Digital Commons Network^™

X, Xiaoyu Liu

Theses

"X" is an animated graduate thesis film. The entire animation including credits was 5 minutes 36 seconds long by the time of my thesis screening at SOFA, RIT. The story was initially developed to express the emotional side of robots (or intelligent machines) and finally was changed with a new idea to put the emotional elements into the robot program itself. The story takes place in a robot factory and the main character is a newly produced robot named "X-100". X-100, as the 100th robot product, is facing a crucial test determining his eligibility for being a qualified product. All …

Proof-To-Print Match: Effectiveness Of Substrate-Corrected Colorimetric Aims In Soft Proofing, Peng Cheng

Theses

Soft proofing is an effective solution for clients and printers that decreases production cost and cycle time. However, print buyers are increasingly specifying brighter papers, which contain optical brightening agents (OBAs). One potential concern facing adopters of soft proofing systems is that they fail to consider the influence of OBA when rendering color images. Proofing systems are largely based on existing published specifications and their ICC profiles. These specifications and ICC profiles -- such as SWOP 3 and GRACoL 2006-- do not account for the influence of OBA-loaded printing papers, and therefore could cause a mismatch between the soft proof …

The Homeless Bird: A Motion Graphics Narrative About Deforestation And Animals., Kyle Griffin

Theses

The Homeless Bird is a short animated story expressing the loss of homes for wildlife due to the destruction of habitats such as deforestation. With the loss of natural habitats each year, many animals have to migrate to areas that are unfit to provide for them. The main goal is to draw attention to this problem and to help encourage the audience to act.

The project concerns the combination of practicing motion graphics design theories and experimenting with available computer graphics integration technologies. The final piece is a 2:55 minute visual story that combines both a fantasy and realistic setting.

Forword: A Study On An Interactive Learning Environment In Foreign Language, Christina A. Curtis

Theses

With constant advances in technology, the world becomes a smaller community each day. In line with its reputation as a cultural melting pot, children of immigrants are the fastest growing student population in the United States today. It's clear that the U.S. needs a strong approach in language education; one that can keep pace with our potential and our lives. Technology can be used to foster student collaboration and shared learning experiences, thereby increasing learner interest, motivation and learning outcomes. ForWord aims to use interaction design in foreign language education to meet this need. ForWord has four main goals: provide …

Using Motion For Educational Information Design Max’S Story: Teenagers With Type1 Diabetes, Wenyu Ouyang

Theses

Today, some younger people are suffering from chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, leukemia, and depressive disorder, which are some of the most significant concerns in the world. In spite of advancements made by modern science and technology, some chronic illnesses still last a lifetime, such as Type 1 Diabetes, known as T1D. In this situation, positive attitudes and correct understanding of the disease is extremely important in educating children how to manage their condition.

There are some excellent educational materials with a large quantity of text, which are good for parents to read. At the same time, there are picture …

Studies Toward The Synthesis Of A Novel Diastereomerically Pure Cyclopropyl N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligand For Asymmetric Catalysis, Brandon T. Milliken

Theses

This M.S. Thesis research objective is designed towards the racemic synthesis of a novel diastereoselectively pure, sterically bulky, cyclopropyl-containing, N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand. It is hypothesized that introduction of the sterically bulky cyclopropyl moiety at the N-substituent position of the imidazolium backbone will cause the self-assembly to develop a well defined C2-symmetric N-heterocyclic ligand, thereby limiting the free rotation about the C-N bond and creating a well-defined chiral pocket. It was discovered through utilizing classic synthetic methods that a diastereomeric imidazolium salt product was yielded, which can be attributed to the racemic synthesis of a diastereomeric cyclopropane starting material.

Virtual Mobility Domains - A Mobility Architecture For The Future Internet, Hasan Tuncer

Theses

The advances in hardware and wireless technologies have made mobile communication devices affordable by a vast user community. With the advent of rich multimedia and social networking content, an influx of myriads of applications, and Internet supported services, there is an increasing user demand for the Internet connectivity anywhere and anytime. Mobility management is thus a crucial requirement for the Internet today.

This work targets novel mobility management techniques, designed to work with the Floating Cloud Tiered (FCT) internetworking model, proposed for a future Internet. We derive the FCT internetworking model from the tiered structure existing among Internet Service Provider …

The Effect Of Optical Brightening Agent (Oba) In Paper And Illumination Intensity On Perceptibility Of Printed Colors, Changlong Yu

Theses

Widely utilized sanctioned color aims for commercial printing are based on paper substrates without optical brightening agents, also known as OBAs. However, in today's market, more and more paper is manufactured with OBAs. This could be problematic for commercial printers as OBAs influence not only paper conformity, but also the accuracy printed colors. This can lead to color mismatch between proofs and the final prints. Recognizing this condition, the objectives of this research were two-fold: first, to verify the perceived color difference between prints due to the presence of OBAs, and second, to study the perceptibility of color differences caused …

Reflection, Vijay Chandrasekhar

Theses

"Reflection" is my animated graduate thesis film. The film is 6 minutes and 30 seconds long. The concept for the story was developed with a focus on character driven animation, acting and performance. I wanted to challenge myself animating a character type that I was not familiar with, something that I could not relate to on a personal level. I chose to animate a mother of 2 kids who is about 40 years old. I wanted her to go through a wide range of emotions throughout the film. I wanted it to be a silent film, so I could bring …

Re÷Belief, Raymond Mccarthy Bergeron

Theses

re÷belief, is a 3D Printed, hand crafted, zoetropic short-film that asks if recalling memories can break a cycle. re÷belief is a graduate student produced animated thesis, completed for the MFA in the School of Film and Animation at Rochester Institute of Technology. Much of this film is a personal story that recalls nine very specific instances of my life. These are memories that have repeatedly haunted me throughout my youth and adulthood. The memories regularly reflected times of bliss mixed with sullen, miserable moments.

Ultimately, the story thread focuses on cycles, and choosing 3D printed zoetropes as the metaphor and …

Exploring Cultural Identity: Learning Culture Through Effective Interactive Design, Augie Park

Theses

Culture defines groups of individuals by language, religion, art, or tools. In today's ever growing sector of computers, smart phones, and tablets, mobile technology is used as a means to discover a sense of individuality through wireless devices and essentially the Internet. This is a case study on how to design a better educational app designed to teach culture through visual exploration and user testing. This thesis also explores how design affects behavior through usability. Through an analysis of interdisciplinary subjects, Exploring Cultural Identity aims to provide a visual prototype to teach culture, specifically focusing on Korean art. The goal …

Superior Mirage: Aesthetic Recollections Of The Great Lakes, S Caswell

Theses

Superior Mirage is a body of work that speaks of my deep connection to place of origin and how it has shaped the way I see, think, and create art in object or written (spoken word) forms. The Great lakes area has inspired my muse for its rugged beauty and hardy souls who live, work, and, play amongst the dichotomy of nature and industry. This rugged aesthetic carries over to both the industrial giant that built this nation and the natural world of a fragile ecosystem that is in constant flux with invasive species and climate change. The balance between …

Principals' Integration Of Technology In Education At Sharjah City Governoment Schools, Samer Husni Abdel Khaleq Alsaleh

Theses

School leadership includes several elements; one of them is technology leadership that is necessary for the success of technology integration in education. The purpose of this study is to describe the state of technology integration in Sharjah City Government Schools based on a juxtaposition and comparison of principals' perceived practices of technology integration and teachers' perceptions. This technique of study would help in reaching a more trusted image of technology integration at Sharjah schools. The second purpose was to investigate the influence of the principals' gender on integrating technology in their schools, in addition to identify the main challenges that …

Computational Investigation Of Potential Failure Modes In Arterial Hemodynamic Flowpath, Praveen Kumar Koya

Theses

The formation of an arterial disease for large and medium size vessels is believed to be a multifactorial interplay of bio - mechanical - chemical processes in the arterial wall and the hemodynamic flow path. The present research presents the viewpoint of a mechanical engineer assuming that mechanical factors are of the key importance in the formation of aneurism, atherosclerotic plague and rupture. The repetitive pressure and shear stresses exerted by the blood flow on the weakened arterial wall may cause its progressive degrade, resulting in aneurism with the following potential rupture. Elevated blood pressure results in an elevated repetitive …

Perceptual Modeling And Reproduction Of Gloss, Adria Fores Herranz

Theses

The reproduction of gloss on displays is generally not based on perception and as a consequence does not guarantee the best visualization of a real material. The reproduction is composed of four different steps: measurement, modeling, rendering, and display. The minimum number of measurements required to approximate a real material is unknown. The error metrics used to approximate measurements with analytical BRDF models are not based on perception, and the best visual approximation is not always obtained. Finally, the gloss perception difference between real objects and objects seen on displays has not sufficiently been studied and might be influencing the …

The New Relevance: Motives Behind Youtube Use, Xinchen Xu

Theses

This study applies the uses and gratifications theory (UGT) to discover how people are motivated to use YouTube, an example of Internet based technologies, similarly and differently to watch traditional broadcast television. The new features such as commenting, liking and uploading that YouTube offers can be seen as new affordances that might offer ne gratifications to users, which were not found salient to television viewing. A convenience sample of 127 students was recruited to participate in an online survey that included measures of traditional media motives (Rubin, 1983) as well as new media motives adapted from Sundar and Limperos (2013). …

The Use Of Visual Metaphors In Print Advertisements, Lisa M. Janos

Theses

This study examined advertisements in which metaphorical comparisons were made between cosmetic/beauty products and food. The purpose was to identify what rhetorical themes emerged among the advertisements and to determine if the visuals could provide sufficient content for a marketing message. Twelve images from four companies were chosen. An analysis was performed on each through the application of visual semiotics. Findings indicated that a visual metaphor approach can deliver involved rhetorical marketing messages to the viewer. The theme of indulgence was clear among the ads and the comparison of cosmetics to food suggested that the product should become part of …

Perceptions And Realities: Contemporary Impressions Of Formative And Temporal Experiences, Holly Lee Brewer

Theses

This thesis describes contemporary, non-traditional printmaking processes aimed at creating a metaphor for our perceptions of time and how the passage of time affects us both internally and externally in our attempt at constructing our self-identity. The language of this metaphor adopts the internal patterns of tree burls and altered pieces of manufactured wood in communicating the transience of time and mutability of memory. Texture is highlighted in many of the pieces for the exhibition, not only with that of irregular wood grain, but also in the series with skin-like handmade flax paper. In order to demonstrate how memory is …

Pool Boiling Enhancement Through Improved Liquid Supply Pathways Over Open Microchannels, Arvind Jaikumar

Theses

Boiling is an efficacious mode of heat transfer and is utilized in various energy conversions, heat exchange systems and in cooling of high energy density electronic components. Fundamental pool boiling mechanisms suggest that liquid rewetting on a heated surface is a key factor in delaying critical heat flux (CHF) for enhancing pool boiling performance. In this study, pool boiling enhancement is achieved by providing improved liquid supply pathways to nucleation sites in open microchannels.

A two part study is conducted to enhance pool boiling performance of open microchannels. Micromachined and porous surfaces are identified as enhancement techniques in Part-I and …

Cyberdemocracy: Assessing The European Parliament, Maria Cataldo

Theses

New information technologies have been widely predicted to change the nature of governance. The Internet has made the ideal of cyberdemocracy more attainable as the world grows smaller and more connected. Although the ideal no longer seems so distant a destination, nagging questions remain: Where is this place? Are we there yet? How much longer? This paper evaluates the website of one of the most powerful legislatures in the world, the European Parliament, to determine where we are, how far we have come, and what remains to be done to achieve the ideal of cyberdemocracy. Five criteria are used in …

An Overview Of The Rochester Drug Free Streets Initiative: A Developing Strategy That Addresses The Open-Air Marijuana Market Located In The Conkey & Clifford Neighborhood, Pedro O. Vazquez Gonzalez

Theses

Because low-level marijuana possession is not illegal in New York State, the police have difficulty intervening and eliminating the open-air marijuana markets in the City of Rochester. Project HOPE, a non-profit organization, is trying to find another way to intervene in the Conkey and Clifford neighborhood, and bring to an end the open-air marijuana market in that neighborhood. The object of this research is to identify the problems that are caused by the open- air marijuana market in the Conkey and Clifford neighborhood. I will also examine the process of project HOPE's new initiative that addresses the issues of the …

Run., Kevin Bauer

Theses

"Run" is an animated graduate thesis film that is 5 minutes in length. You will be taken on a journey with the film's main character, Ethan, as he goes out for a normal jog. While on his jog, different memories start confronting Ethan and he is forced to deal with an event that completely changed his life: the loss of his best friend.

"Run" is a combination of traditional hand-drawn animation as well as 3D animation, and was created using programs like TVPaint and Maya.

This paper will take you through the creation of the film - from storyboarding and …

Mood Watcher: Interactive Visual Guide To Increasing Awareness Of Mood Disorders, Ziyan Han

Theses

Mood disorders are the extremely negative situations of mood that cause dysfunction in people's lives. There are a number of guides currently on the market (E.g., mood disorder self-help books, websites...) to help people with this problem, but their content is usually not customized enough to deal with each user's particular situation. In addition, the formats include content that is often text-dense and overwhelming. While there are great resources of personal mood disorder tests, suggested actions, and information about professional help, there is an opportunity to create a guide that connects these resources with a better designed format so that …

Heroes: Promoting And Branding An Original Designer Toys Using Motion Graphics, Yang-Hsin Chen

Theses

"Heroes" is a series of designer toys that were designed for my future business called "T-Model." This project aims to create new types of designer toys to see how effective they can be in promoting an original business and how powerful they can be in presenting with current digital media. The "Heroes" series is inspired by simple human-like characters such as "Lego," "Mr. Potato Head," and "Kidrobot." This toy series consists of three different kinds of models representing different time periods, countries, and historical figures.

This project is divided into three major steps: 3D character design, three motion graphic pieces, …

Ultrasound Guided Robot For Human Liver Biopsy Using High Intensity Focused Ultrasound For Hemostasis, Viraj Reddy Adduru

Theses

Percutaneous liver biopsy is the gold standard among clinician's tool to diagnose and guide subsequent therapy for liver disease. Ultrasound image guidance is being increasingly used to reduce associated procedural risks but post–biopsy complications still persist. The major and most common complication is hemorrhage, which is highly unpredictable and may sometimes lead to death. Though the risk of mortality is low, it is too high for a diagnostic procedure. Post-biopsy care and additional surgical intervention to arrest hemorrhage make liver biopsy a costly procedure for health care delivery systems. Non-invasive methods to stop bleeding exist like electro–cautery, microwave, lasers, radio …

Toy Library: Nurturing Talent-Learning Through Play, Prachi Kapadia

Theses

The concept of the Toy Library originated during the Great Depression, when it was noticed that children were stealing toys, as they could not afford to buy them. Due to the concern of rising theft, a library was started where children could borrow a wide variety of toys. It also helped to encourage the values of honesty, responsibility and good citizenship. Since then, many toy libraries have sprouted across the United States. The concept, however, is not prevalent in other countries around the world. Hence, many people are, as yet unaware of its benefits, which include, providing an environment of …

The Star Fishing Boy, Chuanshu Shi

Theses

The Star Fishing Boy is an animated graduate thesis film that tells the story of a boy who lives in the sky and accidentally falls to Earth where he encounters situations that spark his empathy. But, these situations also put him at risk of not being able to return to his home in the sky.

This film is a hand-drawn animation using traditional animation principles, finished mostly in TV Paint Animation software. It was created in full color and combines 3D special effects and 3D modeling techniques in the background design and creation. The Star Fishing Boy has an original …

Liquid Water Transport In The Reactant Channels Of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells, Rupak Banerjee

Theses

Water management has been identified as a critical issue in the development of PEM fuel cells for automotive applications. Water is present inside the PEM fuel cell in three phases, i.e. liquid phase, vapor phase and mist phase. Liquid water in the reactant channels causes flooding of the cell and blocks the transport of reactants to the reaction sites at the catalyst layer. Understanding the behavior of liquid water in the reactant channels would allow us to devise improved strategies for removing liquid water from the reactant channels. In situ fuel cell tests have been performed to identify and diagnose …

Preparation And Characterization Of Fast Dissolving Pullulan Films Containing Griseofulvin Nanoparticles For Bioavailability Enhancement, Zhelun Ma

Theses

The aim of this study is to enhance the bioavailability of griseofulvin, a model poorly water-soluble drug, via increasing drug dissolution rate through preparation of drug nanoparticle-laden, pullulan-based strip films. The work entails (i) wet-milling griseofulvin in a stirred media mill using pullulan (polymer) along with sodium dodecyl sulfate (surfactant) as stabilizers, (i i) preparing strip films by casting-drying a precursor suspension consisting of the mixture of the milled drug suspension and a film-forming pul l ul an–xanthan gum-glycerin solution, (iii) characterizing the suspensions and the films, and (iv) exploring the effects of film thickness, drug and xanthan gum loadings, …

East To West: An Interactive Journey Through Posters From 1940 To 2010, India And Usa, Sukhada Apte

Theses

Culture affects design decisions and design in turn affects how culture evolves.

For centuries, societies have migrated around the globe, taking elements of their design and culture with them in the forms of art, musics, tools, and textiles and picking up new design forms as they moved. Most societies today are a mix of many cultures, and an analysis of their design history reflects the evolution of those cultures. We see influences of far away places in design that comes out of our own backyards. The United States of America is a rich cultural and design experience for a foreign …