Thesis (B.Sc)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / "A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Bachelor of Science (Speech and Hearing Sciences), The University of Hong Kong, May 10, 2002." Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Canterbury, 2006. / Typescript (photocopy). "August 2006." Includes bibliographical references (p. [167]-179) and index. Also available via the World Wide Web.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2008. / Title from title screen (site viewed Jan. 15, 2009). PDF text: 260 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 19 Mb. UMI publication number: AAT 3315882. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 187-190). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1994. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-78). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Please refer to full text for abstract.

The plasma jet, a commonly used ignition device, has been investigated as a source of acoustic energy suitable for sub-bottom profiling. Named the plasma gun, the device discharges electrical energy in a cylindrical arc ignited in a gaseous environment surrounded by water. When the arc energy evaporates water, it produces a rapidly expanding vapor bubble that creates the acoustic pressure wave. Acoustic properties of the device are similar to small explosives, and to electric sparkers. Multiple bubble oscillations, a problem of explosive-type sources, are generally less troublesome for the plasma gun than with the sparker sources. Some degree of frequency control of the acoustic pulse is possible if proper values are selected for the electrical circuit components and for the total stored electrical energy. Peak acoustic pressures are controlled both by the total electric energy and by the rate it is delivered to the arc. These quantities are determined by capacitance, inductance, and charging voltage. Frequency components of the primary pressure pulse depend on the arc discharge frequency and on the immersion depth of the device. The bubble period depends primarily on the amount of energy discharged into the water; this in turn is proportional to the total stored electrical energy. The plasma gun has been compared to small air guns, pingers, sparkers, and boomers. Sub-bottom profiles obtained show penetration less than the 1 in3 air gun but with more resolution. Stored energy in the plasma gun, however, was nearly five times less. Penetration was equal and resolution better than electric sparkers of the same energy. Penetration was better and resolution poorer than the pinger, and resolution poorer and penetration slightly better than the boomer source. Except for the sparkers, which used the same power supply, the plasma gun has a decided advantage in equipment size and ease of deployment. / Graduate

Dans cette thèse, nous nous sommes intéressés à la manipulation par forces acoustiques de particules et de fluide à petite échelle. Nous avons construit pour cela un système où des ondes acoustiques de surface sont générées sur un substrat piézo-électrique de LiNbO3 à partir d’électrodes interdigitées, puis émises dans une cavité microfluidique, à une fréquence de l’ordre de 37 MHz soient des longueurs d’onde d'environ 100 µm.Dans le cas où deux ondes stationnaires sont émises perpendiculairement et à la même fréquence, nous montrons théoriquement et expérimentalement la présence d’un terme d’interférence qui, selon le déphasage temporel entre les deux ondes, va modifier la localisation des ventres et nœuds de pression dans la cavité, mais aussi donner lieu à des tourbillons dont l’axe de rotation est perpendiculaire au substrat.Nous montrons théoriquement que ces tourbillons proviennent de la forme particulière des écoulements redressés en paroi et, en injectant des microparticules, nous avons déterminé des vitesses angulaire de plusieurs rad/s. Leur disposition spatiale suit une périodicité d'une demi-longueur d'onde, et leur sens de rotation est alternée entre tourbillons voisins horaires et anti-horaires. Que cela soit avec des globules rouges ou des particules de latex, nous avons identifié une dynamique complexe, avec la formation d’agrégats au centre des vortex sous l’effet des forces de radiations et une répartition en différents niveaux par effet de lévitation acoustique dans l’épaisseur de la cavité, en accord avec l'analyse.Dans le cas où des particules d’une dizaine de micromètres sont utilisées, nous observons, outre l’arrangement des objets dans les nœuds de pression, une rotation individuelle de chaque objet, à des vitesses angulaires plus élevées. Nous interprétons ces observations comme la première mise en évidence d’un couple d’origine acoustique sur des microparticules et cellules biologiques à partir d’ondes acoustiques de surface, constituant l’analogue à petite échelle des effets de couples acoustiques décrits par Busse et Wang en 1981.La thèse propose une description détaillée des différentes montages électriques et microfluidiques, avec les différentes étapes conduisant à un laboratoire sur puce permettant la génération tant de forces que de couples acoustiques, mais aussi la manière de qualifier électriquement et optiquement ses performances. / The focus of this PhD thesis was on particles and fluid handling through acoustic forces, at a very small scale. For this purpose, we built a micro-system based on surface acoustic waves emitted from interdigitated electrodes on a lithium niobate piezoelectric substrate. Those waves then leak into a fluid contained in a microfluidic cavity, at a frequency of 37 MHz, leading to 100 µm wavelengths.If two stationnary waves are emitted perpendicularly and at the same frequency, we theoretically and experimentally show evidence of interferences that can, depending on the time phase shift between them, nto only alter the positions of pressure nodes and antinodes in the acoustic cavity, but also give birth to acoustic vortices which axis is normal to the substrate surface.We theoretically show that those vortices come from the special behaviour of acoustic streaming due to a moving surface. Then, while injecting microparticles in the cavity, we measure angular velocities of a few rad/s. Those vortices spatial disposition follows a half-wavelength period, and their rotation alternates between neighbours: clockwise or anticlockwise. We identify a complex dynamic concerning their 3D structure, since small particles tend to aggregate in vertical columns in the center of the vortex because of radiation forces, with a vertical modulation in the height of the cavity, in good agreement with theoretical predictions.When 10 µm large particles are used instead, we observe individual rotations, even for spherical objects, with higher rotation velocities. We believe those observations to be the first evidence of an acoustic net torque exerted on micro-objects such as biological cells or beads stemming from surface acoustic waves, thus a small scale equivalent of acoustic torques described by Busse and Wang in 1981.This manuscript develops a detailed description of both electric and microfuidic devices, giving the successive steps leading to a lab on chip designed to generate acoustic forces and torques at once, and also the method for qualifying and quantifying electrically and optically its performances.

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of Sleep Disturbances (SD) in children and to evaluate the correlation between dental classification and airway dimensions. METHODS: Children between 3 – 18 years at the Boston University Pediatric Oral Healthcare Center in Boston, Massachusetts were recruited for this study. Based on parents’ responses in a brief sleep-screening questionnaire, cases were identified as children with SD and controls were those without. Another detailed questionnaire was used to collect information on demographics and sleep patterns. Clinical and upper airway examinations were conducted using Eccovision Acoustic Rhinometer (AR) and Acoustic Pharyngometer (AP). Statistical differences in upper airway measurements by type of dental occlusion were evaluated. RESULTS: Among 281 children, the prevalence of SD was 38%. Upper airway measurements among 176 participants using AP showed significantly higher pharyngeal Minimum Cross-Sectional Area (MCA) for class III dental occlusion compared to class I (P=.036) in children with SD. Statistically significant differences in MCA, Airway Volume (AV), and minimum distance to MCA by type of dental occlusion were mainly observed among children with SD (P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight a possible correlation between nasal and pharyngeal airway dimensions and dental classification among children with SD. Further analysis that include radiological examinations may help in confirming these findings.