Digital Commons Network^™

Electrification Of Monroe County’S Vehicle Fleet: A Cost Benefit Analysis, Jordan Kirkpatrick

Theses

This analysis determines the financial and environmental value in electrifying the vehicle fleet owned and operated by Monroe County, New York. Due to economies of scale, the capital cost of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHEVs), and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) have dropped to a point that regardless of environmental benefits, these vehicles can be cost effective in their own right. Monroe County has consistent turnover in its fleet anyway, replacing older vehicles with new ones.

I conducted a cost benefit analysis of converting Monroe County’s vehicle fleet to electric alternatives in order to maximize financial value. To …

Interaction Design Needs Modified Principles Of “Design Affordance” For Navigation Applications, Shannon Connell

Theses

It is a common scene for many of us getting from point A to point B these days. One we forget did not exist a little over a decade ago. A phone or device is taken out, a destination is typed into a search box, and a route or several are offered. The user then makes a route decision, places the device within sight, or holds it as they travel. The user relies on provided instructions for most of the route taken and tangential subsequential decision-making. These behaviors are not only accepted as the norm, but our reliance deems them …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Impulsivity In Individuals With And Without Trauma Exposure, Amanda K. Hautmann

Theses

Around 80% of adults indicate being exposed to at least one traumatic event within their lifetime. Some individuals may develop PTSD, which is comprised of four main symptom clusters: Intrusions, Avoidance of event related stimuli, Negative Alterations in Mood and Cognitions (NAMC), and Alterations in Arousal and Reactivity (AAR). Impulsivity is a multi-faceted construct assessed through both self-report and behavioral measures. Prior literature has suggested an association between impulsivity and trauma/PTSD but has been limited in terms of assessment. The current study examined different facets of impulsivity through self-report and behavioral measures in individuals with and without trauma exposure while …

Stability Of Defects At Mos2/Inas Hybrid Heterostructures: Computational Modelling Of A Novel Semi-Conducting Material, Zackary Santos

Theses

Vertical van der Waals heterostructures created from two chemically different two-dimensional (2D) materials have made significant headway in the current electronic manufacturing landscape. They demonstrate enhanced electronic properties and have the potential to be used in high performance electronic devices. Among the various van der Waals heterostructures, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) thin film on an indium arsenide (InAs) substrate has shown promising opto-electronic properties. This hybrid heterostructure gives stronger optical absorption properties than a 2D layer of graphene on InAs due to smaller equilibrium spacing. To realize the true potential of these heterostructures, it is imperative to understand not only their …

The Line, Angelica Alegria Agelviz Rodriguez

Theses

The Line is an animated fairy tale for adults, meant to ask the age-old question of “who am I?” through the lens of its main character, Espe, a child born with skin made of mirror.

With this thesis, I wanted to delve deeper into my understanding of the themes of individuality, freedom of thought, fragility of ego and the unreliability of ‘truth’, as seen through the eyes of a child. The idea for this story was simple enough: What would happen if somebody was born made out of mirror? And what if that mirror were to look at itself? Though …

Emely Peguero’S Case: News Frames And Gender Stereotypes In The Dominican Republic, Maria Fernanda Simo

Theses

Gender-based violence is a controversial topic in the Dominican Republic that affects many families, and is a cause of more than 200 women dying every year from it. Journalists have an important influence in the country, making information more noticeable and memorable. Using framing theory, this study analyzed news stories reported by three Dominican newspapers (El Diario Libre, Listin Diario, and Grupo Corripio) to identify news frames and gender stereotypes in Emely Peguero’s coverage, who was a pregnant young woman murdered by her boyfriend in the Duarte Province of the Dominican Republic. A quantitative content analysis of (N = 185) …

Breastfeeding Discourse On Social Media, Andrea L. Whittemore

Theses

Using feminist theory, this study focuses on discourse around breastfeeding on Twitter. Using a mixed-methods approach, I first examine the use of the hashtag #breastfeeding on Twitter to identify the networks driving the discourse. The discourse analysis was completed to explore how feminist principles and mothers’ agency were represented in tweets related to breastfeeding. The results, based on (N = 2,818) tweets, show that discourses are seen as breastfeeding as “natural” and “primary,” bottle feeding as second best, sexualization versus the natural functions of the breast, breastfeeding as a provocative act, mothering as a public or private nexus, breastfeeding related …

Music Consumption In The Dominican Republic: Technological Changes, Uses, And Gratifications, Frank R. Lantigua

Theses

Music consumption has been transformed by technological changes during the last three decades; the introduction of streaming technologies and the expansion of the global music market have changed the way people in various countries engage with music in daily life. Previous research on music consumption points to the uses and gratifications often sought by audiences, as well as the motives that drive their consumption habits. While most studies have centered on audiences from the developing world, this study focuses particularly on music consumption in the Dominican Republic. The data was collected through an online survey that inquired about the platforms …

Printable Thin-Film Sol-Gel Lead Zirconate Titanate (Pzt) Deposition Using Nanojet And Inkjet Printing Methods, Amanda R. Marotta

Theses

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) sub-5µm thin-films deposited using NanoJet and inkjet printing techniques will be presented. PZT, a perovskite ferroelectric ceramic, possesses both electrical and mechanical properties making it well suited for sensor and actuator applications. Large-scale and additive manufacturing of PZT deposition is currently unobtainable. A novel PZT sol-gel, therefore, comprised of an alkoxide mixture, was adapted for printing. Polyethylene glycol (PEG, 200MW) was discovered to be a superior film forming aid to the PZT sol-gel composite. PEG was added to the PZT composite to prevent film cracking upon gelation and thermal sintering. A powder-based sample of the PZT …

Trailxplorer: An Interactive Mobile Educational Tool To Promote Safety Awareness And Prevent Injuries From Outdoor Adventures., Zhuoxin Xu

Theses

This thesis seeks to introduce an interactive mobile prototype to promote safety awareness and a visualized guideline to assist outdoor adventurers.

Nature is a place where many people go to find peace and relax. According to the “Outdoor participation report 2017” (the Coleman Company, 2017), 144.4 million Americans participated in outdoor activities in 2017. Unfortunately for a multitude of reasons, people encounter some type of unfortunate event that results in either injury or death. As the number of outdoor participants has continued increased annually, safety awareness and skills training have become increasingly crucial now more than ever. This project sought …

Politics And Media Among Deaf And Hard Of Hearing, Charlotte Deering

Theses

This study investigated the civic engagement, political participation, and choice of news media of the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) community at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) in Rochester, New York. Socialization factors that contribute to civic engagement and political participation were examined and contrasted with a hearing sample of students at Rochester Institute of Technology. The Activity Orientation Scale combined with the Political Media Gratification Scale were used to measure the likelihood of political engagement among the DHH and understand their media viewing habits. Socialization factors affect where DHH individuals get their news, what media …

Designing Emotional Content Into The Mouthfeel Of Food, Shahd Zubier

Theses

Processed foods may lack nutritional value; however, they are inexpensive, convenient, and highly palatable or satisfying to consumers. All of these factors impact the relationships we have with food. One of the reasons why processed foods are enjoyable is the variation of sensorial qualities it provides. Our senses facilitate our connection with food, we observe the color and form visually, we examine the texture with our hands and mouth, we hear the crunch of a crispy chip. All of these factors are considered in the realm of food design. Designers can contribute to this area by applying the Design Thinking …

Virtual Reality Interfaces For Product Design: Finding User Interface Solutions For Design Creation Within Virtual Reality, Johanna Lopez Taveras

Theses

The focus of Virtual Reality has gone from research to widespread adoption in entertainment and practical directions, like automotive design and architectural visualization. With that, we have to take into consideration the best way to give in-experience control to the user and the interaction within the interface.

Recent studies explore the ergonomic considerations and zones of content for VR interfaces. But Virtual Reality interaction design has a long way to go and nowadays is done mainly like a projection of 2D screens, with planar interfaces in the 3D space, almost ignoring the immersive potential of the Virtual Reality medium (Alger …

How To Avoid Collisions Between Cyclists And Motorists In Urban Areas, Yinan Luan

Theses

Using a bicycle as a means of transportation is becoming more common in cities. Protecting the safety of cyclists in complex urban environments is important.

This paper discusses user research, collisions analysis, and environment. Then, the article expounds by providing the different perspectives of cyclists and motorists. Analyzing the accidents of bicycles, how to effectively avoid collisions will significantly solve the safety problems of cyclists. In terms of solutions, this paper considers theoretical methods and existing products available. It then recommends a visibility system and proposes a visibility system to enhance visibility and avoid unpredictable behavior. The whole system makes …

Using The Diels-Alder Reaction In The Synthesis Of Biologically Interesting Molecules: Targets Of Opportunity, Ethan Michael Decicco

Theses

This thesis is composed of reports on two projects, which are described separately in two chapters.

The first project described (Chapter 1) involves the synthesis of a series of molecules that contain a 1,4-dimethyl-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2,3-dicarboxy-imide core structure. These types of molecules represent a class of analogues of the natural product cantharidin, a potent cytotoxic agent isolated from Meloidae insects. Cantharidin and cantharidin-like small molecules have been extensively studied in literature as potential leads in new anti-cancer medications. A series of 1,4-dimethyl-7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2,3- dicarboxy-imides are also being investigated by researchers at Bristol-Meyers-Squibb (BMS) as prospective treatments of prostate cancer (PC). PC is the …

Blinc: Designing Bicycle Path Protection For Accessible Transportation Networks, Blair A. Benson

Theses

The City of Rochester is defined by both poverty and renewed development in its center city. Often overlooked, access to transportation systems plays an important role in the prevalence of poverty. Accessing areas of Rochester that offer higher paying jobs, better schools, and a greater variety of services is directly related to car ownership, a luxury that Rochester’s poorest cannot afford. This transportation inequality is considered a contributing factor to Rochester’s poverty rate.

In addition, the discontinuous urban fabric of downtown Rochester is designed for automobile, not pedestrian or bicycle traffic. Safe and continuous pedestrian and cycling pathways are often …

An Investigation Of Chipping Generation And Propagation On Carbide Tool Under Various Cutting Conditions In End Milling Of Low Carbon Steel, Shuhuan Zhang

Theses

Tool conditions are the essential factors in determining the geometric accuracy and the machined surface quality in the milling process. The different mechanisms of tool condition can be classified as tool wear, chipping, and built-up edge. The chipping, which is one of the decisive tool conditions when the brittle milling tools are used in milling, has not been well investigated by previous studies since the chipping is randomly occurs.

Therefore, the main objective of this study is to comprehensively investigate the generation and propagation of chipping in the milling process. To realize this objective, the carbide milling tools were used …

The Legal Experiences Of The Deaf And Hard Of Hearing Community, Dillon Curren

Theses

The criminal justice system serves in many different ways for people. Sometimes, groups of people are underserved by the criminal justice system and cannot achieve the goals being set up by the criminal justice system to be a watchful guardian who is swift, certain, and fair. The following project will look at the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Community (D/HH) and their experiences with the criminal justice system in a series of working papers including a literature review of studies, papers, and documentation of experiences within the system. There are several obstacles between the two communities that causes tension and unfairness for …

Swift, Certain, And Fair: A Pilot Program Of The Probation Department In Monroe County, New York, Luisa R. Swan

Theses

For my capstone, I will be breaking down some components of the evaluation of the Swift, Certain, and Fair probation program in Monroe County, New York. Monroe County Probation’s Swift, Certain & Fair Model Pilot Program focuses on offenders between 16–24 years old who have been arrested on certain gun charges (more specifically, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the second degree). It is designed to help change the behaviors of those who may otherwise be unlikely to succeed under traditional probation supervision. This model extends the program development and analysis of a program known as HOPE (Hawaii Opportunity Probation …

Rovar: Authentic Travel Leveraging Local Social Media, Akshay Kumar Arun

Theses

In our era of constant technological development and an intricate network of information exchange, people tend to rely on online sources for their travels more and more. But because of the time crunch, people travel in, many places of authentic value go unnoticed. Take the ramen shop in Sankri, at the foothills of the Siwalik ranges of the Himalayas for example. It was here that I had one of the most authentic ramen noodles at a small little quaint shop which used hill spices to give it a unique flavor. This store was nowhere on the map, and if I …

Parameter Estimation Of A Cardiac Model Using The Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter, Nathan Holt

Theses

Cardiac arrhythmias are irregularities in the electrical activity in the heart; the electrical impulses in the heart become chaotic or disorganized, which can cause a possibly lethal problem to the contraction of the heart. In order to understand the dynamics of arrhythmias and to be able to predict and treat them, numerical models have been developed to capture the dynamics of the electrical impulses in the heart. In a clinical setting, optical mapping technologies — using cameras and voltage-sensitive dyes to capture the electrical impulses propagating across the heart — have been used to capture the dynamics of the electrical …

Senso - A Real-Time Interactive Mobile System To Improve Users’ Overall Skin Condition, Wenyue Zhan

Theses

Healthy skin is a critical part of overall health for everyone and not only important for appearance. Useful information about the skin is often overwhelming, misleading, or difficult to obtain. There are many factors that affect the skin’s condition, from environmental conditions like UV, humidity, or lifestyle factors like diet and the amount of sleep a person gets to specific ingredients in cosmetics. All this makes the effective management of skin health time consuming and inaccurate without knowing where to find the right information.

This project explores a theoretical system that is designed to help users understand and manage their …

The Way Back Home, Bichen Yang

Theses

After traveling, Ming (38) and Qinyi (35) pack their stuff to catch the flight. A sudden email destroys Ming’s mood: he lost his new job. Then he sees his share price fall. He is upset with his wife and vents his anger to his son, Tommy (6). Qinyi thinks that Ming still has a grudge because she is unable to have another baby. They start to go to the airport in an awkward atmosphere.

On the road, Ming refuses to stop the car, which makes Tommy urinating on the seat. A STRANGER follows their car and keeps flashing him. Ming …

The Opioid Epidemic, Abigail Hallowell

Theses

Drug abuse, addiction, and overdoses are phenomenon’s that are not new or unfamiliar to the United States. Between 1999 to 2017, there were over 700,000 drug overdose deaths in the country. About 400,000 of those drug overdoses involved an opioid. In 2017, more than 70,000 people died of a drug overdoses and 68% of them involved an opioid. This makes the number of opioid drug overdose deaths in 2017 six times higher than in 1999 (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). The severity of the increase in opioid related overdose deaths that America is experiencing today did not happen …

Elucidating The Effects Of Antibiotics On The Release Of Pal From Escherichia Coli, Leslie Gallardo

Theses

Sepsis, a life-threatening clinical condition affecting more than 1.5 million Americans per year, is defined as an over-exuberant immune response to infection. Currently, sepsis is the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals, and the incidence of sepsis caused by Gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), has been steadily increasing since the late 1990’s. While the detailed mechanism of sepsis is not fully understood, several bacterial components are thought to contribute to the hyper-inflammatory response in humans, including lipopolysaccharide endotoxin and several other lipoproteins. Past studies suggest that one of those E. coli lipoproteins, peptidoglycan-associated lipoprotein (Pal), might …

Performing Dna Ligation On A Low-Cost Inkjet-Printed Digital Microfluidic Device, Sari Houchaimi

Theses

DNA Synthesis is a critical component in many biological and medical applications. Unfortunately, the production of DNA is tedious, time consuming, and expensive. To accelerate the production times and lower the cost, we take a closer look at the potential application of digital microfluidics for this process.

Microfluidics involves manipulating small volumes of fluid (microliters). It takes advantage of the relative dominance of forces such as surface tension and capillary forces at the submillimeter scale. This allows for lower reagent consumption and shorter reaction times. The technology is also portable and can accommodate for various functions to be performed on …

Recognition Of Stress In Emergency Room Nurses, Coleen Karr

Theses

Emergency room nurses work in an environment that is volatile and challenging due to the frequent exposures to critical incidences and stressful events. Given the frequency of exposure to these critical incidences and stressful events, this study was initiated to identify the reactionary responses to stress in emergency room nurses and to if the nurses could then be predisposed to posttraumatic stress disorder. The theoretical framework of Betty Neuman's Systems model of nursing was reflected throughout the investigation for the purpose of identifying the effects of stress on a person's line of defense. The use of the Depression Anxiety Stress …

Sheep: A Lifestyle Platform Providing Access To Freshest Greens For Metropolitan Areas Through Vertical Farming System, Xiao Cui

Theses

With today’s food supply chain, consumers who live in metropolitan areas can not be able to get the freshest greens they want everyday. Main reason is the long transportation between urban city and traditional farms. Based on the research, l found that a new agriculture technology named vertical farming can solve these problems. Because of the main feature of this technique is efficient use of urban space, it can solved the scarcity of land problem. Secondly, the shorter growth cycle can meets the high demand of fresh greens in urban cities. Thirdly, vertical farming can cultivate vegetables which is free …

Analyzing The Effects Of Individual And Team Attributes On New Product Design Outcomes - Experimental Protocol Development And Feasibility Assessment, Varun Sharma

Theses

Rapidly changing markets demand quick turnaround from creative concepts into final products. This requires firms to have extensive collaboration in their New Product Development (NPD) teams. However effective management of teams can be difficult. In order to understand the challenges of multidisciplinary product development, this study focuses on student design teams conducting engineering design projects at RIT. This study utilizes a modified team effectiveness model based on existing literature for identifying hypothesized associations using a limited number of teams enrolled in senior design. It proposes an experimental protocol for conducting this study at a larger scale and identifies the appropriate …

Important Considerations For Creative Professionals When Designing For Users With Mental Health Issues, Yiting Zhu

Theses

Creative professionals who design products, entertainment, application, websites, and even marketing are gradually beginning to realize the importance of evoking emotions and personalized communication to attract users’ attention and improve the satisfying experience. Emotional-based design can profoundly influence overall user experience since emotions affect decision making, attention, memory, and meaning. Designers often apply emotional design by two main approaches. The first is based on the modification of objects’ aesthetic appearances such as color, shape, and texture. The other focuses on engaging interaction mostly based on technology development (Van Gorp, Adams 2012). Both of these factors have significant effects on people …