This thesis studies the distributed optimization of protocols and linear precoding in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless networks. We consider cellular systems including millimeter wave (mmWave) systems, frequency-division duplex (FDD) systems, and wideband time-division duplex (TDD) systems. Firstly, for mmWave systems, we design an efficient beam training protocol with multiple access...
This dissertation argues that British and Ottoman literatures of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries are linked and mutually informed in their representations of sovereignty. My study of the poetry, fiction, chronicles and travelogues from these periods demonstrates that both literary traditions respond to the rivalry between the British and Ottoman...
The interaction of amyloid-β (Aβ) with endogenous metal ions is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, limited tools exist to study and modulate Aβ-metal binding. The Meade lab has developed cobalt(III) Schiff base (Co(III)-sb) complexes as protein inhibitors that competitively displace metals from...
The evolutionarily conserved COMPASS family of methyltransferases implements histone H3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methylation, an epigenetic mark associated with transcriptional activation. Given the high mutational prevalence of COMPASS subunits across cancers and neurodevelopmental disorders, understanding COMPASS function would lend important insights into disease pathogenesis to facilitate development of effective therapies....
Nearly all animals exhibit behaviors that can be classified as sleep. The distinctly disadvantageous nature of the asleep state, evolutionarily speaking, accentuates its role as a critical physiological process, yet chronic inadequate sleep is prevalent in today’s society. Among the multitude of health problems that have been linked to chronic...
The experiences and environments of working-class children vary dramatically from their more affluent peers. I update Bronfenbrenner’s (1986) ecological systems theory to account for the technology children interact with and child social class, using Lareau’s (2003) frameworks that establish class differences in parenting practices. I position child technology devices at...
Pablo Escobar is not only part of Colombia’s cruel past but also of its very difficult present. Escobar was one of the first major modern drug traffickers, and the founder and head of the Medellín Cartel. He was responsible for more than four thousand deaths. He had an incalculable fortune...
Cell-based therapies are an exciting frontier in medicine. This field is built on a simple premise—cells can be engineered to recognize and treat various human diseases. The paradigm of cell-based therapy uses biosensors to interrogate a cell’s environment and distinguish disease from health, intracellular signaling pathways and genetic circuitry to...
This dissertation describes investigations into the two primary mechanisms by which the optical bandgap of colloidal quantum dots (QDs) may be post-synthetically modified: (i) by the quantum-confined Stark effect and (ii) by exciton-delocalizing surface capping ligands. This work demonstrates that through the use of ligand-exchange strategies that enable either of...
Research shows the increasing tendency of political considerations to influence decisions outside the context of politics. This work documents examples of partisan affiliation influencing judgments and behaviors – and often resulting in favoritism or discrimination – in ostensibly nonpolitical contexts such as the workplace, academia, and dating, among others. To...