VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
Decoding the CEO-board relationship [electronic resource] : strategic decision making and monitoring in entrepreneurial firms
Keywords: Management Science and Engineering

While the CEO-board relationship has been a subject of extensive scholarly inquiry, prior literature overlooks the CEO's perspective on the CEO-board relationship, and almost exclusively focuses on public firms to the neglect of ventures. To explore the CEO's perspective, I use inductive multiple-case study methods to examine how CEOs use their boards effectively to make board-level strategic decisions. The emergent theoretical framework suggests that CEOs launch the decision making process by seeking advice from directors through a dyadic, role-centered approach. Subsequently, CEOs propose a decision rather than suggesting alternatives to the board. They mainly discuss strategy in special-purpose meetings, not during the board meetings, and finally, they use political actions to close the decisions. A key insight is that CEOs who are more effective at board-level strategic decision making seek advice but also maintain power in the decision making process. To explore boards in ventures, I develop a theoretical framework on the monitoring function of venture boards. I build upon the unique characteristics of ventures that distinguish them from public firms, and focus on those aspects of board monitoring that are distinctive to ventures. The propositions focus on the attributes of the venture and the composition of the board as drivers of board monitoring, and the implications for venture performance. Overall, this study contributes to the theories of corporate governance by proposing a new, effective model of the CEO-board relationship where the CEO flips the traditional principal-agent relationship so that he or she becomes the principal and the board members become agents. Further, this study highlights the under-emphasized "principal problem" in the CEO-board relationship and recognizes that this relationship actually comprises several CEO-director dyadic relationships. Key words: corporate governance, strategic decision making, advice, power, monitoring, entrepreneurship.
Deconstructing the Rosenfeld Curve [electronic resource] : structural determinants of energy consumption
Keywords: Management Science and Engineering

California's energy efficiency policies and energy use patterns have attracted widespread national and international interest. Over the last three decades, the state has implemented a variety of regulatory and legislative measures aimed at reducing the demand for energy, through encouraging more efficient consumption. In a startling contrast to the nation as a whole, the state electricity consumption per capita has stayed relatively steady since 1970. A comparative graph of the state and national electricity intensities is called the Rosenfeld Curve, named after the influential former Commissioner of the California Energy Commission. This thesis examines the structural determinants of electricity consumption with a view to answering the question -- What fraction of the state-nation difference in electricity consumption intensity might reasonably be attributed to policy interventions? I begin with a simple decomposition analysis of the residential, industrial and commercial sectors, using empirical data from a variety of sources. I find that over two-thirds of the difference between state and national energy intensity may be attributed to structural factors that are independent of policy interventions, leaving a smaller, unexplained portion that could owe to program interventions (a share that has increased over time). I next consider the residential sector in detail, a topic that is the primary focus of my thesis. I describe residential consumption of electricity and secondary heating fuels, using a structural model of household energy demand estimated using micro-data from the period between 1993 and 2005. In doing so, I account for heterogeneity in household types in the population. After controlling for structural factors such as climate, I find evidence suggesting that policy may have been particularly effective in reducing the energy needed for heating and cooling end uses. I also find evidence of increasing policy effects over the ten years between 1995 and 2005. Additionally, the model suggests that incentive compatibility considerations may have resulted in inefficiently high energy consumption in rented dwellings. Overall, the econometric model indicates about 20 percent of the state nation difference in the residential sector may owe to program effects. These results are interesting as a retrospective look at the California experience, but more importantly as a benchmark of what might reasonably be expected from energy efficiency elsewhere in the world. They also underline the importance of using counterfactual policy evaluation techniques instead of comparisons of aggregate statistics in understanding policy impact.
Design at a distance [electronic resource] : tangible telepresence using gesture and robotics
Keywords: Mechanical Engineering

How can we help design engineers, who are so often spread around the globe, work as cohesive teams when design is so dependent on in-the-moment, physical actions like sketching, prototyping and gesturing? This question prompted three studies into the design and operation of embodied, robotic telepresence proxies for group interaction. These devices afford a head-and-shoulders view of an individual, distant collaborator, on a physically situated platform that moves in a way that recreates (some of) his or her body language. Study 1 starts by noting that telepresence creates two representations of the distant collaborator in the local workspace—one audiovisual and the other physical—resulting in the proxy-in-proxy problem. We therefore asked crowdsourced participants to compare on-screen and physical behaviors, from which we distinguished four categories of telepresent gesture: intentionally expressive, unanticipated response, focus of attention, and thoughtful, internal states. Study 2 extended this approach to include team interactions, and found that proxy gesture influenced how people interpreted personality traits and group roles of not only distant collaborators, but also their collocated teammates. Study 3 explored the differences between kinetic and idle proxies, as well as implicit and explicit interfaces, during a distributed working session. The ability to physically turn and face particular teammates projected the remote collaborator's focus of attention better, but led others to feel excluded. We also found that implicit control created a tradeoff between lower cognitive effort for the remote user and greater distraction due to incidental motion for the local team. A set of design principles and recommendations (for example, to refine implicit control of proxy gesture by incorporating an activity threshold) helps us understand how to design telepresent communication that is more intuitive for remote collaborators, and more familiar and understandable for their local teammates.
Design for new manufacturing technology [electronic resource] : a management framework to identify and evaluate manufacturability risk to realize new technology success
Keywords: Mechanical Engineering

Even with the utilization of concurrent engineering in the product development process, the application of a stage-gate approach to manage the process, and the employment of Design for Manufacturability methodology, existing literature indicates that once a company is able to produce a prototype, the company automatically proceeds to product development, resulting in production quality issues. This is particularly troublesome when a new product utilizes new manufacturing technologies where key process capabilities are not yet well-understood. In my research, I identified the challenges and opportunities of the product development process that companies employ, with a special focus on process development. I also developed a framework that companies could use in the early design stage to identify the risk of using new manufacturing technologies in production. This framework is a systematic approach that helps companies to identify, evaluate, and mange the manufacturability risk of each product realization activity.
Design, synthesis, and evaluation of molecular transporters for probe, drug, and siRNA delivery [electronic resource]
Keywords: Chemistry

My graduate studies have focused on the design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel probe and drug delivery technologies. This research has explored the development of new molecular transporter scaffolds with a focus on step economy and translational costs as well as evaluation of their uptake and delivery properties in cells and animals. Chapter 1 provides a historical context and overview of guanidinium-rich molecular transporter technology. Chapter 2 describes the development of a new family of guanidinium-rich oligocarbonate molecular transporter which are flexibly and efficiently assembled by a one-step oligomerization strategy. These novel oligocarbonate transporters were shown to exhibit excellent uptake properties both in cells and animal models. Chapter 3 is directed at the utility of an oligomerization approach to generate molecular transporters by the design, synthesis, and evaluation of new aphipathic co-oligomers for the delivery of siRNA, an oligonucleotide cargo of intense therapeutic interest. Amphipathic carbonate co-oligomers were prepared by an oligomerization strategy and demonstrated to effectively package, deliver, and release functional siRNA in cells. Chapter 4 describes the effects of a branched guanidinium array on the transport and delivery efficiency of releasable dendrimeric guanidinium-rich transporters. These transporters were synthesized and demonstrated to deliver and release a small molecule for turnover by its intracellular target enzyme by bioluminescence assays in cells and transgenic animal models. Chapter 5 describes the design, synthesis, and preliminary biological evaluation of lipidated molecular transporter derivatives of the immunosuppressant drug rapamycin for topical delivery.
The design, synthesis, and evaluation of simplified, function-oriented analogs of the daphnane diterpene orthoesters and the laulimalides [electronic resource]
Keywords: Chemistry

In this work, a function-oriented array of simplified analogs of the daphnane diterpene orthoester class of natural products bearing palmitate, phenyl, or phenylacetyl orthoesters was synthesized starting from commerically available starting materials via a key late stage common diversification intermediate. These families of novel compounds were evaluated for both selective PKC activation and growth inhibition of K562 (myleogenous leukemia) cancer cells. While these analogs showed no growth inhibitory activity in K562 cells up to concentrations of 10 micromolar, they did display varying profiles of PKC activation. One analog in particular demonstrated the ability to activate and cause translocation of conventional PKC b1 and novel PKC d to the same extent as resiniferonol, a potent natural resiniferonoid. A second analog, however, was found to activate novel PKC d selectively over conventional PKC b1; surprisingly, resiniferonol did not share this selectivity profile. Because the simplified, functional analogs synthesized in this study were shown to activate PKC while having no growth inhibitory activity, these compounds should be further investigated for their potential as therapeutic leads for the treatment of diseases like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, in which (selective) activation of PKC could serve a therapeutic purpose without being plagued by growth inhibitory pathways.
Designers as brokers [electronic resource] : the development of field trip programs at three informal science institutions
Keywords: Education.

Field trips represent potentially powerful bridges between formal and informal science education. This study investigates the work of designing and developing school field trip programs at informal science institutions (ISIs). Using a model of innovation through "knowledge brokering" (Hargadon, 2002), comparative case studies were conducted at three California ISIs: Monterey Bay Aquarium, California Academy of Sciences, and Marine Science Institute. Knowledge brokering describes a process of learning about existing resources in disparate social domains and recombining these resources into innovative solutions. At each ISI, the work of one field trip program designer was investigated through interviews, resource mapping exercises, materials gathering, and observations. Across cases, program designers used knowledge of science content, objects, learning theories, institutional context, and their audience's needs and motivations. Working in their different institutional contexts, designers experienced different opportunities, supports, and challenges around knowledge brokering. Knowledge brokering occurred to the greatest extent in the case of the Aquarium designer; the Academy designer encountered some obstacles, many of which were related to a major institutional transition; and the Institute designer, working at a small institution with comparably fewer resources, had limited opportunities to broker knowledge from disparate domains of expertise. Although it was a useful conceptual lens, issues related to thresholds for evidence and multiple levels of analysis presented challenges in applying the knowledge brokering model to the realm of field trip design. This research urges study of how to support the work of informal science educators who, in designing these programs, shape the type and quality of experiences that are possible for learners.
Determination of human articular cartilage condition using magnetic resonance imaging, creep indentation testing and biochemistry [electronic resource]
Keywords: Mechanical Engineering

Human articular cartilage can degrade, losing functional quality and eventually exposing bone surfaces; when significantly advanced, this cartilage degradation can be diagnosed as osteoarthritis (OA). Currently, knee OA can be diagnosed only when the disease is advanced and the patient is suffering from pain. There is no cure for knee OA, nor are there prevent preventative therapies; current treatment strategies relieve the pain of OA or completely replace the knee joint. To evaluate potential therapies and treatments, we need a method that can identify and measure changes to cartilage prior to the onset of degradation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a potentially powerful tool to non-invasively evaluate the progression of knee OA by mapping MR image parameters to molecular and material properties that are known to change with disease. The goal of this dissertation was to determine MR image parameters that can be used to evaluate the progression of OA. We examined the biphasic and viscoelastic models of cartilage to determine cartilage material properties from indentation creep tests. We compared initial elastic modulus and cartilage macromolecules to MRI parameters, specifically T2 and T1rho relaxation times and T1rho dispersion. We determined that a predictive model based on T1rho relaxation time maps, which accounts for T2 relaxation time and the effects of age, may estimate longitudinal trends in GAG content in the same person. In addition, a simple T1rho dispersion estimate has the potential for substantial clinical impact by measuring changes in cartilage initial elastic modulus and macromolecules non-invasively. This work is an important step toward developing clinical methods for evaluating cartilage functional condition, and in turn, to advance work towards preventing and treating knee OA.
Determining the Folded and Unfolded Structure of the HIV TAR RNA Using Small-Angle X-ray Scattering
Keywords: Physics
Das, Rhiju
transactivation response element
TAR RNA
small-angle x-ray scattering
SAXS
Thesis

In biological macromolecules, such as proteins or RNA, structure determines function. While most RNA primary sequences code for proteins, some RNA, called non-coding RNA, fold into a range of tertiary structures to regulate transcription of the coding RNA. These tertiary structures can be influenced by several environmental factors, including counterion concentrations and ligands that bind to specific sites on the RNA and induce folding. Thus knowledge of the dynamic range of an RNA molecule in solution is crucial to understanding its function in vivo. In this experiment, the structure and folding landscape of the transactivation response element (TAR) RNA from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was probed using small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) techniques. TAR takes the form of a common structural motif in RNA folding, so its conformational properties are relevant to the understanding of most structured RNAs. Moreover, the TAR RNA plays a crucial role in the lifecycle of HIV; knowledge about its structure will inform studies of its function and could contribute to the search for an HIV drug. In the first SAXS measurement of HIV TAR, we probed the structure of the TAR RNA in its unfolded state, as well as in several different ligand and counterion-induced folded conformations.
Developing a protein-based assay for identifying HRSV entry inhibitors and knowledge-based approaches to design peptidomimetics [electronic resource]
Keywords: Chemical and Systems Biology.

Biotherapeutics have regained their reputation as drug candidates in the drug market due to their remarkable specificity; however, the broader clinical use of biotherapeutics is often challenged by poor pharmacological properties. Therefore, there is enormous interest in developing peptidomimetics as alternative therapeutic options. Inspired by the first successful example of peptide-based antivirals, Fuzeon®, similar strategies to develop antivirals have been applied to many other viruses that share class I fusion protein-mediated viral fusion. Using human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (hRSV) as a model system, the second chapter of this dissertation demonstrates our successful effort to develop a protein-based assay using a 5-Helix Bundle (5HB) fluorescence polarization (FP) as a screening platform for hRSV fusion inhibitors. The remaining chapters in this thesis all utilize the 5HB-based FP assay to evaluate the potential of short peptides and their peptoid-based peptidomimetics as antivirals to control hRSV infections. The third chapter proposes that NMEGylation, an alternative to PEGylation that uses a covalent attachment of an oligo-N-methoxyethylglycine (NMEG) chain, may enhance the bioavailability of short therapeutic peptides. The incorporation of optimized numbers of NMEG monomers along with a glycine linker increases the solubility and serum stability greatly, suggesting that NMEGylation may open a new opportunity to use peptoids as modifiers of therapeutically attractive peptides and proteins. The fourth chapter demonstrates how our novel approach combining alanine, proline, and sarcosine scans can be useful to determine peptoid-replaceable peptide residues and further proves the usefulness of the combined scan strategy using the C20 peptide as a parent peptide. Furthermore, two different methods to promote the [Alpha]-helical conformation of C20 analogues by structurally constraining the parent C20 peptide using "hydrocarbon-stapling" or "clicking" are described. We report a constrained C20 analogue with improved binding affinity, and discuss our structural investigations of the constrained C20 analogues using CD spectroscopy. The studies in the fifth chapter show that phage display can be used for identifying novel hRSV entry inhibitors that are not derived from the original sequence of the hRSV fusion protein F like the peptides described in chapters 2, 3, and 4. We report two 12-mer peptides with a low micromolar binding affinity to the 5HB, and ongoing efforts are aimed towards better understanding the interaction of the 12-mer peptides with the 5HB by co-crystallizing the peptides and 5HB. Finally, the dissertation concludes with a sixth chapter that summarizes the current status of each research chapter. In addition, future prospects, new directions, and potential applications of the findings in this dissertation are presented in this chapter.
Developing Aiptasia pallida as a tractable model system for cnidarian-dinoflagellate symbiosis [electronic resource] : identifying transferred metabolites and designing tools for analysis of ultra-high-throughput-sequencing data
Keywords: Genetics

This dissertation describes a general method for identifying and roughly quantifying the metabolites that are produced by symbiotic dinoflagellates and transferred to cnidarian hosts. I developed a system of rapid filtration and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify these compounds in the anemone tissue and dinoflagellates separately. I used 13C-sodium bicarbonate to label compounds produced from newly-fixed carbon; the principal compound detected in the animal was glucose. I developed a way to visualize these and other large GC-MS datasets using open-source software. I also built tools for analyzing Ultra-High-Throughput-Sequencing (UHTS) data, and these were useful in the de novo assembly of the Aiptasia pallida transcriptome. One tool I developed compares each read to each other read using a MapReduce framework to merge near-duplicate reads and reduce redundancy in the dataset. In addition, our lab sequenced symbiotic animals and therefore often worked with pools of sequences from multiple organisms. I developed a tool for identifying which transcript sequence was produced by which organism in a symbiotic ecosystem: it was 99% accurate on high-quality validation data.
Development and testing of computational models of a flapping wing and a high altitude long endurance aircraft for high-fidelity nonlinear multidisciplinary simulations [electronic resource]
Keywords: Aeronautics and Astronautics

In the present thesis numerical aeroelastic models are developed for a Flapping Wing System and a High Altitude Long Endurance Aircraft. Fluid and structural models are created separately. Conception and development of highly complex and detailed models for both systems are explained. Common to both models is the characteristic large displacements of their structural dynamic behavior. This raises the need for nonlinear considerations on the structural solver. For the fluid solver the Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian formulation revealed to be not appropriate due to the lack of robustness under large deformations of the mesh. Hence, an Eulerian framework is used which showed to be successful in simulating the aeroelastic response of the systems. Numerical tests conducted separately on the fluid and structural models of each system are presented. These are done to study their character and check if their behavior seems physical since no corresponding experimental data is available. After successful tests, an aeroelastic simulation is performed for both systems, demonstrating the readability of the models for fluid-structure interaction analyses. Since the considered models tend to be large-scale, they require massive computational effort to be solved. Finally, a study on Reduced Order Modeling of an aeroelastic problem is performed; this as an attempt to find a way of reducing the resources required to analyze the contemplated systems.