Digital Commons Network^™

Business Proposal Of Online Copyright Protection Platform For Digital Assets, Zehui Feng

MA Projects

Copyright protection is crucial for digital art assets as they are easily replicable and distributable in the digital realm. Without proper protection, artists and creators face the risk of unauthorized use, infringement, and loss of control over their work. Copyright protection ensures that artists receive recognition for their creations, have the ability to monetize their work, and maintain control over its usage. The proposed copyright protection platform aims to provide a comprehensive solution for safeguarding digital art assets. Drawing inspiration from successful platforms like Digimarc, Getty Images, and Copyscape, our platform will incorporate advanced technologies such as digital watermarking, extensive …

The Role Of Prejudice In Political Campaigns, Sara Steffens

A with Honors Projects

A research paper examining traits of the highly prejudiced person according to Gordon Allport, how prejudice leads to the ten stages of genocide and an analysis of highly prejudiced political ads.

Navigating Boundaries: Challenges And Strategies In Exhibiting Brazilian Art Globally, Bruna Ribeiro Schnor

MA Theses

This thesis critically evaluates key initiatives in New York from 2002 to 2023, notably "Brazil: Body and Soul" and "Tarsila do Amaral: Inventing Modern Art in Brazil" at institutions like the Guggenheim and MoMA, highlighting potential shortcomings in representing Brazilian culture accurately. Additionally, it discusses exhibitions like "Bárbara Wagner and Benjamin de Burca: Five Times Brazil" at the New Museum and “The Yanomami Struggle” at The Shed for their unique approaches to showcasing Brazilian art. The methodology involves analyzing significant exhibitions in New York from 2000 to 2023, evaluating their efforts to globalize Brazilian art, and understanding their global impact. …

Pearls Of Power: Navigating Empire And Kingship In The Nineteenth Century In Qing Dynasty China And Victorian England, Jinrui Chen

MA Theses

This thesis provides an academic exploration of the socio-cultural and political connotations of pearl jewelry during the Qing Dynasty in China and the Victorian era in England. It examines the symbolic prominence of the Eastern pearl within the Qing Dynasty’s hierarchical and imperial contexts, juxtaposing this with the emotional and personal resonance of pearl jewelry in Victorian England. The study employs an array of primary Chinese sources and insightful case studies to investigate the dynamics of pearl harvesting, consumption, and perception, thereby unveiling the diverse roles pearls played in these distinct societies. This comparative approach addresses a gap in existing …

“How Did Guernica Become The Important Painting And The Universal Symbol It Is Today?", Or Lebel

MA Theses

This thesis explores the intriguing journey that propelled "Guernica" from the initial obscurity of a commissioned artwork to its current status as a globally recognized symbol. The research unravels the multifaceted processes that have contributed to the transformation of a relatively overlooked artwork into an important painting and a universal emblem of protest, antiwar, and hope. The research addresses the fundamental question of how "Guernica" evolved into an important and universally recognized painting. Answering this question allows me to explore and explain how "Guernica," despite its lack of immediate recognition, grew to possess an enduring significance. The research also tackles …

Himalayan Murals, Himalayan Buddhist Murals: Styles, Symbolic Themes And Historical Evolution, Jiazhen Zhang

MA Theses

Himalayan Buddhist murals are decorative elements and represent profound artistic expressions laden with relevant cultural and religious values. Disseminated through monasteries and temples of the Himalayan regions, such as Tibet, Bhutan, and Nepal, these murals represent a unique blend of religious art and cultural identity. According to Jackson, mural art was a longterm tradition in these areas, starting from the eleventh Century and being influenced by different schools of Buddhism throughout history. Jing further posits that the tradition of art reflects an active interaction between religious concepts and local art styles, influenced by socio-political transformations and cultural contacts between the …

Formed By Fire: A Global Story Of Women And Clay, Denise Tepe

MA Projects

In 1971, art historian Linda Nochlin implored the art world to be introspective of its long-held, male-centered narratives when she published the profound essay ‘Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?’ Nochlin articulated the individual and societal factors that have disadvantaged women collectively and have historically kept them from receiving the same level of recognition as male artists for the same quality of work. This essay, compounded with growing feminist sentiments of the late 20th century, insighted art world institutions to highlight and recontextualize the art of women. These institutional efforts have culminated in female artists having a renaissance …

A Metaverse Of Chinese Traditional Folk Villages And Houses With Great Aesthetic Pleasure: A Virtual World Dedicated To The Enthusiasts Of Life With Art, Culture, History And Architectures, Xiaobin Lin

MA Projects

Rapid growth of 3D visualisation technology has led to the maturation of metaverse, bringing innovative and immersive experiences to travellers and representing tremendous potential for revolutionising the tourism industry. Advantages of metaverse, plummeting cost of technology and emerging supportive policies are jointly building up a very promising future of metaverse in tourism. Big companies worldwide are heavily investing in metaverse. In China, Tencent SSV Digital Culture Lab has initiated the annual project “Explore Metaverse Plan”, providing a communication platform and exhibition opportunity for the small and midsize players working on the digitalisation of cultural and artistic heritage. Google Art & …

The Spirit Of Female Modernity, Yuan Yuan

MA Projects

"The Spirit of Female Modernity" rejoices in the empowering synergy of women and art modernist aesthetics. It focuses mainly on the work of female artists, designers, musicians, and fashion brands that break several epochs and media. The goal is to motivate by illustrating how women in diverse artistic and design fields embraced and, in some cases, reinterpreted the language of modernist art to reflect their period's concept of modernity. This carefully curated exhibition highlights the new and thought-through role that women artists embarked on in helping to shape the history of art through the modernism lens of feminist practice. It …

Social Atomism And Its Problems – Metaphysical And Political, Graham Priest

Publications and Research

Social atomism is a view that informs much contemporary social thinking. Drawing on arguments from Marxism and Buddhism, I will argue that it is false, and explore the consequences of this for a number of issues, notably those related to the ideology of capitalism.

Histories, Legacies, And Futures Of Image-Processing, Helena Shaskevich, Adam Hart

Publications and Research

Conversations for this special section of Leonardo first began in July 2023. Over the course of the following year and half, as the framework was conceptualized, papers were solicited, reviewed, edited and re-edited, and editorial deadlines came and went, two pioneering figures in the field of video image-processing passed away: Louise (Etra) Ledeen and Ralph Hocking. While the trajectories of their engagement with the now-widely dispersed community of image-processing artists differed—Ledeen left the art world to focus on corporate projects in the late 1980s while Hocking continued to teach at Binghamton University and remained at the helm of the Experimental …

Heat Stress Effects On Physiological And Milk Yield Traits Of Lactating Holstein Friesian Crossbreds Reared In Tanga Region, Tanzania, Vincent Habimana, Athumani Shabani Nguluma, Zabron Cuthibert Nziku, Chinyere Charlotte Ekine - Dzivenu, Gota Morota, Raphael Mrode, Sebastian Wilson Chenyambuga

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Global warming caused by climate change is a challenge for dairy farming, especially in sub-Saharan countries. Under high temperatures and relative humidity, lactating dairy cows suffer from heat stress. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects and relationship of heat stress (HS) measured by the temperature–humidity index (THI) regarding the physiological parameters and milk yield and composition of lactating Holstein Friesian crossbred dairy cows reared in the humid coastal region of Tanzania. A total of 29 lactating Holstein Friesian x Zebu crossbred dairy cows with 50% (HF50) and 75% (HF75) Holstein Friesian gene levels in the second …

The Behavioural Response Of Captive M. Nigra And C. Capucinus To A Novel Cooperative Enrichment Device At Newquay Zoo, Julia Sullivan

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

In the wild, primates cooperate to overcome challenges and maximise survival. Introducing cooperative tasks to zoo-housed primates may enhance welfare and promote prosocial behaviour in a captive setting. Comparative research on primate cooperation has predominately taken place in primate research facilities, where they are able to control pairing of individuals and incorporate task specific training. Zoos offer the opportunity to explore cooperation under more naturalistic conditions, but there is limited existing literature. I investigated the cooperative behaviour of socially housed groups of Sulawesi black crested macaques (Macaca nigra) (n=7) and White throated capuchins (Cebus capucinus) (n=4) at Newquay Zoo, using …

The Role Of Ubiquitin Ligases Nedd4-1 And Nedd4-2 In The Brain And Their Crosstalk With Alpha-Synuclein And Other Dementia-Related Proteins, James Conway

Peninsula Medical School Theses

Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) are a progressive and currently incurable neurodegenerative disease and the most common movement disorder. α-synuclein protein is thought to be the main aetiological agent of PD and DLB, particularly when levels are increased in substantia nigra (SN) dopaminergic neurons, causing cell death. Current PD and DLB treatments are symptomatic and do not target the disease at its source or prevent its progression.In order to develop protective treatments for PD and DLB, it is important to first understand its pathophysiology. Using mice which are genetically altered to exhibit PD-and DLB-like traits at …

An Assessment Of The Environmental Impact And Economic Viability Of A Uk Based Scallop Farm, David Cox

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The UK scallop capture fishery’s use of dredging is, at times, both environmentally damaging and economically unsustainable. With demand for seafood continuing to rise, scallop farming may be able to offer an alternative source of supply that addresses increasing consumer concerns over sustainable food production and traceability. This study is based the research conducted on the UK’s first fully integrated scallop farm and hatchery in Torbay Devon. The research focuses on two separate aspects of the scallop farm: its ecological impact on the epibenthic and pelagic organisms at the site and surrounding areas and an assessment of the economic viability …

Population Genetics Of Green (Chelonia Mydas) And Hawksbill Turtles (Eretmochelys Imbricata) In Grenada, West Indies, Naomi Westlake

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Sea turtle populations within Grenada are believed to be in decline, consistent with worldwide trends. Conservation strategies for green and hawksbill turtles in Grenada are currently limited by a lack of detailed knowledge of the genetic make-up, life history and migration patterns of the local aggregates of these species. Genetic characterisation provides a means for inferring population diversity and origins for these aggregates and to assess potential impacts from regional and worldwide management strategies. Additionally, chelonid alphaherpesvirus-5 (ChHV5) and ChHV5-associated fibropapillomatosis (FP) have recently been reported within Grenada’s green turtle population, but the epidemiology of the disease in Grenada remains …

Investigating The Movement And Foraging Ecology Of Reef Manta Rays (Mobula Alfredi) In The Chagos Archipelago, Joanna Harris

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi) are large zooplanktivorous elasmobranchs of the family Mobulidae. The species is dispersed throughout the Indian and West Pacific Oceans in small, isolated populations that tend to have a limited home range. Individuals within a population regularly visit specific locations to routinely engage in activities such as feeding, where they often exhibit aggregation behaviour. The species face a multitude of anthropogenic threats throughout their range, the most significant of which are target and bycatch fisheries from which they can be most at risk at aggregation sites. Due to their unsustainable depletion, particularly in the Indian Ocean, …

Microbiological Quality And Safety Of Poultry Processed In Africa: A Review, Noémia André Mugabe, Abdulsudi Issa-Zacharia, Jamal B Kussaga

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Poultry is the second most consumed meat in the world. In Africa, chicken production and processing are practiced both formally and informally, with smallholders constituting the majority in this sector. Informal practices are vulnerable to the production and processing of chicken, which is easily contaminated by pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, and Campylobacter . The growth of the poultry industry in Africa, coupled with intensive production, has led to the indiscriminate use of antibiotics and the development of antimicrobial resistance, posing a risk to the health of consumers. However, there are limited studies evaluating the quality and …

Classification And Productivity Of Smallholder Broiler Farms In The Pwani Region, Tanzania, Rogia Saïdath Adéline Gomez, Said H. Mbaga

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Understanding the current performance of the broiler sub-sector in terms of production and finance is crucial for developing and implementing effective plans to enhance and improve it. Hence, the objective of this study is to classify the surveyed farmers in the coastal region of Tanzania based on their rearing characteristics. It also aims to evaluate their productivity by establishing an operating account for one broiler per group of identified farmers. Ad- ditionally, the study seeks to identify the factors that may influence the productivity of broiler farms. To this end, 78 broiler farmers were selected using a non-probability snowball sampling …

Utilizing Tilapia Fish Skin Biomaterial For Burn Wound Dressing: A Systematic Review, Bhahat Lawlley Zimba, Mwemezi J. Rwiza, Elingarami Sauli

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

Burn wound management remains a burden in our hospitals with more than 180,000 people dying annually due to burn-related complications. Bacterial infections further affect the healing duration of the wound hence most treatment modalities have aimed at maintaining aseptic conditions on the wound. Silver sulphadiazine (SSD) cream 1 % has demonstrated the ability to bind to bacteria cell walls, its amino acids and DNA, and interferes with its respiratory chain resulting in bacteria death. SSD is considered the gold standard treatment of burn wounds despite its shortfalls in the treatment of burns. As a result, recent studies have focused …

Physical, Mechanical, And Durability Properties Of Concrete Containing Different Waste Synthetic Fibers For Green Environment – A Critical Review, Tsion Amsalu Fode, Yusufu Abeid Chande Jande, Thomas Kivevele

All Rsif Scholars' Publications

The world is facing a major challenge on ways to manage the waste synthetic materials that are potentially polluting the environment. So, by 2040 it is estimated from the total synthetic textile products that will be produced, the accumulated synthetic textile waste will be more than 73.77 %, if recycling of waste may not be managed by novel technology in different sectors. Hence, this is a great challenge coming to the world if it is not effectively recycled mainly to be used in the construction sector which covers a broad area. However, detailed critical review is needed to gather different …

What Are Munster Technological University Students’ Experiences Of Menstruation And Reusable Period Products?, Kate Dolan Crowley

Theses

This study examines the attitudes of students in Munster Technological University (MTU) towards menstruation and period products. It is estimated that in Ireland, between 53,000 and 85,000 Irish menstruators may be at risk of period poverty (Government of Ireland, 2021). There is also evidence to suggest that some students have experienced period poverty (Ministry of Education, 2023; Brinkley and Niebuhr, 2022; Munro et. al., 2021). Period poverty has an impact on the physical, mental, and social well-being of menstruators, ultimately affecting their quality of life.

A mixed-method study was undertaken, consisting of questionnaires (n=319) and one-toone semi-structured interviews (n=10) to …

Screening And Analysis Of The Urobiome For The Production Of Antimicrobial Peptides To Target Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli, Jennifer Jones

Theses

Urobiome research is currently at a nascent stage, due to a previously incorrect assumption that the bladder is a sterile environment. Improvements in bacterial culturing and DNA sequencing techniques have revealed a diverse resident bacterial community within the urinary tract (urobiome). As global incidences of multidrug- resistant urinary tract infections (UTIs) continue to increase, so too does the demand for novel antimicrobial therapies. Due to its relatively understudied nature, the urobiome represents a reservoir that could be mined as a potential source of novel antimicrobial compounds (e.g., bacteriocins). The aim of this thesis was to identify urobiome bacteriocins that could …

Strategic Use Of Once-A-Day Milking For Pasture-Based Dairy Cows In Ireland, John Paul Murphy

Theses

The current perception of dairy farming in Ireland is one of long hours, physically demanding work and poor remuneration, especially when compared to that of a modern, high-tech industry with career opportunities and advancement possibilities at many levels (Teagasc, 2018). One of the biggest factors in attracting and retaining people to work on Irish dairy farms is that they must be desirable places to work (Teagasc, 2018). Milking is the most labour demanding task on Irish dairy farms (Deming et al., 2018) and one, which necessitates farmers being present on the farm twice daily if milking twice-a-day (TAD). Altering milking …

The Impact Of Data Quality On Beef Genetics, Shauna Walsh

Theses

Efficiency and profitability in the beef industry are driven by cattle live-weight, therefore, to optimise live-weight data it is essential to maintain consistency across data collection methods. Data for this thesis was collected from 97,780 Irish suckler herds across the years 2019 to 2022, inclusive, with a total of 1,311,870 calf and dam live-weight records available. Live-weight data originated from five different sources including: professionally-recorded, producer recorded using either owned, borrowed or hired weighing scales, or from an unknown recording source. The objectives of this thesis were to: i) identify anomalies within cattle live-weight data for both calf and dam, …

Characterisation Of Asymptomatic Bacteriuria (Abu) Isolates And Their Antimicrobial Activity Against Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli (Upec), Ciara Kenneally

Theses

Uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) is the most common aetiological agent of community and hospital-acquired urinary tract infections (UTIs). UTIs caused by E. coli result in considerable morbidity, mortality, and economic loss worldwide due to increasing resistance to antibiotics. Substantial efforts are being made to develop novel alternatives to conventional antibiotic therapies. One approach is the principle of bacterial interference; using low-virulence, or commensal, bacteria to prevent colonisation of pathogens by competing for nutrients, or producing antimicrobial compounds such as bacteriocins. E. coli isolates inducing asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) have been proposed as a therapeutic alternative for UPEC infection. ABU is a …

The Exploitation Of Genomic Information For Dairy And Beef Cattle Breeding, Cliona Ryan

Theses

Genotype information is now available for over 4 million Irish dairy and beef cattle, and is primarily used for parent verification and genomic evaluations. Additional benefits that can be generated from genomic data should be explored to maximise the respective return-on- investment. This thesis investigated novel approaches that leverage genome-wide genomic information in cattle, focusing on using the genotype data to accurately determine breed composition, to quantify the association between major genes and performance traits, and to identify karyotype abnormalities. Furthermore, the value of genotyping for the purpose of identifying genetically superior animals depends largely on the accuracy of the …

Administrator Perceptions Of Factors Distinguishing School-Based Agricultural Education Programs As Successful, Mckinley Hunter

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Agricultural education is a vital component of the Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) framework that encompasses classroom instruction, supervised agricultural experience (SAE), and involvement in the National FFA Organization. This study gathered Georgia high school administrators’ perceptions of factors distinguishing school-based agricultural education (SBAE) programs as successful. Administrators identified various components important to program success for each are of the agricultural three-component model. Administrators in this study, prioritized involvement in the National FFA Organization over the other constructs, indicating that the traditional view of the three-component model can be dependent upon local needs and priorities. This research can be …

Perceptions Of Benefits From Middle School Agricultural Education Programs, Michael Hunter

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

As agriculture education continues to evolve across the state of Georgia and the country, leaders need to understand the dynamic vision and the importance of this industry. Utilizing P-20 education initiatives and new concepts, leaders can implement agriculture education in more schools to increase diversity and provide students with opportunities to participate in the three-component model of agriculture education. This research aimed to explore the perceived benefits that high school principals, CTAE directors, and agriculture teachers have on middle school agriculture education programs. This research was confined to the Georgia FFA North Region. Findings indicated no significant evidence that middle …

Silence Is Not Golden: Exploring The Trade-Offs Between Transparency And Burden In Dirs Reporting, Katie Nelson

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the United States federal government's Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS), which is an instrument that is used during emergencies to gather information on what five communication avenues are not actively working at the time of the emergency or during the recovery process. The synthesis provides a framework for characteristics that cite the necessities for this study on DIRS. Examining DIRS will help us understand its strengths, limitations, and potential improvements. Evaluating the details of historical and global research on emergency communications are gathered. The analysis provides insights into DIRS's past, present, and future. Bring to light future …