Wireless Networks have been widely adopted into a major part of today's network infrastructure. They have become a popular technology to not only expand the coverage of wired networks but also to interconnect a large wireless network, i.e., wireless mesh networks. As they allow more flexible communication than traditional wired-networks...
In this dissertation we study the electromagnetic properties of planar waveguides
with non-magnetic strongly anisotropic dielectric cores. We develop an analytical
description of the mode propagation in these systems and show that the index
of refraction can be either positive or negative depending on the specific material
parameters. Propagating modes...
The US bridal industry has grown over the last 80 years to become a multibillion
dollar industry. Surprisingly, little research has been conducted concerning
the consumer behavior of brides. The bride is in a situation where purchase
decisions need to be made. She has many things she will purchase over...
Sustainable management of planted forests requires maintenance of soil function
to promote 1) root growth; 2) storage and cycling of water and nutrients; 3) optimal gas
exchange; and 4) biological activity. Soil quality measurements can be used to monitor
short- and long-term changes in these soil functions, allowing managers to...
Influences of operating conditions on the production of carbon nanotubes
(CNTs) were studied using Fe and Fe-Ni bimetallic catalysts supported on silicon
monoxide (SiO). The catalysts were prepared in three steps: (1) impregnation of SiO
powders with ferric nitride or combinations of ferric and nickel nitrides, (2) oxidation
of nitrides...
Since its discovery, the anomalous dielectric behavior of CaCu₃Ti₄O₁₂ (CCTO)
has drawn a great deal of attention for many possible applications in electronic
devices. The origin of the giant dielectric constant in CCTO was explained via an
internal barrier layer capacitor model, and it has been reported that the dielectric...
Proteins are the metabolic machines of the cell and as such, the study of proteins could illuminate the dominant biological activities that are occurring within cells and reveal how an organism interacts with its environment. Here, we used proteomic techniques to study the abundant marine bacterium SAR11 both as an...
miRNA-guided cleavage initiates entry of primary transcripts into the trans-acting siRNA (tasiRNA) biogenesis pathway involving RNA-DEPENDENT RNA POLYMERASE6 (RDR6), DICER-LIKE 4 (DCL4), and SUPPRESSOR OF GENE SILENCING3 (SGS3). Arabidopsis thaliana TAS1 and TAS2 families yield tasiRNA that form through miR173- guided initiation cleavage on the 5’ side of the siRNA-generating...
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., and new approaches to control cancer are constantly sought. This dissertation is comprised of two parts: (i) improving the uptake and retention of gadolinium in tumors for potential gadoliniumneutron capture therapy (Gd-NCT) and (ii) integration of gemcitabine or...
In this dissertation we study the electromagnetic properties of plasmonic metamaterials. We develop an analytical description to solve the fundamental problem of free-space scattering in planar plasmonic systems by utilizing anisotropic metamaterials. We show with exact numerical simulations that these manufactured materials do completely eliminate the scattering, and even in...