Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri--Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 147-162). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2001. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 106 p. : ill. (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 83-102).

abstract: Sb-based type-II superlattices (T2SLs) are potential alternative to HgCdTe for infrared detection due to their low manufacturing cost, good uniformity, high structural stability, and suppressed Auger recombination. The emerging InAs/InAsSb T2SLs have minority carrier lifetimes 1-2 orders of magnitude longer than those of the well-studied InAs/InGaSb T2SLs, and therefore have the potential to achieve photodetectors with higher performance. This work develops a novel method to measure the minority carrier lifetimes in infrared materials, and reports a comprehensive characterization of minority carrier lifetime and transport in InAs/InAsSb T2SLs at temperatures below 77 K. A real-time baseline correction (RBC) method for minority carrier lifetime measurement is developed by upgrading a conventional boxcar-based time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) experimental system that suffers from low signal-to-noise ratio due to strong low frequency noise. The key is to modify the impulse response of the conventional TRPL system, and therefore the system becomes less sensitive to the dominant noise. Using this RBC method, the signal-to-noise ratio is improved by 2 orders of magnitude. A record long minority carrier lifetime of 12.8 μs is observed in a high-quality mid-wavelength infrared InAs/InAsSb T2SLs at 15 K. It is further discovered that this long lifetime is partially due to strong carrier localization, which is revealed by temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) and TRPL measurements for InAs/InAsSb T2SLs with different period thicknesses. Moreover, the PL and TRPL results suggest that the atomic layer thickness variation is the main origin of carrier localization, which is further confirmed by a calculation using transfer matrix method. To study the impact of the carrier localization on the device performance of InAs/InAsSb photodetectors, minority hole diffusion lengths are determined by the simulation of external quantum efficiency (EQE). A comparative study shows that carrier localization has negligible effect on the minority hole diffusion length in InAs/InAsSb T2SLs, and the long minority carrier lifetimes enhanced by carrier localization is not beneficial for photodetector operation. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Electrical Engineering 2016

Antimikrobielle Resistenzen stellen eine weltweite Herausforderung dar und sind mit einer hohen Morbidität und Mortalität verbunden. Die Letalitätsrate durch multiresistente Keime steigt stetig an, weshalb die WHO im Jahr 2017 eine Prioritätenliste resistenter Keime erstellte, die die Entwicklung neuer Antibiotika vorantreiben soll. Diese umfasst vornehmlich gramnegative Bakterien, da diese aufgrund ihres Zellaufbaus sowie diverser Resistenzmechanismen besonders widerstandsfähig gegenüber dem Angriff vieler Antibiotika sind. Einige grampositive Keime (z.B. S. aureus) stehen ebenfalls auf dieser Liste und stellen eine große Herausforderung für die Medizin dar. Infolgedessen ist die Entwicklung neuer Antiinfektiva mit neuen Angriffspunkten gegen resistente Pathogene zwingend nötig, um mit bisherigen Resistenzen umgehen zu können. Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit der Entwicklung und Synthese von kovalent (reversibel) bindenden Inhibitoren der Enoyl-ACP-Reduktase FabI (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli) und der Thiolase FadA5 (Mycobacterium tuberculosis). Beide Enzyme sind essenziell für das Überleben des jeweiligen Bakteriums. FabI ist ein wichtiges und geschwindigkeitsbestimmendes Schlüsselenzym der Fettsäuresynthese Typ II diverser Bakterien. Hierbei werden wichtige Phospholipide hergestellt, die für den Aufbau der Zellmembran nötig sind. Schiebel et al. ist es gelungen, einen potenten Inhibitor für den Erreger S. aureus sowie E. coli zu entwickeln und zu charakterisieren. Ausgehend von dieser Verbindung wurde eine Substanzbibliothek mit verschiedenen „warheads“ hergestellt. Hierbei wurde die Verknüpfung zwischen dem Pyridon-Grundgerüst und der elektrophilen Gruppe sowie die über den Ether verknüpften aromatischen Ringsysteme variiert. Diese Verbindungen wurden hinsichtlich ihrer inhibitorischen Aktivität am jeweiligen Enzym getestet. Anschließend wurde von Verbindung 32 und 33, die jeweils eine gute Inhibition des Enzyms aufweisen, der IC50-Wert gemessen. Beide Verbindungen weisen eine 50-prozentige Reduktion der Enzymaktivität im mittleren nanomolaren Bereich auf. Zusätzlich wurde Verbindung 32 in einem sogenannten „jump-dilution“-Assay auf kovalente Inhibition getestet. Durch dieses Experiment konnte eine kovalente Inhibition des Enzyms ausgeschlossen werden. Die Reaktivität der eingesetzten „warheads“ wurde gegenüber einem Tripeptid mittels eines LC/MS-Iontrap-Systems bestimmt. Die untersuchten Verbindungen zeigten keine signifikante Reaktion mit der im Tripeptid eingebauten nukleophilen Aminosäure Tyrosin, deren Nukleophilie bei dem pH-Wert des Tests (pH = 8.2 und 10.8) nicht hoch genug ist. Um einen Einblick in den Bindemodus der Verbindungen zu erhalten, wurden ferner Kristallisationsversuche durchgeführt. Die erhaltenen Kristallstrukturen zeigen, dass die Verbindungen mit dem gewünschten Bindemodus am Zielenzym binden, aber eine kovalente Modifizierung des Tyrosins146 durch die eingesetzten „warheads“ aufgrund der großen Entfernung (6 Å zwischen elektrophiler Gruppe und Tyrosin146), unwahrscheinlich ist. Zusätzlich wurden die physikochemischen Eigenschaften (Stabilität, Wasserlöslichkeit und logP) der Verbindung 32 sowie Verbindung 33 charakterisiert. M. tuberculosis ist der Erreger der global verbreiteten Infektionskrankheit Tuberkulose (TB), die zu den zehn häufigsten Todesursachen weltweit gehört. Das Bakterium kann das im menschlichen Körper vorkommende Cholesterol metabolisieren und nutzt dessen Abbauprodukte als wichtige Kohlenstoffquelle. Die Thiolase FadA5 ist bei diesem Abbau ein wichtiges Enzym und konnte als potenzielles innovatives Target für neue Antibiotika definiert werden. Durch Dockingstudien konnten zwei potenzielle Leitstrukturen als Inhibitoren der Thiolase FadA5 identifiziert werden. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden die vorgeschlagenen Strukturen mit dem gewünschten „warhead“ synthetisiert und hinsichtlich ihrer inhibitorischen Aktivität gegenüber dem Enzym untersucht. Die Zielverbindungen zeigen keine signifikante Hemmung sowie kovalente Bindung über die eingesetzten „warheads“ an die Thiolase FadA5. / Antimicrobial resistance poses a global challenge and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. The case fatality rate of infections caused by multidrug-resistant pathogens continues to be on the rise, causing the WHO to compile a priority pathogens list that is supposed to advance the development of new antimicrobial compounds. The list is mainly comprised of gramnegative bacteria, since these are especially resilient to many antibiotics. This is due to their cellular structure and various mechanisms of resistance. Some grampositive bacteria are also a danger to public health and are therefore part of this list. Consequently, there is an urgent need for the development of new antiinfectives with novel modes of action, so that the current resistance situation can be adequately addressed. This work is concerned with the development and synthesis of covalent reversible inhibitors of the enoyl-ACP reductase FabI (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia Coli) and the thiolase FadA5 (Mycobacterium tuberculosis). Both enzymes are critically important for the survival of the respective bacteria. FabI is an essential and rate determining enzyme of the type II fatty acid synthesis of various bacteria. A number of important phospholipids required for the cell membrane are biosynthesized via this metabolic pathway. Schiebel et al. were able to develop and characterize a potent inhibitor for S. aureus and E. Coli. Using this compound as a starting point, a library of compounds carrying various “warheads” was synthesized. Further structural variations were introduced by using different linkers between the pyridone scaffold and the electrophilic group as well as diverse aromatic rings connected via the ether bridge. These compounds were assayed concerning their inhibitory activity at the respective enzyme. Of these, substances 32 and 33 showed good inhibition of the enzyme, prompting the determination of the IC50 values. The two substances were able to reduce enzymatic activity by 50% at nanomolar concentration levels. In addition, substance 32 was characterized concerning its ability to covalently inhibit its molecular target by means of the so-called jump dilution assay. This experiment showed no covalent inhibition of the target enzyme. The individual reactivity of the warhead moieties present in the library was determined against a synthetic tripeptide by using a LC/MS iontrap system. All the examined compounds showed no reaction with the nucleophilic amino acid tyrosine contained in the tripeptide at significant levels, which indicates that its nucleophilicity is insufficient at the pH of the assay (pH = 8,2 and 10,8, respectively). Crystallization experiments were conducted to ascertain the binding mode of the compounds. The crystal structures showed the substances binding to the enzyme in the desired pose, yet a covalent modification of tyrosine146 remains unlikely due to the large distance (6 Å) between the electrophilic moiety and the amino acid. Additionally, some physicochemical properties (Stability, aqueous solubility and logP) of compounds 32 and 33 were characterized. M. tuberculosis is the causative pathogen of the globally occurring infectious disease tuberculosis, which belongs to the 10 most frequently occurring causes of death worldwide. The germ is able to metabolize the cholesterol present in the human body and uses its degradation products as an important carbon source. The thiolase FadA5 is involved in this metabolic pathway and was identified as a potentially innovative target for novel antibiotics. Docking studies enabled the identification of two potential lead structures for inhibitors of FadA5. In this work, the proposed structures carrying the desired warheads were synthesized and characterized concerning their inhibitory activity at the target enzyme. The target compounds showed no significant inhibition or covalent binding to FadA5.

"La thèse que je présente est inscrite en création dramatique et comprend deux parties, soit deux textes dramatiques et un essai sur le passage des générations dans la vision tragique en relation avec le pouvoir paternel. Les deux textes dramatiques, qu'on retrouve dans la première partie, ont pour titre Les Atrides et Rivière Éternité. Le scénario de la pièce intitulée Les Atrides s'inspire des tragiques grecs qui ont écrit sur cette célèbre famille. Pour l'écriture de la pièce Rivière Éternité, j'ai emprunté quelques personnages à l'oeuvre du romancier russo-américain, Vladimir Nabokov, plus particulièrement à son roman Pnine. Dans les deux pièces, j'ai tenté de représenter le déroulement inéluctable de la vision tragique qui porte les dramaturges ou romanciers d'une société à exécuter des personnages de la génération montante en tant que boucs émissaires; la représentation de la mort de ces personnages pourrait avoir, selon moi, la fonction de renouveler la continuité temporelle. J'ai voulu montrer dans l'écriture de ces deux pièces que la vision tragique apparaît, en Occident, à des moments cruciaux de l'histoire et que les sociétés où on la voit surgir se retrouvaient généralement dans une impasse temporelle. Il m'a semblé que le péril que la vision tragique met en lumière était constitué de deux perceptions du temps antithétiques et concomitantes, soit le passé et l'avenir, que l'imaginaire avait du mal à réconcilier à certains moments. L'une commanderait de conserver les valeurs anciennes, fondatrices et paternelles, qui ont permis aux sociétés de se former et de pouvoir exister dans la continuité, et l'autre vision insisterait plutôt sur la nécessité de devoir accepter des changements, même lorsque ceux-ci entrent en contradiction avec les valeurs précédentes. Cette impasse temporelle pourrait être à la source de la mise à mort de jeunes personnages telle qu'elle est pratiquée dans Rivière Éternité et Les Atrides. C'est ce que j'ai tenté d'illustrer dans le scénario des deux pièces en insistant sur l'idée que l'impossibilité de décider entre le passé et le présent pouvait être une des causes du surgissement de la vision tragique qui semble commander la mise à mort de jeunes personnages."

Wang, Yejun. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2011. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-105). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese.

This thesis is dedicated to investigation of carrier dynamics in 3C-SiC crystals and heterostructures by using light-induced transient gratings and differential transmission techniques. The experimental studies in a wide range of excess carrier densities and temperatures revealed the influence of several particular growth conditions in different growth techniques on electronic properties of grown layers, and hence, a possibility to characterize indirectly the structural perfection of a layer by non-destructive optical means. Based on these results, we were able to evaluate and compare quality of 3C-SiC specimens manufactured by nearly all currently available growth techniques and to distinguish the most promising growth methods for 3C-SiC semiconductor. Moreover, we found a novel way, based on DT technique, to determine the carrier trap concentration in finite thickness layers, as well as to attribute them to specific impurity species. Finally, we investigated the influence of substrate surface features on carrier lifetime and mobility of the overgrown layers. / Disertacija yra skirta krūvininkų dinamikos tyrimams 3C-SiC kristaluose ir heterostruktūrose naudojant šviesa indukuotų dinaminių gardelių ir diferencinio pralaidumo metodikas. Atlikti tyrimai plačiame žadinimų ir temperatūros intervale atskleidė skirtingų auginimo technologijų ir jų tam tikrų parametrų įtaką opto-elektroninėms užaugintų sluoksnių savybėms, kas įgalino atlikti medžiagos neardančią, optinę kristalų struktūrinės kokybės charakterizaciją. Remiantis gautais rezultatais mes galėjome palyginti visomis plačiausiai naudojamomis auginimo technologijomis užaugintų 3C-SiC bandinių kokybę, taigi ir įvertinti perspektyviausią 3C-SiC puslaidininkio auginimo metodą. Šiame darbe atradome naują būdą, paremtą diferencinio pralaidumo metodika, krūvininkų gaudyklių koncentracijos ir šių priemaišinių atomų prigimties nustatymui pakankamai plonuose sluoksniuose. Taip pat, tyrėme padėklo paviršiaus įtaką krūvininkų gyvavimo laikui ir judriui epitaksiniuose sluoksniuose.

Disertacija yra skirta krūvininkų dinamikos tyrimams 3C-SiC kristaluose ir heterostruktūrose naudojant šviesa indukuotų dinaminių gardelių ir diferencinio pralaidumo metodikas. Atlikti tyrimai plačiame žadinimų ir temperatūros intervale atskleidė skirtingų auginimo technologijų ir jų tam tikrų parametrų įtaką opto-elektroninėms užaugintų sluoksnių savybėms, kas įgalino atlikti medžiagos neardančią, optinę kristalų struktūrinės kokybės charakterizaciją. Remiantis gautais rezultatais mes galėjome palyginti visomis plačiausiai naudojamomis auginimo technologijomis užaugintų 3C-SiC bandinių kokybę, taigi ir įvertinti perspektyviausią 3C-SiC puslaidininkio auginimo metodą. Šiame darbe atradome naują būdą, paremtą diferencinio pralaidumo metodika,krūvininkų gaudyklių koncentracijos ir šių priemaišinių atomų prigimties nustatymui pakankamai plonuose sluoksniuose. Taip pat, tyrėme padėklo paviršiaus įtaką krūvininkų gyvavimo laikui ir judriui epitaksiniuose sluoksniuose. / This thesis is dedicated to investigation of carrier dynamics in 3C-SiC crystals and heterostructures by using light-nduced transient gratings and differential transmission techniques. The experimental studies in a wide range of excess carrier densities and temperatures revealed the influence of several particular growth conditions in different growth techniques onelectronic properties of grown layers, and hence, a possibility to characterize indirectly the structural perfection of a layer by non-destructive optical means. Based on these results, we were able to evaluate and compare quality of 3C-SiC specimens manufactured by nearly all currently available growth techniques and to distinguish the most promising growth methods for 3C-SiC semiconductor. Moreover, we found a novel way, based on DT technique, to determine the carrier trap concentration in finite thickness layers, as well as to attribute them to specific impurity species. Finally, we investigated the influence of substratesurface features on carrier lifetime and mobility of the overgrown layers.

This thesis presents the results of the development of a user-friendly computer code (in MATLAB) that can be used to calculate co-channel interferences, both in the downlink and in the uplink of a single satellite/space-based mobile communications system, due to the reuse of frequencies in spot beams or coverage cells. The analysis and computer code can be applied to any type of satellite or platform elevated at any height above earth. The cells or beams are defined in the angular domain, as measured from the satellite or the elevated platform, and cell centers are arranged in a hexagonal lattice. The calculation is only for a given instant of time for which the system parameters are input into the program. The results obtained in one program run are for the overall carrier to interference ratio (CIR) along with CIR for both the uplink and downlink paths. An overall carrier to noise plus interference ratio (CNIR) is also calculated, which exemplifies the degradation in the carrier to noise ratio (CNR) of the system. Comparisons for systems with differing system scenarios are also made. For example, overall CIRs are compared for different reuse numbers (3, 4, 7, and 13) in LEO and GEO satellite systems. In conclusion, as expected, it is observed that the co-channel interference generally increases as we decrease the reuse number employed for the frequency reuse in the cells. It is also observed that co-channel interference can cause substantial degradation to the overall CNR of a system. / Master of Science

ITC/USA 2007 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Third Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 22-25, 2007 / Riviera Hotel & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / A single-tone frequency estimator for a non-uniformly sampled sinusoid is proposed. A nonuniformly sampled sinusoid may be generated from the received training sequences of a telemetry link. The frequency of the sinusoid matches the carrier-frequency-offset (CFO) of the received signal, and estimation of this quantity allows a receiver to compensate for the CFO. The performance bounds of this type of estimator have been investigated in the literature, though little work has been published on practical algorithms. The estimator proposed in this paper is a generalization of phase-increment estimators previously described in the literature. It exhibits a low computational complexity yet converges to theoretical bounds at high SNR. The paper argues that a periodic training sequence structure, combined with the new estimator, allows for a high-accuracy and lowcomplexity CFO compensator.