Digital Commons Network^™

Laboratory Study On The Strength Behaviour Of Two Laterally Loaded Adobe Walls, Brad D. Weldon, Paola Bandini, Michael J. Mcginnis, Eduardo Dávila, Diego I. Garcia Vera

Civil Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Adobe is a traditional construction technique found in historic and new construction throughout the world, often in earthquake-prone regions. Adobe structures are particularly susceptible to seismic forces due to their substantial mass and low tensile capacity. In addition, adobe is affected negatively by moisture that may penetrate from the ground or through the plaster. This paper describes the preliminary findings of an experimental program to investigate the effect of higher water content in the lower part of the wall on the wall strength behaviour under lateral loading. Lateral load tests were conducted on two quarter-scale adobe walls, one in air-dry …

Machine Learning Methods For Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy, Danushka Sandaruwan Bandara

Dissertations - ALL

Identification of user state is of interest in a wide range of disciplines that fall under the umbrella of human machine interaction. Functional Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy (fNIRS) device is a relatively new device that enables inference of brain activity through non-invasively pulsing infra-red light into the brain. The fNIRS device is particularly useful as it has a better spatial resolution than the Electroencephalograph (EEG) device that is most commonly used in Human Computer Interaction studies under ecologically valid settings. But this key advantage of fNIRS device is underutilized in current literature in the fNIRS domain.

We propose machine learning methods …

A Smart Products Lifecycle Management (Splm) Framework - Modeling For Conceptualization, Interoperability, And Modularity, Yunpeng Li

Dissertations - ALL

Autonomy and intelligence have been built into many of today’s mechatronic products, taking advantage of low-cost sensors and advanced data analytics technologies. Design of product intelligence (enabled by analytics capabilities) is no longer a trivial or additional option for the product development. The objective of this research is aimed at addressing the challenges raised by the new data-driven design paradigm for smart products development, in which the product itself and the smartness require to be carefully co-constructed.

A smart product can be seen as specific compositions and configurations of its physical components to form the body, its analytics models to …

Regulation Of In Vivo Excitatory/Inhibitory Balance By The Cystine/Glutamate Exchanger System Xc-, Sheila Marie Shahidzadeh Sears

Dissertations - ALL

System xc- (Sxc-) is a cellular antiporter that links the import of L-cystine with the export of L-glutamate. In the central nervous system (CNS), this export contributes to the ambient glutamate levels found in the synaptic cleft. To wit, a 50% reduction in extracellular glutamate has been demonstrated in animals null for the substrate-specific light chain, xCT. Moreover, in most tissues, including the CNS, cystine import through Sxc- is necessary for the synthesis and maintenance of glutathione (GSH) levels. Given that either a reduction in ambient glutamate levels and/or a redox imbalance involving GSH have been reported to affect synaptic …

Identifying The Genetic Mechanisms In Seizure Threshold Regulation, Yifan Gong

Dissertations - ALL

Epilepsy is a brain disease defined by having recurrent and spontaneous seizures. The susceptibility to seizure is determined by seizure threshold, which describes the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission in the brain. Epileptogenesis, the transition from normal brain to epileptic brain, is accompanied by a progressive reduction of seizure threshold and has been shown to have genetic influences. Expression of neuronal cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene, PTGS2, a primary gene that regulates prostaglandin synthesis in the normal brain, is enhanced by excitatory neurotransmission and is under tight regulation of N-Methyl-D-Aspartate type glutamate receptor (NMDAR) activity in cortical neurons. The 3’ untranslated …

Adapting Proteins For Clinical And Industrial Use, Michelle Takacs

Dissertations - ALL

Enzymes are powerful tools that are capable of catalyzing reactions with high specificity and efficiency. Many naturally occurring enzymes are used as tools in industry and medicine, from food additives to pharmaceuticals to biofuel production. Protein engineering is used to make enzymes more readily available, to gain new or improved catalytic function, or optimize properties such as thermostability and enantioselectivity. In this thesis we will discuss the variety of ways proteins can be modified to one day be able to be put to use in industrial and clinical settings.

My goal has been to optimize proteins for industrial and clinical …

On Classification In Human-Driven And Data-Driven Systems, Qunwei Li

Dissertations - ALL

Classification systems are ubiquitous, and the design of effective classification algorithms has been an even more active area of research since the emergence of machine learning techniques. Despite the significant efforts devoted to training and feature selection in classification systems, misclassifications do occur and their effects can be critical in various applications. The central goal of this thesis is to analyze classification problems in human-driven and data-driven systems, with potentially unreliable components and design effective strategies to ensure reliable and effective classification algorithms in such systems. The components/agents in the system can be machines and/or humans. The system components can …

Efficient Machine Learning: Models And Accelerations, Zhe Li

Dissertations - ALL

One of the key enablers of the recent unprecedented success of machine learning is the adoption of very large models. Modern machine learning models typically consist of multiple cascaded layers such as deep neural networks, and at least millions to hundreds of millions of parameters (i.e., weights) for the entire model. The larger-scale model tend to enable the extraction of more complex high-level features, and therefore, lead to a significant improvement of the overall accuracy. On the other side, the layered deep structure and large model sizes also demand to increase computational capability and memory requirements. In order to achieve …

Experimental Investigation Of The Dynamics And Blowoff Characteristics Of Bluff-Body Stabilized 2d, V-Shaped Turbulent Premixed Flames With Different Gaseous Hydrocarbon Fuels, Rishi Roy

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

What Does Walk Score® Really Measure?, Jorge Simbaqueba

Master's Theses

The Walk Score® (WS) algorithm works by identifying the closest amenities (grocery stores, banks, restaurants, and schools) and awarding points based on the distance to them from a given location. Scores have a range between 0 and 100. In 2011, the Walk Score® (WS) founders and advisory board modified the algorithm to better account for pedestrian friendliness by adding block length and intersection density data into the model to represent roadway characteristics and named it Street Smart Walk Score®.

Modelers attempting to quantify accessibility often focus on two components: a transportation element (or resistance factor) and an activity element (or …

A Herpesvirus Encoded Qa-1 Mimic Inhibits Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity Through Cd94/Nkg2a Receptor Engagement, Xiaoli Wang, Sytse J. Piersma, Christopher A. Nelson, Ya-Nan Dai, Ted Christensen, Eric Lazear, Liping Yang, Marjolein Sluijter, Thorbald Van Hall, Ted H. Hansen, Wayne M. Yokoyama, Daved H. Fremont

Open Access Publications

A recurrent theme in viral immune evasion is the sabotage of MHC-I antigen presentation, which brings virus the concomitant issue of 'missing-self' recognition by NK cells that use inhibitory receptors to detect surface MHC-I proteins. Here, we report that rodent herpesvirus Peru (RHVP) encodes a Qa-1 like protein (pQa-1) via RNA splicing to counteract NK activation. While pQa-1 surface expression is stabilized by the same canonical peptides presented by murine Qa-1, pQa-1 is GPI-anchored and resistant to the activity of RHVP pK3, a ubiquitin ligase that targets MHC-I for degradation. pQa-1 tetramer staining indicates that it recognizes CD94/NKG2A receptors. Consistently, …

Tennessee Comprehensive Annual Financial Report For The Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2018, Tennessee. Department Of Finance & Administration.

Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports

No abstract provided.

Tribal Tools & Legal Levers For Halting Fossil Fuel Transport & Exports Through The Pacific Northwest, Mary Christina Wood

American Indian Law Journal

As alarming scientific predictions crystallize into the realities of today’s climate crisis, tribal communities in the Pacific Northwest find themselves on the front lines of a global assault launched by the fossil fuel industry. Encouraged by President Trump’s declaration of intent to unleash $50 trillion of America’s domestic fossil fuels, corporations push for massive expansion of the nation’s fossil fuel infrastructure—even as the world races towards irrevocable climate thresholds. The unprecedented onslaught hinges on the Pacific Northwest as a key link in a global market scheme. The coastal region sits as a proposed industrial gateway for huge export facilities transporting …

Exploring Specificity And Stability Of A Molecularly Imprinted Polymer, Stephen Robert Shepherd

Theses - ALL

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have numerous practical applications, including integration with quartz crystal microbalances to make specific, stable, chemical sensors, but most published research literature does not provide details concerning the specificity or stability of such an imprinted polymer. A polymer made from polyacrylic acid monomers, templated with benzoic acid, was tested for specificity with solutions of benzoic acid, acetic acid, phenol, and terephthalic acid passed through samples of uniform size under vacuum filtration. Additionally, MIP samples were also stored for extended periods of time in varied microclimates and then tested for performance, and consequently, stability. Initial conclusions indicate that …

Finding The Bad Actor: Challenges In Identifying Toxic Constituents In Botanical Dietary Supplements, Georgia Roberts, Dale R. Gardner, Paul Foster, Paul C. Howard, Edmund Lui, Larry Walker, Richard B. Van Breemen, Scott Auerbach, Cynthia Rider

Faculty and Student Publications (Open Access)

No abstract provided.

Art Historian Noa Turel Named To Institute For Advanced Study, Staff

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Static Enforcement Of Termination-Sensitive Noninterference Using The C++ Template Type System, Scott Douglas Constable

Dissertations - ALL

A side channel is an observable attribute of program execution other than explicit communication, e.g., power usage, execution time, or page fault patterns. A side-channel attack occurs when a malicious adversary observes program secrets through a side channel. This dissertation introduces Covert C++, a library which uses template metaprogramming to superimpose a security-type system on top of C++’s existing type system. Covert C++ enforces an information-flow policy that prevents secret data from influencing program control flow and memory access patterns, thus obviating side-channel leaks. Formally, Covert C++ can facilitate an extended definition of the classical noninterference property, broadened to also …

Gaseous State: A Historical Geography Of Natural Gas And The Capitalist State In An Age Of Climate Change, Carlo Sica

Dissertations - ALL

In the 1930s U.S., a set of social forces and crises pushed forward state energy regulation. As states struggle to end greenhouse-gas emissions from fossil fuels, the threat of climate change demands new explanations for how energy policy emerges. In this dissertation, I explain the period of U.S. natural gas regulation between 1938 and 1978 from critical political economy and Marxist state theoretical perspectives. My main conclusion is that the capitalist state stabilizes markets for energy to serve capital with an auxiliary means of production. Based on that conclusion, I recommend that Marxist state theory be class-centered, i.e., recognize that …

Structurally Supported Cell-Laden Scaffolds For Bone Tissue Regeneration, Stephen William Sawyer

Dissertations - ALL

Due to challenges associated with current clinical techniques used to treat bone defects, there has been an increased focus on finding a tissue engineered solution. However, while great progress in this field has been achieved, researchers have yet to suitably combine the proper biological and structural environments needed to serve as a complete bone tissue substitute that is comparable to modern clinical solutions.

To achieve the goal of creating a model bone tissue substitute which could eventually serve as a viable therapy for bone trauma, be it caused by congenital medical conditions, age related diseases or high impact forces, three …

Putting Forts In Their Place: The Politics Of Defense In Antigua, 1670-1785, Christopher Kurt Waters

Dissertations - ALL

Between 1670 and 1785, the plantation elite on the British island of Antigua built and maintained at least fifty-four fortifications to protect the island from other European competitors. Rather than being commissioned, engineered, and defended by the metropolitan government in London, the defense of the island was the sole purview of the Antiguan legislature. Money, designs, and locations for these defensive sites came from internal deliberations on the island making them unique places to study iterations of seventeenth and eighteenth century British colonialism, elite thinking, and the impact on the landscape. To interpret these sites, I use archaeological, archival, and …

Deconvolution Of Membrane Protein-Detergent Complex Interactions, Aaron Wolfe

Dissertations - ALL

Membrane proteins are important in many biological functions such as cell-cell recognition, transport, and signaling; yet the study of these proteins is stunted due to their excessive aggregation in aqueous solutions. Detergents have been extensively exploited to mitigate this aggregation, and accomplish this by protecting the hydrophobic exterior of the membrane protein with their hydrophobic tails, while the polar heads of the detergents interact with the surrounding aqueous environment. Although detergents are of fundamental importance in many membrane protein studies, their selection is primarily done by trial and error screening. In this thesis, I will describe a method to utilize …

Chimera Ligand For Pili And Lectin A Protein Controls Antibiotic-Promoted Biofilm Formation, Swarming Motility, Tolerance And Persister Formation By Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Hewen Zheng

Dissertations - ALL

Throughout the human history, the fight against bacterial infections had never stopped but the remedies for bacterial infections were often insufficient and for many infectious diseases, there was no treatment available. The revolution in antimicrobial infection therapy began with the discovery of penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928. However, since the first introduction of antibiotics, bacteria over time have evolved sophisticated resistant strains against almost all the available antibiotics which cause selection pressure on the bacteria to evolve their genetic makeup and develop resistance against such agents. Furthermore, bacteria can form surface attached multicellular communities known as biofilms. Bacteria residing …

Ecohydrology Of Natural And Restored Wetlands In A Glacial Plain, Kyotaek Hwang

Dissertations - ALL

More than half of wetland area in the U.S. have been converted to other land use types for agricultural use and development. Limited understanding of ecological services provided to society by wetlands is another reason for the massive wetland loss in the past. Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and the 1989 federal mandate of “no net wetland loss” supported increased efforts for wetland restoration and creation to compensate for two centuries of ecosystem degradation. Hydrology is a critical driver for wetland formation and sustainability, yet few studies have investigated the ecosystem benefits of restored or constructed wetlands relative …

Exploring The Cultural And Infrastructural Impacts Of Consumerism On The New Cuba, Grace Stainback

Hatfield Graduate Journal of Public Affairs

This paper seeks to explore how a shifting economic model and an increasing influx of U.S. tourism, customs, and products will impact consumerism and waste in Cuba. The paper begins by charting the rise of an unwitting conservationist culture among Cubans, built out of necessity as a response to Castro-era economic hardships. This is followed by a discussion of recent Cuban economic reforms and the rise of tourism, private enterprise and material luxury in Cuba. For the emerging autonomous economic class who have shouldered decades of scarcity, the social and economic values of consumerism far outweigh any perceived environmental cost. …

A Generic Pixel-To-Point Comparison For Simulated Large-Scale Ecosystem Properties And Ground-Based Observations: An Example From The Amazon Region, Anja Rammig, Jens Heinke, Florian Hofhansl, Hans Verbeeck, Timothy R. Baker, Bradley O. Christoffersen, Philippe Ciais, Hannes De Deurwaerder, Katrin Fleischer, David Galbraith

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Comparing model output and observed data is an important step for assessing model performance and quality of simulation results. However, such comparisons are often hampered by differences in spatial scales between local point observations and large-scale simulations of grid cells or pixels. In this study, we propose a generic approach for a pixel-to-point comparison and provide statistical measures accounting for the uncertainty resulting from landscape variability and measurement errors in ecosystem variables. The basic concept of our approach is to determine the statistical properties of small-scale (within-pixel) variability and observational errors, and to use this information to correct for their …

Pyrrolo[2,3-D]Pyrimidine Classical Antifolates For Targeted Cancer Chemotherapy- Applications Of Bioisosteric And Regioisomeric Substitutions For Improved Tumor-Selectivity And Potency, Manasa Punaha Ravindra

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2018, it is estimated that 1,735,350 new cases of cancer and 609,640 deaths from the disease will be diagnosed in the United States alone. Conventional chemotherapy is by far the most successful category of clinical oncology, having cured (complete remission (CR), without return) or provided clinical benefit to millions of people. However, since its earliest discovery, the major causes of failure of conventional cancer chemotherapy have been dose-limiting toxicities and development of resistance. There is a desperate ongoing search for new cancer therapies as tumor-targeted agents (without harming normal cells or tissues) with low propensity for the development of …

Health Equity Through Spatial Justice: A Critical Phenomenology Of Urban Trail Makers, Arvin Simon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research has increasingly demonstrated that race, class and place are powerful predictors of health and social justice. This study was conducted to identify the lived experiences of individuals who were hired and trained as part of a green job program that created trails within a city park in Pittsburgh’s Mount Washington Community. This program has historically hired individuals who were formerly incarcerated, many of whom identify as African American. We explored the personal and social experiences of working in nature to better appreciate the intersections of race, class and environment in an urban community. This current study is based on …

Protein Kinase A And High-Osmolarity Glycerol Response Pathways Cooperatively Control Cell Wall Carbohydrate Mobilization In Aspergillus Fumigatus, Leandro Jose De Assis, Adriana Manfiolli, Eliciane Mattos, João H.T.Marilhano Fabri, Iran Malavazi, Ilse D. Jacobsen, Matthias Brock, Robert A. Cramer, Arsa Thammahong, Daisuke Hagiwara, Laure Nicolas Annick Ries, Gustavo Henrique Goldman

School of Biomedical Sciences

Aspergillus fumigatus is an opportunistic human pathogen causing allergic reactions or systemic infections such as invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, especially in immunocompromised patients. The fungal cell wall is the main component responsible for recognition by the immune system, due to the specific composition of polysaccharide carbohydrates exposed on the surface of the fungal cell wall called pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Key enzymes in the fungal cell wall biosynthesis are a good target for fungal drug development. This report elucidates the cooperation between the HOG and PKA pathways in the mobilization of carbohydrates for fungal cell wall biosynthesis. We suggest that the …

The "Mathematics Problem": A Plymouth Foundation Year Case Study, Mj Craven, J Sharp

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Research indicates the transition from school mathematics to university-level STEM courses is often problematic, leading to issues with student satisfaction and retention (the “Mathematics Problem”). An increasing number of HEIs are establishing foundation years in an effort to ameliorate this problem. Undergraduate Mathematics cohorts at Plymouth often contain a sizeable number of exfoundation year students, meaning that efforts to enhance student foundation year experience are vital to student satisfaction, retention and further recruitment. This paper is a report mid-way through a two-year project to examine a partially-flipped learning approach to improve foundation year retention and mathematical knowledge of those progressing …

Path Information-Driven Quic Path_Challenge To Optimize Path Selection In 5g Networks, Sebastian Jeuk, Gonzalo Salgueiro, David Hanes

Defensive Publications Series

Proposed herein are techniques that make use of an extended Quick UDP Internet Connection (QUIC) PATH_CHALLENGE frame to perform dynamic path selection operations within a 5G Wi-Fi/cellular network to optimize end-to-end performance. The techniques presented herein expands the capabilities of the current PATH_CHALLENGE function, as defined in the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) QUIC drafts. The additional information gathered as part of the PATH_CHALLENGE and the PATH_RESPONSE frame are used to understand path characteristics and dynamically optimize traffic flows accordingly.