Digital Commons Network^™

Reading, Color, And Coherent Motion, Teresa Narayan

Theses

Dyslexia is surrounded by much uncertainty over its cause and its treatment. While many view dyslexia as a purely phonological deficit, some have proposed a visual deficit as a cause in at least some poor readers. Several treatments have been have used to increase visual processing as a means of overcoming such visual deficits. Using a blue colored filter to increase magnocellular processing has seen the most successful outcomes. Tests of coherent motion under different background color conditions were completed on a group of 16 highly educated subjects who also underwent several tests of reading ability. There were no significant …

Fore Majeure And Other Stories, Jennifer Megan Nord

Theses

Force Majeure and Other Stories explores the imperfect way people often make life-altering decisions. Many times, this results from circumstance — an unexpected situation requiring an immediate decision presents itself — but we also often bring the need for such decisions upon ourselves, when our dissatisfaction with the banality of everyday life leads to the desire to pursue an imagined, and many times idealized, alternate reality. This collection of short stories explores the factors that shape our decisions — from inertia to the strength of emotional ties. Each story in this collection follows a character who encounters such a decision …

Production Of A Plasmid To Facilitate Gene Interruption Of The Nitric Oxide Synthase Gene From Bacillus Subtilis, Andrew S. Clugston

Theses

A genetic interruption of Bacillus subtilis 168's native nitric oxide synthase enzyme (bsNOS) is to be created by inserting a gene for kanamycin resistance (KAN) into the center of the gene. To accomplish this, a plasmid has been constructed (pUC19[delta]bsNOS) which includes the bsNOS gene separated into 5' and 3' halves with a KAN gene from p34S between them. The plasmid vector was isolated by digesting Escheria coli plasmid pUC19 with KpnI and PstI, and the KAN gene was cut from Escheria coli plasmid p34S using XbaI. The 5' and 3' halves of the bsNOS gene were amplified using the …

Corda Na Bretha: Cord Of Life, Elizabeth Kelly

Theses

Through the creation of images of imaginary solar systems my thesis will explore the development of space through the processes of collograph and four-color intaglio-type inversion printmaking with painting. I am interested in the possibility of what we know and can touch, so I create my own visual universes for exploration. Kasimir Malevich influenced my personal exploration. Malevich created his own movement of Suprematism, which enabled him to construct images that had no reference at all to reality. Suprematism refers to the pure feeling in art over art's objectivity. I began treating the surface of the imprinted paper by creating …

Characterization Of The Spectral Distribution Of Hyperspectral Imagery For Improved Exploitation, Ariel Schlamm

Theses

Widely used methods of target, anomaly, and change detection when applied to spectral imagery provide less than desirable results due to the complex nature of the data. In the case of hyperspectral data, dimension reduction techniques are employed to reduce the amount of data used in the detection algorithms in order to produce "better" results and/or decreased computation time. This essentially ignores a significant amount of the data collected in k unique spectral bands. Methods presented in this work explore using the distribution of the collected data in the full k dimensions in order to identify regions of interest contained …

“Un Écho, Un Simulacre”: The Male Artist And The Woman In Trilby, Hyun-Jin Lim

Theses

George Du Maurier’s novel Trilby (1894) traces the relationships between a group of male artists in French Bohemia of the 1850s and the single prominent female figure of the novel, Trilby. As with many popular novels involving a romantic plot, the men all fall in love with one girl, in this case a laundress-turned-model-turned-singer of androgynous physique and questionable virtue. However, the fact that all of the novel’s central characters are male artists, as is the author himself, begs the question of the role of the woman in artistic creation, especially that of the male artist of nineteenth-century England. Although …

Efficient Terrain Representation For Robot Swarms, Daniel Stella

Theses

Swarm robotics pertains to the use of many simplistic robots working together to complete complex tasks. These robots behave autonomously and collaboratively by utilizing local sensors and/or communication mechanisms. To investigate behaviors of large robot swarms, simulations are often used, yet mostly assume unrealistic 2D terrain. While representing the exact physical terrain is ideal, it may not be desirable and necessary to do so for the understanding of robot behavior. To this end, this work aims at developing an efficient terrain model specifically compatible with robot swarms. In order to reduce physical terrain into a manageable data set, Triangulated Irregular …

Regional Target Surveillance With Cooperative Robots Using Apfs, Jessica Larocque

Theses

Target surveillance in a bounded environment has been a growing focus in the past few years, particularly with recent world events prompting the need for environmental monitoring using automated surveillance. Scenarios exist where the goal is to be able to track targets within a certain distance and yet maintain a proper distribution of the surveillance units to provide field coverage. Previous works in this area using mobile robots as the surveillance units have made assumptions of a global awareness capability provided by a central controller. Artificial Potential Fields (APFs) have been used in cooperative robots and swarm research for applications …

Locomotion Of Circular Robots With Diametrically Translating Legs: Design, Analysis, And Fabrication, Eric R. Steffan

Theses

This work develops an analytical basis for designing the locomotion of mobile robots with a circular core and equispaced diametral legs which actuate linearly. Two elementary regimes of motion are first developed using the intrinsic geometry of the mechanism, then combined for fluid motion. The first and primary gait has a path trajectory defined by its kinematic constraints. Dynamics are explored to assist actuator design and understand the mechanism's constraint forces. Simulation results are provided in support of the design concept and geometric optimization. The proposed robot, or Locomotive Amoebic Device (LAD), bears resemblance with certain cellular locomotion, and thus …

Simplifying Complex Information Structures: The Application Of Archiving And Mapping Strategies In The Design Of Prescription Drug Labeling, Sheetal Alreja

Theses

Information Design involves finding meaningful solutions to raw and complex data that is difficult to understand. Archiving and Mapping are approached as means of information design during the course of this thesis study. The process of Archiving involves collection, documentation and organization of data. Traditional Archiving methods are studied along with analyzing organization of large amounts of information in the form of web sites, publications, annual reports and reference books. The approach towards Mapping is not limited to just geographic contexts. Maps can be visualized in the form of an idea, metaphor or process. Graphic Design elements such as color, …

Is Catherine Crazy? The Role Of Schizophrenia And The Character Catherine In David Auburn's Play Proof: Exploring The Script From Research To Performance, Karin M. Lorenz

Theses

Unavailable.

Natural Synthesis, Karrie Swanson

Theses

The intention of this thesis is to chronicle my journey within the ever expanding and fascinating realm of non-toxic printmaking. This document will showcase the 'Howard Four Color Inversion Intaglio-Type Printmaking Technique' and at the same time bring the reader's attention the plight of one of humankind's oldest and arguably most vulnerable companions trees. "Always in the big woods, when you leave familiar ground and step off into a place, there will be, along with the feelings of curiosity and excitement, a little nagging of dread. It is the ancient fear of the unknown, and it is your first bond …

The Nature Of Fictional Characters, Katherine Celeste Tullmann

Theses

This paper explores the ramifications of a central question concerning our everyday experience with film and other art forms: how it is possible to recognize a character in a sequel or related artwork as the exact same character as that found in the original or previous artwork. My main goal is to determine necessary and sufficient identity conditions for fictional film characters which may adequately account for our everyday discussion of these characters. After addressing several intuitions which any theory of fictional characters must address, I propose that film and other characters should be best understood as “abstract artifacts” following …

In Defense Of Two Intentionalism-Defeating Inverted Spectrum Thought Experiments, Pendaran Roberts

Theses

Inverted spectrum thought experiments have often been used to argue against Intentionalism. Eric Marcus, in his article entitled “Intentionalism and the Imaginability of the Inverted Spectrum,” defends two versions of Intentionalism, which he calls Intentionalism and Converse Intentionalism, from four inverted-spectrum based arguments. Marcus labels the four arguments from which he defends Intentionalism the implausible error, symmetry, no-inference, and best theory of representation arguments. In this article, I will bolster the arguments from no-inference and symmetry in order that they avoid Marcus’ defenses. Specifically, I will first show that the argument from no-inference may be modified to comply with Marcus’ …

An Optimal Experimental Design Perspective On Redial Basis Function Regression, Ernest Fokoue, Prem Goel

Theses

This paper provides a new look at radial basis function regression that reveals striking similarities with the traditional optimal experimental design framework. We show theoreti- cally and computationally that the so-called relevant vectors derived through the relevance vector machine (RVM) and corresponding to the centers of the radial basis function net- work, are very similar and often identical to the support points obtained through various optimal experimental design criteria like D-optimality. This allows us to provide a sta- tistical meaning to the relevant centers in the context of radial basis function regression, but also opens the door to a variety …

Internet Television Use: Motivations And Preferences For Watching Television Online Among College Students, Christen Steinkamp

Theses

The present study examined the television viewing habits of college students to determine differences between motivations and preferences for watching television online versus on a broadcast receiver. A convenience sample of 136 RIT students responded to an online survey. The study found that like the TV viewers of the 1980s, television viewers today are still motivated by relaxation, escape, and the desire to pass the time and to socially interact with companions-- no matter which medium. The ability to control the television experience, to choose when to watch programming, and the convenience that Internet television offers are reasons why college …

An Analysis Of The Art Image Interchange Cycle Within Fine Art Museums, Evan Andersen

Theses

The art image interchange cycle is the procedure carried out by fine art museums in reproducing fine artwork --starting with the imaging of the original work, then digital processing, and lastly, repurposing for output to achieve a high-quality replica in a range of possible media. There are many areas of importance within this process, such as digital image processing, standardization, test targets use, and color management. This research has sought to analyze the fine art image interchange through understanding the background areas and how they apply, as well as benchmarking what museums are already doing with the intention of improving …

Vegetation Characterization For The Lake Ontario Stopover Project, Erin E. Strobl

Theses

Avian conservation is imperative because birds provide many beneficial ecosystem services. Bird mortality is highest during the migratory period due to habitat loss from anthropogenic land cover change. On the way to and from breeding grounds, migrants make many stopovers to refuel and rest for the next leg of their journey. The abundance, distribution, and quality of the stopover habitat are important for a successful migration. The southern shore of Lake Ontario in Western New York has received attention for conservation, because it provides critical stopover habitats for migrants. Performing vegetation and bird surveys, at specific stopover locations, provides useful …

Social Media As A Marketing Tool For Business Operations, Katharina Jung

Theses

The purpose of this study was to elaborate different social media tools and their benefits as well as their risk for marketers.

An increasing number of companies use social media for their purposes and Internet users spend plenty of time with social media.

The use of social media is on the rise and cannot be ignored anymore. It is more cost-effective than traditional media marketing and distribution as well as other interactive marketing. Traditional media is struggling, but there is a connection between traditional and social media, which shows that these two relate to each other and influence the overall …

Chinchi And Eleanor, Jonathan Cone

Theses

I once heard a female animator say that giving birth to her child was easier than making a film. Making an animation is indeed a very long and arduous task. It takes both the craftsmanship of an artist and the skill of a technician. The making of my film, Chinchi and Eleanor, was no different. It is difficult to explain to the average person exactly how a film is made. Every artist has their own practices, some useful and some just old habits. Animators generally keep to a set of methods that were handed down from the animators before them. …

Catch Santa, H. Kamau Buchanan

Theses

Catch Santa is a short film and a comedy about a two hearing robbers who rob Christmas gifts in the homes of deaf families on Christmas Eve. These robbers are able to steal the Christmas gifts while the Deaf residents are asleep. The conflict occurs when they confront with a deaf young boy who was determined to secretly videotape Santa Claus in the act of delivering Christmas presents. The thesis report discusses the technical and artistic process of making the film.

Grandpa?!, Tzuhui Lin

Theses

"Grandpa?!" is a short film produced and shot in Taiwan. It tells the story of a traditional Taiwanese family recovering from the death of its patriarch. Certain family relationships come to the forefront, demanding attention. This film is about not only family issues but also addresses Taiwanese culture. Shot with an HD camera, Taiwanese and Mandarin are the languages spoken by the actors, with English subtitles. This thesis report provides an overview of the filmmaking process, including writing the script, the proposal, pre-production, film shooting and post-production.

Internal And External Barriers To Export Success In Kosovo : [Presentation Given February 25, 2010], Valentina Qarri

Theses

Not provided.

City Bike Program In Taiwan, Chia-Hung Hsu

Theses

"This design project was inspired by Danish city bike program. I studied furniture design in Denmark; during my stay I experienced the joy and the convenience of public city bike. Cycling is a life style and the expression of naturalism in Denmark. It is also considered as the main mode of transportation among the Danish people. The implementation of the city bike program is not only prosperous in Denmark but also in other Europe countries. This cycling spate (rush) is affecting countries where environment consciousness appear to be of much concern. On the contrary, Taiwan, which happens to own the …

Study On Developing A Potential Way-Finding Map Design Of An Iphone & Ipod Web Application For Rochester Institute Of Technology (Rit) Library, Jeong Kim

Theses

Have you ever wondered how many wall maps are actually used as "maps" rather than as decoration? Have you ever had trouble finding your way around small areas? Have you ever had a hard time finding brochures, even when they're displayed right at the entry or on the first floor of a building? Since the beginning of human civilization, wayfinding systems have been developed as tools to deliver information and assist people seeking routes or specific locations. Updates to new technologies have allowed vast quantities of information of varying quality to become a huge part of our lives. However, signs …

Effects Of Video-Conferencing On Gaze Behavior And Communication, Leanne Bohannon

Theses

Through the use of eye-tracking and conversation analysis this study examined the impact of video-conferencing on communication. Paired participants performed a collaborative task over four communication media: face-to-face; desktop video-conferencing with eye contact; and life-size video-conferencing with and without eye contact. Participants more frequently checked the information their partner verbally relayed when communicating face-to-face and over life-size video-conferencing with eye contact. They also looked more at their partner when conversing over life-size video-conferencing with eye contact compared to the other conditions. The results imply that the mode across which we communicate does influence our verbal and non-verbal interactions but that …

Cyberaide Javascript: A Web Application Development Framework For Cyberinfrastructure, Fugang Wang

Theses

This thesis work introduces a service oriented architecture based Grid abstraction framework that allows users to access Grid infrastructure through JavaScript. Such a framework integrates well with other Web 2.0 technologies since it provides JavaScript toolkit to build web applications. The framework consists of two essential parts. A client Application Programming lnterface (API) to access the Grid via JavaScript and a full service stack in server side through which the Grid access is channeled. The framework uses commodity Web service standards and provides extended functionality such as asynchronous task management, file transfer, etc. The availability of this framework simplifies not …

Online Social Network Member Attitude Toward Online Advertising Formats, Shirley Cox

Theses

The predicted growth of advertising in online social networks and the cluttered online advertising environment dictates that the advertising industry be concerned about how online social network members view online advertising formats. The question this research seeks to answer is what are the attitudes of online social network members toward online advertising formats in their online social networks? The findings indicate that the leader board, blogs, video, brand page, and brand channel formats are perceived to have the most positive attributes. Pop-ups, expandable and floating ads were perceived to have the most negative attributes. The findings also introduce a new …

Taxonomic Revision Of Passiflora Section Xerogona (Raf.) Killip (Passifloraceae), Tatiana Erika Boza Espinoza

Theses

Passiflora subgenus Decaloba section Xerogona is a group of herbaceous vines found in subtropical and tropical regions of America. The 15 species, including two subspecies, recognized here are primarily distributed in Central America, with a few also found in South America. The species of the section are recognized by their very unusual dehiscent capsular fruit, absence of bracts and laminar nectaries and their transversely grooved seeds. The section contains two problematic species complexes; P. capsularis and P. rubra. The morphological variation among and within these two complex species are examined in this study using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) based on …

Physical And Chemical Investigations Of Alpha Crystallin Solutions, Paul Madden

Theses

In this thesis static light scattering was used to systematically examine potential protocols to effectively isolate bovine eye lens alpha crystallin subunits, to enable confident reconstitution and study of homogeneous assemblies of subunits. The light scattering properties of alpha crystallin subunits that were separated from one another by anion-exchange chromatography in urea, and subsequently reconstituted in buffer that did not contain urea were also studied. Such reconstituted assemblies may prove useful for future work examining the dependence of interactions between gamma and alpha crystallin on alpha crystallin subunit composition, the properties of high concentration gamma-alpha mixtures and other mixtures, and …