This thesis addresses the need for flexible parametric design tools. It focuses on the implementation of a particular tool, Bentley Systems' Generative Components, by exploring features, strengths and weaknesses, and how features can be implemented in design. An exposition of Generative Components is introduced to bridge the gap between the potential and existing power of parametric tools. Through a case study of the Bahá'í Temple for South America this thesis explores the implementation of Generative Components. The exposition argues for the validity of parametric research, specifically its ability to streamline and enhance an architectural design process. <br /><br /> The topic of parametric design is further documented in a survey submitted to researchers and developers in the field of parametric research and design. The purpose of this documentation is to place the progression of parametric tools within the context of current development, initiating an open-ended discussion focusing on future research. <br /><br /> This thesis adds to the current development of parametric technology by making particular contributions to tools within the realm of parametric research. Primary contributions include array seeking scripts that search for and replace or duplicate objects, routines for nesting functions within scripts, ideological workflow development and conceptual training through practical application.

Micro/nano-patterning of supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) has shown considerable potential for addressing fundamental biophysical questions about cell membrane behavior and the creation of a new generation of biosensors. Herein are presented several novel lithographic methods for the size-controlled patterning of SLBs from the microscale to the nanoscale. Using these methods, chemically distinct types of phospholipid bilayers and/or Escherichia Coli (E. Coli) membranes can be spatially addressed on a single microchip. These arrays can, in turn, be employed in the studies of multivalent ligand-receptor interactions, enzyme kinetics, SLBs size limitation, and membrane-associated species separation. The investigations performed in the Laboratory for Biological Surface Science include the following projects. Chapters II and III describe the creation of lab-on-a-chip based platforms by patterning SLBs in microfluidic devices, which were employed in high throughput binding assays for multivalent ligand-receptor interactions between cholera toxin B subunits (CTB) and ganglioside GM1. The studies on the effect of ligand density for multivalent CTB-GM1 interactions revealed that the CTB-GM1 binding weakened with increasing GM1 density. Such a result can be explained by the clustering of GM1 on the supported phospholipid membranes, which in turn inhibits the binding of CTB. Chapter IV characterizes the enzymatic activity of phosphatase tethered to SLBs in a microfluidic device. Higher turnover rate and catalytic efficiency were observed at low enzyme surface densities, ascribing to the low steric crowding hindrance and high enzyme fluidity, as well as the resulting improvement of substrate accessibility and affinity of enzyme catalytic sites. Chapter V presents sub-100 nm patterning of supported biomembranes by atomic force microscopy (AFM) based nanoshaving lithography. Stable SLBs formed by this method have a lower size limit of ~ 55 nm in width. This size limit stems from a balance between a favorable bilayer adhesion energy and an unfavorable bilayer edge energy. Finally, chapter VI demonstrates the electrophoretic separation of membrane-associated fluorophores in polymer-cushioned lipid bilayers. This electrophoretic method was applied to the separation of membrane proteins in E. Coli ghost membranes.

To inquire into entrepreneurship, a newly-emerging and interesting subject, our research has selected Taiwan¡¦s information technology electronics components industry as research target. By gathering vast- and primary- data, and using several representative Taiwanese component manufacturers as case studies, we found the ¡¥technical-amateur¡¦ phenomenon. This paper will clearly explain the contents, contextual factors, and advantages of technical-amateur entrepreneurship. These type of entrepreneurs are so-called ¡¥technical-amateurs¡¦ because they lacked previous work experiences in the information technology industry, i.e. outsiders; they also lacked technical ability of the typical blue-collared workers and the engineers, they were previously high-level managers in the manufacturing industry. Thus technical-amateurs tend to have vast- and extended- relationship networks that can quickly transfer capitals, to form capital team and gain the assistance of venture capital to attract the technical team; they also have sharp intuition that can strategize to move toward the mainstream to maximize market benefits; they also have managerial ability that can successfully assimilate the technology team and improve production efficiency while reducing production cost. These concepts are similar to the arguments of ¡¥fitness landscape¡¦, ¡¥co-evolution¡¦, and ¡¥the establishment of shared schema¡¨. There are several important contextual factors that led to the emergence of technical-amateurs. 1) Product technology already exists, but the process technology remains to be explored; 2) Clustering of the local information technology industry, especially the existence of world-class EMS manufacturers; 3) Rapid growths of venture-capitals; 4) Mobility of technology and talents; and 5) Profitability minimization of information products. Comparing to technical entrepreneurs, technical-amateur entrepreneurs have the following advantages: 1.By occupying the advanced-guard position in the information industry, can quickly discover entrepreneurial opportunities. Outsourcing under changes in the global commodity chain and the trend toward lighter- and smaller- information products, give rise to more entrepreneurial opportunities in the component industry. Since technical-amateurs maintain close relationships with venture-capital thus can organize capital team, therefore occupying the advanced-guard position where they can quickly discover emerging opportunities. 2.Powerful Capital Reinforcements. To achieve economies of scale, newly-founded components businesses must quickly improve its productivity. But before this could happen, manufacturer must experience a learning period where budgetary deficits are unavoidable. However due to the reinforcements of the capital team, technical-amateur entrepreneurs can lead through this difficult period and into a most profitable period of significant growths.

In this study, the fundamental mechanism of friction stir welding was investigated to establish the relationship among the three components of the forces acting on the work pieces, the variation of the stirring energy, and the joint characteristics of the materials. A dynamometer designed by Chiou et al., was used to measure the axial force (z-direction), the feed force (x-direction), and the clamping force (y-direction). The output energy of servo motor was monitored by power meter. Experimental results show that with increasing welding speed, the feed force increases obviously, the axial force increases slightly, and the energy almost remains constant for the fixed rotation speed of the spindle. At the rotation speed of spindle of 800 rpm, the spindle angle of 1¢X, the pre-clamping force of 2kN and the welding speed of 60 mm/min, results show that the feed force is about 1kN when the probe is plunged into the specimens but the shoulder does not be in contact with the surface of the specimen. However, when the probe is plunges into the specimens entirely and the shoulder is in contact with the surface slightly, the feed force is reduced to 0.48kN. Moreover, when the shoulder is in contact with the surface heavily, the feed force is reduced to 0.2kN. This result indicates that the contact force between the shoulder and the specimen causes the material to become soft and to backfill into the weld, and then decreases the feed force. After the specimen of the 6061-T6 aluminum has been welding, the micro hardness measurements are made. Results show that the distribution of the hardness is quite consistent along the welding as the feed force approaches to 0.2kN. Furthermore, the appearance on the surface of the weld is quite fine, and thereby it is able to get the high and uniform quality. The spacing distance of the weld surface can be theoretically analyzed. It is found that the spacing distance increases with welding speed and decreases with rotation speed of spindle. The theoretical predictions are in very good agreement with the experimental measurements.

The objective of the proposed research is to devise a methodology for sensing and tracking environmental variables using a passive wireless sensor based on reflected electro-material signatures. Viability of item level tracking demands the sensor to be extraordinary low cost, thus eliminating the use of any active sensor or memory circuitry. Recent developments of materials whose electrical properties can change significantly with the environmental conditions suggest the possibility of developing a passive sensor that can be interrogated remotely to extract data about the time tracked environmental changes at the sensor. A simple passive sensor, based on the concept of reflected electro-material signatures (REMS), consists of an antenna attached to a microstrip transmission line, which in turn is routed over one or more sections of variable permittivity material before being terminated in a load. The basic idea revolves around sensing the electrical properties of thermotropic liquid crystal (LCs) trapped in a polymer substrate to record the temperature data. As the temperature changes with time, the polymerization process through the material line records the historical temperature profile in the spatial distribution of the electrical properties, thus enabling the system to extract the historical profile of temperature without using any active memory circuitry. This concept can possibly be used to track a variety of variables of interest; however, the proposed research is focused on sensing and extracting the time profile of temperature. The problem of identifying medium properties from waves reflected from a device of this type is a form of the classical one dimensional inverse scattering problem. For profile inversion in a lossy inhomogeneous media, analytical techniques are difficult to implement in most practical situations. In the proposed research, neural networks with a back-propagation algorithm are used to reconstruct the historical temperature profile of the material by extracting the spatially distributed material properties of the electro-material line. After the initial proof of concept for a lossless medium, the methodology is extended to extract spatially distributed properties for a dissipative medium. Finally, for the implementation of REMS sensor concept, a neural network based methodology is developed to reconstruct the spatially distributed permittivity profile of a lossy electro-material line.

<p>The accelerating growth of e-business and technologies has raised the interest in transforming traditional business models or developing new ones. Most of the e-business model research has been devoted to giving taxonomies of e-business models. Though defining e-business model and decomposing it into atomic elements traditionally has been a task for researchers, the concepts surrounding them have been subject to debate lately. While there is an extensive research conducted towards identifying and analyzing key components in e-business models, limited research has been noted in identifying component values or factors and the interconnections between components. In this thesis we review the e-business models literature using literature study in order to give an overview of e-business model definitions, identify the component values and interconnections between components and finally a framework provided that shows all these components, values and interconnections.</p>

Thesis (M.S.)--Missouri University of Science and Technology, 2009. / Vita. The entire thesis text is included in file. Title from title screen of thesis/dissertation PDF file (viewed November 25, 2009) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--West Virginia University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 61 p. : col. ill., col. maps. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 40-42).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI/Dissertation Abstracts International.

Thesis (M.S.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.