Embedded systems are ubiquitous. Although many aspects of embedded system design and synthesis have received significant research attention, comparatively less attention has been given to new ideas in memory hierarchy design. This dissertation presents several new operating system and architecture techniques that use elements of the virtual and physical memory...
Desmosomes are adhesive complexes found at sites of intercellular contact that are essential for mediating cell-cell adhesion. These junctions undergo regulated assembly and reorganization during processes such as embryogenesis and wound healing. Plakophilins (PKPs) are armadillo family members related to the classic cadherin-associated protein p120ctn. PKPs localize to the cytoplasmic...
Serious games that are designed for educational purposes promote acquisition of knowledge and skills that are valued in the both the virtual realm and the real world. The challenge is to design serious games that leverage meaningful play to produce positive learning outcomes in the real world. I argue that...
TGF-β has been named the molecular Jekyll and Hyde of cancer due to its ability to both suppress and promote tumor development. Components of the TGF-β signaling pathway are often mutated in cancer to inhibit the tumor suppressor roles of TGF-β. Our lab studies how a 3-alanine deletion in the...
In the last half decade, America has expanded educational opportunities and experimented with a variety of educational reforms in an effort to reduce educational inequality. The first part of this dissertation examines the effectiveness of two major education policies aim to reduce educational inequality. Chapter 1 examines whether the expansion...
Though more serious during the economic reform than in Mao-era, corruption has not totally got out of hand of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It is not too rampant to control and its destructive effects appear to have been limited from impeding the economic growth. To study the "resilience" that...
Substance abuse is one of the most critical public health problems affecting juvenile detainees. Previous research suggests that a significant proportion of juvenile detainees with substance use disorders do not receive treatment prior to or during detention. Using data from the Northwestern Juvenile Project, a large-scale longitudinal study of juvenile...
Spinal cord injury causes devastating and frequently irreversible loss of neurological function. Although injured central nervous system neurons have the intrinsic ability to regenerate, the environment in the damaged spinal cord is non-permissive. The goal of this thesis was to explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms that limit recovery after...
π-Conjugated oligomeric and polymeric semiconductors have been the focus of intense research over the past few decades as alternatives to inorganic semiconductors for low-cost electronic applications such as organic field-effect transistors (OFETs). These materials enable vapor- or solution-phase fabrication of large-area, light-weight electronic devices, and are compatible with plastic substrates...
This thesis focuses on the design of hybrid organic materials comprising polymers and small molecules for biodiagnostic and electronic applications. Specifically, the electrochemical and fluorescent signaling properties of terthiophene-functionalized polymers are combined with the enhanced recognition properties of DNA hybrid materials, culminating in the development of a "loaded" probe for...