Because of the need to move large amounts of data effienciently, optical based communications are a critical component of modern telecommunications. And as a key enabler of optical communications, electrical components play a critical role in optical data links. Optoelectronic integrated circuits provide the bridge between the optical and electrical realms. Electronic integrated circuits are also integral parts of the optical link, interfacing with post processing circuitry and compensating for any limitations along the link. In this investigation, three circuits for optical data link applications are studied. Two optoelectronic integrated circuit front-ends for freespace and long haul applications, respectively and an active filter for near end cross talk cancellation associated with high data rate transmission. The first circuit is an 8x8 monolithic receiver array for a Spatial Division Multiplexing optical link. A compact and low power 8x8 array was designed and demonstrated a channel that received data at rates of 1Gb/s. It is the first completely monolithic demonstration of a 2D receiver array within a conventional ion implanted GaAs MESFET process. The second circuit demonstrated a long wavelength (1.55 m) optoelectronic receiver for long haul applications. The circuit utilized a TWA topology, which maximizes the available bandwidth from the GaAs MESFET process. It incorporated a thin-film inverted MSM photodetector to achieve nearly monolithic integration. The final circuit is a tunable high pass active filter in 0.18 m CMOS technology. As part of a NEXT noise canceller architecture, it will provide the means to extend data transmission in FR-4 legacy backplanes into the tens of Gb/s datarate.

Biosynthetic natural products are invaluable resources that have been gleaned from the environment for generations, and they play an essential role in drug development. Natural product biosynthesis also possesses the latent ability to affect biological systems adversely. This work implements recent advances in genomic, proteomic and microbiological technologies to understand further biosynthetic molecules that may influence progression of human disease. Azinomycin A and B are antitumor metabolites isolated from the terrestrial bacterium Streptomyces sahachiroi. The azinomycins possess an unusual aziridine [1,2-a] pyrrolidine ring that reacts in concert with an epoxide moiety to produce DNA interstrand cross-links. Genomic sequencing of S. sahachiroi revealed a putative azinomycin resistance protein (AziR). Overexpression of AziR in heterologous hosts demonstrated the protein increases cell viability and decreases DNA damage response in the presence of azinomycin. Fluorescence titration indicated AziR functions as an azinomycin binding protein. An understanding of azinomycin resistance is important for future engineering and drug delivery strategies. Additionally, the S. sahachiroi draft genome obtained via 454 pyrosequencing and Illumina sequencing revealed several silent secondary metabolic pathways that may provide new natural products with biomedical application. β-lactoglobulin (BLG), the most abundant whey protein in bovine milk, has been observed to promote the self-condensation of retinal and similar α,β-unsaturated aldehydes. BLG is a possible non-genetic instigator of cycloretinal and A2E accumulation in the macula, a condition associated with age-related macular degeneration. BLG-mediated terpenal condensation has been optimized for in vitro study with the retinal mimic citral. In rabbits fed retinal and BLG or skim milk, cycloretinal formation was detected in the blood by 1H-NMR, and SDS-PAGE analysis indicated BLG was present in blood serum, suggesting the protein survives ingestion and retains catalytic activity. Mass spectrometry and site-directed mutagenesis provided mechanistic insight toward this unusual moonlighting behavior. The experiments described in this dissertation serve to further natural product biosynthesis discovery and elucidation as they relate to consequences for human health. Efforts to solve azinomycin biosynthesis via enzymatic reconstitution, characterize compounds produced by orphan gene clusters within S. sahachiroi, and obtain a clear mechanism for BLG-promoted cycloterpenal formation are immediate goals within the respective projects.

Using page rank and semantic information are frequently used techniques in next page prediction systems. In our work, we extend the use of Page Rank algorithm for next page prediction with several navigational attributes, which are size of the page, duration of the page visit and duration of transition (two page visits sequentially), frequency of page and transition. In our model, we define popularity of transitions and pages by using duration information, use it in a relation with page size, and visit frequency factors. By using the popularity value of pages, we bias conventional Page Rank algorithm and model a next page prediction system that produces page recommendations under given top-n value. Moreover, we extract semantic terms from web URLs in order to tag pages semantically. The extracted terms are mapped into web URLs with different level of details in order to find semantically similar pages for next page recommendations. With this tagging, we model another next page prediction method, which uses Semantic Tagging (ST) similarity and exploits PPR values as a supportive method. Moreover, we model a Hybrid Page Rank (HPR) algorithm that uses both Semantic Tagging based approach and Popularity Based Page Rank values of pages together in order to investigate the effect of PPR and ST with equal weights. In addition, we investigate the effect of local (a synopsis of directed web graph) and global (whole directed web graph) modeling on next page prediction accuracy.

The Department of Energy and the Idaho National Laboratory are developing a Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) to serve as a demonstration of state-of-the-art nuclear technology. The purpose of the demonstration is two fold: 1) efficient low cost energy generation and 2) hydrogen production. Although a next generation plant could be developed as a single-purpose facility, early designs are expected to be dual-purpose. While hydrogen production and advanced energy cycles are still in their early stages of development, research towards coupling a high temperature reactor, electrical generation and hydrogen production is under way. Many aspects of the NGNP must be researched and developed to make recommendations on the final design of the plant. Parameters such as working conditions, cycle components, working fluids, and power conversion unit configurations must be understood. Three configurations of the power conversion unit were modeled using the process code HYSYS; a three-shaft design with 3 turbines and 4 compressors, a combined cycle with a Brayton top cycle and a Rankine bottoming cycle, and a reheated cycle with 3 stages of reheat were investigated. A high temperature steam electrolysis hydrogen production plant was coupled to the reactor and power conversion unit by means of an intermediate heat transport loop. Helium, CO2, and an 80% nitrogen, 20% helium mixture (by weight) were studied to determine the best working fluid in terms cycle efficiency and development cost. In each of these configurations the relative heat exchanger size and turbomachinery work were estimated for the different working fluids. Parametric studies away from the baseline values of the three-shaft and combined cycles were performed to determine the effect of varying conditions in the cycle. Recommendations on the optimal working fluid for each configuration were made. The helium working fluid produced the highest overall plant efficiency for the three-shaft and reheat cycle; however, the nitrogen-helium mixture produced similar efficiency with smaller component sizes. The CO2 working fluid is recommend in the combined cycle configuration.

Background and purpose: Tuberculosis (TB) is one kind of chronic infectious disease which caused by the mycobacterium tuberculosis, and still widely exists in the world. In Taiwan, there are approximately 15,000 new tuberculosis patients and 1,300 died annually. The incidence and mortality rate rank the number one among the legal reported disease in Taiwan. Therefore, how to prevent and control the tuberculosis becomes a crucial policy for Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Taiwan. Directly Observed Treatment, Short-course (DOTS) is a TB control program implemented in many countries aggressively by the World Health Organization (WHO) since 1993. The implementation method is that patients are supervised by well-trained health care staff while medication is administered, to assure the clients taking each dose of medicine. This policy is intended to cure the patient in time, cutting off the infectious sources, prevent the efficacy of anti-tuberculosis drugs and cease the emerging of multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) . For the long-term planning and the target of ¡§Halve the TB over the next ten years,¡¨ the CDC of Taiwan has been enforced the DOTS program since April 1st, 2006. The rate implementing DOTS in smear- positive case has been exceeded 90%. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of DOTS policy on the outcomes of Tuberculosis before and after the DOTS policy implementation. Methods: The secondary databases from the study hospital were retrieved. The data included 24 months before and after the DOTS implementing (April 1st, 2006). We investigated if there¡¦s significant improvement in treating tuberculosis after the DOTS. Both descriptive and Chi-square tests were used to depict the study sample and to examine the correlation between treatment outcome and DOTS, respectively. Results: There is no difference on treatment outcome between male and female. Male had higher cavity formation on the chest x-ray. There¡¦s more easy treatment completion when the clients were younger than 65 years old. No cavity on the chest x-ray was statistically associated with negative acid fast stain. The chest x-ray showed cavity was related to higher completion rate of treatment. There¡¦s no correlation between the acid fast stain and treatment completion. There¡¦s no significant difference on treatment outcome after the DOTS implementing. Conclusions: There¡¦s no difference in treatment result between the ¡§DOTS¡¨ and ¡§without DOTS¡¨ group after April 2006. The reason we deliberate that may be the study hospital is located at the urban area, which is high prevalence area in tuberculosis and thus have been under control for years. The completion rate in tuberculosis treatment is already high enough. No wonder there¡¦s no such difference. Anyway, we can not ignore the policy of the DOTS, we must keep cooperation with this policy, make great efforts on tuberculosis prevention and control in Taiwan.

This thesis presents investigations on the potential negative effects of wind turbine noise on the human ear from a sound point source (i.e. wind farm). In Chapter 2, the tectorial membrane, which is a crucial gelatinous structural matrix located within the cochlea of the inner ear, is considered to have a similar constitutive stress-strain relationship to that of an elastomer (rubber) in tension. The tectorial membrane appears to stretch when subjected to constant heavy sound stimulation. The tectorial membrane is modeled as a simply-supported beam with an external load Pext applied at midspan. A virtual work approach is used to balance the external work at midspan Pextδz of the tectorial membrane with the internal strain energy from its hysteresis loops. These hysteresis loops quantify the amount of damage that the tectorial membrane undergoes due to an applied external loading. Normalized damage tables are presented at the end of the chapter to suggest safe distances away from the wind turbines to limit damage to the tectorial membrane. Chapter 3 considers a hypothetical autonomous village constructed in South Pretoria, South Africa. This village accommodates approximately 2000 people (~500 families) and receives electricity for hot water from a nearby 2.5 MW wind farm. The design process for the village is discussed from an architectural and design standpoint. The wind farm specifications, specifically the number of 2.5 MW wind turbines needed to provide electricity for hot water, are established. Results from Chapter 2 are used to suggest minimum safe distances between the wind farm and the autonomous village in the context of limiting damage to the tectorial membrane.

Bakgrund: Palliativ vård är ett förhållningssätt som syftar till att främja livskvalitet hos patienter och deras närstående när de drabbas av problem som kan uppstå vid livshotande sjukdom. Många döende önskar att få vårdas i hemmet och utvecklingen av den palliativa vården har lett till att allt fler människor också avlider i det egna hemmet. Närstående är en central del i den palliativa vården i hemmet och det beskrivs att de är i en utsatt situation när de tar på sig dubbla roller i att både finnas där som partner, vän eller familj samtidigt som de tar på sig ansvar att vårda den sjuke i hemmet. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva närståendes upplevelse av palliativ vård i hemmet. Metod: En litteraturöversikt har genomförts med sökning i databaserna SwePub, PubMed och PsycINFO. Åtta vetenskapliga artiklar, samtliga kvalitativa och baserade på forskning från Sverige inkluderades för resultatet. Artiklarna var publicerade mellan 2003 och 2014. Resultat: Resultatet presenteras i fyra huvudteman; Upplevelse av ansvar, , upplevelse av att närståendes egen situation påverkas, upplevelse av den kommande förlusten och upplevelse av stöd från vårdteam och omgivningen. Att vårda en svårt sjuk i hemmet med det ansvar som följer leder ofta till negativa konsekvenser på närståendes egen hälsa. Vårdteamet spelar en viktig roll i hur närstående upplever sin situation. Diskussion: Närstående möter nya situationer när de tar på sig rollen att vårda en svårt sjuk i hemmet, för att kunna hantera den nya situationen behöver de stöd av vårdteamet och förståelse för den transition de går igenom. Sjuksköterskan har ett ansvar att ge stöd åt närstående, tillsammans med det vårdteam som hon ingår i. Stödet kan se ut på olika sätt och en viktig uppgift för sjuksköterskan är att våga ge stöd i de existentiella frågorna likväl som de medicinska. / Background: Palliative care is an approach that aims to promote quality of life of patients and their relatives when life threatening problems occur. People wish to be carried for at home in the last phase of life and the development of palliative care in Sweden led to that many people also dies in their own homes. Next of kin’s has a central role in palliative home care and research had shown that the situation is burdensome for the next of kin’s, when they want to be there for the seriously ill person as a partner, family or friend and at the same time take responsibility of caring. Aim: The aim of this literature review was to describe next of kin's experience of palliative home care. Method: The literature review was performed with search in databases; SwePub, PubMed and PsycINFO. Eight scientific articles, all with qualitative design and based on research in Sweden were included for the literature review. The articles were published between 2003 and 2014. Results: The results are presented in four main themes; Experience of responsibility, next of kin’s experience of that their own situation is changing, the experience of the forthcoming loss, and the experience of the support from the care team and the surroundings. The great responsibility to care for a seriously ill at home often led to negative consequences for the next of kin’s own health. The care team has an impact of how next of kin’s perceive their situation. Discussions: Next of kin’s encounter new situations when they care for a seriously ill at home. In order to handle the new situation, they need support from the care team and understanding of the transition they are going through. The nurse has a responsibility to provide support to next of kin’s, together with the care team. The support can vary, an important task is to emphasize the existential questions nevertheless the medical.

Bakgrund: Enligt World Health Organization's (WHO) definition är palliativ vård en helhetsvård av patienten och dennes närstående genom ett professionellt sammansatt vårdteam. Palliativ vård är ett område där närståendes roll blir speciellt viktigt och hela familjen drabbas när en i familjen får en svår sjukdom. Många med svår sjukdom önskar att få vård i hemmet vid livets slutskede. När en person vårdas i hemmet är det ofta den närstående som tar vårdarrollen i hemmet och tar ansvaret över sin anhöriges vård. Närståendes engagemang i vården av deras anhörig kan påverka dem fysisk och psykiskt. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva närståendes upplevelser av att vårda en anhörig i livets slutskede i hemmet. Metod: Metoden var en litteraturöversikt som baserades på elva vetenskapliga artiklar med kvalitativ ansats. Artiklarna togs fram via databaserna CINAHL complete with full text och Medline. Resultat: Resultatet visade att närstående kände ett ansvar att vårda sin anhörige. Ansvarstagandet påverkade närståendes egen hälsa och deras dagliga liv. Jobb och hobby begränsades då fokus lades på den anhöriges behov. Att se sin anhörig bli försämrade i livets slutskede upplevdes särskilt svårt. Stöd från familj, vänner och sjukvårdpersonal underlättade att hantera vårdandet. Dock upplevde närstående otillräckligt stöd av hälso- och sjukvården när det gäller information, vägledning och förberedelse för vårdarrollen. Diskussion: Resultatet diskuterades mot Meleis transitons teori, relaterad till att de närstående genomgår en transition när de vårdar en sjuk anhörig. Vidare diskuterades vilken roll sjuksköterskan har för att hjälpa närstående att genomgå en hälsosam transition. / Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) defines palliative care as a total care of the patient and their relatives, provided by a multi professional healthcare team. Palliative care is an area where the next of kin's role is particularly important because when a family member suffers from an illness it affects the whole family. Many people with serious illness wish to be cared for at home at the end of life. When a person is cared for at home, often the next of kins take the caring role and the responsibility over their relative's care. The next of kins involvement in the care of their loved one can affect them physically and mentally. Aim: To describe the next-of-kin's experiences of caring for a loved one at the end of life at home. Method: The literature review was based on eleven scholarly articles with a qualitative approach. Articles were gathered through database search in CINAHL complete with full text and Medline. Results: The result showed that the next of kins experienced a responsibility to care for their loved one. Taking responsibility influenced the caregivers own health and social activities. Work and hobbies were limited since focus was on their loved one's needs. To witness the deterioration of their loved one at the end of life was perceived particularly difficult. Support from the family, friends and health care professionals facilitated them to manage the care giving. However, the next of kin experienced insufficient support by healthcare when it came to information, guidance and preparedness for the caregiver role. Discussions: The result was discussed in relation to Meleis transition theory, because the next of kins were seen to go through a transition when they were caring for an ill loved one. Furthermore, the nurse's role was discussed with a focus on how to help the next of kin to undergo a healthy transition.

Bakgrund: Det blir allt vanligare att människor i livets slutskede väljer att vårdas och dö i sitt hem. Anhöriga har en betydande roll i vårdprocessen, då de har ansvar för den sjukes vård och livskvalitet. Den palliativa vården arbetar utifrån de fyra hörnstenarna; kommunikation, symptomlindring, teamarbete och anhörigstöd. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva anhörigas upplevelser av att vårda den sjuke i hemmet i livets slutskede. Metod: Litteraturöversikten utfördes med andvändning av nio svenska vårdvetenskapliga studier med kvalitativ ansats och två med mixad metod. Studierna härrör från databaserna CINAHL Complete och PubMed, mellan åren 2000 och 2015. Resultat: I resultatet framkom det att anhöriga hade ett stort ansvar och en tung belastning som informella vårdgivare, samtidigt upplevde anhöriga en tillfredsställande känsla av att vårda patienten. Anhöriga upplevde brist på stöd från hälso- och sjukvården, då de inte fick tillräckligt med information, utbildning eller avlastning i tillvaron. Ensamhet och isolering lyftes också upp som en påföljd av bristande på stöd. Diskussion: Resultaten diskuterades med stöd från de fyra hörnstenarna och andra vetenskapliga studier. Vidare diskuteras anhörigas upplevelser av bristande stöd från sjuksköterskan och behov av avlastning för att klara av vårdandet. / Background: It is becoming increasingly common for people in the final stages of life to be cared for and die at home. Next of kin´s have a significant role in the care process, they are responsible for the patient's health and quality of life. Palliative care works based on four focus areas; communication, symptom relief, team work and support of next of kin. Aim: The aimwas to describe next of kin´sexperiences of caring for the patient at home at the end of life. Method: The literature review was carried out using nine Swedish nursing science studies with a qualitative approach. Thestudies derived from CINAHL COMPLETE and PubMed, between the years 2000 and 2015. Results: The result showed that next of kin`s experiences had a large responsibility and a heavy burden as informal caregivers, at the same time next of kin´s experience satisfying feeling of caring for the patient. Next of kin´s experienced lack of support from health care system, when they were not given enough information, education or discharge in existence. Loneliness and isolation also lifted up as a consequence of lack of support. Discussions: The results were discussed with the support of the theoretical frame work four cornerstones and other scientific studies. Furthermore discusses next of kin´s experiences of lack of support from the nurse and the need of discharge to cope whit caring.

Bakgrund: Sveriges befolkning blir i dag äldre och antalet äldre som behöver palliativ vård ökar. Då en äldre familjemedlem vårdas palliativt förändras livet runtomkring denne. Eftersom närstående ofta är involverade i denna vård krävs det mycket av dessa när det kommer till anpassningen till den nya situationen. Syfte: Att beskriva närståendes erfarenheter av att vårda äldre familjemedlemmar palliativt Metod: Metoden som använts är en litteraturbaserad studie, där nio vetenskapliga artiklar analyserats och sammanställts. Resultat: Närståendes förutsättningar för att orka ge god vård och vara delaktiga var att det fanns ett samspel, en god kommunikation och stöd av vårdpersonalen. Vid brist på detta upplevdes känslor av maktlöshet och ensamhet. Vårdinsatser av närstående resulterade i att de kände sig isolerade och de kände ett ansvar för familjemedlemmarnas vård vilket påverkade dem fysiskt och psykiskt. Vårdandet väckte existentiella frågor och en rädsla för att bli ensam. Döden kunde kännas som en befrielse när den önskades av familjemedlemmarna. Slutsats: För att kunna stödja närstående på bästa sätt behöver sjuksköterskor vara lyhörda för vilket behov av stöd som varje enskild närstående behöver.