Digital Commons Network^™

An Experimental Study Of Dispersion In Oscillating Flows In Cylindrical Tubes, Siddharth Dasgupta

Theses

The cochlea of the inner ear has fluid filled spaces. Drugs are delivered to the cochlea via transtympanic injections to the base of the cochlea, at a membrane called the Round Window Membrane (RWM). Drugs diffuse through the RWM into the cochlear fluids. This method relies on the mechanism of pure diffusion. Hence drug delivery is slow and treatment efficacy is affected. The cochlear fluid oscillates when stimulated by sound. This thesis experimentally investigates if drug dispersion in the cochlea can be enhanced by oscillating the cochlear fluids for amplitudes as small as that of the cochlea.

To answer this …

“What’S Race Got To Do With It?” An Investigation Into The Differences Between Self-Reported Television Exposure And Self-Reported Attitudes Towards Interracial Dating, Kimberly Reeb

Theses

Television has the power to suggest what its viewers should think about and to impact individuals’ attitudes towards controversial topics. The present study examined the differences between individuals’ self-reported television exposure and self-reported interracial dating attitudes (IDA). Television viewing habits and demographics were also analyzed. A survey distributed via social media and email collected 216 responses. Cultivation theory suggests heavy viewers are likely to have more negative perceptions and attitudes. Analysis of differences for IDA between viewers was not statistically significant, but the IDA score was slightly more negative for heavy viewers. Overall, IDA scores were positive, however individuals’ attitude …

The Self-Reported Reasons For Self-Disclosure And Uncertainty Reduction Strategies Used In Romantic Online Dating Relationships Compared To Face-To-Face Romantic Dating Relationships, Krystle N. Jones

Theses

“One in ten Americans have used an online dating site or mobile dating app themselves, and many people now know someone else who uses online dating or who has found a spouse or long-term partner via online dating” (Pew Research Center 2013). Online dating is now a 2.1 billion dollar industry and growing (Fiscal Times, 2014). The current study examines how interpersonal computer-mediated relationships developed through uncertainty reduction strategies and self-disclosure. Online daters may become educated on courting in a computer-mediated environment by learning from the experiences of those that participate in online relationship seeking. Online daters may desire an …

Life Structures, Melissa M. Pepin

Theses

The following document defines my creative journey as a fine arts graduate student at Rochester Institute of Technology. Through a series of personal life experiences I have selectively visualized a meaningful collection of prints on butcher-block paper.

In addition, I have described positive print experiences at a previous school. This MA studies ultimately directed my search for a MFA program that would provide breath to my research investigations. Creative problem solving in Fine Arts Studio New Forms also contributed to my exhibited work in the Bevier Gallery at RIT. By rendering stills, I was able to capture my personal environment …

Finger Lakes Interactive Play Assessment Of Implementation, Jessica Kernan

Theses

In 2014, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo launched Path Through History, a project connecting New York’s historical and cultural heritage sites. This effort aimed to benefit New York State by promoting the important historical past of New York, as well as highlighting the tourism industry and economic development throughout the entire state as a whole. One million dollars in funding was distributed among ten tourism regions throughout New York State, in an effort to assist each region in creating a unique tourism-marketing plan. This paper focuses specifically on the Finger Lakes Region and its use of the Path Through …

Parking In The Urban Core, Matthew Simonis

Theses

This paper explores parking policy as it relates to the creation of densely populated downtown city centers. The impacts of careful parking planning, correlated with other factors such as streetscape and building design, dictate how people move around their community. This topic is even more important as cities across America have seen a resurgence in their population and are for the first time in decades, laying out new plans and goals of what they are seeking to achieve as it relates to land use. The City of Rochester is one city that is working to create lively streets as stated …

Forma Naturalis, Patrick Kana

Theses

Mankind’s fascination with natural form is undeniably long-lived. From collecting and preserving specimens for evolutionary research, to documenting and expressing natural form through artistic practice, Mankind continues to embrace for scientific and aesthetic benefit that which surrounds us. I believe that botany, marine biology, and environmental phenomena—all areas of influence and study from my childhood—are sources that illustrate perfection in form and utility. The sheer beauty evident in these scientific forms continues to inspire me, and I will celebrate them and explore my relationship with them through an experimental making process in wood.

Carved objects, form studies, and functional furniture …

Graduate Student Profile Of Saudi Arabian Students Enrolled In The Hospitality And Tourism Management Program At Rit, Saleh Aljubaili

Theses

This research explores the experience of Saudi students at RIT who are enrolled in the Hospitality and Tourism Management graduate program. It focuses on investigating the educational needs and expectations of the students for the purpose of program development in regard to the courses offered and the teaching methods used. The data of this study were collected using interviews, which resulted in a large amount of data being collected. The key areas that the interviews sought to explore were reasons for choosing the US and RIT, learning and educational experiences, and social and cultural interactions with faculty. It was found …

Biological Significance Of Dual Oriented P6 From Nontypeable Haemophilus Influenzae: Assessing Surface P6 Levels In Different Strains Of Nthi, Cultured Under Various Physiologically Relevant Environmental Conditions, Casey Reulbach

Theses

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) or nonencapsulated Haemophilus influenzae has been connected to such diseases as pneumonia, bacteremia, meningitis and sepsis in adults. NTHi is also linked to 25-35% of the roughly 25 million annual cases (within The United States) of acute otitis media (ear infections) in children. Vaccines against encapsulated strains of Haemophilus influenzae have been proven effective; yet, no vaccines have been produced to protect against NTHi infection. The 16-kDa outer membrane lipoprotein P6 has been shown to be nearly homologous between NTHi strains, making it one of the leading vaccine candidates for NTHi. However, it was recently demonstrated, …

Characterization Of Cardiac Electrogram Signals During Atrial Fibrillation, Prasanth Ganesan

Theses

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in United States. The most popular treatment for AF is a percutaneous procedure called catheter ablation. Current AF ablation procedures unfortunately have a poor success rate, primarily because the mechanisms involved in AF are incompletely understood even today. Intra-atrial electrograms have previously been shown to provide information on the mechanisms of AF. This thesis focuses on two such mechanisms – AF-sustaining sites known as sustained rotational activities (RotAs), and atrial tissue with unique electrical properties known as myocardial scars. Catheter ablation procedures today construct the 3D electroanatomic map of the left …

The Apnaase/Mrna Decapping Nudix Hydrolases From M. Tuberculosis And M. Leprae, Peipei Zhu

Theses

Throughout history, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) has killed more people than any other infectious agent, while Mycobacterium leprae is an ancient human pathogen that still causes disease today. Each has developed drug resistance, thus the discovery of potential novel antibiotic targets is essential. The diadenosine polyphosphatases (ApnAases) / mRNA decapping enzymes of the Nudix hydrolase superfamily have been found to be essential for a number of pathogens (Bartonella bacilliformis, Legionella pneumophila) to invade human host cells, a process often essential for pathogenesis, and thus potential novel drug targets. There are two ApnAases in MTB: Rv2985 and Rv3908 and two corresponding orthologs …

Design, Construction And Characterization Of A Wind Tunnel, Chang Ge

Theses

The wind tunnel is the most fundamental test equipment for aircraft testing and studying aerodynamics. Because of the complexity of the test-subject's geometry, it is difficult to study the aerodynamic pattern simply based on theoretical calculations. Most of the aerodynamics experiments still use wind tunnels. The progress of the wind tunnel is highly related to the advancements in air crafts. Aircraft manufacturing has pushed the wind tunnel technology forward. Wind tunnels can be categorized by the wind speed limit differences, which are controlled by the mechanism of the driving methods, structure applications, etc. In this case, we built a small …

Differentiation Of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Into Insulin-Producing Cells: Optimization To Enhance The Overall Differentiation Efficiency, Xiaotang Ma

Theses

Embryonic stem cells have the potential to differentiate into multiple cell types including insulin-producing cells (IPCs), which is becoming one of the promising cell sources for treating type 1 diabetes mellitus. However, in order to achieve functional stem cell-derived cells, it is important to generate more mature IPCs and to keep long-term viability post differentiation process. In this study, we varied several factors including different embryonic body culture conditions, digested cells seeding density and various coatings required for differentiation to optimize a previously established protocol to enhance the overall differentiation efficiency. Moreover, a three-dimensional in vitro collagen tissue culture system …

Communication Risk And Strategy In Temporary Organizations, Shelley R. Mcivor

Theses

Communication is a critical and emerging metric for successful outcomes in the high-stakes field of project management. Professional management societies have quantified financial losses caused by ineffective communication. Consulting project management exemplifies a maximum communication risk environment - misunderstanding threatens project finances, strict deadlines, and technical benchmarks - exacerbated by the complexity of a temporary organization structure.

The context of work in a temporary organization adds layers of ambiguity to project communications - an ill-structured domain in technical communication terms. Formal study of communication in temporary organizations is relatively new. Recent studies are derived from engineering and business management perspectives. …

Review Of Steganalysis Of Digital Images, Xinlei Pan

Theses

Steganography is the science and art of embedding hidden messages into cover multimedia such as text, image, audio and video. Steganalysis is the counterpart of steganography, which wants to identify if there is data hidden inside a digital medium. In this study, some specific steganographic schemes such as HUGO and LSB are studied and the steganalytic schemes developed to steganalyze the hidden message are studied. Furthermore, some new approaches such as deep learning and game theory, which have seldom been utilized in steganalysis before, are studied. In the rest of thesis study some steganalytic schemes using textural features including the …

Experimental Determination Of The Agitation Requirements For Solids Suspension In Dissolution Systems Using A Mini Paddle Apparatus, Yang Song

Theses

Dissolution testing is a critical step in quality control of manufactured final products in the pharmaceutical industry. The United State Pharmacopeia (USP) Dissolution Testing Apparatus 2 (paddle) is the most widely used dissolution test devices in the pharmaceutical industry to formulate solid drug dosage forms and to develop quality control specifications for its manufacturing process.

Mini vessels and mini paddle dissolution testing systems are smaller versions of the USP 2 Apparatus. The concept of the mini paddle apparatus is similar to that of the USP 2 setup but it is scaled down about to 1/5 of the volume and 40% …

Effect Of Impeller Submergence On Power Dissipation And Solids Suspension In Mixing Systems Equipped With Pitch-Blade Turbines, Yufeng Song

Theses

Mixing and dispersion of solids in a liquid is a process frequently encountered in the pharmaceutical industry and often conducted in cylindrical baffled tanks stirred by mechanical impellers. In operations where the liquid level is decreased (as often which emptying the tank) the process must be stopped when the solids are no longer suspended. In this work, the minimum agitation to suspend solids (Njs) when the liquid level was lowered, and the impeller submergence S_b changed as a result were determined for the case of a six-blade, pitch-blade turbine (6-PBT) impeller. The power consumed by the impeller …

Bio-Medicinal Application For Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation Of Metals, Zunjian Yang

Theses

Plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO), a novel method for forming ceramic coatings on metals, has been researched extensively in recent times. By applying high voltage between dielectric thin films, a plasma micro-arc is induced through penetration of breakdown in film boiling layer. Such a method takes advantage of high processing time, low equipment requirement and advanced coating performance.

Titanium alloys, Ti-6Al-4V and pure Titanium Grade 2, are two of most common Titanium alloys in daily use. Both of such Titanium alloys show great potential utilization in bio-medicinal application, especially in implants, for its excellent biocompatibility, high tensile strength, and high elastic …

Behavior Of Deformed Dermal Fibroblasts Seeded On A Silicon Membrane Under High Levels Of Strain, Laura Osorno

Theses

The main objective of this thesis is to understand, from a molecular perspective, the morphological and functional abnormalities of human dermal fibroblasts as a response to deformation produced by a normal force that can lead to the potential formation of stretch marks in pregnant women, adolescents, and people with Cushing's syndrome. The main function of dermal fibroblasts is to produce the essential fibrous components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the skin.

In order to study the mechanism of stretch mark formation, neonatal human dermal fibroblasts were seeded on a silicon membrane for controlled deformation. Upon reaching a confluence of …

Mining News Content For Popularity Prediction, Moayad Alshangiti

Theses

The problem of popularity prediction has been studied extensively in various previous research. The idea behind popularity prediction is that the attention users give to online items is unequally distributed, as only a small fraction of all the available content receives serious users attention. Researchers have been experimenting with different methods to find a way to predict that fraction. However, to the best of our knowledge, none of the previous work used the content for popularity prediction; instead, the research looked at other features such as early user reactions (number of views/shares/comments) of the first hours/days to predict the future …

Designing Children’S Interactive Pop-Up Books: Creating Enhanced Experiences Through The Incorporation Of Animation Principles And Interactive Design., Michael Begay

Theses

This thesis, Designing Children’s Interactive Pop-up Books: Creating enhanced experiences through the incorporation of animation principles and interactive design, created by Michael Begay, explores how interactive design and computer graphics can be used to create enhanced user experiences in children’s book design. Key factors taken into consideration during the creation of this thesis include children’s book design, typography, storytelling, animation principles, and interactive design principles.

In order to explore the effect computer graphic design has on creating an enhanced user experience in pop-up book design, this project starts with research on writing a compelling, age appropriate story for children between …

The Evaluation Of Process Safety Management Effectiveness In The Oil And Gas Sector: Case Of Sonatrach, Algeria, Salim Ghettas

Theses

Over the last decade the process sector has experienced unprecedented process incidents that are due to a combination of organizational, technical, and cultural deficiencies. Thus, Process Safety Management (PSM) has become a subject of great interest for process companies, governments, and professional associations. In fact, many researchers have questioned the effectiveness of PSM programs in process companies and discussed the features of a quality PSM program.

Indeed, a review of the literature reveals several PSM issues in this sector internationally, which are mainly about organizational safety culture, maintenance and operational integrity of processes, PSM performance measurement, employee training, and knowledge …

Chinese International Students At Rit: A Digital Book Representing Chinese International Students’ Lives At Rochester Institute Of Technology, Muzi Meng

Theses

This thesis work is a digital book presenting Chinese international students’ lives at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). The book introduces detailed information about Chinese students who are presently attending RIT. There are five main topics discussed in the book: finding housing around the campus, commuting and transportation, food and dining, education and academics at RIT, and extracurricular activities for Chinese international students at RIT.

The book content is developed based on the research of RIT Chinese students. It is designed for those who are interested in as well as those who are considering attending RIT.

Instead of another traditional …

3d Modeling Techniques For Print And Digital Media, Megan Ashley Stephens

Theses

In developing my thesis, I looked to gain skills using ZBrush to create 3D models, 3D scanning, and 3D printing. The models created compared the hearts of several vertebrates and were intended for students attending Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy . I used several resources to create a model of the human heart and was able to work from life while creating heart models from other vertebrates.

I successfully learned ZBrush and 3D scanning, and successfully printed 3D heart models. ZBrush allowed me to create several intricate models for use in both animation and print media. The 3D scanning technique did not …

Directing Attention In An Augmented Reality Environment: An Attentional Tunneling Evaluation, Alan J. Lambie

Theses

Augmented Reality applications use explicit cuing to support visual search. Explicit cues can help improve visual search performance but they can also cause perceptual issues such as attentional tunneling. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the relationship between directing attention and attentional tunneling, in a dual task structure. One task was tracking a target in motion and the other was detection of non-target elements. Three conditions were tested: baseline without cuing the target, cuing the target with the average scene color, and using a red cue. A different color for the cue was used to vary the attentional tunneling level. …

The Digitization And Accessibility Of Documents: A Case Study At The Rochester Public Library, Kirsten Feigel

Theses

Technology has proven to benefit human experience and achievement in many ways and has become a growing aspect of visitor engagement, documentation, and research in museums. Collections professionals in libraries and archives, as well as museums, are committing to processing artifacts, in many cases, to make them digitally accessible online. Such collections of online assets are classified as digital libraries, which become online tools used for research and descriptive search engines to assist individuals beyond the need of the physical interaction at the place of learning. This thesis provides an overview of the four outline digital repositories based in the …

Trends In Acquiring New Members And Retaining Loyal Members At Rochester Regional Museums, Joshua L. Stapf

Theses

Membership is a very important aspect of many organizations like the Memorial Art Gallery (MAG), The Strong (TS), and the Seneca Park Zoo (SPZ). Membership gives an organization a vital source of income and museums can also use those annual members as a built-in long-term donor pool if conversion of members into donors happens. Conversion means taking a member and having them donate an additional philanthropic gift on top of paying to be a museum member. Within an organization’s membership program, two aspects are inherent: acquisition of new members to the organization as well as retention of its current members. …

Living Dragons: Illustrating Vfx Character Creation Techniques, Karen Vandivert

Theses

Living Dragons is a 3D character design Master’s thesis project in which four visual special effects technologies (puppetry, stop motion, CGI, and motion capture) are represented with four different characters intended to represent the archetypes of those technologies. The goal is to foster curiosity in these topics and encourage its audience to explore their new interests further. The project itself is meant to be casual and fun, an inviting place to begin learning about a new topic. This project is also meant to explore how character design can be used to convey how technology works, and to utilize that design …

Early Pioneers, Philip Szrama

Theses

Rochester, NY has a rich history of innovation and visionary ideas. Many people who hear or talk about Rochester outside of the area are not familiar with the people who called Rochester their home. These pioneers took advantage of the areas strategic placement in the United States and use it to help achieve great things. The use of a short motion graphics piece can help people get a taste of what some of the early pioneers achieved.

Content, planning, and organization of this piece has been completed through research on four specific people (George Eastman, John Jacob Bausch, Henry Lomb, …

Sharing Ideas At Work: Workstation And Empathic Design, Yolegmma Marquez

Theses

In anywhere people want to promote interaction and cooperation, the furniture system "Common" provides a versatile alternative to improve the collaboration between team members. By using empathy as inspiration, this system promotes communication, adaptability, expansion and connectivity among people in office workspaces. The main theoretical premise behind this product is empathic design whose user-centered approach attends the user's feelings toward a product.

The result of this research was applied to development of an Office Desk, main product of the furniture system called Common. The Desk is a versatile structural solution that allows attaching accessories in an elegant and easy way. …