Malware Detection Using Category-Based Machine Learning Classifiers, Huda Ali Alatwi

Theses

Android malware growth has been increasing dramatically along with increasing of the diversity and complicity of their developing techniques. Machine learning techniques are the current methods to model patterns of static features and dynamic behaviors of Android malware. Whereas the accuracy rates of the classifiers increase with increasing the quality of the features, we relate between the apps' features and the features that are needed to deliver the category's functionality. Differently, our classification approach defines legitimate static features for benign apps under a specific category as opposite to identifying malicious patterns. We utilize the features of the top rated apps …

Effectiveness Of Water Quality Benefits Provided By Stormwater Management Facilities/Infiltration Basin, Vinicius Rodrigues De Mattos Barreto

Theses

Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP) and devices are systems frequently built under assumed design performances, but rarely verified after construction. Their effectiveness in protecting the environment against pollutants carried by stormwater runoff has been extensively questioned and investigated. This research presents a case study of an infiltration basin in Medford, NJ to verify if the 80% expected Total Suspended Solids (TSS) removal as stated in the New Jersey Stormwater BMP Manual is actually achieved. A sampling pit was installed on the site and infiltrated water samples were collected during three rain events and TSS measurements were compared with the inflow. …

Antibacterial Efficacy Of Nanometals In Conjunction With Electrical Stimulus, Syed A. Hussain

Theses

Hospital related infections generally result from the combined effect of preexisting bacteria on the patient and invasive devices. This demonstrates the significance in improving these medical devices to increase the quality of life of the patients that require them. This study will attempt to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of nanocopper particles and an electrical stimulus for the usage in medical device development and the hospital environment.

For devices such as catheters, infections typically result from bacteria entering the body from the outside. This is accomplished by bacteria attaching themselves to the exterior of the device and producing biofilm which allows …

Continuum Mechanical Analysis Of Space And Time Dependent Deformation Pattern Of Brain With Blunt Injury, Chen Miao

Theses

Deformation of human brain due to acceleration impact has been widely accepted as the direct connection to the Trauma Brain Injury (TBI). However, the limitation of obtaining deformation data of TBI is a major obstacle to understanding TBI mechanism. This experiment mainly focuses on developing a method to measure deformation pattern of brain with blunt injury. First of all, displacement data of markers on sagittal plane of an injury head model was collected using 3D reconstruction software after an impact test. Second, the displacement data was used to calculate 2D Lagrangian strain tensor and the principal strain. The temporal and …

An Electromechanical System For Characterization Of Piezoelectric Materials, Ahmet Sait Asan

Theses

Piezoelectric materials have been used in medical applications for a long time due to their unique characteristics, which is to respond to mechanical stimulation by producing an electrical current and vice versa. They perform a pivotal role in medical applications both for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. In this regard, characterizing the piezoelectric properties of these materials is crucial for their usage. In this particular study, an electromechanical system for measurement of piezoelectric output signals is designed and tested. The project is motivated by the question: can the piezoelectric properties be characterized by applying different mechanical stimulation waveforms and frequencies. Two …

Response Of Stretch-Injured Schwann Cells, Stephanie Iring

Theses

Axon fibers are covered by myelin sheath. After axonal damage, demyelination follows with the production of debris. In the Central Nervous System many studies have been performed to observe and analyze stretch injured axons, but very little has been done to study the white matter axonal tracts, oligodendrocytes. Schwann cells can help take a first look into stretch injured glia cells from the Peripheral nervous system. In order to observe changes in Schwann Cells a stretch injury device is used to produce the effects of severe and moderate injuries. Schwann Cells are stretch injured in both their undifferentiated and differentiated …

Development And Analysis Of Aluminum-Ptfe Reactive Composite Material, Siva Kumar Valluri

Theses

The shortcomings of micron sized aluminum due to the oxide barrier and two phase loses pose a hindrance for its efficient use as a fuel. In this study a fluoropolymer; Teflon’s inclusion in micron sized -325 mesh aluminum is suggested as a replacement to aluminum. Aluminum Teflon based energetic material see great potential for use in pyrotechnics, propellants and even explosives. A composite with composition Al-PTFE (90-10 wt. %) is prepared through Cryomilling and is shown to be a better method of preparation as compared to room temperature milling. The prepared materials are studied to identify best conditions. The analysis …

A Computational Model For Transdermal Diffusion Of Lidocaine And Tetracaine Topical Patches, Qian Dong

Theses

In recent years, transdermal drug delivery patches (TDDP) have developed rapidly. This is because the TDD system has more advantages than traditional drug delivery systems such as oral medicine and intravenous injection. In order to reach the circulatory system of the human body, drug molecules have to pass through the epidermis (outer layer) of the skin. The barrier properties of epidermis originate from low permeability of stratum corneum (SC) which is the outermost layer of the human skin. The objective of this thesis is to build a Finite Element (FE) model, utilizing commercial FE software (ANSYS), that can be implemented …