Genetic factors such as loss of genetic diversity, mutations, and inbreeding depression can increase a populations chances of extinction, therefore it is important to understand how these factors can contribute to populations decline. Among the genetic factors that can contribute to populations extinction, inbreeding depression is the only one that...
Muscle strength assessment is a standard part of any clinical evaluation. Due to the kinematic and muscular redundancy in the human musculoskeletal system, muscle strength can not be measured directly in vivo. Clinicians utilize specific postures and forces to bias the muscles of interest, then infer the muscle strength from...
The advancement of nanotechnology is at least partially dependent on the ability to synthesize and arrange complex nanostructures on a substrate. Nanolithography, or the patterning of materials at the sub-micrometer length-scale, has been traditionally performed using a number of methods such as conventional photolithography, ion-beam etching, and electron-beam lithography. While...
We broaden the scope of existing dark matter searches at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) by considering phenomena such as bound state formation and by utilizing simple extensions of well-studied models in the literature. First, we consider the Mono-X studies at the LHC, where the production of dark matter occurs...
Radiofrequency ablation is a minimally-invasive treatment method that aims to destroy undesired tissue by exposing it to alternating current in the 100 kHz to 800 kHz frequency range and heating it until it is destroyed via coagulative necrosis. Ablation treatment is gaining momentum especially in cancer research, where the undesired...
The dynamics of human joints are fundamental characteristic of the human motor system, and altered joint impedance can hinder mobility. Individuals with transtibial amputation typically experience slower and energetically costly gait, while individuals with chronic stroke experience persisting gait deficits arising from spasticity, hypertonia and paresis. Investigating joint impedance of...
Movement and sensing fundamentally works in a synergistic manner. Animal's sensory organs --- be they independently movable like eyes or requiring whole body movement as in the case of electroreceptors --- are actively manipulated throughout stimulus-driven active sensing behaviors. Though these sensing-related motions have been individually reported and analyzed across...
Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is a leading cause of healthcare-associated and community-acquired infection in the United States. Despite the canonical thinking that antibodies and B cells are the main drivers of protection against extracellular pathogens, T cells are now recognized as critical players in protection against SA in multiple routes of...
“Entertaining Strangers” reveals how theories and practices of hospitality shaped and were shaped by the early modern print and theater industries. Whereas earlier studies of hospitality and literature have focused on aristocratic patronage, in this dissertation I reveal the vital importance of commercial hospitality as a framework for ethical and...
Following the discovery of n-type Mg3Sb2−Mg3Bi2 alloys, attempts have been undertaken to optimize their thermoelectric performance because understanding of the properties of this system had been limited due to its novelty. In this thesis, the thermoelectric performance of n-type Mg3Sb2−Mg3Bi2 alloys was systematically investigated and significantly improved. Thorough experimental characterization...