Digital Commons Network^™

The Application Of International Standards In Kosovo: Challenges And Opportunities For Export Promotion, Rita Thaci

Theses

The core aim of this study is to identify and analyze the extent to which international standards are applied in Kosovo, the challenges firms in Kosovo face with regards to the application of international standards, and the opportunities and benefits that the application of international standards brings to firms and the economy of Kosovo, with a special consideration to exports. The analysis uses primary and secondary data. Secondary data were attained through the literature review and the Kosovo Exporters Directory available in KIESA’s website, whereas primary data were attained through semi-structured interviews with representatives of exporting firms operating in Kosovo. …

Repercussions Of A Disruption: The Impact Of Global Ict Supply Chain Trends In Kosovo, Dior Ramosaj

Theses

This study seeks to analyze what type of impact the global ICT supply chain trends, apparent in the last two and a half years, have had in Kosovo. Specifically, the study will focus on two areas, the global shortage of electronic chips, affecting the hardware sector, and a rise in demand for software, due to the transition of working from home following the recent COVID- 19 pandemic. A parallel will be drawn between the global trends and Kosovo. The research methodology is comprised of a combination of primary and secondary data. Primary data has been collected through interviews with representatives …

Implications Of Unregistered Employment In Kosovo’S Pension System, Drin Cela

Theses

Governments give substantial importance towards retirement. Pension spending accounts for one of the largest spending items of public expenditure. The importance of pensions is going to increase in the future, as demographic trends reflect the greying of the population, in which a decreasing number of working people will need to support an increasing amount of retired people. At the same time, informal employment is a pressing economic issue as is apparent when comparing its size to the general economy. Kosovo is a country that faces both problems, ageing and high informal employment. This study explores the relationship between these two …

Skills Gap In The Information Technology Sector In Kosovo, Erze Ahmeti

Theses

The main focus of this research project is to identify the extent to which companies in the IT sector in Kosovo are being affected by the skill gaps and the ways through which they are trying to bridge these skill gaps. While the IT industry in Kosovo shows great growth potential, the skill gap appears to be a prevailing problem that hinders this sector’s development. The study analyzes the implications of the skill gap for the growth of private companies and the sector in general; as well as the ways used by the sector to narrow the skill gap. To …

Coupled Oscillators: Protein And Acoustics, Angelique N. Mcfarlane

Theses

This work encompassed three different vibrational energy transfer studies of coupled resonators (metal, topological, and microtubule comparison) inspired by the lattices of microtubules from regular and cancerous cells. COMSOL Multiphysics 5.4 was utilized to design the experiment. The simulation starts with an acoustic pressure study to examine the vibrational modes present in coupled cylinders, representing α-, β-tubulin heterodimers. The Metal Study consisted of 3 models (monomer, dimer, and trimer) to choose the correct height (40 mm) and mode (Mode 1) for study. The Topological Study was run to predict and understand how the lattice structure changes over a parametric sweep …

Back And Shoulder Exoskeletons For Occupational Use: A Review, Erkan Ozan

Theses

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) account for a large portion of all work-related injuries according to OSHA. Back and shoulder-related disorders make the most of work-related MSDs according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Exoskeletons emerged in recent years with the potential to reduce the risks of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and injuries. Their use in occupational settings is increasing, and exoskeleton designs are rapidly evolving. This paper reviewed recent scientific articles (2015 and after) that evaluated back and shoulder-support passive industrial exoskeletons. The findings of these articles are summarized and analyzed to assess the benefits of passive upper-body exoskeletons by …

Efficient And Scalable Triangle Centrality Algorithms In The Arkouda Framework, Joseph Thomas Patchett

Theses

Graph data structures provide a unique challenge for both analysis and algorithm development. These data structures are irregular in that memory accesses are not known a priori and accesses to these structures tend to lack locality.

Despite these challenges, graph data structures are a natural way to represent relationships between entities and to exhibit unique features about these relationships. The network created from these relationships can create unique local structures that can describe the behavior between members of these structures. Graphs can be analyzed in a number of different ways including at a high level in community detection and at …

Biophilic Architecture Used To Improve Patient Outcomes And Recovery In Behavioral Health Centers, Heidy M. Valdez

Theses

Humans naturally seek adventure and the outdoors. Currently, US institutions that care for people with chronic illnesses, severe injuries, and mental health conditions often exist in neutral spaces with little to no natural elements. Because this does not promote patient happiness, patient recovery time tends to be longer. These institutions are usually not pleasant for patients or their relatives and are seen as negative spaces by the public, which should not be the case. Typical design elements include windows with thick daylight-blocking mullions to ensure no patient tries to hurt themselves, small and dark rooms, white walls, and no private …

Integrated Framework For Analyzing Clean Energy Technology Subsidies, Tiruwork Berhanu Tibebu

Theses

Renewable energy technologies can significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with the energy sector. In US, both federal and state governments have implemented numerous policies and programs to support these technologies. But these policies require a substantial amount of public spending. In this study, an integrated model to identify optimal subsidy schedules for clean energy technologies that maximize social benefits less subsidy costs is developed. The national flexible optimal subsidy schedule for residential solar PV begins at $585/kW and declines to zero in 14 years. An alternative analytical model is also presented to analyze technological features …

Exploring The Efficacy Of Kinetic Facades In A Northern Climate [Rochester, Ny], George Ray-Offor

Theses

The quality of a building is greatly influenced by the design of its facades. Essentially, it serves as a barrier between an interior area and the outside environment. This implies that the façade serves as a conduit for communication between the activities going] on within and outside the building. Façade design has an impact on the appearance of a structure, and consequently on the perception of its users. The adoption of Kinetic façades may dramatically reduce energy consumption in buildings, which accounts for around one-third of total energy consumption worldwide. This thesis will investigate a computational technique to improve building …

Constraints On Compact Binary Formation And Effective Gravitational Wave Likelihood Approximation, Vera Del Favero

Theses

Since the initial discovery of gravitational-waves from merging black holes, the LIGO Scientific Collaboration together with Virgo and KAGRA have published 90 gravitational-wave observations of compact binary mergers in the Gravitational-Wave Transient Catalog papers. One of the quintessential questions of this decade in gravitational-wave astronomy is the characterization and impact of the population of observed gravitational-wave signals from merging black holes and neutron stars. Now, there is greater incentive than ever to study the formation channels for these compact binary mergers. In this work, we carry out an investigation of isolated binary evolution formation channel, comparing predictions of the gravitational-wave …

Impacts Of Drugs On Neurotransmission, Wenrong He

Theses

The most sophisticated and mysterious human organ is the brain. The human brain is made up of billions of neurons, which are working nonstop to send and receive messages to regulate the body’s basic functions. Neurons communicate by releasing neurotransmitters from a sending neuron into the synapse, then a receiving neuron picks up the signals on its receptors from neurotransmitters. Drugs can interfere with the communication between neurons in the brain. They can affect the way people feel, react or behave. Drug use impacts the brain’s neuronal circuits which may lead to inflexible behaviors, lack of self-control, and compulsive drug …

Framing Trust In Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Ethics Communication: Analysis Of Ai Ethics Guiding Principles Through The Lens Of Framing Theory, Namrata Nagar

Theses

With the fast proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in our society, several corporations, governments, research institutions, and NGOs have produced and published AI ethics guiding documents. These include principles, guidelines, frameworks, assessment lists, training modules, blogs, and principle-to-practice strategies. The priorities, focus, and articulation of these innumerable documents vary to different extents. Though they all aim and claim to ensure AI usage for the common good, the actual AI system outcomes in various social applications have invigorated ethical dilemmas and scholarly debates. This study presents the analysis of AI ethics principles and guidelines text published by three pioneers from …

Architecture Of Video Games: Potential Reference, Wael Mkaouar

Theses

The Architecture perspective / scale in video games has evolved throughout time to an extent that it is no longer a mere spatial visualization to host the game, but it has become an interaction medium between the player and the game. Architecture in recent video games played a fundamental role in bridging the gap between the real and the digital world. The analogy between these two is increasingly established through the representational immersion and the participation of the player in a highly realistic environment transforming the gaming experience into an entertaining and educational journey. The aim of this thesis is …

Bayesian Inference And Prediction In Cardiac Electrophysiology Models With An Application To Representing Variability, Alejandro Nieto Ramos

Theses

Many different techniques have been used for parameter estimation in cardiac electrophysiology models, from optimization algorithms to heuristic and frequentist statistical methods. However, the fixed parameter values obtained from such approaches cannot provide a complete description of variability within an individual or across a population. To overcome this shortcoming, in this work we adopt a Bayesian approach by applying the Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) algorithm to cardiac electrophysiology models and data for the first time through three studies. (i) Using HMC, we fit synthetic and experimental cardiac voltage data from different pacing rates and find the probability distributions of the …

Acquisition Strategies For Gravitational Wave Surrogate Modeling, Karl Daningburg

Theses

Gravitational wave science is dependent upon expensive numerical simulations, which provide the foundational understanding of binary merger radiation needed to interpret observations of massive binary black holes. The high cost of these simulations limits large-scale campaigns to explore the binary black hole parameter space. Surrogate models have been developed to efficiently interpolate between simulation results, but these models require a sufficiently comprehensive sample to train on. Acquisition functions can be used to identify points in the domain for simulation. We develop a new acquisition function which accounts for the cost of simulating new points. We show that when applied to …

Microengineering Aligned Collagen Substrates In Microfluidic Systems, Adeel Ahmed

Theses

Cells in vivo are surrounded by a fibrous matrix of proteins and macromolecules called the extracellular matrix (ECM), of which type I collagen is the major constituent. During tissue development or cell-matrix interactions, collagen fibers organize into aligned domains with defined degrees of alignment and directionality. Aligned fibers guide stem cell differentiation and influence cell-cell communication and cell motility. In the tumor microenvironment, aligned fibers guide tumor cell invasion and have been linked to poor patient outcomes. Since fiber alignment instructs cell behavior in vivo, there is a need for in vitro models to replicate fiber alignment and thus provide …

Deep Learning For Medical Imaging In A Biased Environment, Usman Mahmood

Theses

Deep learning (DL) based applications have successfully solved numerous problems in machine perception. In radiology, DL-based image analysis systems are rapidly evolving and show progress in guiding treatment decisions, diagnosing, localizing disease on medical images, and improving radiologists' workflow. However, many DL-based radiological systems fail to generalize when deployed in new hospital settings, and the causes of these failures are not always clear. Although significant effort continues to be invested in applying DL algorithms to radiological data, many open questions and issues that arise from incomplete datasets remain. To bridge the gap, we first review the current state of artificial …

Additive Manufacturing Of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer Lattice Structures, Pritam Poddar

Theses

This dissertation presents four unique contributions to additive manufacturing of carbon fiber composite lattice structures. The lattice structures discussed here cannot be produced using any traditional manufacturing process. Additive manufacturing is the only viable option, and the research in this field is sparse. We fill a gap in additive manufacturing and analysis of composite lattice structures. It adds to the existing knowledge that will prove valuable with carbon composite lattice structures increasingly used in real-world applications. We analyzed specimens using compression testing, impact loading, numerical simulations, microscopic imaging, and CT scans. We studied two different lattice topologies; open and closed …

Painting As A Vehicle For Identity Formation And Survival, Chunbum Park

Theses

Through the thesis, I produce a highly rigorous body of works and explore the theoretical and philosophical reasons behind my paintings. I explore why I repeatedly paint myself as a woman and why the symbols of tigers, frogs, Frankenstein, and other aspects of Northeast Asian and Korean culture and heritage appear in my paintings. I find that painting is a process by which I can reflect on my own identity as a Korean who alternates between masculine and feminine identities. Painting allows me to react against the problems threatening my identity such as the worldwide trend of the racialization of …

Pillow Princess, Shayna Kiblin

Theses

Pillow Princess is a project that explores the way identity is crafted, and relates my own experiences with forming identity to handmade craft work. This work was an installation that consisted of three quilts and five soft sculptures. With these pieces I created a space that functioned as my bedroom, inviting viewers into one of my most intimate and private spaces. Using color, form, and materiality I have used these pieces to represent the campy femininity that I grew up consuming. Forming relationships that function as a found family is an aspect of gay culture that is necessary for many …

Interaction With Accessibility On Digital Gaming Platform, Thomas Scott Rothdeutsch

Theses

This project focuses on the designing an user-interface to solve these issues with these certain accessibilities could lead to a better, functionable platform that allows the user with disabilities to be able to play the digital games. It can be projected on projector or touchscreen technology, using its function to provide more availability to support the players to reduce their struggle interacting with an actual physical board and card games. These struggles include opening the packaging, losing pieces, instructions are confusing and constantly moving around to be on the right spot. The features with accessibility will include icons for the …

Rethinking University Selection For Students Through Real Life Testimonials, Pranav Shinde

Theses

The university selection process for students is a complicated process owing to the amount of investment and dedication it takes to take such a big step. The average cost and the time spent is a big factors and it is important to make a choice that students will cherish and make sure to see out through the entire course. However, in the course of making this decision, students have to rely on internet-based material such as university websites, comparison websites, and data-backed of to entice students which always necessarily isn’t right. What if students had an easier way to communicate …

Bioinformatics Analyses Of New Genes Of Focus In The Research Of Autism With Dogs, Rats, And A Variety Of Other Model Organisms, Aaron Pennington

Theses

Autism is a mental disorder in which multiple genes are involved in the development of its various symptoms. However, as a result of the challenges inherent to identifying the responsible genes, many studies are ongoing and inconclusive. 1 To date, studies have shown that two genes, BAG3 and PALLD, were upregulated in autistic individuals. 2–6 BAG3 encodes BAG cochaperone 3 32; while PALLD encodes Palladin, Cytoskeletal Associated Protein 33. This project analyzed the similarities and differences between the human BAG3 and PALLD genes and those in various model organisms. While it is likely that epigenetic modifications affect the expression and …

Gyri: Language Learning In The Context Of Your Life, Laura Woodrow

Theses

Many people want to reap the benefits of learning a new language, but your ability to pick up a new language decreases drastically as you age. Immersion is a successful method of learning a new language, much like children learn their native language. Current solutions mainly use spaced repetition through digital means, much like you would discover in a traditional classroom. However, mixed reality can be leveraged to provide an immersive learning experience to the user/s, creating a cognitive link between their environment and the language they are learning. Not only can this method of language learning create an immersive …

New And Unique Members Of The Epsilon Chamaeleontis Moving Group: A Kinematic And Multi- Wavelength Analysis, Attila Varga

Theses

Nearby Young Moving Groups (NYMGs) are loose associations of young stars∼120 pc. Among them, the Epsilon Chameleontis Association (eCA) is the youngest group at ∼100 pc with an average age of 5 Myr. Due to these properties, eCA is a prime group to study pre-main sequence stellar evolution, protoplanetary disks, and young exoplanets. To improve statistics on disk fraction, spectral types, age, and early M dwarf evolution, we can identify new members and M dwarfs that belong to the eCA. We utilize the precise astrometry and photometry of Gaia to find new candidate members. Specifically, we will measure the candidates’ …

Open Museum：Make Art Accessible, Make Appreciators Becoming Creators, Collectors And Promoters, Zhenhua Yu

Theses

As a human activity that expresses emotional power, beauty, technical ability, or conceptual ideas, art has a long history and a large fan base. However, while people's interest in art has never waned, it has rarely increased. The lack of interactivity of art in comparison to other information on the Internet is a significant disadvantage, and the recent reduction in museum visitors due to COVID-19 has also hampered the growth of the art industry. My thesis addresses these issues and attempts to create new opportunities for the growth of the art world by combining art appreciation, art collecting, and art …

Ruminations, Maria Barbara Ileana Kane

Theses

Ruminations is an experimental exhibition which seeks to explore the integration of technology into traditional art. By combining traditional woodblock prints with augmented reality, Ruminations attempts to evoke empathy from the viewer regarding the topic of mental illness. Each AR experience illustrates, though imagery and animation, a different mental illness or psychological phenomenon. The viewer sees each experience separately over a printed background, expanding on the traditional frame and reaching into the world around us.

Intelligent Tutoring In A Vr Classroom, Harendar Pharswan

Theses

ITS(Intelligent Tutoring Systems) have played a significant role in today’s smart learning educational technology environment, where students are given feedback instantly at scale. However, the current, more practically inclined approaches de-emphasize the reliance on the problematic student model, i.e. student's motivation, emotional state and interest instead put more effort into the construction of theory-based user interfaces. Although research in ITS has produced many interesting theoretical insights, there are relatively few ITS which are regularly and effectively used. Through research conducted into current practices in ITS, gaps within the system have been noted. Specifically, the paper attempts to propose a solution …

Density Functional Theory Study Of Oxygen Vacancy Formation And Doping On Wollastonite Surfaces, Vedgopal Balasubramanian Govindhram

Theses

In recent times, the rising amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere have caused a concerning increase in global warming. To combat global warming, several negative emissions technologies have been employed. One such technology is Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW), wherein CO2 is trapped as thermodynamically stable carbonates in silicate minerals that are exposed to the atmosphere. This process happens via mineral carbonation. Wollastonite (CaSiO3) is one such silicate that has applications in ERW. Our study is focused on utilizing density functional theory-based calculations to investigate the thermodynamic stability of oxygen vacancies on the surfaces of wollastonite mineral. Formation of …