Digital Commons Network^™

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 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 …

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 …

Promol: Updating The Template Based Structural Alignment Plugin, Mariah Robertson

Theses

Abstract In silico methods have contributed greatly to our understanding of the molecular world. PyMOL, an open-source 3D molecular visualization software, produces high quality images and videos of proteins. Here, we discuss a plugin called ProMOL that augments PyMOL’s capabilities by adding a way to decipher unknown proteins using template-based structural alignment. Software is constantly updated to meet the demands of users. ProMOL fell behind in this regard and required a major overhaul in its code to work with older and newer versions of PyMOL. This included multiple API updates, Python language migration, and code optimizations. The result of the …

Literature-Assisted Validation Of A Novel Causal Inference Graph In A Sparsely Sampled Multi-Regimen Exercise Data, Aditya Gupta

Theses

Background. Causal mechanisms supporting the cardio-metabolic benefits of exercise can be identified for individuals who cannot exercise. With the use of appropriate causal discovery algorithms, the causal pathways can be found for even sparsely sampled data which will help direct drug discovery and pharmaceutical industries to create the appropriate drug to maintain muscles. Objective. The purpose of this study was to infer novel causal source-target interactions active in sparsely sampled data and embed these in a broader causal network extracted from the literature to test their alignment with community-wide prior knowledge and their mechanistic validity in the context of regulatory …

Intelligent Lower-Layer Denial-Of-Service Attacks Against Cellular Vehicle-To-Everything, Geoff Twardokus

Theses

Vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication promises a wide range of benefits for society. Within future V2X-enabled intelligent transportation systems, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication will allow vehicles to directly exchange messages, improving their situational awareness and allowing drivers or (semi-)autonomous vehicles to avoid collisions, particularly in non-line-of-sight scenarios. Thus, V2V has the potential to reduce annual vehicular crashes and fatalities by hundreds of thousands. Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything (C-V2X) is rapidly supplanting older V2V protocols and will play a critical role in achieving these outcomes. As extremely low latency is required to facilitate split-second collision avoidance maneuvers, ensuring the availability of C-V2X is imperative for safe …

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 …

An Exploratory Assessment Of Peer-Reviewed Life Science Literature Statement Readability Used In Text-Based Interpretive Analyses, Jeremy Jackson

Theses

This project looked to explore the process of one of the scientific community’s leading text mining software, Pathway Studio, which efficiently streamlines the tedious task of information sorting and gathering in a clinical setting. To do this Pathway Studio implements a sentiment scoring algorithm which decides, based on interpreting literature similarly to natural human understanding, what sections of literature are most relevant to a given search request and provides corresponding peer-reviewed work in the industry. The novel statistics derived of its performance are used to establish an average form of a statement which reflects that of a standard level of …

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 …

Prison Rape Elimination Act, 2003: Individual Factors For Victimization And Offending, Bailey Saldana

Theses

The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 was passed in order to provide a set of guidelines for reporting and reacting to prison rapes (PREA, 2020). This project uses secondary data from the Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities to identify factors associated with prison rape victimization. Rates of institutional violence have not decreased as have the rates of violence outside of institutions (Wooldredge, 2020; Morgan & Truman, 2020). One area of institutional violence research that is lacking is prison rape research. As more research is done on prison rape victimization, this project extends on this body …

Designing Fenicr(Cocu) High Entropy Alloys Using Molecular Dynamics: A Study Of The Enhanced Mechanical Properties Of A Novel Group Of Composites, Leander I. Held

Theses

High-Entropy Alloys (HEAs) are an emergent class of crystalline materials have exhibited unique mechanical properties and high-temperature functionality. Their unusual composition, having multiple principal elements in contrast to common alloys that use one principal element, results in a variety of useful, and in many cases unexpected characteristics. This project, in partnership with experimentalists at the Idaho National Laboratory and machine learning scientists at the University of Utah, explores these characteristics and composition-property relationships in HEAs. Utilizing Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations, three HEAs, namely FeNiCr, FeNiCrCo, and FeNiCrCoCu, are studied in detail. The radial distribution function (RDF) and tensile strength (TS) …

Loose Connections In The Just Society, Benjamin Parviz

Theses

John Rawls’ influential A Theory of Justice presents a liberal theory in which individuals gain “a sense of justice” that commits them to the success of the just society above other interests or life plans. Critics of Rawlsian liberalism such as Taylor, Sandel, MacIntyre, Walzer, and the communitarians have variously complained that his theory inadequately accounts for individual commitment to community as distinct from commitment to the whole of society. In this essay I consider Rawls’s theory in light of the arguments of these community concerned critics in order to understand whether these complaints have any merit. In particular, I …

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 …

The Influence Of Pollinator Behavior On Patterns Of Pollen Dispersal And Its Implications For Floral Evolution, Alex Lascher

Theses

Despite a storied history of pollination research, little information exists on how the unique characteristics of individual pollinators effect patterns of pollen dispersal. As these patterns of pollen dispersal inform our understanding of floral evolution, filling in this knowledge gap is imperative. I attempted to do so by analyzing two different outcomes of pollen dispersal: 1) pollen carryover, and 2) geitonogamy (i.e., intra-plant movements). For the pollen carryover, I analyzed the results of an experimental study in which bats in flight cages removed pollen from the male flower of a Burmeistera glabrata plant, and then visited 10 female flowers of …

Zygomorphic Flowers May Reduce Extinction Rates By Allowing Angiosperms To Occur In Low Abundances, Maria Belen Alvestegui

Theses

The high species richness that angiosperm show has been extensively correlated with key floral innovations. Key floral traits contribute to species boundaries and the origin of new species. However, how these relate to extinction remains largely untested. Among the multiple theories that attribute diversification to floral innovations, the reduced extinction model predicts that floral specialization allows the persistence of small populations and avoids their loss. Bilateral symmetry (zygomorphy) is a trait that has evolved recurrently in angiosperms. It is a form of floral specialization that restricts pollination to fewer visitors and precisely places pollen to ensure more effective transmission of …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

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 …

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

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 …

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 …

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.

Apparel For Individuals With Limited Mobility, Ali Robbins

Theses

This project is focused on designing and creating apparel that meets the unique medical needs of those with mobility limitations. A side focus of this project is on post-surgical apparel. The goal has been to create a complete base outfit that address a range of difficulties people with limitations on their mobility face. The apparel is designed to make self-dressing easier and reduce dressing difficulty for care givers.

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 …