VictorJuiz/thesis huggingface dataset:
A review of renewable energy infrastructure [electronic resource] : a technology and cost comparison

With the global share of renewable energy generation increasing every year and renew- ables accounting for over 40% of new electricity generation in 2013, the construction of renewable energy infrastructure is and will be oﬀering a lot of opportunities in the construction industry. This thesis presents a review of the renewable energy infrastruc- ture from a construction management perspective. In a ﬁrst part, the energy conversion mechanism of solar photovoltaic, solar concentrated, wind, geothermal and biomass is oﬀered. We present the product breakdown structure for a power plant for each gener- ation and the main construction steps. In the second part of the thesis, we present a comparison of the diﬀerent renewable energy generations according to diﬀerent frame- works: installed and predicted capacity, environmental impact, and impact of natural disasters on infrastructure. We also compare the capital, operational and levelized cost for each generation. Finally we oﬀer a summary of the strength and weaknesses of each generation. The goal of this review is to oﬀer a condensed source of information for con- struction students and practitioners, interested in understanding the renewable energy infrastructure.

Keywords: Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Advisor: Fischer Martin
A rhetoric based approach to occupational identity and identity change [electronic resource] : a study of industrial designers

Existing identity and occupation theories assume a coherent occupational identity within a particular occupational group. Identity change has accordingly been assumed to happen only at critical transition points such as job changes and career transitions. Drawing on ethnographic data collected from the in-house design center of a major communication technology company, I challenge these assumptions by showing that, first, workers maintain and use alternative, mutually incoherent occupational rhetorics to build their occupational identities; and second, identity change happens not only during career or work-role transitions but also within the parameters of a particular work role, in the form of longitudinal variation in the composition and use of alternative occupational rhetorics. Such change results from people's constant maneuver, shift, and negotiation within and across the distinct rhetorical stances in situated social interactions. In developing a rhetoric based approach to occupational identity and identity change, this dissertation contributes to our understanding of the role of rhetoric in the social construction of self, the occupational basis of identity, and the ways in which identity evolves.

Keywords: Management Science and Engineering.
Advisor: Hinds Pamela primary advisor. Thesis advisor
Barley Stephen R. advisor. Thesis advisor
Sutton Robert advisor. Thesis advisor
Rigidity and flexibility phenomena in general relativity [electronic resource]

This thesis is devoted to the investigation of certain aspects concerning the large scale structure of asymptotically flat initial data sets for the Einstein equation in General Relativity. In the first part of this work, we show that if an asymptotically Schwarzschildean 3-manifold (M, g) of nonnegative scalar curvature contains an unbounded, properly embedded stable minimal surface, then it is isometric to the Euclidean space with its flat metric. This implies, for instance, that in presence of positive ADM mass any sequence of solutions to the Plateau problem with diverging boundaries can never have uniform height bounds, even at a single point. The same result can be extended up to ambient dimension seven, under a strong stability assumption and provided the volume growth of the hypersurface in question is known a priori to be polynomial. Furthermore, we study the restrictions imposed by the dominant energy condition (DEC) on stable, marginally outer trapped surfaces. We first prove that an unbounded, stable MOTS in an initial data set (M, g, k) is conformally diffeomorphic to either the plane C or to the cylinder A (thus extending Hawking's theorem on the topology of black holes) and in the latter case infinitesimal rigidity holds. As a corollary, when the DEC holds strictly this rules out the existence of trapped regions with cylindrical boundary. If the data are asymptotically flat and have boosted harmonic asymptotics, the former case is also proven to be globally rigid in the sense that the presence of an unbounded, properly embedded stable MOTS forces an isometric embedding of (M, g, k) in the Minkowski spacetime as a space-like slice. In the second part of the thesis, which is based on joint work with Richard Schoen, we observe that the above assumptions on the data asymptotics are essentially sharp, by constructing initial data sets that have positive ADM mass but are exactly trivial outside a cone of arbitrarily small aperture.The gluing scheme that we adopt allows to produce a new class of N-body solutions for the Einstein equation, which patently exhibit the phenomenon of gravitational shielding:for any large $T$ we can engineer solutions where any two massive bodies do not interact at all for any time 0< t< T, in striking contrast with the Newtonian gravity scenario.

Keywords: Mathematics.
Advisor: Schoen Richard (Richard M.) primary advisor. Thesis advisor
Mazzeo Rafe advisor. Thesis advisor
Simon L. (Leon)
White Brian
RNA transcript regulation studied at the single-molecule level [electronic resource]

The synthesis and degradation of RNA is highly regulated in all living organisms to ensure proper gene expression. In E. coli, RNA synthesis is controlled by a wide variety of proteins that modulate the behavior of RNA polymerase in accordance with the needs of the cell. Once an RNA molecule is synthesized, its lifetime is set by the activity and substrate specificity of ribonucleases, essential enzymes that enable rapid changes in gene expression by preventing the accumulation of old transcripts. Here, I use optical tweezers to examine three RNA-motor proteins that play fundamental roles in the regulation of bacterial transcripts. First I present a single-molecule study of E. coli Rho factor, the helicase responsible for terminating transcription of 20-50% of all mRNA. I identify two separate RNA-binding states for Rho, establish that it advances 5′ to 3′ via a tethered-tracking mechanism, and present an overall model for its binding and translocation behavior. I then introduce a novel single-molecule assay for observing processive motion of helicases and exonucleases, and use this technique to examine two of the major enzymes responsible for degrading RNA in bacteria -- RNase R and polynucleotide phosphorylase. I find that individual RNase R enzymes exhibit sequence-dependent pausing behavior as they processively unwind hundreds of base pairs of dsRNA, and that polynucleotide phosphorylase moves 3′ to 5′ along a transcript in discrete 6-7 nt steps, a result consistent with an asymmetric inchworm mechanism of translocation. Overall, this work provides key mechanistic insights into the behaviors of three vital enzymes that modulate gene expression in bacteria via their interactions with RNA.

Advisor: Block Steven M.
Greenleaf William James advisor. Thesis advisor
Theriot Julie advisor. Thesis advisor
Robust design and fabrication of highly stretchable sensor networks for the creation of intelligent materials [electronic resource]

Taking advantage of the state-of-the-art CMOS/MEMS technology, a cost-effective fabrication method was developed to integrate large arrays of micro/nano scale sensors, switches, and electronics into materials as a step to create a new class of next generation materials that are capable of self-sensing and self-diagnosing the state of a structure in real time. The method was built upon a highly stretchable sensor network that could be stretched to span more than 10,000% of its original area, and embedded into polymer materials during cure at elevated temperatures such as advanced aerospace composite materials. The method included three major efforts: 1). Design a sensor network fabricated at the micro/nano scale but expandable to more than 10,000% its original size to cover a large, macro, areas of materials without experiencing failures. 2). Develop a robust micro/nano manufacturing method to incorporate sensors and switches into the network. A high-resolution fabrication process based on spin-coated-on polyimide was developed to integrate large arrays of micro/nano scale sensors, switches and electrodes into the network. This enables multiple layers to be integrated together with high precision alignment (sub-micron). Designs were developed to integrate organic thin film diodes into the network as switching devices. 3). Confirm the survivability of the network through an elevated cure process for aerospace composite material applications. A stretched sensor network was embedded into carbon fiber composite materials and put through a composite curing process with elevated temperature (350°F) and pressure (27 psi). Tests were made to ensure good insulation between the stretchable sensor network and the conductive carbon fiber composite materials. Network sensitivity was tested with a composite panel with a built-in sensor network that was able to sense the temperature change and impact loads through a simple electronic readout. Finally, an off-the-shelf robotic arm was integrated with a sensor network to exhibit the sensing, decision-making and control concept for intelligent material systems through the robot.

Keywords: Mechanical Engineering.
Advisor: Chang Fu-Kuo primary advisor. Thesis advisor
Howe Roger Thomas advisor. Thesis advisor
Kenny Thomas William advisor. Thesis advisor
Pavone Marco
The role and maintenance of diversity in a multi-partner mutualism [electronic resource] : trees and ectomycorrhizal fungi

The tree of life is filled with examples of multi-partner mutualisms, in which one guild of organisms interacts with one or multiple other species for mutual benefit. How are these multi-species mutualisms maintained, and what is the functional role of species diversity within them? To address these questions, this dissertation uses the ancient mutualism between trees and ectomycorrhizal fungi. Partnerships between trees (primary producers) and fungi (decomposers) are of great ecological significance because they link two fundamental ecosystem processes. I use field surveys, experimental manipulation, and mathematical models to explore the maintenance and function of fungal diversity. My dissertation highlights the importance of spatial heterogeneity (e.g., in edaphic conditions or in host plants), temporal heterogeneity (e.g., seasonal patterns in resource availability), and species interactions (e.g., host investment and competition among fungi) to the maintenance of fungal diversity. In turn, the diversity of fungal taxa has functional implications, from the ability of host trees to meet nutritional needs in stressful environments, to the increased growth of seedlings partnered with competitively dominant fungi, to the ability to efficiently gather fluctuating resources. These results have implications for our understanding of the maintenance of species diversity, the evolutionary stability of mutualisms, and the individual and ecosystem significance of metabolite exchange.

Keywords: Biology.
Advisor: Fukami Tadashi
Vitousek Peter Morrison primary advisor. Thesis advisor
Arrigo Kevin R. advisor. Thesis advisor
Peay Kabir
The role of microbiota metabolites in post-antibiotic nutrient acquisition by Clostridium difficile [electronic resource]

Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of infectious antibiotic associated diarrhea, however the mechanisms underlying its ability to expand after antibiotics have not yet been described. Understanding how a dysbiotic gut microbiota is able to promote C. difficile, and conversely, how a healthy gut microbial community inhibits C. difficile are of great interest. The work in this thesis has led to an understanding of the instrumental roles that the microbiota plays in C. difficile gut colonization using gnotobiotic and conventional mouse models. Chapter 1 contains a review describing what is known about the important functions of the gut microbiota and its contribution to pathogenesis. In Chapter 2, we demonstrate that C. difficile and Salmonella typhimurium both utilize microbiota-liberated host sugars to expand upon antibiotic-treatment. In Chapter 3, we reveal other expansion strategies used by C. difficile and highlight the use of a microbiota-derived metabolite succinate by C. difficile to expand after perturbations. Chapter 4 contains three collaborative projects including two novel treatments for C. difficile-associated diseases, a prebiotic and a toxin inhibitor, as well as a new model used to study C. difficile-microbiota interactions. Finally Chapter 5 describes future considerations for this work and the field. These studies have revealed the basic mechanisms employed by C. difficile to expand upon antibiotic treatment and identified novel treatment strategies for C. difficile-associated diseases.

Keywords: Microbiology and Immunology.
Advisor: Sonnenburg Justin
Monack Denise M. advisor. Thesis advisor
Relman David A. advisor. Thesis advisor
Sherlock Gavin advisor. Thesis advisor
The role of the 5'-3' exoribonuclease Xrn2 in RNA virus infection [electronic resource]

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a small, hepatotropic, RNA virus that can establish persistent infections leading to chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). With an estimated 2% of the world's population infected, HCV is a serious global health problem. Curiously, this virus has the unique feature of depending on the liver-specific, microRNA miR-122. In the current model, miR-122 interacts with the 5'-end of the HCV RNA genome, protecting it from hitherto unknown degradation machinery. The work described in this dissertation highlights a novel cytoplasmic antiviral function for the mammalian 5'-3' exoribonuclease Xrn2, and enzyme best known for its role in RNA polymerase II transcription termination. We discovered that Xrn2 modulates HCV RNA abundance by destabilizing the viral RNA genome. Importantly, during sequestration of miR-122, Xrn2 depletion restored HCV RNA abundance, suggesting that Xrn2 depletion eliminates the miR-122 requirement for viral RNA stability. Thus, Xrn2 is an antiviral effector so potent that HCV has evolved a mechanism to evade it, through the subversion of miR-122 to form a protective oligomeric complex at the 5' end of the viral genome. To determine if Xrn2's antiviral function is specific to HCV, we studied its role in poliovirus (PV) infection. Our experiments showed that Xrn2 interacts with PV RNA early during infection, and that Xrn2 activity may be suppressed by proteolytic cleavage that is mediated by the PV protease 2A. This work revealed an unprecedented role for Xrn2 and highlighted the broad function of this novel antiviral factor in RNA virus infection. In this dissertation, we also investigated the regulation of noncoding RNAs in HCV infection. Sucrose-gradient analysis of miR-122 during HCV infection uncovered that this highly conserved miRNA and its isomiR variants form unique complexes, which are specifically modulated during infection. This highlights the ability of HCV to modulate the engagement of specific miR-122-complexes, and the distinct functions in gene regulation these complexes may play. We also examined the role of Xrn2 in mammalian long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) degradation, and their regulation during HCV infection, by performing lncRNA microarrays. Our analyses will provide important insights into the biological functions of lncRNAs and help us identify novel therapeutic targets for HCV infection and HCC. Taken together, the work described here has uncovered a novel cytoplasmic antiviral function for Xrn2 in RNA virus infection. Our research highlights the potential of studying lncRNAs and miRNA variants during viral infection, which can lead the way for the discovery of new biomarkers and therapeutics.

Keywords: Genetics.
Advisor: Sarnow P. (Peter) primary advisor. Thesis advisor
Cohen Stanley
Fire Andrew Zachary advisor. Thesis advisor
Kay Mark Allan advisor. Thesis advisor
The role of the microRNA-126 in lymphangiogenesis [electronic resource]

The lymphatic vasculature (LV) is an essential component of the cardiovascular system and fulfills critical roles during development and in the pathogenesis of diseases such as lymphedema, cancer metastasis and various inflammatory conditions. Although, there has been progress in the field of lymphatic vascular research, our understanding of lymphatic vessel development and pathogenesis is still rather limited. We have previously shown that the endothelial-specific microRNA-126 plays a crucial role in mediating developmental angiogenesis in vivo. In this study we demonstrate that miR-126 is also necessary for the formation of de novo lymphangiogenesis. To this extent, we have employed an in vivo approach by utilizing our miR-126 knockout (KO) mice as well as lymphatic specific driver mice (Prox1CreERT2) to address the role of miR-126 in the lymphatic vasculature. Regulation of lymphangiogenesis by miR-126 was confirmed using sophisticated in vivo models such as the tail lymphedema, corneal micropocket assay and intradermal injections with adenovirus encoding VEGF-C (VEGF-C challenge). In vitro studies have shown that miR-126 is highly expressed in both human and mouse lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). MiR-126 knockdown in HLECs results in reduced proliferation and decreased cell viability with abrupt VEGF-C removal. Furthermore, VEGF-C induces miR-126 expression in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that there is a molecular link between miR-126 and the VEGFR-3/VEGF-C signaling pathway. Our studies show that miR-126 can play a dual role not only in regulating angiogenesis but also lymphangiogenesis in vivo. Understanding the role of miR-126 in lymphangiogenesis provides further insight for the therapeutic manipulation of lymphatic vessels. Overall, this thesis has unveiled a novel role for miR-126 in lymphangiogenesis. Future studies are needed to elucidate the precise mechanism of action of miR-126 in this context are needed and are currently ongoing. It is our hope that gaining a deep understanding of how miR-126 regulates lymphatic endothelial cell physiology will provide valuable contributions towards improving our ability to treat cancer metastasis through manipulation of its principal dissemination avenue, the lymphatic vasculature.

Advisor: Kuo Calvin Jay primary advisor. Thesis advisor
Rockson Stanley G. primary advisor. Thesis advisor
Giaccia Amato J. advisor. Thesis advisor
Lipsick Joseph Steven
Roles of brassinosteroids in regulating arabidopsis root development [electronic resource]

The balance between stem cell maintenance and differentiation is crucial for optimal growth of plant roots, yet the factors controlling this balance are unknown. The work presented in this dissertation demonstrates that the spatial distribution of BR activity and its antagonistic interaction with auxin are crucial for dynamics of stem cell activity and root growth. Microscopic analysis reveals a spatiotemporal pattern of the BR-activated transcription factor BZR1 along the root developmental gradient. A low BZR1 activity in the stem cell niche is required for stem cell maintenance, while a high BZR1 activity in the transition-elongation zone is required for normal cell elongation. This BZR1 gradient is established by BR catabolism but is also modulated by graded auxin distribution in the root tip. Transcriptomic and genetic analyses indicate that BR and auxin act antagonistically in regulating developmental zone-specific transcriptomes and cell elongation, and that a BR-auxin balance is required for optimal root growth. Finally, BR transport and its roles in cell-cell communication were characterized by analyses of BZR1 subcellular localization and growth phenotypes in transgenic lines expressing BR biosynthesis genes in certain cells or tissues. The results suggest that endogenous BR undergoes short-distance transport in plants.

Keywords: Biology.
Advisor: Bergmann Dominique primary advisor. Thesis advisor
Wang Zhi-Yong
Long Sharon R. advisor. Thesis advisor
Romantic lives of the mind [electronic resource]

Romantic Lives of the Mind examines the emergence of a new form of intellectual life in the Romantic period. I argue that literary activity became indispensable to thinking about being a person. Writers such as Coleridge, Keats, Hazlitt and De Quincey sought not only to find new ways to talk about the experience of living, but to test those ideas out in their own lives. In looking to justify a life devoted to thought, they had to rewrite the terms of life itself -- to make literary activity not only a vital component of any program in life, but the hermeneutic model best suited to interpreting it. In readings which render both the conceptual intensity and the texture of such lives, I show how the concept of "literature, " as we understand it today, emerges out of these activities.

Keywords: English.
Advisor: Castle Terry primary advisor. Thesis advisor
Greene Roland
Gumbrecht Hans Ulrich advisor. Thesis advisor
Tamen Miguel advisor. Thesis advisor
Salmonella exploits microbiota-liberated mucin polysaccharides during emergence [electronic resource]

The human intestine is home to a dense community of commensal microbes that have co-evolved with humans for millions of years. In the absence of disturbance, this community modulates gut homeostasis and mounts a state of colonization resistance against enteric pathogens. This is generally thought to occur through highly efficient resource partitioning as well as the induction and modulation of inflammation and antimicrobial defenses. Profound disturbance of the community, often by way of antibiotic treatment, leads to disruption of colonization resistance. In both humans and animal models, recent antibiotic use is associated with increased susceptibility to several pathogens, including Salmonella typhimurium and Clostridium difficile. This dissertation focuses on understanding the specific mechanisms employed by Salmonella typhimurium during post-antibiotic expansion in the intestine. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to Salmonella as well as to the microbiota and the five phases of microbiota-pathogen interactions. Chapter 2 details a specific strategy utilized by S. typhimurium to expand in the gut, which involves the catabolism of the microbiota-liberated mucosal carbohydrates sialic acid and fucose. The work in Chapter 3 addresses some of the potential applications and questions that have resulted from this finding. Chapter 4 concludes with a discussion of future directions for modulating resistance to pathogens, both with respect to this work as well for the field at large.

Keywords: Microbiology and Immunology.
Advisor: Sonnenburg Justin
Monack Denise M. advisor. Thesis advisor
Schneider David (David Samuel)
Spormann Alfred M. advisor. Thesis advisor
Sara Copio Sullam [electronic resource] : a verse translation

This dissertation is a verse translation of the complete extant body of poetry written by seventeenth-century Jewish poetess, Sara Copio Sullam. The first chapter investigates Sullam's work in the context of contemporary Jewish writing, the literary movement of female Petrarchism, and the history of epistolary relationships in Italian literature. The second chapter explores the theory of translation utilized in the dissertation, including a broad investigation of the translation of lyric poetry as well as a discussion of specific translation choices--demonstrating how the particulars of Sullam's poetry allowed her to engage in conversation with and defend herself against her male contemporaries. The third and final chapter consists of the translations themselves.

Keywords: French and Italian.
Advisor: Springer Carolyn primary advisor. Thesis advisor
Barletta Vincent advisor. Thesis advisor
Harrison Robert advisor. Thesis advisor