A photovoltaic thermal solar collector (PVT) produces both heat and electricity from a single panel. PVT collectors produce more energy, for a given area, than conventional electricity and heat producing panels, which means they are a promising technology for applications with limited space, such as building integration. This work has been broken down into 3 subprojects focusing on the development of PVT technology. In the first subproject an experimental testing facility was constructed to characterise the performance of PVT collectors. The collectors under investigation were assembled by combining bespoke thermal absorbers and PV laminates. Of the two designs tested, the serpentine design had the highest combined efficiency of 61% with an 8% electrical fraction. The header riser design had a combined efficiency of 59% with an electrical fraction of 8%. This was in agreement with other results published in literature and highlights the potential for manufacturers of bespoke thermal absorbers and PV devices to combine their products into a single PVT device that could achieve improved efficiency over a given roof area. In the second project a numerical approach using computational fluid dynamics was developed to simulate the performance of a solar thermal collector. Thermal efficiency curves were simulated and the heat removal factor and heat loss coefficient differed from the experimental measurements by a maximum of 12.1% and 2.9% respectively. The discrepancies in the findings is attributed to uncertainty in the degree of thermal contact between the absorber and the piping. Despite not perfectly matching the experimental results, the CFD approach also served as a useful tool to carry out performance comparisons of different collector designs and flow conditions. The effect of 5 different flow configurations for a header collector was investigated. It was found that the most efficient design had uniform flow through the pipe work which was in agreement with other studies. The temperature induced voltage mismatch, that occurs in the PV cells of PVT collector was also investigated. It was concluded that the temperature variation was not limiting and the way in which PV cells are wired together on the surface of a PVT collector did not influence the combined electrical power output.

Wireless communication systems have undergone fast development in recent years. Based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specified the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard to cope with rapidly increasing demands, including capacity, coverage, and data rate. To achieve this goal, several key techniques have been adopted by LTE, such as Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output (MIMO), Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM), and heterogeneous network (HetNet). However, there are some inherent drawbacks regarding these techniques. Direct conversion architecture is adopted to provide a simple, low cost transmitter solution. The problem of I/Q imbalance arises due to the imperfection of circuit components; the orthogonality of OFDM is vulnerable to carrier frequency offset (CFO) and sampling frequency offset (SFO). The doubly selective channel can also severely deteriorate the receiver performance. In addition, the deployment of Heterogeneous Network (HetNet), which permits the co-existence of macro and pico cells, incurs inter-cell interference for cell edge users. The impact of these factors then results in significant degradation in relation to system performance. This dissertation aims to investigate the key techniques which can be used to mitigate the above problems. First, I/Q imbalance for the wideband transmitter is studied and a self-IQ-demodulation based compensation scheme for frequency-dependent (FD) I/Q imbalance is proposed. This combats the FD I/Q imbalance by using the internal diode of the transmitter and a specially designed test signal without any external calibration instruments or internal low-IF feedback path. The instrument test results show that the proposed scheme can enhance signal quality by 10 dB in terms of image rejection ratio (IRR). In addition to the I/Q imbalance, the system suffers from CFO, SFO and frequency-time selective channel. To mitigate this, a hybrid optimum OFDM receiver with decision feedback equalizer (DFE) to cope with the CFO, SFO and doubly selective channel. The algorithm firstly estimates the CFO and channel frequency response (CFR) in the coarse estimation, with the help of hybrid classical timing and frequency synchronization algorithms. Afterwards, a pilot-aided polynomial interpolation channel estimation, combined with a low complexity DFE scheme, based on minimum mean squared error (MMSE) criteria, is developed to alleviate the impact of the residual SFO, CFO, and Doppler effect. A subspace-based signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) estimation algorithm is proposed to estimate the SNR in the doubly selective channel. This provides prior knowledge for MMSE-DFE and automatic modulation and coding (AMC). Simulation results show that this proposed estimation algorithm significantly improves the system performance. In order to speed up algorithm verification process, an FPGA based co-simulation is developed. Inter-cell interference caused by the co-existence of macro and pico cells has a big impact on system performance. Although an almost blank subframe (ABS) is proposed to mitigate this problem, the residual control signal in the ABS still inevitably causes interference. Hence, a cell-specific reference signal (CRS) interference cancellation algorithm, utilizing the information in the ABS, is proposed. First, the timing and carrier frequency offset of the interference signal is compensated by utilizing the cross-correlation properties of the synchronization signal. Afterwards, the reference signal is generated locally and channel response is estimated by making use of channel statistics. Then, the interference signal is reconstructed based on the previous estimate of the channel, timing and carrier frequency offset. The interference is mitigated by subtracting the estimation of the interference signal and LLR puncturing. The block error rate (BLER) performance of the signal is notably improved by this algorithm, according to the simulation results of different channel scenarios. The proposed techniques provide low cost, low complexity solutions for LTE and beyond systems. The simulation and measurements show good overall system performance can be achieved.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Chemistry / Jun Li / Solar energy as a sustainable resource is a promising alternative to fossil fuels to solve the tremendous global energy crisis. Development of three generation of solar cells has promoted the best sunlight to electricity conversion efficiency above 40%. However, the most efficient solar cells rely on expensive nonsustainable raw materials in device fabrication. There is a trend to develop cost-effective biophotovoltaics that combines natural photosynthetic systems into artificial energy conversion devices such as dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In this research, a model system employs natural extract light-harvesting complex II (LHCII) as a light-absorbing sensitizer to interface with semiconductive TiO₂ and plasmonic nanoparticles in DSSCs. The goal of this research is to understand the fundamental photon capture, energy transfer and charge separation processes of photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes along with improving biophotovoltaic performance based on this model system through tailoring engineering of TiO₂ nanostructures, attaching of the complexes, and incorporating plasmonic enhancement. The first study reports a novel approach to linking the spectroscopic properties of nanostructured LHCII with the photovoltaic performance of LHCII-sensitized solar cells (LSSCs). The aggregation allowed reorganization between individual trimers which dramatically increased the photocurrent, correlating well with the formation of charge-transfer (CT) states observed by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. The assembled solar cells demonstrated remarkable stability in both aqueous buffer and acetonitrile electrolytes over 30 days after LHCII being electrostatically immobilized on amine-functionalized TiO₂ surface. The motivation of the second study is to get insights into the plasmonic effects on the nature of energy/charge transfer processes at the interface of photosynthetic protein complexes and artificial photovoltaic materials. Three types of core-shell (metal@TiO₂) plasmonic nanoparticles (PNPs) were conjugated with LHCII trimers to form hybrid systems and incorporated into a DSSC platform built on a unique open three-dimensional (3D) photoanode consisting of TiO₂ nanotrees. Enhanced photon harvesting capability, more efficient energy transfer and charge separation at the LHCII/TiO₂ interface were confirmed in the LHCII-PNP hybrids, as revealed by spectroscopic and photovoltaic measurements, demonstrating that interfacing photosynthesis systems with specific artificial materials is a promising approach for high-performance biosolar cells. Furthermore, the final study reveals the mechanism of hot electron injection by employing a mesoporous core-shell (Au@TiO₂) network as a bridge material on a micro-gap electrode to conduct electricity under illumination and comparing the photoconductance to the photovolatic properties of the same material as photoanodes in DSSCs. Based on the correlation of the enhancements in photoconductance and photovoltaics, the contribution of hot electrons was deconvoluted from the plasmonic near-field effects.

This study contributes to the expanding critical range of discourse analysis by analyzing texts used to market Viagra and other "sexual enhancement medication," pharmaceuticals that treat "erectile dysfunction". Applying elements of Norman Fairclough's critical discourse analysis framework, this study examines as cultural artifacts Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis print advertisements and television commercials and it offers insight into the institutional discourse of "sexual enhancement medication" and how this discourse constructs male identity and subjectivity.

This research investigates the uses and perceptions of the population of the East Carrollton Area in New Orleans so as to evaluate the possible outcomes of urban design intervention and policy changes. Using GIS, field notes, structured interviews and a population survey, this research evaluates how much the built environment influences the uses of the neighborhood open space. Subsequently, it evaluates how the neighborhood open space is perceived as a place as opposed to a transportation infrastructure. Overall, the built environment affects the experience of the residents when they perform leisure activities in the neighborhood open space. Major deterrents to functional use and active transportation are related to social factors and the social environment. The neighborhood open space is largely perceived as an asset by the residents. It can be a valid replacement for urban parks when the population cannot access them.

Context. Image enhancement algorithms can be used to enhance the visual effects of images in the field of human vision. So can image enhancement algorithms be used in the field of computer vision? The convolutional neural network, as the most powerful image classifier at present, has excellent performance in the field of image recognition. This paper explores whether image enhancement algorithms can be used to improve the performance of convolutional neural networks. Objectives. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of image enhancement algorithms on the performance of CNN models in deep learning and transfer learning, respectively. The article selected five different image enhancement algorithms, they are the contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE), the successive means of the quantization transform (SMQT), the adaptive gamma correction, the wavelet transform, and the Laplace operator. Methods. In this paper, experiments are used as research methods. Three groups of experiments are designed; they respectively explore whether the enhancement of grayscale images can improve the performance of CNN in deep learning, whether the enhancement of color images can improve the performance of CNN in deep learning and whether the enhancement of RGB images can improve the performance of CNN in transfer learning?Results. In the experiment, in deep learning, when training a complete CNN model, using the Laplace operator to enhance the gray image can improve the recall rate of CNN. However, the remaining image enhancement algorithms cannot improve the performance of CNN in both grayscale image datasets and color image datasets. In addition, in transfer learning, when fine-tuning the pre-trained CNN model, using contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE), successive means quantization transform (SMQT), Wavelet transform, and Laplace operator will reduce the performance of CNN. Conclusions. Experiments show that in deep learning, using image enhancement algorithms may improve CNN performance when training complete CNN models, but not all image enhancement algorithms can improve CNN performance; in transfer learning, when fine-tuning the pre- trained CNN model, image enhancement algorithms may reduce the performance of CNN.

L'imagerie polarimétrique consiste à acquérir des images contenant des informations relatives à la polarisation de la lumière diffusée par une scène. L'objectif de cette thèse est d'utiliser les propriétés de ce type d'imagerie afin de d'améliorer le contraste entre plusieurs objets d'intérêt.Dans le cadre de l'optimisation du contraste entre deux objets d'intérêt, nous démontrons que, si l'on travaille à temps d'acquisition fixe, c'est l'acquisition d'une unique image avec des états d'illumination et d'analyse optimisés qui permet d'atteindre les meilleures performances. C'est pourquoi nous avons développé un imageur pouvant générer et analyser n'importe quel état de polarisation sur la sphère de Poincaré, en utilisant des cellules à cristaux liquides. Ces états peuvent être contrôlés afin de faire varier le contraste dans les images et nous montrons que les ``états optimaux" permettant de maximiser le contraste dépendent des conditions de mesure. En particulier, la valeur des états de polarisation maximisant le contraste entre deux objets d'intérêt dépend des bruits de mesure (bruit de détecteur, bruit de Poisson, Speckle) ainsi que des fluctuations spatiales des propriétés polarimétriques dans la scène. Une mauvaise estimation de la source de bruit peut donc amener à une perte significative de contraste.Nous nous intéressons ensuite à un scénario d'imagerie plus complexe où la scène peut être illuminée de manière non-uniforme. Nous proposons une méthode d'acquisition utilisant l'ensemble des degrés de liberté fournis par notre imageur et montrons que cette méthode permet d'augmenter significativement le contraste par rapport aux résultats obtenus avec d'autres types d'imagerie comme l'imagerie OSC (Orthogonal State Contrast).Nous étendons ensuite nos études à un cas ``multicibles" où plus de deux objets doivent être distingués. Nous montrons notamment que l'accroissement du nombre d'images peut dégrader le contraste et qu'il existe un nombre optimal d'images à acquérir si l'on travaille à temps d'acquisition fixe.Enfin, nous proposons une méthode visant à automatiser notre imageur pour l'optimisation du contraste en combinant de manière itérative l'acquisition d'images polarimétriques optimisées et un algorithme de segmentation par contours actifs statistiques. Des premiers résultats expérimentaux mettent en évidence l'avantage de cette intégration d'algorithmes de traitement numérique au c\oe ur du processus d'acquisition de l'image. / The polarimetric imaging consists in acquiring images containing information relating to the polarization of the scattered light from a scene. The objective of this thesis is to use the properties of this type of imaging to enhance the contrast between several objects of interest.Considering the optimization of the contrast between two objects of interest, we demonstrate that, if the time for the measurement is fixed, it is the acquisition of a single image with optimized states in illumination and analysis that achieves the best performance. That is why we have developed an imager that can generate and analyze any polarization state on the Poincaré sphere, using liquid crystal cells. These states can be controlled to modify the contrast in the images and we show that the ``optimal states" maximizing the contrast depend on the measurement conditions. Specifically, the value of the polarization states maximizing the contrast between two objects interest depends on the measurement noise (noise detector, Poisson noise, Speckle) and also of spatial fluctuations of polarimetric properties in the scene. Improper estimate of the noise source may therefore lead to a significant loss of contrast.We then consider a more complex imaging scenario where the scene can be illuminated non-uniformly. We propose a method of acquisition using all the degrees of freedom provided by our imaging and show that this method can significantly increase the contrast compared to results obtained with other types of polarimetric imaging such as OSC imaging (Orthogonal State Contrast).We then extend our studies to a ``multi-target case" where more than two objects must be distinguished. In particular, we show that increasing the number of images can degrade the contrast and that there is an optimum number of images to be acquired if one works with a fixed acquisition time.Finally, we propose a method to automate our imaging to optimize contrast by combining iteratively the acquisition of polarimetric images and optimized segmentation algorithm using statistical active contours. The first experimental results demonstrate the advantage of this integration of digital processing algorithms in the core of the image acquisition process.

Este trabalho discute um novo método para a melhoria da qualidade de sinais de fala degradados por ruído aditivo branco de elevada intensidade (SNR segmentada variando de 10 a 3 dB). A técnica apresentada baseia-se na soma ponderada entre um sinal obtido por subtração espectral e um sinal sintetizado, produzido de acordo com o modelo digital de produção de fala (análise e síntese LPC). Para a estimação dos coeficientes LPC e período de pitch, foi implementado um pré-processador baseado na técnica de subtração espectral (modificada especialmente para este propósito), o que melhora significativamente a qualidade geral do sinal de fala sintetizado. A soma ponderada entre o sinal obtido por subtração espectral e o sinal sintetizado permite a reconstrução de regiões espectrais perdidas devido aos efeitos da aplicação da subtração espectral, bem como a eliminação do ruído musical. Os testes realizados com frases foneticamente balanceadas lidas por diversos locutores permitem observar que o método proposto oferece melhores resultados do que a subtração espectral. O sinal de fala obtido apresenta também maior clareza e naturalidade, sem o inconveniente do ruído musical. / The present work discusses a new method to enhance speech signals degraded by white additive noise in high-noise environments (segmented SNR varying from 10 to 3 dB). The approach presented here is based upon a weighted sum involving a speech signal obtained from spectral subtraction and a synthetized speech signal, which is produced according to the concepts of the digital model of speech production (LPC analysis and synthesis). A spectral subtraction-based pre-processor was specifically implemented for LP coeficients and pitch period estimation, which significantly improves the overall quality of the synthetized speech signal. The weighted combination of these two speech signals allows the reconstruction of spectral regions lost due to the effects of spectral subtraction, as well as the elimination of musical noise. Tests conducted with phonetic-ballanced sentences from several speakers show that the proposed method offers better results than spectral subtraction, producing a more natural and clear enhanced speech signal, without the common artifact of musical noise.

Uma variedade específica de quartzo de cor verde, seja natural ou induzida pela radiação é muito rara. Trata-se de um mecanismo de formação de cor completamente diferente daqueles conhecidos e amplamente discutidos na literatura, que são responsáveis pela formação do quartzo fumê, do citrino e da ametista, incluindo a prasiolita produzida pelo aquecimento da ametista de Montezuma (MG). Somente duas ocorrências, conhecidas até o momento, tem o quartzo incolor, uma no pequeno distrito em Thunder Bay Amethist Mine, no Canadá e a outra na Bacia do Paraná ( Brasil) , ao longo de uma faixa de 600 km, com ocorrências dispersas de geodos, que se estende da região de Quaraí (RS) até a localidade de Uberlândia (MG). Estas duas ocorrências foram formadas sob fortes atividades hidrotermais, a de Thunder Bay é devido ao tectonismo e a da Bacia do Paraná está relacionada às atividades da água meteórica e hidrotermal do Aquífero Guarani. Estes cristais de quartzo hidrotermal apresentam um histórico de crescimento muito rápido, permitindo a formação dos defeitos de crescimento como as geminações, o crescimento em mosaico, as formações com pequenos ângulos inclinados e as estrias que facilitam a absorção da água na forma de água molecular, silanol (Si-OH), hidroxila (OH) e como micro inclusões. Este tipo de quartzo pode ser considerado como quartzo hidratado (wet quartz) semelhante ao quartzo sintético. O teor em água, com até 3200 ppm em massa, é superior à concentração das impurezas estruturais como o Fe, Al e Li. Não existe uma correlação entre o conteúdo da água e a quantidade de impurezas, como ocorre em outras variedades de cor do quartzo. No quartzo hidrotermal de geodos são formados complexos de silanol que quando são irradiados geram os centros de cor NBOHC (Centro de cor do oxigênio com elétron desemparelhado que não participa da ligação) que apresenta absorção no intervalo de 590 nm a 620 nm e formando uma janela de transmissão a 550 nm aproximadamente, responsável pela cor verde. Várias técnicas de análises químicas e de espectroscopia foram empregadas para caracterizar estas amostras de quartzo verde. A determinação do teor de água por meio dos espectros de infravermelho FTIR mostraram menos água (até 2300 ppm em massa), em comparação com os resultados das análises de aquecimento (3200 ppm) decorrente provavelmente, ao complexo silanol remanescente. Para documentar a influência da água na formação da cor verde foram realizadas análises por espectroscopia de infravermelho FTIR em amostras de quartzo de 3 diferentes grupos de ambientes geológicos, o quartzo pegmatítico com Al e Li formado à alta temperatura da região de Santana do Araguaia, o quartzo de veios hidrotermais com Al, mas sem água originado à média temperatura, da região de Curvelo e a ametista com muito Fe, pouco Al e pouco silanol da região de Brejinho e o quartzo de geodos hidrotermais formado a baixa temperatura com alto conteúdo de água molecular e silanol, e com muito Fe e pouco Al. As análises e as comparações permitiram diferenciar e determinar a formação do centro de cor NBOHC (Centro de cor do oxigênio com elétrons desemparelhados que não participam da ligação) para o quartzo hidrotermal de geodos da Bacia do Paraná. Assim, somente cristais de quartzo com alta concentração de água molecular e silanol são apropriados para desenvolver a cor verde por meio da radiação gama. Pode-se mencionar que no mesmo geodo podem coexistir cristais de quartzo com diferentes teores de água. Cabe ressaltar também que o quartzo verde tratado com radiação gama é sensível à radiação ultravioleta e ao aquecimento, levando à perda parcial ou total da cor verde. / A specific variety of quartz showing a green color in nature or induced artificially by radiation is quite rare. This can be explained by the fact that the mechanism of formation of this color is very different from the ones widely discussed in the literature and responsible for the formation of the fumée, citrine and amethyst types of quartz, including the prasiolite (leak green quartz) formed by heating amethyst from Montezuma, Brazil. Only two occurrences are known today, where this type of quartz can be found: Canada, at the Thunder Bay Amethyst Mine, Ontario, a small district, and Brazil, at widely scattered geode occurrences along a 600 km stretch from Quaraí at Brazils southernmost tip to Uberlandia in Minas Gerais. These two occurrences have been formed by strong hydrothermal activities, at Thunder Bay due to tectonics and in Brazil by meteoric and hydrothermal waters of the Guarani aquifer. That way much quartz crystals showed a very fast growth history facilitating the formation of growth defects (twinning, small angle tilting, mosaic growth, striations) and the uptake of water in form of micro inclusions, molecular water, silanol (Si-OH) and OH. This type of quartz can be considered ¨wet quartz¨, similar to synthetic quartz. The water content with up to 3200 ppm by weight exceeds the amount of charge balancing cations (Fe, Al, Li). There is no correlation between water content and cations as in other color varieties. Instead, silanol complexes are formed, which by radiation due to gamma rays form the color center NBOHC (non-bonding oxygen hole defect), showing absorption between 590 to 620 nm and leaving a transmission window at about 550nm, responsible for the green color. To characterize samples which will be colored green by gamma rays analyses by ICP, NAA, Electron microscopy, water loss techniques and UV-VIS and NIR-FTIR spectroscopic have been made. The spectroscopic water determination showed less water (up to 2300 ppm by weight) compared with heating techniques (3200 ppm), probably due to remaining silanol complexes.To trace the influence of water on color formation, samples from 3 different geological settings (high temperature pegmatitic quartz with Al and Li, from Santana de Araguaia; intermediate temperature vein quartz with Al but without water from Curvelo; amethyst with more Fe, less Al and small silanol content from Brejinho, and low temperature regimes from geodes, high silanol and high molecular water, cations similar to the above mentioned) have been analised by NIR spectroscopy.The former will not show green color, only the latter one. It may be mentioned that even in geodes one has crystals with high and intermediate water content coexisting. The crystals with high silanol and molecular water are the ones to treat by radiation. The radiation induced color is heat and UV sensible with bleaching by longer exposure to these factors.

Thesis advisor: Donald Fishman / The purpose of this thesis is to examine a multitude of concepts related to the phenomenon of whistleblowing. Chinn, Mufson, and Pearlman (2013) underline that we find ourselves “in the age of the whistleblower” and it is therefore imperative to understand this new phenomenon. The visibility of whistleblowers in the media is increasing but whistleblowers are not always portrayed accurately, and, as such, it may be beneficial to examine them in a more legitimate context. As whistleblowers can provide a tremendous service to the public, their organization, and the current economic situation, it is in society’s best interest to understand the whistleblowing process in order to encourage its expansion. The first half of the thesis examines the logistics of the whistleblowing process, the characterization of a whistleblower, and the various groups that can benefit from the whistleblowing phenomenon. This in depth analysis aims to dispel any misconceptions about whistleblowing and provides readers with a comprehensive overview of the literature available on whistleblower dynamics. The second half of the thesis reviews whistleblower laws from their foundation nearly two centuries ago all the way to current developments in whistleblower legislation. It analyzes the strengths and deficiencies of various legal measures and seeks to demonstrate why whistleblower legislation may never fully afford whistleblowers the comprehensive protection they deserve. This section will argue that, though whistleblower legislation has certainly improved in aiming to promote whistleblowing, certain deficiencies remain a permanent part of whistleblower law. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Communication Honors Program. / Discipline: Communications.