No description available.

This thesis combines Keysight’s SystemVue software with a Vector Signal Analyzer (VSA) and Vector Signal Generator (VSG) to test receiver equalization schemes over physical channels. The testing setup, “Equalization Verification,” is intended to be able to evaluate any equalization scheme over any physical channel, and a decision-directed feed-forward LMS equalizer is used as an example. The decision-directed feed-forward LMS equalizer is shown to decrease the BER from 10-2 to 10-3 (average of all trials) over a CAT7 and CAT6A cable, both simulated and physical, for 1GHz and 2GHz carrier, and 80MHz data rate. A wireless channel, 2.4GHz Dipole Antenna, is also tested to show that the addition of the equalization scheme decreases BER from 10-5 to less than 10-5. Then the simulation and equalization parameters (LMS step size, PRBS, etc.) are changed to further verify the equalization scheme. The simulated channel BER results do not always match the physical channel BER results, but the equalization scheme does decrease BER for both wired and wireless channels. Then transistor-based equalization model is created using both HDL SystemVue components and blocks easily implemented by transistors. The model is then verified using HDL, Spice, and SystemVue simulation. Overall this thesis accomplishes its goal of creating a testing setup, Equalization Verification, to show that adding a given simulated equalization scheme in SystemVue can improve the quality of the link, by decreasing BER by at least an order of magnitude, over a specific physical channel.

Nanoscale structures play a fundamental role in diverse scientific areas, including biology and information technology. It is necessary to develop methods that can observe nanoscale structures and dynamic processes that involve them. Colloidal plasmonic nanoparticles (plasmonic “atoms”) and their clusters (plasmonic “molecules”) are nanoscale objects with remarkable optical properties that provide new opportunities for sensing and imaging on the relevant length and time scales. Many biology questions require optically monitoring of the dynamic behavior of biological systems on single molecule level. In contrast to the commonly used fluorescent probes which have the problem of bleaching, blinking and relatively weak signals, plasmonic probes display superb brightness, persistency and photostability, thus enable long observation time and high temporal and spacial resolutions. When plasmonic atoms are clustered together, their resonances redshift while the intensities increase as a result of plasmon coupling. These optical responses are dependent on the interparticle gaps and the overall geometry, which makes plasmonic molecules capable of detecting biomolecule clustering and measuring nanometer scale distance fluctuations. In this dissertation, individual plasmonic atoms are firstly evaluated as imaging probe and their interactions with lipid membrane are tested on a newly developed on-chip black lipid membrane system. Subsequently, plasmonic dimers (plasmon rulers) prepared through DNA-programmed self-assembly are monitored to detect the mechanical properties of single biopolymers. Measurement of the spring constant of short (tens of nucleotides or base pairs) DNAs is demonstrated through plasmon coupling microscopy. Colloidal plasmonic atoms of various materials, sizes and shapes scatter vivid colors in the full-visible range. Assembling them into plasmonic molecules provides additional degrees of freedom for color manipulation. More importantly, the electric field in the gaps of plasmonic molecules can be enhanced by several orders of magnitude, which is highly desirable in single molecule sensing applications. In this dissertation, the fundamentals of plasmonic coupling are investigated through one-dimensional gold nanosphere chains. Using the directed self-assembly approach, multichromatic color-switchable plasmonic nanopixels composed of plasmonic atoms and molecules of various materials, sizes, shapes and geometries are integrated in one image with nanometer precision, which facilitates the encoding of complex spectral features with high relevance in security tagging and high density optical data storage. / 2017-01-01T00:00:00Z

No description available.

Examination of goal-directed aiming tasks has revealed that rapid, discrete human action is amendable to online control. This control affords humans a margin of error in movement planning and execution as well as a means of acquiring their goals when the body and/or the environment are extrinsically perturbed. For over a century, the models of online movement control that have best described the trajectories and outcomes of goal-directed reaches hold that these movements are composed of two distinct components. The first component moves the limb from its resting position towards the target. The second component is a corrective movement that is formed on the basis of a visual referencing of the moving limb and target positions. As such, the temporal and spatial characteristics of these discrete movement changes have been attributed to the limits of visual information processing. Furthermore, the absence of any discrete movement changes in the portions of movements outside of the temporal and spatial limits of vision led many investigators to conclude that first component impulses are ballistic and uncontrollable. However, recent studies involving environmental perturbation and within-subject trial-to-trial spatial variability analyses have evidenced that initial impulses are privy to online control. Because the corrections made early in movement impulses occur quicker than purely afferent visual information can be processed this form of control has been attributed to the use of forward anticipatory processes. The four studies presented here examine the nature of initial impulse control through kinematic analyses of reaches made to targets against various combinations of limb, target, and environment perturbations. This was done in order to evaluate anticipatory control's relationship with visually-regulated control and the relative influence the two processes have on the movement trajectory and performance outcome. The first study examined target-directed reaches made against illusory moving background and target relocation perturbations. The results showed the presence of early anticipatory and late visually-regulated control. Non-interactive main effects of the two perturbations on outcome accuracy revealed that the processes operate independently. The second study tested the applicability of an air discharging stylus as a tool for perturbing reach velocities. The results showed that the stylus effectively perturbed limb velocity and highlighted the presence of a limb forwarding response to either an advancing or hindering perturbation. The findings evidence the non-specific nature of anticipatory control responses. The third study examined reaches made against combinations of actual limb velocity and target position perturbations. The interactive effect of the two perturbations on reach trajectories and outcome accuracy indicated that the perturbations were salient enough to prompt parallel operation of the two control processes. Again, the control of initial movement portions was highlighted by non-specific responses to the perturbations. The fourth study examined reaches made against combinations of illusory and actual perturbations to both the anticipatory and visually-regulated control processes. Interestingly, performers withheld responses to the illusory perturbation unless they were also responding to an actual perturbation. This finding suggests that anticipatory control responses are biased during movement preparation. Furthermore, combined illusory and actual perturbations to target position had interactive effects on visually regulated control. Overall, the studies evidence that target-directed movements are mediated by two modes of control. There is an anticipatory mode of control that operates continuously and, given that reaches are made within the spatial and temporal limits of visual processing, there is also a feedback driven discrete mode of control that overlaps with the continuous mode. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Radical change theory (RCT) was conceived in a North American context in the mid-1990s, in order to explain changes in contemporary literature for youth related to the digitization of society. This study uses directed qualitative content analysis (DQlCA) to look at a select sample of contemporary award-winning Arabic picturebooks through the lens of radical change theory. The aim of the study is to ascertain whether and to what extent these acclaimed and promoted books display radical change characteristics (Dresang 1999). Children’s books that embody many such characteristics may be seen as products of an underlying ideology of childhood that is arguably gaining traction in contemporary societies–one in which children are seen as capable and seeking connection rather than innocent and in need of protection or depraved and needing to be controlled. All books in the present study were found to contain radical change. This can be viewed as revealing of larger trends affecting and perhaps changing the societies in which these books were published, distributed and promoted. In addition, radical change books are thought to be especially attractive to digital age children (by creating more interest and an elevated understanding), which is of special interest in the context of Arabic children’s literature because of the hurdles to accessibility that the use of literary Arabic creates.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第21552号 / 理博第4459号 / 新制||理||1640(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院理学研究科物理学・宇宙物理学専攻 / (主査)准教授 藤 定義, 教授 佐々 真一, 教授 早川 尚男 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

Laser-based additive manufacturing is inherently associated with extreme, unprecedented, and rapid thermokinetics which impact the microstructural evolution in a built component. Such a unique, near to non-equilibrium microstructure/phase evolution in laser additively manufactured metallic components impact their properties in engineering application. In light of this, the present work investigates the unique microstructural traits as a result of process induced spatial and temporal variation in thermokinetic parameters in laser directed energy deposited CoCrMo biomedical alloy. The influence of such a unique microstructural evolution in laser directed energy deposited CoCrMo on electrochemical response in physiological media was elucidated and compared with a conventionally manufactured, commercially available CoCrMo component. Furthermore, while investigation of the electrochemical response, such a microstructural evolution in laser directed energy deposited CoCrMo led to in-situ surface modification of the built components in physiological media via selective, non-uniform electrochemical etching. Such in-situ surface modification resulted in enhanced biocompatibility in terms of mammalian cell growth, cell-substrate adhesion, blood compatibility, and antibacterial properties indicating improved osteointegration, compared to a conventionally manufactured, commercially available CoCrMo component.

京都大学 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(工学) / 乙第13581号 / 論工博第4212号 / 新制||工||1990(附属図書館) / (主査)教授 松原 誠二郎, 教授 中尾 佳亮, 教授 浦山 健治 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DFAM

Competency-based education (CBE) has become well-accepted as a powerful way to personalize learning. Today's advanced technologies have enhanced CBE even further. Practitioners in the field are seeking means to take advantage of technology to increase CBE's effectiveness and efficiency, especially for adult learners. Microlearning and digital open badges are two examples. This dissertation, which consists of three articles, aimed to provide more in-depth insights into the two innovative approaches. The first article is a literature review of the current understanding of microlearning. While microlearning is commonly defined as breaking down learning into manageable bite-size chunks, the review of the existing literature identified key principles for effective microlearning while also suggesting gaps in the research. Because of the limited number of peer-reviewed and research-based articles about microlearning, this literature review justified microlearning as a practical approach for workplace learning through CBE and digital open badges, which were relatively more well-studied. The article concluded with suggestions on how to design and facilitate effective microlearning experiences. The second and third articles from this dissertation resulted from an ongoing design-based research (DBR) project began in 2018. The study aims to contribute theories and practices about developing microcredentials and microlearning experiences to support self-directed learning (SDL) in educational settings. The project started with implementing competency-based microcredentials to train student instructors to teach software workshops at the Brigham Young University multimedia lab (Clement et al. 2020). It is in the second iteration to offer microcredentials to all students on campus through project-based assessments. Following the timeline of this project, the second article presents a case study that discusses microcredential use for student instructor training at the multimedia lab. We collected surveys and interviews from the current and former employees to determine if the badge-assisted training design has been meeting its intended goals for tracking skills. The result shows that while the badge-assisted training is effective for tracking skills and progression. It also provides insights to inform the next iteration's design. The third article is a product from the second iteration of this DBR project. The objective was to understand if and how microcredentials could promote continuous SDL. We collected 104 survey responses and 7 interviews from students who attended the software training workshops. Our findings suggest that marketing digital open badges as individual skills identification may be insignificant for supporting continuous SDL, but their stackable feature is. We aim to provide insights for practitioners to avoid similar pitfalls when implementing digital open badges through our reflections and suggestions.