Digital Commons Network^™

Supporting Long Lifespan Products With Modularity, Zaheer M. Shujayee

Theses

When designing with a material as permanent as plastic, extending the product lifespan is vital. Modularity is a great tool for increasing product lifespan by supporting ease of repair and user attachment. This project concerns game controllers and explores sustainability by using the inherent long lifespan of the video game space to support sustainability efforts and extend the time plastic is not in a landfill. User research for this project discovered that gamers held onto their gaming devices and still purchased retro hardware and software in secondary markets. It is proposed that a modular device would have a longer lifespan …

Enhancing Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises' Performance Through The Implementation Of Erp Systems, Fatimah El Chediak

Theses

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) have recognized enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems as vital for enhancing organizational efficiency, decision-making processes, and overall competitiveness. However, the effective implementation of these systems frequently presents a variety of obstacles that can prevent the attainment of their potential benefits. The purpose of this research is to investigate the critical success factors and obstacles that influence the implementation of ERP systems in SMEs and to provide suggestions for overcoming these obstacles and optimizing ERP adoption. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining a comprehensive literature review with primary data collected from a survey administered to …

Welcome To Club Soda: Ways Of Welcoming A Hearing Sibling Into The Deaf Community To Create Feelings Of Acceptance, Belonging, And Lifelong Allyship, Ariella Knight

Theses

Children who have a sibling with one or more disabilities are more likely to take on caregiver roles, the role of the elucidator, as well as exhibit externalized aggressive behaviors and/or internalized depression and anxiety than their peers. Causes of this vary but can include the differential impact of parents/caregivers, feelings of a “loss of childhood”, communication challenges, and social stigma. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is a therapeutic methodology in which a person works towards well-being by accepting and embracing current realities.5 S.O.D.A. is the acronym for a Sibling of a Deaf Adult/child and this paper explores how welcoming …

Darshan, Vibhav Kapoor

Theses

The thesis project examines the phenomenon and concept of darshan in the context of photography. Interpolating and extrapolating ideas from tenets of Indian philosophy, it presents a perspective on image-making and its relationship to me as an artist. With the artwork mainly situated in the cultural geographies of India and the United States, the text discusses the role of spirituality, light, colour (blue), and walking in my practice. It also references themes of painting and music – raga and rasa that are constructs of Indian musicology – and how they influence the photographic work.

Healthy Grocery Shopping Experience Via Augmented Reality, Mengjia Isabelle Qiu

Theses

This paper presents how augmented reality can facilitate the modern grocery shopping experience in a fast-paced environment. Grocery shopping customers are facing several problems. Firstly, filtering necessary information by eyes while shopping in grocery stores. Secondly, being distracted by overwhelming information leads to time-consuming deviation in an unfamiliar shopping environment. Thirdly, losing track of purchased food at home and buying the same ingredient repeatedly. Fourthly, neglecting ingredient lists that contain allergic or unhealthy food. To solve these problems, increase the efficiency of decision-making, and achieve shopping goals, this project aims to utilize augmented reality as the primary tool to complete …

The Inspector: Removing Barriers To Efficient Specimen Analysis By Reduced Specimen Repositioning, Josef Mayo

Theses

Entomology is the scientific field dedicated to the research and study of insects. In the last several decades, many journals and scientific papers have addressed the decline in insect populations worldwide and the increased need to understand the reasons for this. Many have called this decline an indicator that we have entered a “Sixth Extinction” which would lead to a mass extinction of life on Earth. How can we as designers provide assistance to the scientific community who are working to understand and provide solutions to this natural crisis? As an Entomologist's primary tool for observation, microscopes and other optical …

The Impact Of Digital Transformation On Human Resources During The Pandemic Covid-19, Hind Rashid Alessa

Theses

Technological advancement in human resources and the adoption of artificial intelligence, analytics, and machine learning help HR leaders become strategic leaders. Automation helps in engaging employees and improving their work experience. Human resource is an important part of an organization and before covid epidemic the human resource department works manually and in an office environment completely. However, due to covid-19 pandemic has raised the demand for working online and implementing digital transformation ways. There is a high demand for working virtually or what is called hybrid working, simple-to-use technology that can be accessible at anytime from anywhere. Human resource employees …

Design And Development Of A Movable Multi-Functional Display, Junjie Zhou

Theses

COVID-19 has altered lives and work. Travel restrictions and social distance requirements compel remote communication. My design will help the youth group communicate remotely in various situations. I identified two primary forms of remote communication for people separated by interviews and questionnaires: direct communication based on video calls and interactive entertainment based on online games and streaming media. I summarized long-distance communication issues and user needs in further research. Video calling is the most popular method for those who need to interact directly. Video calling does have certain drawbacks, though, like the inability to actively choose one's point of view …

Targeted, Neha Joshi

Theses

The document is about the impact of targeted advertising on individuality and the loss of privacy. I describe my personal experience of being influenced by advertisements and how it led me to question my identity. I highlight how algorithms use personal information to categorize people and target them with specific ads, leading to a loss of privacy. I also argue that the internet has provided us with platforms to promote ourselves, but we lose our identity in the process of being boxed up and targeted by advertisements. I conclude by emphasizing the importance of recognizing and spreading awareness about the …

Shiftable Load Forecasting And User-Centric Demand-Side Optimization For Nanogrid, Akash Kumar

Theses

Increased focus on sustainability and energy decentralization has positively impacted the adoption of nanogrid (NG). Despite its perceived advantages, NG’s high load volatility poses risk not only to its stability but also to the associated network. This is further exacerbated by the user’s transient moods and the probabilistic nature of metrological events. Moreover, unoptimized operation of electrical appliances in a NG, especially in peak hours, raises the energy cost substantially. Thus, for risk aversion and cost savings, day-ahead demand-side optimization is highly required, especially for shiftable loads. Moreover, most load centers, aspiring to be NGs, have either limited or no …

New Intimacies, Louis Chavez

Theses

“New Intimacies” is a photographic study situated in environments known for gay cruising and public sex. Taking influence from Peter Hujar and the photographs he created in the cruising areas around Manhattan’s meatpacking district, I made experimental images that sought to envision the intangible and fleeting qualities of these geographic spaces. The inclusion of various photographic strategies (such as landscapes, portraits, and abstraction) implores the audience to consider the social and cultural elements that contributed to the formation of these sites as spaces of community and public intimacy. The work is also influenced by queer zines, experimental cinema, and other …

A Comparative Analysis Of Malware Written In The C And Rust Programming Languages, Meghna Koorikkattil Praveen

Theses

The use of malware as a tool for cybercrime has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, resulting in significant economic losses and security threats. Conventionally, malware is written in C/C++. However, a recent trend has been observed where other languages are being used to write malware. One such language is the Rust programming language. This thesis aims to explore the aspects of the Rust programming language that contribute to its preference for the development of malware, limitations in current analysis tools and remediation for the same. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted to identify the trends of current research …

The Automation Of Translation Between Sign Language Variants Through Artificial Intelligence, Mohammad Sultan Buafra

Theses

Language is the method of communication between individuals and communities through either sounds, written symbols, or visual gestures. There is a variety of languages around the world. One significant language that is made up of hand gestures is sign language and it is the main method of communication between and with deaf people. Translation between languages is a practice that has been automated with the advancement of artificial intelligence, this has also allowed for the translation of sign language into written language. However, there remains a certain gap in translating between regional variants of sign language. The purpose of this …

Evaluating The Performance Of Process-Based And Machine Learning Models For Rainfall-Runoff Simulation With Application Of Satellite And Radar Precipitation Products, Amrit Bhusal

Theses

Hydrology Modeling using HEC-HMS (Hydrological Engineering Centre-Hydrologic Modeling System) is accepted globally for event-based or continuous simulation of the rainfall-runoff operation. Similarly, Machine learning is a fast-growing discipline that offers numerous alternatives suitable for hydrology research's high demands and limitations. Conventional and process-based models such as HEC-HMS are typically created at specific spatiotemporal scales and do not easily fit the diversified and complex input parameters. Therefore, in this research, the effectiveness of Random Forest, a machine learning model, was compared with HEC-HMS for the rainfall-runoff process. In addition, Point gauge observations have historically been the primary source of the necessary …

Comparing Knowledge About Differential Diagnosis Of Childhood Apraxia Speech And Phonological Development Between Communication Disorders And Sciences Graduate Students, Bayley Eubanks

Theses

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OFBayley Eubanks, for the Master of Science degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences presented on March 30, 2023, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: COMPARING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF CHILDHOOD APRAXIA SPEECH AND PHONOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN COMMUNICATION DISORDERS AND SCIENCES GRADUATE STUDENTSMAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Valerie Boyer The purpose of the study was to gather information from current graduate students by a brief in-service on the differential diagnosis of CAS and PD in speech-language pathology pre-professionals. The distinctions between CAS and other speech sound disorders, such as PD, must be made clear to pre-professional SLPs …

End-To-End Network Slicing Using Hypergraph Theory, Omar Abdul-Latif

Theses

Network slicing is the practice of implementing multiple virtualized and independent architectures on a single physical network infrastructure, in a way that allows for multiplexing and efficient use of resources. Network slicing is based on the concept of network virtualization and, when it reaches maturity, is expected to result in complete softwarization of 5G, Beyond-5G (B5G) and 6G networks. This means that future networks will only need minimal physical infrastructure upgrades (mostly in the frontend of the network). Network slicing is identified as one of the key enablers of next generation wireless mobile networks due to its ability to multiplex …

Single-Mode Distributed-Feedback Lasing In Coupled Dissimilar Photonic Waveguides, Bryce A. Tennant

Theses

Distributed-feedback (DFB) lasers support a wide range of applications including fiber-optic and free-space optical communications, sensing and measurement, military warfare, and manufacturing and metrology. The desire for a reduction in size, weight, power, and cost (SWAP-C) for each of these applications continues to aggressively drive integrated- and silicon-photonic circuit development. Since DFB lasers based on uniform refractive-index diffraction gratings are naturally dual-mode, a variety of techniques have been introduced to impose single-mode operation, including the currently ubiquitous λ/4-grating phase-shift technique. This grating phase shift, however, creates an undesirable peaky-power profile within the laser cavity resulting in nonlinear behavior ultimately limiting …

Re-Presenting The Spanish Civil War At The Museo Reina Sofía: Recordando Un Pasado “Olvidado” (Remembering A “Forgotten” Past), Gabrielle Estes

Theses

Upon opening in 1990, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid was intended as a modern and contemporary Spanish art museum that could stand on an international scale. It has since achieved this goal, with much of its success riding on the significant work of the second-floor gallery, Picasso’s 25-foot mural entitled Guernica. The painting sets the tone for the surrounding gallery space that narrates the story of the Spanish Civil War through paintings, propaganda, photographs, magazines, and films produced during the time period. The permanent collection in this gallery helps to display a violent past to …

Techniques To Create A Realistic Digital Collection Of Near Planar Cultural Heritage Objects, Snehal A. Padhye

Theses

Cultural heritage objects like paintings and manuscripts are a rich source of information about human history and a lot has been discovered through their study. A great collection of such artifacts is scattered around the globe in various libraries and research institutions. Digital images of the objects make them accessible to a greater audience, but images offer only a limited experience compared to observing the real thing. Public access to institutions got further limited during pandemic times, further increasing importance of techniques that enable rich access to such objects remotely. In addition, due to the physical nature of these often …

Housing Conditions And Needs In Urban District 5, Delan Almazrooei

Theses

Dubai remains one of the key tourist attraction areas in the world. However, the city has witnessed significant population growth over the past decade, which has resulted in problems associated with urbanization, such as pollution. The formulation of the DUBAI 2020 Urban Master Plan was meant to create a supple yet workable and viable formula to balance urban development and sustainability of the environment. The plan was based on population growth, utilization of infrastructure facilities, and advancement of effectual and environmentally sustainable energy sources. The master plan will affect critical areas, including Dubai Silicon Oasis Centre (DSO). With the key …

Using A Forward Chain To Teach Intruder Training To Children With Autism, Megan Clark, Robbie Hanson

Theses

Safety drills, such as tornado, fire and intruder drills are mandated in schools across the United States. These drills require prolonged compliance by students and are commonly taught using verbal instructions. However, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), may struggle with complex routines, attending to verbal stimuli, or complying for long durations. Thus, when children with ASD transition to school these drills may be difficult for them to complete and little to no research has been conducted on this topic. Thus, the current study utilized a concurrent multiple baseline design across participants to examine the use of a forward chain …

Building A New Bridge: Justin Favela's Puente Nuevo, Kelley Yost

Theses

This thesis analyzes an installation work, Puente Nuevo, created in 2019 by artist Justin Favela at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. In this large-scale, piñata-like mural, Favela asserts his Latinx identity while questioning cultural stereotypes and viewer expectations with a sense of humor and irony. The unique materiality of Favela’s work, based in the folk art forms of papel picado and cartonería, transforms spaces into immersive environments that are fun and provocative, and capable of housing darker associations as well. He builds layers of meaning into his pieces by revising historic works, such as picturesque landscapes by Casimiro …

Finding The Circle In The Square: A Neoplatonic Interpretation Of Kazimir Malevich’S Black Square, Matthew Madison Rowe

Theses

This thesis explores the influence of Silver Age philosophers Vladimir Soloviev, Sergei Bulgakov, and Pavel Florensky on Kazimir Malevich’s Black Square. Malevich was among the first to apply Silver Age philosophy to abstract art, fully rejecting all objective representation in art. The thesis argues that Malevich’s Suprematism was the result of the fundamental antimony of the Russian religious worldview, which understands reality as both immanent and transcendent. This understanding of reality was not unique to Russia but was the result of historic influences, including the Neoplatonic and religious-humanist philosophy that was prevalent in Russian intellectual culture during this period. …

A Critical Analysis Of Jeffrey Gibson’S Because Once You Enter My House, It Becomes Our House, A Queer Counter-Monument, Ryan Pagett

Theses

This thesis discusses Indigenous Queer artist Jeffrey Gibson’s active engagement with his queer identity in his work. Using the five aspects of a counter-monument as defined by Stevens, Franck, and Fazakerley’s Counter-monuments: the anti-monumental and the dialogic; using queer as both a form of identification; and using queer as a verbal strategy, this thesis argues that Gibson’s latest work, Because Once You Enter My House, It Becomes Our House is a “queer counter-monument.” Counter-monumentalism was a movement initially developed in Germany post-World War II in opposition to monumentalism as a system of oppression. Countermonumental work disengages from traditional monuments …

An Analysis Of Tiktok's Digital Marketing Capabilities And Its Effectiveness For Brands And Businesses Across Different Industries, Katherine Jacome Guerrero

Theses

TikTok, a video-sharing social media site, has become one of the most popular platforms among digital natives. As a result of evolving globalization trends and unprecedented social changes, this platform has rapidly grown in popularity since its debut in 2016. TikTok has established an ideal setting to boost engagement by fostering a repetitive logic and enabling everyone around the globe to easily create and consume short videos. Although TikTok has capabilities similar to those found on other more established platforms, it has a distinct framework and platform culture refined by its predictive algorithm and user-friendly content interface. For this study, …

The Effects Of Calisthenic Exercises On The Strength And Aerobic Abilities Of Sedentary Adult Women, Kathleen Langley

Theses

The thesis, The Effects of Calisthenic Exercises on the Strength and Aerobic Abilities of Sedentary Adult Women, investigates the impact of structured calisthenic training on sedentary women aged 18–40. The study was conducted over four weeks and measured participants' strength, aerobic abilities, balance, and perceived wellness before and after the intervention. Calisthenics, a form of strength training using bodyweight exercises, became popular during the COVID-19 pandemic due to its accessibility and minimal equipment requirements.

Participants engaged in a program consisting of dynamic warm-ups, high-intensity interval training circuits, and cooldowns three times a week. Results showed significant improvements in upper …

A Study Of Wicca And Art, Shannon Hillyer

Theses

Art can be interpreted from a religious perspective given knowledge of the artist’s present or past religious affiliations. The photo series presented in this paper was part of a survey that asked participants to consider their own religious backgrounds and to determine the inspiration for the photo series. This project utilized introspection, autoethnographic research, and formalist analysis to determine if viewers could pinpoint the artist’s religious affiliation based on the themes present in the photo series. Most participants identified mythological themes were present in the series but didn’t connect those to Wicca unanimously. Art can be interpreted from a religious …

Monet In Bordighera, Valerio Volga

Theses

Claude Monet visited Bordighera, the coastal town on the Italian Riviera, in 1884. This paper argues how, in Bordighera, Monet pursued a more immersive experience with nature than ever before. Monet first visited Bordighera late in 1883 with Renoir; he then went back in 1884 for a second and last trip, this time on his own. He stayed almost three months and painted 38 canvases; this paper focuses on four canvases that help illustrate Monet's depiction of nature and its transition from wide open views to close-up views that convey an immersive experience. Monet began his painting sessions on bristling …

Curio-Stereo: A Vr Application For The Viewing Of Stereograph Cards, Paige Sandheinrich

Theses

This project discusses the historical significance of stereograph cards as a tool for constructing a shared visual culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the United States and the United Kingdom. Stereographs were widely popularized as an entertainment and educational tool, offering an immersive experience for the viewers. The stereoscopic nature of the images allowed the viewers to immerse themselves in a non-physical reality through visual stimulation, creating a haptic involvement that was unique to the medium. The project of creating a VR application to view stereographs is presented as a potential solution to the problem of …

The Metaverse Adoption Rates & User Satisfaction, Shannon Ketura Kling

Theses

The Metaverse concept is inspired by the vision of a digital utopia where you can be and do anything and everything you want. The Metaverse is thought to provide access to all kinds of entertainment and projects through virtual spaces as a world completely free from human limitations. The Metaverse platform satisfies individuals who seek to escape reality through forms of addictive and appealing integrations solely available through virtual and digital media. Although primarily centered around social connectivity and entertainment through digital means, the Metaverse also offers an entirely new ecosystem for developers, ads, apps, and other new digital innovations. …