Common estimators of the mean g(θ) = Jx dFθ(x) in skewed distribution models may be sensitive to contamination by a few large observations. It is then desirable to consider robust estimators g(θ) .The approach of Hampel (1968), who defines an estimator θ for the parameter vector θ to be optimal...
Reusing reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) presents an opportunity to reduce environmental burdens and encourage sustainable development. However, a concern exists about blending RAP binder and virgin asphalt binder. While RAP mixtures assume complete blending between these binders, the actual extent of this blending remains uncertain. Lower blending percentages can reduce...
Xanthohumol [XN, (E)-6´-methoxy-3´-(3-methylbuten-2-yl)-2´,4´,4´´-trihydroxychalcone], the principal prenylated chalcone from hops, and its 2,3-dihydro- (DXN) and O6-desmethyl-2,3-dihydro- (DDXN) congeners, are of potential utility for the amelioration of metabolic syndrome; however, their complex bioactivity profiles cannot be properly studied and understood without access to appropriately produced synthetic materials.
In the first part of...
Generation resources are shifting from centralized, high inertial, fossil fuel based to decentralized, no inertia, and variable renewable resources. The evolution of generation resources in electrical grids requires the transformation of the electrical grid infrastructure, and operation and planning procedures and standards. This dissertation takes four investigations into how to...
When the term renewable energy is mentioned in a conversation, wind, solar, and hydro energy typically come to mind. However, there is one major resource that has remained mostly untapped: wave energy. Wind and solar power technologies are well established around the world but they cannot generate electricity all the...
Resilient interdependent critical infrastructures (CIs) can better withstand cascading failures in disruptive events. This study proposes network expansion as a resilience improvement strategy for interdependent CIs and evaluates the influence of topology in interdependent network design for resilience optimization under disruption uncertainty. A resilience score consisting of network complexity and...
In 2004 the National Toxicology Program published an article describing their intent to pursue toxicology testing and risk assessment practices solely reliant on high throughput in vitro datasets and in silico modeling for dose-response assessments. Support and contributions form regulatory agencies and a significant portion of the life sciences community...
Membrane based heat pumps systems have attracted the attention of many research groups as a potentially more environmentally friendly alternative to vapor compression systems that are being used for space cooling in 90\% of the buildings in the United States. Several prototypes systems have been developed, with reported claims of...