Master of Science / Department of Architecture / R. Todd Gabbard / This research aims to explore and assess passive solar design techniques that promote high thermal comfort in vernacular houses of the state of Jharkhand in India. The study of these houses provides useful insights for designing energy efficient houses that provide thermally comfortable conditions. An analysis of these houses in Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand, India provides a context for the field research. Jharkhand predominantly has two different styles of vernacular houses: huts and havelis. These houses were constructed, without any mechanical means, in such a manner as to create micro-climates inside them to provide high thermal comfort levels. Hence the study of thermal comfort levels in these buildings in relation to built environment in today's context is significant. As part of data collection, interviews were conducted with the occupants of ten houses in Ranchi, in June 2007. Two houses of each (huts and havelis) were selected for detailed experimental analysis. Experiment results indicated that all the four selected houses exhibited lower ambient temperature than outside during the day and a higher ambient temperature at night. Brick bat coba and lime mortar were the key materials used for constructing high thermal-mass walls. Adequate ventilation is significant in creating conditions that are comfortable. Aperture to volume ratio of less than 0.051 is not adequate enough to cool the thermal mass of these houses. These houses also use attic space to mitigate the heat gain from the roof. Courtyards and other exterior spaces form an integral part of these houses and influence the thermal conditions in and around the houses. The case studies show that there is a scope for more relaxation of comfort temperature range based on culture and phenomenon of acclimatization. A universal approach in understanding and defining comfort condition fails because the users of these houses were comfortable in conditions defined as uncomfortable by ASHRAE and Nicol.

Master of Science / Department of Architecture / David R. Seamon / This thesis presents a redesign of Kansas City’s downtown Government District, making use of the conceptual approach provided by Responsive Environments (1985), a manual for urban design written by architects Ian Bentley and Alan Alcock, urban designers Sue McGlynn and Graham Smith, and landscape architect Paul Murrain. “Responsive environments” are those urban places, the physical settings of which maximize usability and social value by offering a wide range of day-to-day user choices within close proximity. The authors of Responsive Environments identify seven hierarchical qualities—permeability, variety, legibility, robustness, visual appropriateness, richness, and personalization—that are said to be vital in creating responsive environments within the city. Through a literature review and critique, chapters 1 and 2 of the thesis overview Responsive Environments in terms of several major theorists of urban place making, including urban theorist Bill Hillier (1984), urban critic Jane Jacobs (1961), and urban designer William Whyte (1980). In turn, chapters 3, 4, 5, and 6 investigate the practicability of Responsive Environments as an urban design approach by applying its three larger-scale qualities of permeability, variety, and legibility to the Government District, an existing urban area in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, presently underdeveloped in terms of environmental responsiveness and a strong sense of urban place. As a means to identify strengths and weaknesses of Responsive Environments, the last chapter of the thesis critiques the resulting Government District design. The thesis concludes that Responsive Environments is a valuable design approach that offers much for strengthening the quality of urban life and urban sustainability.

Preparing for crisis is a challenge. To be prepared to handle a crisis, organizationshave to practice. Crisis management exercises are never performed as often theyshould, as it is expensive and takes long time to plan.The purpose of this thesis is to examine how public bodies and other organizations inAkershus plan and execute crisis management exercises. The thesis aims to evaluateinterest and survey pre-conditions and useful features for a digital tool to complementtraditional contingency exercises.A qualitative approach has been applied in form of interviews and literature review asthe objective is to achieve comprehension of the interviewed organizations routinesand practices, and the circumstances which may affect their need for a digital trainingtool.Six key factors in crisis management are identified in the literature review. Thefactors are: flexibility, communication, cooperation and coordination as well asinformation and improvisation. In addition, methods to understand how users interactwith technology as well as how to design responsive web pages were explored.The analysis is based on empirical results from five interviews from fiveorganizations. The empirical results were compared to the key factors from theliterature review.The study shows that the most of the interviewed organizations use CIM®, and thatall of them implement tabletop or scenario exercises in their training. The interviewedorganizations believe that a digital tool for contingency exercises can be acontribution to traditional exercises, but there are issues concerning how cooperationand communication can be maintained in any digital tool to be used in an area wherefunctional communication and cooperation is necessary.

<p>The papermaking industry uses a large amount of starch each year, both as a wet-end additive and as a rheological modifier in surface sizing and coating colors. It is important to be able to reduce the amount of chemicals used in the papermaking and surface treatment process, to reduce costs and to make the process even more efficient. Interest in new high-performance starches is great. By using these new types of starches, improved recycling of barrier products may be obtained as well as a reduction in the use of synthetic sizing agents. The objectives of this work were to understand the behavior of temperature-responsive hydrophobically modified starches, where the solubility in water simply can be adjusted by temperature or by polymer charge, to improve the barrier properties, like the water vapor permeability, mechanical properties and water resistance (Cobb and contact angle) of papers surface sized by starch-containing solutions, and to investigate the potential for industrial use of these temperature-responsive starches. It was demonstrated that the temperature-responsive starches phase separate upon cooling and, depending on the charge density of the starch, a particulate precipitation or a gel-like structure was obtained. The starch with zero net charge showed a larger increase in turbidity than the starch with a cationic net charge, indicating that particulate precipitation is favored by a zero net charge and that the formation of a gel network is favored by charged starch molecules. Further, the starches formed inclusion complexes with surfactants, giving stabilization to the starches in the presence of surfactants. The net charge density of the starch and the charge of the surfactant determined whether or not an inclusion complex would form between them. Important mechanisms for the stability of the starch seemed to be formation of mixed micellar-like structures between the hydrophobic chain of the starch and the surfactant along the starch backbone in addition to formation of inclusion complexes between the starch and the surfactant. The hydrophobically modified starches showed higher hydrophobic surface character when applied to the paper surface above the critical phase separation temperature than with application at room temperature. Free films of the temperature-responsive starches showed good barrier against oxygen, but no barrier against water vapor. The mechanical properties decreased with addition of glycerol to the films.</p>

In this paper a novel stimuli responsive hydrogel material, methacrylated sodium alginate beta-cyclodextrin (Alg-MA-β-CD), was used in combination with a microfluidic device to create microspheres. Currently there is no reliable method for fabricating homogeneous stimuli-responsive microspheres, in-house microfluidic devices are not reliable in manufacture quality or long-term use. Alginate hydrogels have many attractive characteristics for bioengineering applications and are commonly used to mimic the features and properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are of top interest to tissue engineers. hMSCs are widely available and can be harvested and cultured directly out of human bone marrow. hMSCs have the ability to differentiate into osteoblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes, muscle cells, and stromal fibroblasts depending on mechanical signals transmitted through surrounding ECM. The biomechanical properties of alginate based stimuli-responsive hydrogels can be tuned to match those of different types of tissues. When trying to transport and control the differentiation of hMSCs into generating new tissues or regenerating damaged tissues, it is highly beneficial to encapsulate the cells inside a microsphere made from these hydrogels. The proposed research objectives are: 1) To optimize fabrication techniques and create functional microfluidic devices; 2) Analyze the effects of flow parameters on microsphere production; and 3) Encapsulate viable hMSCs inside multi-stimuli responsive alginate microspheres using the fabricated microfluidic devices (MFDs). In this study, photolithography microfabrication methods were used to create flow-focusing style MFDs. The hydrogel materials were characterized via rheological methods. Syringe pumps controlled flow rates of fluids through the devices. Active droplets formation was monitored through a camera attached to an inverted microscope, where images were analyzed. Microsphere production was analyzed optically and characterized. Alg-MA-β-CD polymer solutions containing hMSCs were encapsulated, and a live/dead florescence assay was preformed to verify cell viability. Using a modified fabrication process it was possible to manufacture Alg-MA-β-CD microspheres and encapsulate and maintain viable hMSCs inside.

This inquiry began with a global question: Why are Aboriginal high school students underrepresented in the sciences? This led to the following series of questions: What is science? Is Aboriginal knowledge about nature and naturally occurring events science? What is science literacy? What are culturally responsive approaches to science education? The initial inquiry began as part of the Aboriginal Knowledge and Science Education Research Project, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Over time the inquiry morphed into two case studies. The first case study focused on a quantitative exploration to examine the current state of student performance in British Columbia secondary school science (Biology 12, Chemistry 12, and Physics 12), and mathematics (Principles of Mathematics 12). The examination of performance trends for over a decade confirmed the underperformance of Aboriginal students in secondary school sciences and mathematics when compared to non-Aboriginal students. The second case study sought to establish criteria, identify, and document a model project that incorporated the methods of western modern science (WMS) knowledge and ways of knowing represented by traditional ecological knowledge and wisdom (TEKW), local ecological knowledge (LEK), and indigenous knowledge (IK) in a local environment (place-based) and that was culturally responsive to students and faithful to science education principles. A model project was identified in British Columbia operating within the Heiltsuk First Nation territory by the Qqs (pronounced “kucks”) Projects Society. This project exemplified the Te Kotahitanga Project in Aotearoa/New Zealand by engaging student interns in science in place. Qqs partnered with a number of non-governmental organizations to develop the Supporting Emerging Aboriginal Stewards (SEAS) Initiative, whereby interns used WMS techniques to study their traditional territory in the Great Bear Rainforest. The SEAS project was deemed to make science more relevant for Aboriginal students, who may otherwise have rejected it because of a possible conflict with their cultural value systems and personal relevance. There is a persistent tension between science espoused by WMS, and the wisdom and sacredness of indigenous knowledge and wisdom (IKW). Finally, recommendations are proposed for a Two-row Wampum Belt or a trans-systemic practice that would enable IKW and WMS knowledge to operate in a spirit of mutual cultural responsiveness, followed by recommendations for future study. / Graduate

La dérégulation du métabolisme glucidique conduisant au développement d’une hyperglycémie est classiquement associée aux maladies métaboliques, telles que le diabète de type 2 et l’obésité. Le foie est un organe clé dans le contrôle de l’homéostasie glucidique. Ainsi, lors d’un état post-prandial (après un repas), il utilise le glucose pour produire de l’énergie par la voie de la glycolyse, mais surtout stocke l’excès de glucose sous forme de glycogène par la voie de synthèse du glycogène et l’excès d’énergie sous forme d’acides gras par la voie de la lipogenèse. Ces voies sont sous le contrôle des hormones insuline et glucagon qui, en fonction des changements nutritionnels, régulent respectivement l’utilisation (glycolyse) et la production (néoglucogenèse) de glucose en induisant l’expression des enzymes de ces voies métaboliques. Plus récemment, il a été montré que les voies de la glycolyse et de la lipogenèse sont également régulées par le glucose qui active le facteur de transcription ChREBP (Carbohydrate Response Element Binding Protein) et induit de ce fait l’expression des gènes de la glycolyse, tels que la LPK (Liver Pyruvate Kinase), et de la lipogenèse, tels que FAS (Fatty Acid Synthase) et ACC1 (Acetyl-CoenzymeA Carboxylase 1). Le récepteur nucléaire Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR), un facteur de transcription activé par des ligands, en plus de son rôle très important dans la régulation des acides biliaires et des lipides, contrôle aussi le métabolisme glucidique dans le foie. Ainsi, FXR inhibe l’expression des gènes des voies de la glycolyse et de la lipogenèse, probablement en interférant avec le facteur de transcription ChREBP, comme le propose une étude récente. Les objectifs de ma thèse ont été de caractériser deux lignées hépatocytaires humaines IHH (Immortalized Human Hepatocytes) et HepaRG d’un point de vue métabolique et d’étudier les mécanismes moléculaires d’interférence du récepteur nucléaire FXR avec l’activité du facteur ChREBP dans ces deux lignées. / Glucose metabolism dysreglation leads to the developpment of hyperglaecemia and is classically associated with metabolic diseases such as Type II diabetes or obesity. The liver is a key organ in the control of glucose homeostasis. Indeed, at a post-prandial state (after a meal), it utilizes glucose to produce energy by the glycolysis pathway, but mostly stores the glucose excess as glycogen by the glycogenesis pathway and the energie excess as fatty acids by the lipogenesis pathway. These pathways are controlled by insulin and glucagon hormones which, in response ton nutritional changes, regulate respectively the utilization (glycolysis) and the production (gluconeogenesis) of glucose by inducing the expression of enzymes involved in these pathways. More recently, it has been shown that glycolyisis and lipogenesis are also regulated by glucose who activates the transcription factor ChREBP (Carbohydrate Response Element Binding Protein) and therefore induces the expression of glycolytic genes, such as LPK (Liver Pyruvate Kinase) and lipogenic genes, such as FAS (Fatty Acid Synthase) and ACC1 (Acetyl-CoenzymeA Carboxylase 1). Nuclear receptor Farnesoid X Receptor, a transcription factor activated by ligands, besides its role in the regulation of bile acids and lipids, also controls the glucose metabolism in liver. Thus, FXR inhibit the expression of genes involved in glycolysis and lipogenesis, probably by interfering with the transcription factor ChREBP, as it has been suggested by a recent study The objectifs of my thesis were to characterize two human hepatocyte cell lines IHH ( (Immortalized Human Hepatocytes) and HepaRG from a metabolic point of view and to study the molecular mecanisms involved in the interference of FXR with the activity of ChREBP in these two cell lines.

<p>The coupling of mechanical stress fields in polymers to covalent chemistry (polymer mechanochemistry) has provided access to previously unattainable chemical reactions and polymer transformations. In the bulk, mechanochemical activation has been used as the basis for new classes of stress-responsive polymers that demonstrate stress/strain sensing, shear-induced intermolecular reactivity for molecular level remodeling and self-strengthening, and the release of acids and other small molecules that are potentially capable of triggering further chemical response. The potential utility of polymer mechanochemistry in functional materials is limited, however, by the fact that to date, all reported covalent activation in the bulk occurs in concert with plastic yield and deformation, so that the structure of the activated object is vastly different from its nascent form. Mechanochemically activated materials have thus been limited to “single use” demonstrations, rather than as multi-functional materials for structural and/or device applications. Here, we report that filled polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomers provide a robust elastic substrate into which mechanophores can be embedded and activated under conditions from which the sample regains its original shape and properties. Fabrication is straightforward and easily accessible, providing access for the first time to objects and devices that either release or reversibly activate chemical functionality over hundreds of loading cycles. </p><p>While the mechanically accelerated ring-opening reaction of spiropyran to merocyanine and associated color change provides a useful method by which to image the molecular scale stress/strain distribution within a polymer, the magnitude of the forces necessary for activation had yet to be quantified. Here, we report single molecule force spectroscopy studies of two spiropyran isomers. Ring opening on the timescale of tens of milliseconds is found to require forces of ~240 pN, well below that of previously characterized covalent mechanophores. The lower threshold force is a combination of a low force-free activation energy and the fact that the change in rate with force (activation length) of each isomer is greater than that inferred in other systems. Importantly, quantifying the magnitude of forces required to activate individual spiropyran-based force-probes enables the probe behave as a “scout” of molecular forces in materials; the observed behavior of which can be extrapolated to predict the reactivity of potential mechanophores within a given material and deformation.</p><p>We subsequently translated the design platform to existing dynamic soft technologies to fabricate the first mechanochemically responsive devices; first, by remotely inducing dielectric patterning of an elastic substrate to produce assorted fluorescent patterns in concert with topological changes; and second, by adopting a soft robotic platform to produce a color change from the strains inherent to pneumatically actuated robotic motion. Shown herein, covalent polymer mechanochemistry provides a viable mechanism to convert the same mechanical potential energy used for actuation into value-added, constructive covalent chemical responses. The color change associated with actuation suggests opportunities for not only new color changing or camouflaging strategies, but also the possibility for simultaneous activation of latent chemistry (e.g., release of small molecules, change in mechanical properties, activation of catalysts, etc.) in soft robots. In addition, mechanochromic stress mapping in a functional actuating device might provide a useful design and optimization tool, revealing spatial and temporal force evolution within the actuator in a way that might also be coupled to feedback loops that allow autonomous, self-regulation of activity. </p><p>In the future, both the specific material and the general approach should be useful in enriching the responsive functionality of soft elastomeric materials and devices. We anticipate the development of new mechanophores that, like the materials, are reversibly and repeatedly activated, expanding the capabilities of soft, active devices and further permitting dynamic control over chemical reactivity that is otherwise inaccessible, each in response to a single remote signal.</p> / Dissertation

Thesis advisor: Elizabeth A. Twomey / Thesis advisor: James Marini / This qualitative case study focused on a Response to Intervention (RTI) literacy initiative in a suburban elementary school near an urban area in New England. The initiative incorporated professional development about RTI and implementation of components of an RTI model. The participant-researcher analyzed teachers' feedback regarding the professional development and the RTI model, as the initiative developed, with a specific focus on the teachers' perceptions about the impact of the initiative on the school's capacity to effectively instruct urban students of color who are participants in a voluntary desegregation program. The professional development about RTI incorporated three features which are recommended for professional learning communities: content which is research-based, process which includes reflection and dialogue, and context which is job-embedded. The RTI model utilized the "problem-solving" approach, and incorporated progress-monitoring and interventions. The findings from the study indicated that the combination of three elements (sustained professional development about RTI, implementation of RTI in the school setting, and conversations and questions about addressing the needs of urban students of color) resulted in increased teacher confidence in their ability to provide effective instruction to this population of students. Further, the interaction of these three elements resulted in identification of next steps which the teachers believe will specifically address these students' needs. However, several teachers questioned whether RTI was adequate to address the complex issues of students of color in a voluntary desegregation program. They recognized that they needed more information about effective instructional strategies to match the learning profiles of this population of students. Combining the results of this case study with the recommendations of the professional literature about culturally responsive teaching, it appears that Response to Intervention has the potential to address the learning needs of urban students of color, but only if practitioners incorporate some basic principles of culturally responsive teaching. Integrating the results of this study with the professional literature about Response to Intervention, culturally responsive teaching, and effective professional development, the participant-researcher recommends that policymakers and educators should consider incorporating culturally responsive teaching into their RTI models in order to truly make RTI effective for addressing the achievement gap. Further, the researcher recommends that schools should provide sustained professional development (with content based upon research, process which includes reflection and dialogue, and context which is job-embedded) to increase teachers' understanding about Response to Intervention and about culturally responsive teaching. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Administration.

Thesis advisor: Lillie R. Albert / Researchers have found that as students progress through school, the importance of language grows due to the content specificity that emerges, especially in the secondary grades, and due to the preparation of these students to enter adulthood once their schooling is completed. Even as students' instruction in various content areas becomes more in-depth and specialized, so does the terminology employed in the content. It is because of this specificity and union of language and learning that English-language learners' (ELLs') ability to comprehend and produce content-area academic language is crucial to their success. When questioning the quality of instruction ELLs are receiving in mathematics, the attention logically shifts to the pedagogical abilities of their teachers. However, historically, mathematics teachers have lacked language-acquisition knowledge and strategies necessary to adequately address the needs of linguistically diverse learners. In order to authentically promote and pursue quality mathematics education for all students, teachers of mathematics must be trained in recognizing the language demands of mathematics and in applying or developing strategies to address the nuances of the language in this subject area. The research in this study contributes to this work. This dissertation documents the effects of an intervention, woven into a secondary mathematics methods course and designed to prepare mathematics teachers to support ELLs' content and language learning. The study was based on the assumption that mathematics is much more than computations, and thus, requires a shift in the how the role of the mathematics teacher is viewed. Both qualitative and quantitative empirical evidence regarding the intervention's influence on the participants' attitudes and preparedness to teach the academic language of mathematics were generated. Twenty-nine students over the course of two years took part in this research. Five students from the second year were selected for an in-depth case study based on their range of experiences with learning other languages, interactions with linguistically diverse youth, and practicum placements for the subsequent spring semester. The larger group of preservice teachers was surveyed at the beginning and end of their enrollment in the course, and their course assignments were collected. In addition, case-study participants were interviewed at the start and completion of the semester, and their practicum-office submissions were examined. A framework to encourage pupils' acquisition of mathematical academic language is proposed. Essential outcomes indicate that the intervention not only affected the participants' beliefs and attitudes towards their own preparedness for teaching ELLs in mainstream mathematics classes, but also it imparted concrete strategies for the modification of teaching and learning experiences in the preservice teachers' future practices. The results of this study correlate to existing literature regarding linguistically responsive pedagogy and extend this theory by integrating language-acquisition strategies throughout a content-methods course for the middle- and high-school levels. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.