In poplar (Populus spp.) a 32-kilodalton bark storage protein (BSP) accumulates during the fall and winter, and is thought to be a major storage form of overwintering nitrogen. BSP is induced by short-day (SD) photoperiod, and under natural conditions BSP accumulation coincides with the induction of dormancy. Because BSP accumulates...
One of the motives of China's Economic Reform is to bring Western
management techniques to China to further economic development. The miraculous
success of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Shenzhen, Guangdong has attracted
many foreign investors who gladly bring their management expertise. This thesis looks
at small, medium and...
This thesis presents a novel design for a rheometer style viscometer by implementing high temperature and inert atmospheric requirements on the device. The goals of this device are to measure the viscosity of high temperature molten salts, which are corrosive and extremely hydroscopic. It also aims to be able to...
Machine learning has enabled significant advancements in diverse fields, yet, with a few exceptions, has had limited impact on computer architecture. Recent work, however, has begun to explore broader application to design, optimization, and simulation. Notably, machine-learning-based strategies often surpass prior state-of-the-art analytical, heuristic, and human-expert approaches. This thesis first...
Advances in deep learning based image processing have led to their adoption for a wide range of applications, and in tow with these developments is a dramatic increase in the availability of high quality datasets. With this comes the need to accelerate and scale deep learning applications in order to...
Nanoscale Instrumented Indentation Testing (IIT) is a material characterization technique that is used to determine mechanical properties. The size effects present at this scale make it difficult to expand findings to a bulk scale. Modeling can be used to bridge this gap and better understand nanoscale IIT and the size...