Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Socially Responsible Investment In A Changing World, Desheng Wu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Socially responsible investment funds make up a growing segment of the investment world. This work considers the impact of including SRI in an investor portfolio both normally and during crisis times. Regimes are identified using Markov switching models. This study is based on return data of four indices, namely, the MSCI World Index, S&P 500, Eurostoxx 50, and the socially responsible index - Advanced Sustainable Performance Index (ASPI). The approaches used are portfolio optimization, GARCH and Markov switching models. Our work shows that a socially responsible index is a good asset to keep in a portfolio. Our simulation results suggest …

Molecular Dynamics Studies Of Interactions Of Phospholipid Membranes With Dehydroergosterol And Penetrating Peptides, Amir Mohsen Pourmousa Abkenar

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

We have performed molecular modeling of membrane and peptide systems by employing the classical molecular dynamics method and force field parameterizations. In this thesis, our main interest is the interaction of sterols as well as peptides with membranes. The thesis consists of three related projects. The first project focuses on cholesterol (CHOL) and dehydroergosterol (DHE) interacting with palmitoyl-oleoyl phosphatidylcholine (POPC) lipid bilayers. We study the effects of both sterols on the bilayer and compare them with each other. We first study the condensing and ordering effect of these sterols. Then, we study their orientations within the bilayer and relate them …

Thermal Plume Transport From Sand And Gravel Pits Potential Thermal Impacts On Cool-Water Streams, Jeffrey M. Markle

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Potential thermal impacts from below-water-table aggregate extraction on a cool-water stream were investigated by monitoring thermal plumes, moving through an unconfined glacial-outwash aquifer, and assessing their subsurface persistence. The growing demand for aggregate and increased pressure to pursue extraction in ecologically sensitive areas has driven the need for this work. During a 10-year period, ground and surface water temperatures were measured monthly, including two periods of intensive monitoring (22 months and 2.5 years). The aquifer hydraulic conductivity (K) is quantified at the laboratory and field scale. The mean K’s from the multi-scale tests depend on test-support volume and …

Transition Metal Complexes With Reactive Trimethylsilylchalcogenolate Ligands: Precursors For The Preparation Of Ternary Nanoclusters, Chhatra Bahadur Khadka

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Co²⁺ and Mn²⁺ complexes (N,N´-tmeda)Co(ESiMe₃)₂ (E = S, 1a; E = Se, 1b), (3,5-Me₂C₅H₃N)₂Co(ESiMe₃)₂ (E = S, 2a; E = Se, 2b), [Li(N,N´-tmeda)]₂[(N,N´-tmeda)Mn₅(μ-ESiMe₃)₂(ESiMe₃)₄(μ₄-E)(μ₃-E)₂] (E = S, 3a; E = Se, 3b), [Li(N,N´-tmeda)]₂[Mn(SSiMe₃)₄] (4), [Li(N,N´-tmeda)]4[Mn₄(SeSiMe₃)₄(μ_{3 …}

Study Of Malaria Transmission Dynamics By Mathematical Models, Yanyu Xiao

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This Ph.D thesis focuses on modeling transmission and dispersal of one of the most common infectious disease, Malaria. Firstly, an integro-differential equation system is derived, based on the classical Ross-Macdonald model, toemphasize the impacts of latencies on disease dynamics. The novelty lies in the fact that different distributionfunctions are used to describe the variance of individual latencies. The theoretical results of this projectindicate that latencies reduce the basic reproduction number. Secondly, a patch model is derived to examine how travels of human beings affects the transmission and spread of Malaria. Due to coexistence of latency and dispersal, the model turns …

Quantum Coherence And Interference In Metallic Photonic Crystals And Hybrid Systems, Ali Hatef

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

In the first part of the thesis, we study the absorption coefficient of quantum dots doped in metallic photonic crystals under different circumferences. We study numerically the temporal evolution of the absorption coefficient profile where a probe field is applied to monitor the absorption process in two cases, when quantum dots are embedded lightly and densely. We also studied the effect of a changing plasma frequency on the absorption profile of quantum dots two possible field configurations. We show that the changes in plasma energy can take the system from the absorption region to the transparent and gain region.

As …

Bifurcations And Stability In Models Of Infectious Diseases, Bernard S. Chan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This work is concerned with bifurcation and stability in models related to various aspects of infections diseases.

First, we study the dynamics of a mathematical model on primary and secondary cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses to viral infections by Wodarz et al. This model has three equilibria and the stability criteria of them are discussed. We analytically show that periodic solutions may arise from the third equilibrium via Hopf bifurcation. Numerical simulations of the model agree with the theoretical results. These dynamical behaviours occur within biologically realistic parameter range.

After studying the single-strain model, we analyze the bifurcation dynamics of an …

Personality Dimensions And Temperaments Of Engineering Professors And Students – A Survey, Arif Raza, Zaka Ulmustafa, Luiz Fernando Capretz

Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

This research work aims to study personality profiles and temperaments of Pakistani software engineering professors and students. In this survey we have collected personality profiles of 18 professors and 92 software engineering students. According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) instrument, the most prominent personality type among professors as well as among students is a combination of Introversion, Sensing, Thinking, and Judging (ISTJ). The study shows ITs (Introverts and Thinking) and IJs (Introverts and Judging) are the leading temperaments among the professors. About the students’ data, the results of the study indicate SJs (Sensing and Judging) and ISs (Introverts and …

Investigating Interfacial Reactions Of Silver-Containing Films Using Novel Methods, Sarah Danielle Pretty

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis presents work on the mechanism and kinetics of the surface film reactions involving the conversion of aqueous species on solid surfaces, and specifically, the reactions of iodide and bromide on silver oxide on silver substrate. These reactions provide a method of immobilizing unwanted halides and are particularly suited to control of hazardous radioactive iodine. Potential applications of this research include nuclear reactor safety and post-accident radioiodine management, and the safe production and use of the medical isotope ¹³¹I.

The aqueous-solid conversion of reaction Ag₂O with X^-(aq) to form AgX on a Ag substrate …

Reactivity Of Dimethylplatinum (Ii) Complexes, Muhieddine A. Safa

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis describes a study of dimethylplatinum(II) and dimethylplatinum(IV) complexes containing bidentate nitrogen donor ligands. This work deals with oxidative addition, and reductive elimination chemistry, and it focuses on synthesis, characterization, and reaction mechanisms in studies of these complexes.

The compound [PtMe₂(bpe)], bpe = 1,2-bis(2-pyridyl)ethane, is easily oxidized to give octahedral organoplatinum(IV) complexes and the subsequent chemistry is profoundly influenced by the accompanying strain induced in the 7-membered Pt(bpe) chelate ring. On reaction of [PtMe₂(bpe)] with HCl, the initial product [PtHClMe₂(bpe)] undergoes reductive elimination of methane to form [PtClMe(bpe)]. In contrast, methyl …

Trust-Based Service Selection, Zainab Aljazzaf

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is an architectural style that builds enterprise solutions based on services. In SOA, the lack of trust between different parties affects the adoption of such architecture. Trust is as significant a factor for successful online interactions as it is in real life communities, and consequently, it is an important factor that is used as a criterion for service selection. In the context of online services and SOA, the literature shows that the field of trust is not mature. Trust definition and the consideration of the essentials of trust aspects do not reflect the true nature of …

High Power Systems For Dynamic Field Control And Shielding In The Mr Environment, Dustin W. Haw

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis addresses several aspects of gradient and shim coil design and fabrication. New design techniques are coupled with experimental construction methods to expand small animal insert gradient and shim technology. The design techniques are also applied to other areas of magnetic resonance hardware.

A custom 2-axis gradient insert coil is designed and fabricated for the purpose of eddy current characterization. The construction tolerances were examined via bench top inductance measurements and eddy currents measurement inside a 7.0 T head-only MR system. A great deal of freedom is available when positioning shielding coils with respect to their corresponding primary coils …

Real Options Models In Real Estate, Jin Won Choi

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Our aim in this thesis is to investigate the usefulness of real options analysis, taking case studies of problems in real estate. In the realm of real estate, we consider the following three problems. First, we consider the valuation and usefulness of presale contracts of condominiums, which can be viewed as similar to call options on condominiums. Secondly, we consider the valuation of farm land from the perspective of land developers, who may think of farm land as being similar to call options on subdivision lots. Third, we consider the valuation of opportunities to install solar panels on properties, in …

Generalized Exponential Models With Applications, Iman Mabrouk

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

We introduce a generalized exponential model whose exact moments and normalizing constant are obtained in terms of Meijer’s generalized hypergeometric G-function. Actually, several widely utilized statistical distributions such as the gamma, Weibull and half-normal constitute particular cases thereof. The generalized inverse Gaussian distribution, which was popularized in the late seventies by Ole Barndor_Neilsen, is also extended by incorporating an additional parameter in its density function, the moments of the resulting distribution being expressed in terms of Bessel functions. A number of data sets were then fitted with diverse exponential-type models for comparison purposes. Additionally, it is shown that the …

Convection Due To Spatially Distributed Heating, Mohammad Zakir Hossain

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Convection in an infinite horizontal slot subject to spatially distributed heating has been investigated for a wide range of Prandtl numbers. The primary flow response consists of convection in the form of rolls. When heating wave number alpha is sufficiently large the convection is found to be limited to a layer adjacent to lower wall and a uniform conductive layer emerges at upper section of the slot.

Conditions leading to the emergence of secondary convection have been identified using linear stability of the above primary convection. The secondary convection gives rise to longitudinal, or transverse, or oblique rolls; or to …

Seismic Microzonation Of Great Toronto Area And Influence Of Building Resonances On Measured Soil Responses, Dimitar Genchev Mihaylov

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A pilot seismic microzonation of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is used to establish the conditions and limitations of geophysical methods for site response investigations in city conditions. Maps of fundamental soil resonant frequencies, amplifications at these frequencies and interpolated average shear wave velocity of top 30 m of soil profile (VS- 30) used in soil classification were compared to the maps of drift thickness and surficial geology for the GTA. The non-applicability of the interpolated VS-30 map for site classification between measured test points is indicated. It is also shown that the soil response cannot be estimated properly using …

The Polylogarithm And The Lambert W Functions In Thermoelectrics, Muralikrishna Molli, Kamisetty Venkataramaniah, Sree Ram Valluri

Physics and Astronomy Publications

In this work, we determine the conditions for the extremum of the figure of merit, theta², in a degenerate semiconductor for thermoelectric (TE) applications. We study the variation of the function theta² with respect to the reduced chemical potential mu* using relations involving polylogarithms of both integral and nonintegral orders. We present the relevant equations for the thermopower, thermal, and electrical conductivities that result in optimizing theta² and obtaining the extremum equations. We discuss the different cases that arise for various values of r, which depends on the type of carrier scattering mechanism present in the …

A Study Of The Orbits Of The Logarithmic Potential For Galaxies, Sree Ram Valluri, Paul Wiegert, John Drozd, Matt Dasilva

Physics and Astronomy Publications

The logarithmic potential is of great interest and relevance in the study of the dynamics of galaxies. Some small corrections to the work of Contopoulos & Seimenis (1990) who used the method of Prendergast (1982) to find periodic orbits and bifurca- tions within such a potential are presented. The solution of the orbital radial equation for the purely radial logarithmic potential is then considered using the p-ellipse (pre- cessing ellipse) method pioneered by Struck (2006). This differential orbital equation is a special case of the generalized Burgers equation. The apsidal angle is also deter- mined, both numerically as well as …

Structure And Dynamics Of The Membrane Protein Bacteriorhodopsin Studied By Mass Spectrometry, Yan Pan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Membrane proteins continue to represent a major challenge for most analytical techniques. Using bacteriorhodopsin (BR) as model system, this work aims to develop mass spectrometry (MS)-based approaches for exploring the structure, dynamics and folding of membrane proteins.

As the first step, BR in its native lipid environment was exposed to hydroxyl radicals, which were produced by laser photolysis of hydrogen peroxide. It was found that the resulting methionine (Met) labeling pattern was consistent with the known BR structure. This finding demonstrates that laser-induced oxidative Met labeling can provide structural information on membrane proteins. In subsequent experiments, the effects of different …

Environmental Prediction In Canadian Cities, James Voogt

Geography & Environment Presentations

No abstract provided.

Classic Mosaics And Visual Correspondence Via Graph-Cut Based Energy Optimization, Yu Liu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Computer graphics and computer vision were traditionally two distinct research fields focusing on opposite topics. Lately, they have been increasingly borrowing ideas and tools from each other. In this thesis, we investigate two problems in computer vision and graphics that rely on the same tool, namely energy optimization with graph cuts.

In the area of computer graphics, we address the problem of generating artificial classic mosaics, still and animated. The main purpose of artificial mosaics is to help a user to create digital art. First we reformulate our previous static mosaic work in a more principled global optimization framework. Then, …

Three-Dimensional Modeling Of Electrostatic Precipitator Using Hybrid Finite Element - Flux Corrected Transport Technique, Niloofar Farnoosh

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis presents the results of a three-dimensional simulation of the entire precipitation process inside a single-electrode one-stage electrostatic precipitator (ESP). The model was designed to predict the motion of ions, gas and solid particles. The precipitator consists of two parallel grounded collecting plates with a corona electrode mounted at the center, parallel to the plates and excited with a high dc voltage. The complex mutual interaction between the three coexisting phenomena of electrostatic field, fluid dynamics and the particulate transport, which affect the ESP process, were taken into account in all the simulations. The electrostatic field and ionic space …

A Business Maturity Model Of Software Product Line Engineering, Faheem Ahmed, Luiz Fernando Capretz

Electrical and Computer Engineering Publications

In the recent past, software product line engineering has become one of the most promising practices in software industry with the potential to substantially increase the software development productivity. Software product line engineering approach spans the dimensions of business, architecture, software engineering process and organization. The increasing popularity of software product line engineering in the software industry necessitates a process maturity evaluation methodology. Accordingly, this paper presents a business maturity model of software product line, which is a methodology to evaluate the current maturity of the business dimension of a software product line in an organization. This model examines the …

Development Of Single And Multimodality Imaging Probes For Pet, Spect And Fluorescence Imaging, Babak Behnam Azad

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation is in an integrated format discussing three major projects centered around probe development. In the first project, novel metal-chelated and fluorinated GLP-1 derivatives were prepared all containing D-Ala-8, a modification known to improve resistance towards degradation by dipeptidyl-peptidase IV. The effect of increased distance between DOTA and the peptide chain was investigated using a spacer, in order to reduce steric effects imposed by DOTA. Placement of linker and DOTA moieties were varied within the GLP-1 sequence to test for optimal metal-complex location. Binding affinity of peptide derivatives was determined in vitro with CHO/GLP-1R cell line and shown to …

Electronic And Magnetic Excitations In Graphene And Magnetic Nano-Ribbons, Maher Zakaria Ahmed Selim

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The discovery of graphene - a 2D material with superior physical properties - in 2004 was important for the intensive global research to find alternatives to three-dimensional (3D) semiconductor materials in industry. At the same time there have been exciting advances for 2D magnetic materials on the nanometer scale. The superior properties of graphene are mainly attributed to its crystal structure and its relatively short-range interactions. These properties show that natural and artificial 2D materials are promising for new applications.

In this thesis we have carried out a comprehensive investigation of the effects of the 2D lattice structures, the roles …

Hyperthermal H2 Induced C–H Bond Cleavage: A Novel Approach To Cross-Linking Of Organic Molecules, Tomas Trebicky

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The development of simple and effective methods of incorporating molecular moieties with desirable properties into new functional materials is one of the ultimate goals of material scientists. The work presented in this thesis demonstrates an easy way to accomplish this using a beam of gaseous H₂, which we call hyperthermal hydrogen induced cross-linking (HHIC). We prove theoretically and experimentally that when the kinetic energy of H₂ is raised to ~20 eV, it becomes a light-mass projectile which is energetic enough to knock hydrogen atoms off of organic molecules, but not other heavier atoms. By developing a reactor …

Addressing Computational Complexity Of High Speed Distributed Circuits Using Model Order Reduction, Ehsan Rasekh

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Advanced in the fabrication technology of integrated circuits (ICs) over the last couple of years has resulted in an unparalleled expansion of the functionality of microelectronic systems. Today’s ICs feature complex deep-submicron mixed-signal designs and have found numerous applications in industry due to their lower manufacturing costs and higher performance levels. The tendency towards smaller feature sizes and increasing clock rates is placing higher demands on signal integrity design by highlighting previously negligible interconnect effects such as distortion, reflection, ringing, delay, and crosstalk. These effects if not predicted in the early stages of the design cycle can severely degrade circuit …

Improving Search Engine Results By Query Extension And Categorization, Guo Mei

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Since its emergence, the Internet has changed the way in which information is distributed and it has strongly influenced how people communicate. Nowadays, Web search engines are widely used to locate information on the Web, and online social networks have become pervasive platforms of communication.

Retrieving relevant Web pages in response to a query is not an easy task for Web search engines due to the enormous corpus of data that the Web stores and the inherent ambiguity of search queries. We present two approaches to improve the effectiveness of Web search engines. The first approach allows us to retrieve …

Uncovering New Bonding Motifs: The Synthesis Of Chalcogen And Phosphorus Complexes Supported By Nitrogen Based Ligands, Caleb D. Martin

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The chemistry of the main group elements with nitrogen based ligands has been an area that has received little attention in comparison to transition metals. The preliminary investigations have focused on groups 13 and 14 revealing new bonding motifs and interesting reactivity. This has motivated us to synthesize group 15 and 16 derivatives in new bonding arrangements capable of activating small molecules.

In pursuit of isolating such species, the reactivity of sulfur dichloride and “S(OTf)2” with a series of diazabutadiene (DAB) ligands was explored. The substitution on the ligand was extremely influential on the outcome of the reaction. Alkyl groups …

Advances In Graph-Cut Optimization: Multi-Surface Models, Label Costs, And Hierarchical Costs, Andrew T. Delong

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Computer vision is full of problems that are elegantly expressed in terms of mathematical optimization, or energy minimization. This is particularly true of "low-level" inference problems such as cleaning up noisy signals, clustering and classifying data, or estimating 3D points from images. Energies let us state each problem as a clear, precise objective function. Minimizing the correct energy would, hypothetically, yield a good solution to the corresponding problem. Unfortunately, even for low-level problems we are confronted by energies that are computationally hard—often NP-hard—to minimize. As a consequence, a rather large portion of computer vision research is dedicated to proposing …