In chapter 1, we study the investment behavior of firms faced with uncertainty, irreversibility and non-convex adjustment costs when output can be stored. A discrete-time dynamic optimization problem is solved numerically using neural networks to study the investment problem. Our numerical results suggest that whether or not firms can store...
This dissertation examines the development of a black theater aesthetic in Jamaica as the colony prepared for independence. I define my theory of myalisation to explain how middle class theatre audiences participated in the Afro-Jamaican religious rituals of the lower class and how their participation signaled the development of a...
The physics of granular materials is one of the big questions in science. Granular materials serve as a prototype of collective systems far from equilibrium and fundamental questions remain. At the same time, an understanding of granular materials has tremendous practical importance. Among practical problems, granular mixing and its interplay...
The overarching theme of this thesis is the development of non-natural oligomers for use in biological applications. Chapter I details the synthesis and studies of modified peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligomers. PNA is a synthetic oligonucleotide mimic that binds to natural nucleic acids with extremely high affinity and specificity, making...
This dissertation describes the invention and development of a new nanolithographic method: On-Wire Lithography (OWL). OWL is a simple, reproducible, and high-throughput procedure for the synthesis and lithographic processing of metal nanowires (i.e. Au, Ag, Pt, Ni, and Cu) that allows researchers to control the morphology and feature size of...
This dissertation examines and seeks to revitalize the concept of "distraction," through an analysis of the changes it underwent in German-speaking philosophy, critical theory, and literature between the World Wars. Defying the sociological and psychological norms of the period, Franz Kafka, Martin Heidegger, and Walter Benjamin refused to treat distraction...
Surfaces and interfaces, which are ubiquitous in the environment, control the mobility,speciation, and ultimate fate of groundwater species. The presented work provides insight into the interfacial behavior of three environmental pollutants: hexavalent chromium, oxytetracycline, and morantel. Model surfaces are employed for these studies, including (1-102) α-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> and a carboxylic acid-terminated...
My dissertation investigates the social mechanisms that determine the allocation of consequences of earnings restatements for organizational elites, using a sample S&P1500 Index-listed firms restating earnings between 1997 and 2003. In chapter 1, I examine turnover following revelations of organizational misconduct. I find that outside director turnover is associated with...
In this dissertation, the Tg behavior of nanoconfined polymer films and 1-dimensional (1-D) patterned polymer nanostructures was studied. Using a novel fluorescence method, a reduction in Tg was observed upon confinement in PS films supported on silica, where free-surface (polymer-air interface) effects are dominant in modifying Tg. In contrast, Tg...
This study investigates the nature of the face-to-face interactions and collaborations between secondary school students and community members in the nested contexts of the classroom and a local Italian community, both situated in a large city in Canada. Students used the tools of inquiry of cultural ethnographers, interviewing members of...