This study was conceptualized from my own experience working on board cruise ships and from the lack of studies of relationships on board cruise ships. This thesis examines the question: how does globalization in the form of accelerated capitalism and inter- connectedness through the sharing of food and drink across national identities that takes place in the space of cruise ships affect intimate relationships of cruise employees? Through the examinations of narratives of nine ex-crewmembers, developed through qualitative interviews, by using both the phenomenological and narrative methodology a couple of prominent themes appeared. The interviewees described working on a cruise ship as “intense” and the passage of time appears faster on board ship. It appears throughout the narratives, the nature of accelerated capitalism in the cruise ship industry affects the way the majority conduct their relationships.

Cyclophilin A (CypA) is the well-studied member of a group of ubiquitous and evolutionarily conserved families of enzymes called peptidyl–prolyl isomerases (PPIases). These enzymes catalyze the cis-trans isomerization of peptidyl-prolyl bond in many proteins. The distinctive functional path triggered by each isomeric state of peptidyl-prolyl bond renders PPIase-catalyzed isomerization a molecular switching mechanism to be used on physiological demand. PPIase activity has been implicated in protein folding, signal transduction, and ion channel gating as well as pathological condition such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, and microbial infections. The more than five order of magnitude speed-up in the rate of peptidyl–prolyl cis–trans isomerization by CypA has been the target of intense research. Normal and accelerated molecular dynamic simulations were carried out to understand the catalytic mechanism of CypA in atomistic details. The results reaffirm transition state stabilization as the main factor in the astonishing enhancement in isomerization rate by enzyme. The ensuing intramolecular polarization, as a result of the loss of pseudo double bond character of the peptide bond at the transition state, was shown to contribute only about −1.0 kcal/mol to stabilizing the transition state. This relatively small contribution demonstrates that routinely used fixed charge classical force fields can reasonably describe these types of biological systems. The computational studies also revealed that the undemanding exchange of the free substrate between β- and α-helical regions is lost in the active site of the enzyme, where it is mainly in the β-region. The resultant relative change in conformational entropy favorably contributes to the free energy of stabilizing the transition state by CypA. The isomerization kinetics is strongly coupled to the enzyme motions while the chemical step and enzyme–substrate dynamics are in turn buckled to solvent fluctuations. The chemical step in the active site of the enzyme is therefore not separated from the fluctuations in the solvent. Of special interest is the nature of catalysis in a more realistic crowded environment, for example, the cell. Enzyme motions in such complicated medium are subjected to different viscosities and hydrodynamic properties, which could have implications for allosteric regulation and function.

The Accelerated Mortar Bar test (AMBT) is rapid, reproducible, and perhaps the most widely used technique for examining the potential alkali-silica reactivity of aggregates. Unfortunately, this test is often unreliable as it may identify non-reactive aggregate as reactive and vice versa. With the aim of improving the accuracy of AMBT, two modifications to the current procedure were evaluated: 1) the maturity of mortar bars prior to alkali hydroxide exposure and 2) reduction of the storage temperature. The original and modified versions were performed on six aggregates with alkali-silica reactive (ASR) components, and their expansions and ASR classifications were compared. Results show that increasing the maturity had no significant impact on expansions. However, modifying the storage temperature to 60˚C and extending the period of testing to 28 days can be very effective in terms of more reliably identifying the existing falsely identified aggregates.

The Accelerated Mortar Bar test (AMBT) is rapid, reproducible, and perhaps the most widely used technique for examining the potential alkali-silica reactivity of aggregates. Unfortunately, this test is often unreliable as it may identify non-reactive aggregate as reactive and vice versa. With the aim of improving the accuracy of AMBT, two modifications to the current procedure were evaluated: 1) the maturity of mortar bars prior to alkali hydroxide exposure and 2) reduction of the storage temperature. The original and modified versions were performed on six aggregates with alkali-silica reactive (ASR) components, and their expansions and ASR classifications were compared. Results show that increasing the maturity had no significant impact on expansions. However, modifying the storage temperature to 60˚C and extending the period of testing to 28 days can be very effective in terms of more reliably identifying the existing falsely identified aggregates.

Fatigue failure of metallic structures operating under dynamic loading is a common occurrence in engineering applications. It is difficult to estimate the response of complicated systems analytically, due to structure&amp / #8217 / s dynamic characteristics and varying loadings. Therefore, experimental, numerical or a combination of both methods are used for fatigue evaluations. Fatigue failure can occur on systems and platforms as well as components to be mounted on the platform. In this thesis, a helicopter&amp / #8217 / s Missile Warning Sensor - Cowling assembly is analyzed. Analytical, numerical and experimental approaches are used wherever necessary to perform stress and fatigue analyses. Operational flight tests are used for obtaining the loading history at the analyzed location by using sensors. Operational vibration profiles are created by synthesizing the data (LMS Mission Synthesis). Numerical fatigue analysis of the assembly is done for determining the natural modes and the critical locations on the assembly by using a finite element model (MSC Fatigue). In addition, numerical multiaxial PSD analysis is performed for relating the experimental results (Ansys). Residual stresses due to riveting are determined (MSC Marc) and included in experimental analysis as mean stresses. Bolt analysis is performed analytically (Hexagon) for keeping the v assembly stresses in safe levels while mounting the experimental prototype to the test fixture. Fatigue tests for determining the accelerated life parameters are done by an electromagnetic shaker and stress data is collected. Afterwards, fatigue test is performed for determining whether the assembly satisfies the required operational life. Resonance test is performed at the frequency in which the critical location is at resonance, since there was no failure observed after fatigue testing. A failure is obtained during resonance test. At the end of the study, an analytical equation is brought up which relates accelerated life test durations with equivalent alternating stresses. Therefore, optimization of the accelerated life test duration can be done, especially in military applications, by avoiding the maximum stress level to reach or exceed the yield limit.

Despite the vast research on the effects of acceleration programs on student achievement there is little quantitative confirmation of the benefits of these programs and there is no research that investigates the effects of acceleration on students’ VCE Mathematics study scores. / This research attempts to fill this gap by considering four years of data provided by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) relating to achievement in mathematics. Acceleration in this study means the completion of the Year 12Mathematical Methods study during Year 11. The data constitutes experimental data for content acceleration and the results of students from schools without such acceleration programs provide the corresponding control data. However, the acceleration decision is not taken randomly by schools, so this data is only quasi-experimental in nature. The measures of mathematical achievement (Mathematical Methods and Specialist Mathematics study scores) are carefully audited, and are accepted as reliable and valid by the Victorian education system. Controlling for individual characteristics such as gender and prior knowledge, and allowing for moderation effects due to school sector (Government, Catholic and Independent) and school class setting (single-sex or coeducational), the effects of content acceleration are measured using multi-level modelling. / This study examines the effects of acceleration on the VCE Mathematics study scores of students who completed both Mathematical Methods (Units 3&4) and Specialist Mathematics (Units 3&4) in Victoria, over a four-year period (2001-2004). On average this involved 5341 students from 341 schools in each year with 829 students included in a content accelerated program. / The results suggest that content acceleration is beneficial, especially for students with higher prior knowledge scores. The quasi-experimental nature of the data means that a causal relationship between acceleration and students’ mathematical performance can be claimed. In particular, this study showed that the effect of acceleration on students’ Mathematical Methods (the Year 12 study taken in Year 11 by accelerated students) study score was not significant. However, the effect of acceleration on students’ Specialist Mathematics study scores was significant. Accelerated students performed, on average,2.7 points higher (on a 50 point scale) than equal ability age-peers who were not accelerated. Interestingly, for accelerated students who scored in the top 2% for their General Achievement Test, in the mathematics, science and technology component, their Specialist Mathematics study scores were on average, almost 5 points higher (on a 50point scale) than their equal ability age-peers. The statistical control of other factors means that these results can also be generalised to other states, other countries and, probably, to other subjects.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2007. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--McMaster University (Canada), 1996. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 58-06, Section: B, page: 3128. Adviser: N. Balakrishnan.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1999. / Title from title page screen, viewed July 31, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Paul J. Baker (chair), Dianne E. Ashby, George Padavil, William Rau. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 189-197) and abstract. Also available in print.

This thesis investigates the behaviour of UHPC as a fill material for precast deck panels subjected to negative bending. Two full-scale test specimens were constructed. The transverse joints between the panels, the shear pockets, and the deck haunches were all filled with UHPC. A total of four tests were performed including two static tests to failure and two fatigue tests, one of which was performed to failure. Testing consisted of a loading apparatus acting upwards on the deck soffit in an attempt to impose tensile stresses across the transverse joints, representing the conditions that a transverse joint in the negative moment region of a continuous bridge deck would experience. It was concluded that the transverse UHPC joint performed satisfactorily by transferring bending stresses and shear stresses across the joint from one panel to the adjacent panel. Overall, the test specimens displayed performance levels expected from conventional cast-in-place concrete deck alternatives. / February 2016