Search results

Title: CLONING, EXPRESSION, PURIFICATION AND STRUCTURE DETERMINATION OF PEANUT ALLERGEN ARA H 5
Creator: Wang, Yang
Date: 2012-11-21, 2012-12
Description: In our study, the peanut allergen Ara h 5 was cloned from raw peanut mRNA. The cDNA of the gene was then introduced into different expression...
Show moreIn our study, the peanut allergen Ara h 5 was cloned from raw peanut mRNA. The cDNA of the gene was then introduced into different expression vectors for protein expression in different E.coli strains. Recombinant protein expression was very successful with useful amounts of soluble protein produced. Fast protein liquid chromatography was used to purify the recombinant Ara h 5. High purity protein was subjected to crystallization screen and good quality crystals were harvested. Several crystallographic data sets were collected at a synchrotron X-ray beam line. The three-dimensional structure of the peanut profilin Ara h 5 was determined to 1.10Å resolution. The purified protein and the purification methods can be used in future research on the protein’s allergenecity, cross-reactivity and allergy immunotherapies. The high resolution structure was compared with the structures of homologous allergens and the putative epitopes was displayed on the allergen structure to evaluate their possible legitimacies. In the future, the Ara h 5 structure could be very valuable in studies of allergenecity and in the design of future immunotherapies.
PH.D in Biology, December 2012
Show less

Title: DOES THE NEGATIVELY-WORDED ITEM EFFECT EXIST IN PERSONALITY MEASURES? A META-ANALYSIS
Creator: Huang, Jialin
Date: 2015, 2015-05
Description: This study meta-analyzed IRT item discrimination parameter estimates and CFA item loadings to explore the methodological effect of negatively...
Show moreThis study meta-analyzed IRT item discrimination parameter estimates and CFA item loadings to explore the methodological effect of negatively-worded items in personality measures. We found three important moderators that determined whether the negatively-worded item effect affected a scale. The first moderator was the manner in which the scale was defined. We found a strong negatively-worded item effect for Neuroticism but not for Emotional Stability. The personality scale was also a moderator, with a negatively-worded item effect being observed for Agreeableness, Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Openness but a positively-worded item effect for Emotional Stability and Conscientiousness. Third, low-motivation samples tended to produce a larger negatively-worded item effect. Moreover, there was no statistically significant difference between personality and non-personality inventories regarding the negatively-worded item effect. Finally, item negation did not produce the expected effect. Practical implications and limitations of the study are discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, May 2015
Show less

Title: THERMO-RESPONSIVE HYDROGELS FOR INTRAVITREAL INJECTION AND BIOMOLECULE RELEASE
Creator: Drapala, Pawel
Date: 2011-04-20, 2011-05
Description: In this dissertation, we develop an injectable polymer system to enable localized and prolonged release of therapeutic biomolecules for...
Show moreIn this dissertation, we develop an injectable polymer system to enable localized and prolonged release of therapeutic biomolecules for improved treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Thermo-responsive hydrogels derived from N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) and cross-linked with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) poly(L-Lactic acid) (PLLA) copolymer were synthesized via free-radical polymerization. These materials were investigated for (a) phase change behavior, (b) in-vitro degradation, (c) capacity for controlled drug delivery, and (d) biocompatibility. The volume-phase transition temperature (VPTT) of the PNIPAAm-co-PEG- b-PLLA hydrogels was adjusted using hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties so that it is ca. 33 C. These hydrogels did not initially show evidence of degradation at 37 C due to physical cross-links of collapsed PNIPAAm. Only after addition of glutathione chain transfer agents (CTA)s to the precursor did the collapsed hydrogels become fully soluble at at 37 C. CTAs signi cantly a ected the release kinetics of biomolecules; addition of 1.0 mg/mL glutathione to 3 mM cross-linker accelerated hydrogel degradation, resulting in 100 % release in less than 2 days. This work also explored the e ect of PEGylation in order to tether biomolecules to the polymer matrix. It was demonstrated that non-site-speci c PEGylation can postpone the burst release of solutes (up to 10 days in hydrogels with 0.5 mg/mL glutathione). Cell viability assays showed that at least two 20-minute bu er extraction steps were needed to remove cytotoxic elements from the hydrogels. Clinically-used therapeutic biomolecules Lucentis® and Avastin® were demonstrated to be both stable and bioactive after release form PNIPAAm-co-PEG-b-PLLA hydrogels. The thermo-responsive hydrogels presented here o er a promising platform for the localized delivery of proteins such as recombinant antibodies.
Ph.D. in Chemical and Biological Engineering, May 2011
Show less

Title: MULTIFUNCTIONAL BIOMATERIAL SYSTEM FOR DRUG DELIVERY AND SCAFFOLDING TO PROMOTE NEOVASCULARIZATION IN TISSUE ENGINEERING
Creator: Jiang, Bin
Date: 2013, 2013-05
Description: The successful development of engineered tissues requires extensive vascular network formation. The overall goal of this work is to develop a...
Show moreThe successful development of engineered tissues requires extensive vascular network formation. The overall goal of this work is to develop a multifunctional biomaterial system for scaffolding and drug delivery to promote neovascularization in engineered tissue. Firstly, a drug delivery system was developed for molecules of different properties. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) was prepared into microspheres using a double emulsion process for delivery of hydrophobic chlorhexidine (CHX) and hydrophilic platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB). Both drugs exhibited bioactivity after release and the efficacy of dual drug delivery was evaluated with an infected wound animal model. The simultaneous delivery of CHX and PDGF-BB improved wound healing and neovascularization while reducing bacteria levels. Therefore, the PLGA microspheres can be used for long-term active delivery of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecules in tissue engineering applications. Secondly, a 3D scaffold was developed for tissue engineering applications. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels with interconnected pores were generated with a salt leaching technique. Fibrin was filled in the pores by adding fibrinogen solution to hydrogel scaffolds pre-loaded with thrombin. The hydrogels were evaluated in a rodent subcutaneous implant model, showing that tissue invasion with a higher vascular density occurred when the hydrogels were loaded with fibrin. This composite hydrogel supports vascularized tissue ingrowth, and thus holds potential for tissue engineering applications. Thirdly, approaches from the previous studies were combined to develop a multifunctional biomaterial system for tissue engineering scaffolding and sequential xi growth factor delivery. PLGA microspheres were incorporated into a fibrin loaded porous hydrogel, in which the PEG based scaffold was modified to allow controlled degradation via hydrolysis. Different growth factors were encapsulated in fibrin and PLGA microspheres to provide temporal control of delivery. Growth factors released with the appropriate sequence promoted stable and functional blood vessel formation. In conclusion, a multifunctional biomaterials system was developed to provide structural and mechanical support for tissue regeneration, as well as delivery of signals that stimulate neovascularization. The system holds great potential for tissue engineering applications. Future work will require the extensive collaboration from interdisciplinary fields towards the successful development of engineered tissue substitutes.
PH.D in Biomedical Engineering, May 2013
Show less

Title: ASSESSMENT OF STRUCTURAL MATERIALS BY HIGH TEMPERATURE INSTRUMENTED INDENTATION
Creator: Gan, Bin
Date: 2012-12-03, 2012-12
Description: This is an ideal place for me to express my gratefulness to my Ph.D. advisor, Prof. Sammy Tin, who has offered me the financial support and...
Show moreThis is an ideal place for me to express my gratefulness to my Ph.D. advisor, Prof. Sammy Tin, who has offered me the financial support and tremendous freedom in doing research. From working with me through publications and thesis, mentoring me what constitutes a professional and high quality work, nurturing my patience, to giving me advice on how to deliver an insightful presentation, Prof. Tin puts his effort in helping me on every small step that I need to make, as I gradually become more experienced in research and start to make a few achievement along the way. I am deeply indebted to Prof. Tin’s vision, guidance and sustained support. I would like to thank Prof. Philip Nash, Prof. Sheldon Mostovoy and Prof. Sudhakar Nair for being the committee member of my thesis defense, and offering me so many invaluable suggestions. The indispensable help from Russ Janota, the faculty and staff in the MMAE department is acknowledged. The enjoyable interaction with Mengtao, Qizheng, Matt, and other TPTC friends helps me in various aspects. I would like to thank Dr. Hideyuki Murakami and Dr. Takahito Ohmura for hosting me in NIMS. The experience had broadened my horizon and tremendously enhanced my capabilities to conduct independent research. In addition, the research collaboration with Prof. Julia R. Greer and Dr. Robert Maass on freestanding Ni3Al nanoparticles is also fully acknowledged. Furthermore, I am grateful to Prof. Qiang Feng and Prof. Roman Nowak. Their constant support, encouragement, mentoring and nurturing have a profound influence on me. This thesis is dedicated to my beloved parents, Jinlong Gan and Yuxiang Lai, who have built the fortitude into my mind. I also thank my sisters, Liping Gan and Lihong Gan, for their sustained support. Their love and understanding enable me to have a peaceful mind that makes this study possible. I also feel grateful to the deep love and endless patience from Xiaomo Li and the support from her parents.
PH.D in Materials Science and Engineering, December 2012
Show less

Title: GREEN FACADES IN ARID CLIMATE: EFFECTS ON BUILDING ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA
Creator: Binabid, Jamil
Date: 2017, 2017-05
Description: In recent decades, the population of Saudi Arabia has increased significantly, reaching thirty-two million in July 2016. This proliferation of...
Show moreIn recent decades, the population of Saudi Arabia has increased significantly, reaching thirty-two million in July 2016. This proliferation of residents, along with substantial economic growth, has precipitated the construction of numerous new buildings, particularly residential structures. Consequently, post-1940, with the introduction of subdivisions and setbacks, more surfaces were exposed to solar radiation, leading to rising levels of surface heat. With the growing use of air conditioning since the early 1970’s, electrical energy consumption increased, exacerbated by the poor performance of building envelopes, the common use of concrete blocks for construction and, as reported in 2013 by the Saudi Electricity Company, the fact that 70% of buildings are not thermally insulated, all of which contributes to high cooling loads and the increased use of air-conditioning to provide building occupants with the desired level of thermal comfort. In response to this trend, the Saudi government established the Saudi Energy Efficiency Center (“SEEC’) in 2014, requiring that all new construction must have insulation. This policy did not, however, address the study of existing buildings in order to adopt appropriate energy-efficiency solutions. Green facades present an important and efficacious approach to meeting this need. The following research focuses on green facade design strategies, which in conjunction with thermal insulation retrofitting can significantly enhance building envelope performance on existing low-rise (one to three floors) single-family home structures in the arid climate of Jeddah, the second largest city in Saudi Arabia, located in the western area in the most populated province of Mekkah. The city was selected as a case study because the residences require cooling and air-conditioning almost all year round due to low diurnal temperature variation resulting from low elevation and high humidity. Research methods included an experimental approach to understand how much solar radiation is blocked through green façade. After researching both native and nonnative plants, as well as certain vegetation properties provided from previous literature resembling evapotranspiration and thermal conductivity, Bougainvillea Glabra, Clerodendrum Inerme, Ipomoea Pes-Caprae, Jacquemontia Pentantha, and Pentalinon Luteum were chosen as the optimal plants for use in this study. Data collected from existing green façades in Jeddah during the summer season were analyzed for comparison and evaluation. In addition, energy simulation by Energy Plus was used to predict potential cooling and air-conditioning energy savings for buildings in Jeddah in respect to the differences between the types of plants and green façade systems used. Finally, the recommendations on the best design solutions for arid climate of Jeddah will be formulated and could be incorporated into the city policies and regulations from SEEC and the Municipality.
Ph.D. in Architecture, May 2017
Show less

Title: “GAY DEPRESSION”: ASSESSING GENDER AND SEXUAL ORIENTATION DIFFERENTIAL ITEM FUNCTIONING IN THE CENTER FOR EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES DEPRESSION SCALE
Creator: Birnholz, Justin L.
Date: 2014, 2014-12
Description: Although research on the severity and prevalence of depression among lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals is becoming increasingly...
Show moreAlthough research on the severity and prevalence of depression among lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) individuals is becoming increasingly common, virtually no studies have examined differences in the experience of individual depressive symptoms in LGB individuals. Relatedly, research has not yet been done on whether depression measures function equivalently across sexual orientation. In this study, LGB men and women were compared with heterosexual men and women to assess the Differential Item Functioning of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale using moderated multiple regressions. Eight of the scale’s 20 items were found to function differently depending on the participants’ genders and sexual orientations, although the CES-D was shown to be an accurate measure of depression across gender and sexual orientation. The differences in individual items could not be explained by the variables proposed to explain them (e.g. race, social support, internalized heterosexism, etc.). Some of the item differences indicated differences in depression itself across gender and/or sexual orientation, although most indicated group differences unrelated to depression. The clinical and psychometric implications of these item differences are discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, December 2014
Show less

Title: EXPERIENTIAL AVOIDANCE, MINDFULNESS, AND VALUES CLARIFICATION AS MODERATERS OF THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN IMPULSIVITY AND GAMBLING BEHAVIOR
Creator: Blanco, Rodney M
Date: 2016, 2016-12
Description: While the wide range of social, economic, and psychological problems associated with pathological gambling are well-known; there is need for a...
Show moreWhile the wide range of social, economic, and psychological problems associated with pathological gambling are well-known; there is need for a better conceptualization of Gambling Disorder (GD). Previous research has shown that individuals with GD have higher levels of impulsivity than control participants and that impulsivity is a significant predictor of gambling severity. Given the strong link between impulsivity and gambling behavior, it would be informative to identify processes that would attenuate this association. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) constructs of experiential avoidance, mindfulness, and values clarification moderate the relation between impulsivity and gambling behavior. Two hundred twelve participants were recruited through an on-line advertisement to complete a series of questionnaires regarding demographics, gambling behavior, impulsivity, experiential avoidance, mindfulness, and values clarification. Results indicated that gambling behavior was positively correlated with impulsivity and experiential avoidance. In addition, experiential avoidance moderated the relation between impulsivity and gambling behavior such that the association between impulsivity and gambling behavior was stronger at greater levels of experiential avoidance. However, contrary to hypotheses, mindfulness and values clarification were not significantly correlated with gambling behavior; however, both values clarification and mindfulness were moderators at a trend level. The findings of this study provide a preliminary picture of how ACT constructs are related to gambling behaviors and impulsivity among a community sample.
Ph.D. in Psychology, December 2016
Show less

Title: EARLY PHYSICS OF THE DAYA BAY REACTOR ANTINEUTRINO EXPERIMENT
Creator: Seilhan, Brandon
Date: 2011-07, 2011-07
Description: The Daya Bay reactor antineutrino experiment is designed to measure the last unknown neutrino mixing angle to less than 0.01 in sin2 2 13 at...
Show moreThe Daya Bay reactor antineutrino experiment is designed to measure the last unknown neutrino mixing angle to less than 0.01 in sin2 2 13 at the 90% con dence level after 3 years of running. The fully commissioned experiment consists of three experimental halls, measuring the antineutrino ux from six reactor cores. The various subsystems of the Daya Bay experiment involved in reaching this ultimate sensitivity are discussed. With full physics running not scheduled until summer 2012, a fully functional near site with 40 tons of target mass can be used to measure sin2 2 13 to 0.08 at the 90% con dence level in less than 6 months of data taking beginning in summer of 2011. Early physics at the Daya Bay hall does not bene t from the a near detector to measure the reactor antineutrino ux. Understanding and predicting the reactor antineutrino ux is therefore extremely important for early physics. A method of predicting the time-dependent antineutrino spectrum at the Daya Bay near site using publicly available information is presented. Using the antineutrino ux predictions, early physics measurements involving fuel cycles and refueling shutdowns are explored.
Ph.D. in Physics, July 2011
Show less

Title: MATERNAL AND PATERNAL PARENTING WITH PRESCHOOL CHILDREN: IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERNALIZING AND EXTERNALIZING DISORDERS
Creator: Hella, Bryce
Date: 2011-04-27, 2011-05
Description: Parenting has been shown to play a crucial role in the development of child emotional and behavior problems. Typically, however researchers...
Show moreParenting has been shown to play a crucial role in the development of child emotional and behavior problems. Typically, however researchers use “mothering” as a proxy for “parenting” and the role of fathers has been relatively ignored (Phares, Lopez, Fields, Kamboukos, & Duhig, 2005). Data also suggest that the gender of both the parent and child influence the relationship between parenting and children’s emotional and behavior problems. To date, however, there is no study in which both the direct effects and the 3-way interaction between paternal and maternal parenting, child gender and both internalizing and externalizing problems have been examined. The aim of this study, then, was to examine the direct and interactive relationships between maternal positive parenting, paternal positive parenting, and child gender on children’s externalizing and internalizing problems. Archival data from a subsample of the 1,103 54-month-old children and their parents who participated in wave 2 of the NICHD Study of Early Childcare were used (NICHD, 2001). Selection criteria for this subsample were that both parents participated and were co-residing. This resulted in a pool of 664 children (338 boys, 326 girls), mothers and fathers (96% married), who were predominantly (86%) White. Positive maternal and paternal parenting were assessed by a factor-analytically-derived score based on observer ratings of a semi-structured interaction paradigm, the Three Boxes Task (NICHD Early Child Care Research Network, 1999). Child emotional and behavior problems were assessed by an averaged composite of maternal- and paternal-reported CBCL externalizing and internalizing scores (CBCL; Achenbach, 1991). Results from moderated hierarchical regression analyses indicated that there was a direct relationship between maternal parenting and child gender in predicting children’s externalizing scores. Specifically, lower levels of maternal positive parenting and being a girl predicted higher externalizing scores. No direct relationship between paternal positive parenting and externalizing scores was found. In addition, there was not a significant, direct relationship between maternal positive parenting, paternal positive parenting or child gender and internalizing scores. Results also indicate that there was a significant, but small three-way interaction between maternal positive parenting, paternal positive parenting and child gender in predicting externalizing and internalizing scores. Examination of interaction graphs suggested that for girls whose mothers display low levels of positive parenting, higher levels of positive paternal parenting may reduce the risk of internalizing and externalizing problems. For boys, having two parents with higher levels of positive parenting seems to serve as a protective factor, reducing the risk of emotional and behavior problems. These data suggest that fathers’ parenting does make a difference, and that both the gender of the parent and the child are important factors to consider when examining the relationship between parenting and children’s outcomes.
Ph.D. in Psychology, May 2011
Show less

Title: MODELING GLUCOSE-INSULIN DYNAMICS AND AUTOMATED BLOOD GLUCOSE REGULATION IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES
Creator: Oruklu, Meriyan
Date: 2012-11-06, 2012-12
Description: Estimation of future glucose concentrations is a crucial task for diabetes management. Predicted glucose values can be used for early...
Show moreEstimation of future glucose concentrations is a crucial task for diabetes management. Predicted glucose values can be used for early hypoglycemic/hyperglycemic alarms or for adjustment of insulin amount/rate. In the first part of this thesis, reliable subject-specific glucose concentration prediction models are developed using a patient’s continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data. CGM technologies provide glucose readings at a high frequency and consequently detailed insight into a patient’s glucose variation. Time-series analyses are utilized to develop low-order linear models from a patient’s own CGM data. Glucose prediction models are integrated with recursive identification and change detection methods, which enable dynamical adaptation of the model to inter-/intra-subject variability and glycemic disturbances. Two separate patient data sets collected under hospitalized (disturbance-free) and normal daily life conditions are used to validate the univariate glucose prediction algorithm developed. Prediction performance is evaluated in terms of prediction error metrics and Clarke error grid analysis (CG-EGA). The long-term complications of diabetes can be reduced by controlling the blood glucose concentrations within normoglycemic limits. In the second part of this thesis, the subject-specific modeling algorithm developed in part one is integrated with a control algorithm for closing the glucose regulation loop for patients with type 1 diabetes. An adaptive control algorithm is developed to keep a patient’s glucose concentrations within normoglycemic range and dynamically respond to glycemic challenges with automated subcutaneous insulin infusion. A model-based control strategy is used to calculate the required insulin infusion rate, while the model parameters are recursively identified at each sampling step. The closed-loop algorithm is designed for the subcutaneous route for both glucose sensing and insulin delivery. xii It accounts for the slow insulin absorption from the adipose tissue and the time-delay between blood and subcutaneous glucose concentrations. The performance of the control algorithm developed is demonstrated on two simulated patient populations to provide effective blood glucose regulation in response to multiple meal challenges with a simultaneous challenge on a patient’s insulin sensitivity. Physical activity and emotional stimuli such as stress are known to have a significant effect on a patient’s whole-body fuel metabolism. In the third part of this thesis, the univariate time-series models developed from recent glucose concentration history are extended to include additional information on a patient’s physical and emotional condition. Physiological measurements from a multi-sensor body monitor are used to supplement a patient’s CGM data and develop multivariate glucose prediction models. The prediction performance of the multivariate algorithm developed is evaluated on data collected from patients with type 2 diabetes, and a real life implementation of the algorithm is demonstrated for early (i.e., 30 min in advance) hypoglycemia detection. Finally, the control algorithm developed in part two is extended to utilize the glucose profiles predicted by the multivariate patient model. The multivariate closedloop algorithm is tested with two clinical experiments performed on a patient with type 1 diabetes during a high intensity exercise followed by a carbohydrate-rich meal challenge. The algorithm acquires the patient’s CGM and armband (body monitor) data every 10 min, and accordingly calculates the required basal insulin infusion rate. Insulin is administered in a fully automated manner without any food or activity announcements (e.g., no information on meal/exercise size or time). None of the algorithms developed in this thesis require any patient specific tailoring or prior experimental data before implementation. They are also designed to function in a fully automated manner and do not require any disturbance announcexiii ments or manual inputs. Therefore, they are good candidates for installation on a portable ambulatory device used in a patient’s home environment for his/her diabetes management.
PH.D in Chemical and Biological Engineering, December 2012
Show less

Title: CHARACTERIZATION OF SPATIALLY MODULATED MULTICOMPONENT MATERIALS DEPOSITED BY ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION
Creator: Becker, Nicholas
Date: 2014, 2014-07
Description: Spatially modulated multicomponent materials are used in a variety of fields and industries. In this dissertation Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD...
Show moreSpatially modulated multicomponent materials are used in a variety of fields and industries. In this dissertation Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) will be used to create two types of spatially modulated multicomponent materials: Erbium doped Yttrium Oxide (Er+3:Y2O3) for high energy lasers and standard reference materials for Synchrotron based X-ray Fluorescence (SXRF) and Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy (STXM). Er+3:Y2O3 was produced and the inter- and intra-layer doping of each film was controlled by the cycle ratio of ALD grown Er2O3:Y2O3 and by the steric hinderance of erbium precursor ligands, respectively. Photolumenescent Spectroscopy and X-ray di↵raction measurements showed that all films of Er+3:Y2O3 were crystalline as deposited, with no evidence of amorphous, or glassy, emission lines in the PLS spectra. Photoluminescent Lifetime (PLL) measurements were performed to prove that ALD can be used to control both inter- and intra-layer doping. PLL was shown to vary with both Er2O3:Y2O3 cycle ratio and with Erbium precursor growth rate, increasing to a maximum of 6.5ms. This is the longest PLL reported for ALD grown Er+3:Y2O3. Results from Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, and ultraviolet to visible light spectroscopy are presented to verify inter- and intra-layer doping control. Standard reference materials for SXRF and STXM were produced via ALD on transmission electron microscopy windows and native oxide silicon. Materials produced were Fe2O3, TiO2 , ZnO, Al2O3, and Y2O3. Films were analyzed with SXRF, and SXTM to determine the optical density and from this the areal density was calculated using preexisting standard reference materials and absorption value charts. It was found that the RBS measurements were more precise, and were within the error associated with the SXRF and STXM measurements.
Ph.D. in Physics, July 2014
Show less

Title: SUSTAINABLE URBAN DESIGN WITHIN CONTEMPORARY URBAN POLICY: A COMPARATIVE STUDY BETWEEN CHICAGO AND TAIPEI
Creator: Cheng, Chien-ke
Date: 2013, 2013-05
Description: This research and methodology develop a set of statistical measurements to evaluate sustainability – in terms of desired high urban density,...
Show moreThis research and methodology develop a set of statistical measurements to evaluate sustainability – in terms of desired high urban density, walkability for community amenity and convenience for everyday life – at the level of urban design for the cities of Chicago, USA and Taipei, Taiwan. The method, based upon GIS (Geographical Information System) technology, is used at this spatial level and for this type of academic study for the first time. The research analyzes and compares the percentage of each city’s population living within the “Quarter Mile Radius Sphere of Influence” (QMSI) for three classes of community amenities: parks, public elementary schools, and subway stations. The new and unique statistical data obtained in this thesis show a great disparity between the two cities. 1. Chicago has 31.98% of its population living within the QMSI of public elementary schools. Taipei has 49.64% of its population living within the QMSI of public elementary schools. 2. For subway stations, Chicago has only 8.09% of its population living in the QMSI, while Taipei has 25.99%. 3. For urban parks, Chicago has 44.06% of its population living in the QMSI, while Taipei has 88.80%. Further, based upon comparison, this research also discovers that the “sweet spot” areas – intersection of the QMSIs of all three community amenities – are mostly distributed along subway lines. With this indication, the research visualizes and supports the objective of improved public transit and walkability as key factors for sustainability in urban design in this case. The research also demonstrates the usefulness of GIS April 16, 2013 p.0B-xi PDD TF 0 20130416-13.doc xi technology’s new application in urban design studies for the future. The research shows that this new method has applicability for academic studies in other urban contexts, and for future international urban design and planning.
PH.D in Architecture, May 2013
Show less

Title: DOUBLE AGING AND THERMOMECHANICAL HEAT TREATMENT OF ALUMINUM EXTRUSIONS
Creator: Emani, Satyanarayana
Date: 2012-08-27, 2012-12
Description: Double aging and thermo mechanical treatment of AA7075 and AA6061 aluminum alloys was studied and optimized to accelerate the kinetics of...
Show moreDouble aging and thermo mechanical treatment of AA7075 and AA6061 aluminum alloys was studied and optimized to accelerate the kinetics of aging process. This novel process is highly energy efficient and reduces the time of heat treatment of AA7075 alloys by 96%. It also achieves excellent mechanical properties compared to the conventional T6 heat treatment while improving ductility and energy efficiency. Hardness curves for different aging times and temperatures and TEM analysis was used to develop an empirical model was which explains the precipitation mechanism of η’ precipitates on GP zones and the effect of time and temperature on the double aging process.
PH.D in Materials Science, December 2012
Show less

Title: BINGE-DRINKING BEHAVIORS, ALCOHOL-RELATED CONSEQUENCES, AND HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE: DOES PSYCHOLOGICAL FLEXIBILITY PLAY A PART IN BINGE-DRINKING AND HEALTH BEHAVIORS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS?
Creator: Grix, Bethany
Date: 2014, 2014-07
Description: Binge-drinking among young adult populations is considered a global health and safety concern. Binge-drinking behavior has been directly...
Show moreBinge-drinking among young adult populations is considered a global health and safety concern. Binge-drinking behavior has been directly linked to immediate and long-term psychosocial, societal, and health-related consequences. To date, psychological flexibility and values-based committed action has been only theoretically linked to binge-drinking behavior, health, and alcohol-related consequences. Therefore, this study investigated binge-drinking behavior and its relationship with alcohol and health-related consequences, in a college-aged population, as well as the role psychological flexibility has within these relationships. Binge-drinking was defined as the consumption of ≥ 4/5 drinks (females/males, respectively), within a two hour period, over a 6-month period (NIAAA, 2004; Courney & Polnich, 2009). One hundred eighty-nine undergraduate participants (75 female, 114male) from a Midwestern university completed an online survey. Of the 189 undergraduates, 116 (61.4%) identified as non-binge-drinkers and 73 (38.6%) as binge-drinkers. Results showed that psychological flexibility predicted binge-drinking behavior. More specifically, higher degrees of psychological flexibility decreased the likelihood that individuals would engage in binge-drinking behavior. Interactions also emerged between binge-drinking quantity and psychological flexibility on alcohol-related consequences. Similarly, psychological flexibility was shown to buffer the relationship between binge-drinking status and HRQoL. Demographic and psychosocial differences also emerged across binge-drinking severity groups and outcome measures.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2014
Show less

Title: MONTE CARLO SIMULATION OF INFINITE-DIMENSIONAL INTEGRALS
Creator: Niu, Ben
Date: 2011-04-13, 2011-05
Description: This thesis is motivated by pricing a path-dependent financial derivative, such as an Asian option, which requires the computation of the...
Show moreThis thesis is motivated by pricing a path-dependent financial derivative, such as an Asian option, which requires the computation of the expectation of a payoff function, which depends on a Brownian motion. Employing a standard series expansion of the Brownian motion, the latter problem is equivalent to the computation of the expectation of a function of the corresponding i.i.d. sequence of random coefficients. This motivates the construction and the analysis of algorithms for numerical integration with respect to a product probability measure on the infinite-dimensional sequence. The class of integrands studied in this thesis resides in the unit ball in a reproducing kernel Hilbert space obtained by superposition of weighted tensor product spaces of functions of finitely many variables. Combining tractability results for high-dimensional integration with the multi-level technique we obtain new algorithms for infinite-dimensional integration. These deterministic multi-level algorithms use variable subspace sampling and they are superior to any deterministic algorithm based on fixed subspace sampling with respect to the respective worst case error. Numerical experiment results are presented at the end.
Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics, May 2011
Show less

Title: A NOVEL SWITCHED RELUCTANCE MOTOR BASED PROPULSION DRIVE FOR ELECTRIC AND PLUG-IN HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Creator: Bilgin, Berker
Date: 2011-07, 2011-07
Description: Hybrid and Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs and PHEVs) have received increasing attention from the automotive industry over the recent...
Show moreHybrid and Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs and PHEVs) have received increasing attention from the automotive industry over the recent years. They are typically more efficient and they produce lower emissions than similar ICE-based vehicles, which significantly reduces their negative impact on the environment. In this study, design considerations of two fundamental parts of plug-in vehicles, traction motor and battery charger circuit, have been investigated toward the drivetrain applications in a solar assisted plug-in electric auto rickshaw. Switched reluctance motors (SRM) have been seen as potential candidates for propulsion systems over the last few years. They are robust, capable of performance in harsh operating conditions and have a wide speed range. Conventional SRM configurations have a higher number of stator poles than rotor poles. This PhD. dissertation presents the advantages of a novel SRM configuration with the number of rotor poles greater than number of stator poles and investigates the challenges in its design. Practical design considerations have been proposed and by using them a 3 phase 5 hp 6/10 SRM is designed, constructed and tested. A PHEV is a series or parallel hybrid electric vehicle equipped with a high energy density battery to extend the mileage and get better fuel efficiency. Since the capacity of the battery is higher than the sum of the energy that can be supplied by the internal combustion engine and regained from the regenerative braking, external charging from the grid is necessary. This research also investigates the requirements of the battery charger circuit and proposes low cost topology composed of a PWM boost rectifier cascaded with a bidirectional DC/DC converter. Operation of the circuit has been x xvii analyzed by deriving its mathematical model. Feedback controller requirements to control the input and output current and DC bus voltage have been studied. Critical issues to be considered in parameter selection of the voltage and current controller are explained in terms of universal input operation. In order to verify the analysis presented, an experimental hardware setup has been built and tested.
Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, July 2011
Show less

Title: IMPROVING FAULT TOLERANCE FOR EXTREME SCALE SYSTEMS
Creator: Berrocal, Eduardo
Date: 2017, 2017-05
Description: Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), now calculated in days or hours, is expected to drop to minutes on exascale machines. In this thesis, a new...
Show moreMean Time Between Failures (MTBF), now calculated in days or hours, is expected to drop to minutes on exascale machines. In this thesis, a new approach for failure prediction based on the Void Search (VS) algorithm is presented . VS is used primarily in astrophysics for nding areas of space that have a very low den- sity of galaxies. We explore its potential for failure prediction using environmental information and compare it to well known prediction methods. Another important issue for the HPC community is that next-generation supercomputers are expected to have more components and consume several times less energy per operation. Hence, supercomputer designers are pushing the limits of miniaturization and energy-saving strategies. Consequently, the number of soft errors is expected to increase dramati- cally in the coming years. While mechanisms are in place to correct or at least detect soft errors, a percentage of those errors pass unnoticed by the hardware. Techniques that leverage certain properties of iterative HPC applications (such as the smoothness of the evolution of a particular dataset) can be used to detect silent errors at the application level. Results show that it is possible to detect a large number of corruptions (i.e., above 90% in some cases) with less than 100% overhead using these techniques. Nevertheless, these data-analytic solutions are still far from fully pro- tecting applications to a level comparable with more expensive solutions such as full replication. In this thesis, partial replication is explored to overcome this limitation. More speci cally, it has been observed that not all processes of an MPI application experience the same level of data variability at exactly the same time. Thus, one can smartly choose and replicate only those processes for which the lightweight data- analytic detectors would perform poorly. Results indicate that this new approach can protect the MPI applications analyzed with 7{70% less overhead (depending on the application) than that of full duplication with similar detection recall.
Ph.D. in Computer Science, May 2017
Show less

Title: A PSYCHOMETRIC ASSESSMENT OF THE AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL MEMORY TEST IN A SAMPLE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC OUTPATIENTS
Creator: Beyderman, Irina
Date: 2017, 2017-07
Description: The Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) assesses overgenerality in memory by presenting a set of positive and negative cue words and...
Show moreThe Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) assesses overgenerality in memory by presenting a set of positive and negative cue words and instructing participants to recall an autobiographical event related to each word that is specific in time and place. Overgenerality consists of responding to cues with memories that are categories or summaries of similar events rather than specific events. As a cognitive style, overgenerality constitutes a risk factor for the development, maintenance, and exacerbation of depression, as well as suicidality, trauma, problem-solving difficulties, and impaired ability to imagine the future. As might be expected, the focus of research using the AMT has been on the overgenerality and/or specificity of responses. However, not commonly discussed is that frequently participants provide responses that are neither specific nor overgeneral, but reflect an inability to recall an autobiographical memory. These responses consist of comments on the cue words (e. g., “I like being happy”, coded as “semantic associate”) or reports of not having a memory (coded as “omission”). Given that certain populations may exhibit elevated rates of “inability to perform the task” (Beyderman & Young, 2014), this phenomenon within the AMT may be significant in itself. The current study conducted factor structure and IRT analyses of the AMT along the dimensions of both overgenerality and “ability to recall autobiographical memories.” In addition, depressive symptomatology, age, gender, and level of education were examined as potential correlates of the “ability to recall autobiographical memories.” Data came from a sample of 100 African American psychiatry outpatients, 36% of whom met the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder. The results of the present study demonstrated strong support for a single-factor structures of the latent traits of overgenerality and “ability to recall autobiographical memories.” IRT analysis indicated that the AMT functioned well as a measure of overgenerality and “ability to recall autobiographical memories” in the current sample. “Ability to recall autobiographical memories” was not associated with age, gender, or level of education. The implications of these findings for future use of the AMT and further development of the field are discussed.
Ph.D. in Psychology, July 2017
Show less

Title: TEACHERS’ KNOWLEDGE STRUCTURES FOR NATURE OF SCIENCE AND SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY AND THEIR CLASSROOM PRACTICE
Creator: Bartos, Stephen A.
Date: 2013, 2013-05
Description: ABSTRACT Research on nature of science (NOS) and scientific inquiry (SI) has indicated that a teacher’s knowledge of each, however well...
Show moreABSTRACT Research on nature of science (NOS) and scientific inquiry (SI) has indicated that a teacher’s knowledge of each, however well developed, is not sufficient to ensure that these views necessarily manifest themselves in classroom practice (Lederman & Druger, 1985; Lederman, 2007). In light of the considerable research that has examined teachers’ subject matter knowledge structures and their classroom practices (e.g., Gess-Newsome & Lederman, 1993, 1995), what was conspicuously absent from the research on teachers’ NOS- and SI-related classroom practice was an assessment of teachers’ knowledge structures for NOS and SI. As such, the current investigation developed case studies of four high school physics teachers with the intent of inferring their classroom practice knowledge structures for NOS and SI across 15 targeted aspects. These results were then compared to responses communicated through the Knowledge Structures for NOS and SI (KS4NS) questionnaire. The degree of congruence between the two instruments was gauged at the level of included concepts, connections between them, and also for other structures or thematic elements. In addition, the results from the KS4NS were compared to teachers’ conceptions expressed through more traditional instruments for assessing NOS and SI, in this case the Views of Nature of Science (VNOS) questionnaire and the Views About Scientific Inquiry (VASI) questionnaire, respectively. The results of the current study indicate a limited congruence between teachers’ knowledge structures for NOS and SI and those espoused in their classroom practice, most notably at the level of the connections between constituent aspects, as few were evidenced in teachers’ instruction. In addition, there is indication that the KS4NS xii questionnaire is more attuned to identifying those specific aspects of NOS and SI most likely to evidence themselves in teachers’ classroom practice. The necessity of having teachers explicitly reflect on the structure of the subject matter they are learning for teaching is reiterated through the findings of the current study. The utility of the KS4NS as tool to foster teachers’ reflections on their conceptualization of NOS and SI independent of, or in conjunction with, traditional subject matter also warrants further investigation.
PH.D in Mathematics and Science Education, May 2013
Show less

repository.iit

Search the repository

Pages

Pages

Enabled Filters

Refine Results

Type

Date

Academic status of creator

Department

Subject

Creator

Part of