This thesis makes an intervention in the recent proliferation of work on encyclopaedism in fiction. By taking James Joyce's Ulysses, Leslie Marmon Silko's Almanac of the Dead, and Roberto Bolaño's 2666 as its case studies, the project proposes that fictional encyclopaedism can be read through the responses authors make to the diverse forms that encyclopaedic thought and practice has taken throughout history. In this, I contend, ‘encyclopaedism' can be dissociated from its commonplace conflation with ‘great white male' theories of literature, and refigured as a literary category with the potential to restructure, or decolonise, both our sense of ‘greatness' and ‘mastery' in fiction and our idea of the world as a complete and coherent totality. The project is divided into five sections. The introduction establishes the relationship between encyclopaedism and totality through a reading of the Encyclopaedia Britannica's ‘Great American Indian Leaders' exhibition in the 1980s, drawing particularly on the theoretical work of Gerald Vizenor and Walter D. Mignolo and on historians of encyclopaedism. The first and second chapters look to the ways Joyce and Silko, respectively, critique and re-tool specific forms of encyclopaedism, with Ulysses focusing on the Britannica and Almanac of the Dead reaching back to the encyclopaedic practices that gave epistemic shape to the European ‘conquest,' or invasion, of the Americas (particularly those of Bartolomé de Las Casas). Both authors, I propose, imagine new, radical, decolonial encyclopaedisms that work by opening themselves up to their own productive failures. The third chapter explores how Bolaño uses 2666 to identify potential encyclopaedisms immanent to the contemporary, particularly through his dialogue with Julio Cortázar's Hopscotch. The conclusion synthesises the three authors' forms of fictional encyclopaedism into the beginnings of a theory of literary totality as ‘totality-without-totality,' along the lines of Jacques Derrida's ‘messianism-without-messianicity.'

This thesis describes research conducted by the author using a high sensitivity, shadow-shield, mobile, whole body monitor and is primarily concerned with its clinical applications. Whole body counting-rates vary when administered radioisotopes are redistributed in the body. Several methods of assessing the magnitude of geometrical variations in counting-rates have been brought together. Point sources in simple water phantoms, a life-like phantom man with simulated organs and human subjects were studied and the relative importance of the sources of variation and the value of the methods assessed. Cobalamin excretion rates were studied in patients with renal and hepatic disease from about one week after injection when, evidently the tracer dose of vitamin has effectively equilibrated with body stores. The daily cobalamin loss was abnormally high in 6 out of 8 patients with renal disease and 3 out of 6 with hepatic disease. In evaluating the treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency, the retention of three parenterally administered vitamin compounds was investigated. From the results, maintenance schedules could be derived empirically for patients with uncomplicated vitamin deficiency and with concomitant renal or hepatic disease. Using a double tracer technique, the oral absorption at different dose levels of coenzyme and other cobalamins was measured. The fraction of the dose absorbed appears to be a function of both the mass and the structure of the cobalamin. The human prostate gland contains a high concentration of zinc and when a carcinomatous change occurs in the gland, there is a distinct fall in the zinc content of the prostatic tissue. A preliminary study of the whole body metabolism and local prostatic uptake of zinc-65 was undertaken to provide the basis of a method for measuring the response of prostatic carcinoma to therapy. The metabolism of iron-59 was studied in an investigation of the anaemia in patients with chronic renal failure and in patients also receiving regular dialysis therapy. It was suggested that the anaemia results from the depression of erythropoiesis rather than iron deficiency. The high iron turnover rate in patients receiving regular dialysis could be explained almost entirely by the blood losses in the Kolff twin-coil artificial kidney. Methods of minimising these blood losses are suggested. The monitor was calibrated using potassium-42 for the measurement of total body potassium. The precision of the calibration and monitoring procedures were examined in detail, a relationship was derived enabling a calibration factor to be calculated from a subject's weight and height. In clinical practice, the measurement of total body potassium may only be meaningful if the 'normal' value is known; this was correlated with the weight, height and age of the subject. To illustrate these techniques, total body potassium was measured in an investigation of the potassium status in patients with chronic, renal failure, rheumatoid arthritis and following ureterosigmoid anastomoses.

The Least Squares Mixture Decomposition Estimator (LSMDE) is a new nonparametric density estimation technique developed by modifying the ordinary kernel density estimators. While the ordinary kernel density estimator assumes equal weight (l/<i>n</i>) for each data point, LSMDE assigns the optimized weight to each data point via the quadratic programming under the Mean Integrated Squared Error (MISE) criterion. As results, we find out that the optimized weights for a given data set are far different from l/<i>n</i> for a reasonable smoothing parameter and, furthermore, many data points are assigned to zero weights after the optimization. This implies that LSMDE decomposes the underlying density function to a finite mixture distribution of <i>p</i> (< n) kernel functions. LSMDE turns out to be more informative, especially in multi-dimensional cases when the visualization of the density function is difficult, than the ordinary kernel density estimator by suggesting the underlying structure of a given data set. / Ph. D.

This dissertation describes kinetic and mechanistic studies of high performance polyimide formation, synthesis and characterization of fully cyclized, molecular weight and end group controlled polyimides, and investigations of high performance polymer blends based upon polyimides and polybenzimidazole. Imidization kinetics were successfully followed by the quantitative non-aqueous titration of the amic acid functional groups as a function of reaction conditions. The homogeneous solution imidization processes were described by auto-acid catalyzed second order kinetics. The effects of heteroatom bridging groups in the diamines and dianhydrides on reaction rates have been investigated and a possible reaction mechanism for the solution imidization processes has been proposed. Detailed mechanistic investigations of the thermal solution imidization of polyamic acids were performed. A small amount of hydrolysis and possibly some unimolecular decomposition of amide bonds in the polyamic acid during thermal solution imidization processes were observed via combination of NMR and intrinsic viscosity measurements. However, complete "recombination" of the degraded polymer chains and their further cycloimidization could be achieved under proper imidization conditions. Potential side reactions involving intermolecular imide formation reaction were also investigated using a well characterized polyimide and also a model imide. For polyimide systems containing benzophenone tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride (BTDA), direct evidence for network formation involving imine crosslinking, was observed by high field lH-NMR spectroscopy. The gel formation was a strong function of reaction conditions, occurring under extremely dry reaction conditions and being favored at moderate reaction temperatures. Various polyimide homo- and copolymers with controlled molecular weight and end groups were synthesized by the classic two step method and their thermal properties and solution viscosities were evaluated. Further, miscibility behavior of high performance polymer blends based upon polyimide (PI) and polybenzimidazole (PBI) was investigated. Several miscible PI/PBI blend material systems were identified, some of which showed a lower critical solution temperature (LCST), which was consistent with earlier observations. It was found that miscibility was a strong function of polarity and possible specific interactions with the polyimide components. Thus, miscibility was possible over a wide composition range with polyimides containing polar groups such as ketones, sulfones and ethers. However, immiscible blends were obtained when these polar polyimide components were replaced by non-polar groups such as the hexafluoroisopropylidene linkages. / Ph. D.

This study examines Syngman Rhee's activities in the United States, from 1904 to 1945, as he tried to gain independence for Korea. Rhee was a prominent Korean nationalist, anti-communist, and first President of South Korea. Chapter One (1904-1918) examines how Rhee began his fight for Korean independence after consequential events in Korean history. Chapter Two (1919-1938) looks at Rhee's activities as a principal leader of Korean independence from 1919 to 1938. After the March First Movement in Korea in 1919, he became the President of the Korean Provisional Government and concentrated his efforts on diplomacy and propaganda in the United States. Chapter Three (1939-1945) focuses on Rhee's efforts for the recognition of the Korean Provisional Government and the guarantee of Korean independence immediately after the war. In addition, the chapter examines why Rhee started to fight against Russian aggression toward Korea. Chapter Four (after 1945) briefly examines Rhee' s continuous fight for Korean independence against Russian communism, after he returned to Korea. As this thesis concludes, Rhee's long struggle for Korean independence greatly contributed to the establishment of a democratic South Korea. / Master of Arts

This is a visual story of my attempt at understanding impression. / Master of Architecture

Much discussion has taken place among local citizens in recent years about the possibility of the Town of Blacksburg, Virginia assuming city status. Many of the issues surrounding such a change in government form, however, appear unclear. This study explores some of the economic issues surrounding such a transition in an effort to: (1) clarify some of the arguments which are frequently encountered, and, (2) determine if there is economic rationale for the assumption of city status. The findings suggest that Blacksburg does indeed have considerable economic bases for assuming cityhood. This conclusion was reached after analysis of some of the economic issues involved--both preference-wise and finance-wise--was conducted. / Master of Arts

The Mass Evacuation (MASSVAC) model was originally developed for analysis and evaluation of evacuation plan in a specific area facing natural disasters. It was later applied to deal with the problems of evacuation around nuclear power stations (MASSVAC 3.0). The purpose of this model is to simulate the network clearance time and evacuation routes. In the process, it employs the Dial's or the all-or-nothing method to assign the traffic on to the network. The major effort in this research is to include the user equilibrium assignment method to reduce the evacuation times and to improve highway network performance. Evacuation routes, number of links used, and evacuation times etc. are found to be influenced by the user equilibrium assignment method. Transportation System Management (TSM) strategies have also been incorporated in this enhanced model (MASSVAC 4.0) to improve the network performance during evacuation. The trip distribution process and the shortest path algorithm has been modified appropriately to suit the user equilibrium assignment. / Master of Science

A brief review of three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer mean velocity profile models was presented, with emphasis on the applicability of these to predict cross flow profiles when skewing existed in any single profile. A recurving or s-shaped rectangular channel was used to experimentally investigate the possible existence of such a turbulent boundary layer flow. The time average velocity profiles along the centerline of this channel were obtained with a hot film anemometer. The resultant profiles indicated that a turbulent boundary layer can exist with cross flow in two lateral directions simultaneously in the same profile and this phenomenon can occur over a relatively long flow distance. Several attempts were made to fit the models of Eichelbrenner and Shanebrook to the measured cross flow profiles, but with only limited success. A test of the three-dimensional wall-wake formulation proposed by Coles was made for each profile. A shear velocity was inferred by a modification of the two-dimensional Ludwieg and Tillman skin friction equation, and by a modified form of the two-dimensional Clauser skin friction chart. A linear semi-logarithmic region was judged distinguishable for profiles with skewing in one lateral direction and with the limiting wall streamline angle less than approximately 30 degrees. Additionally in some instances a linear semi-logarithmic region was judged to exist when when simultaneous lateral skewing occurred in two directions. Generally, the constructed wake profiles did not resemble the universal form tentatively proposed by Coles, but rather resembled the characteristic preasymptotic form as discussed by Pierce. / Master of Science

The behavior of a junction vortex formed around an obstacle in a boundary layer flow was studied experimentally in a water tunnel for two low speed cases. A wing consisting of a 3 : 2 elliptical nose and an NACA 0020 tail was used to simulate the junction vortex. A visual study using a hydrogen bubble technique was extensively conducted to investigate the flow structures in the stagnation region of the wing. It was observed that a multiple vortex system exists in this region and shows an acyclic flow pattern. LDV measurements were performed in the plane of symmetry upstream of the wing. The general behavior of the flow agrees with an earlier wind tunnel test of Devenport and Simpson which was conducted at higher speed. A low frequency, bistable flow structure was observed as in the wind tunnel measurements. The switching between two flow modes (a backfiow mode and a zero flow mode) was analyzed using LDV signals in the zone of a bimodal structure. A dimensionless frequency group (StT) was found to represent the average frequency of successive switches from a given mode to the other. The visual evidence of acyclic flow pattern was consistent with the LDV measurements, and revealed that aperiodic stretching of the junction vortex appears responsible for the bimodal (double-peaked) structure in the velocity histograms. An attempt to measure the three-dimensional instantaneous velocity field in this region was made. A unique PIDV (particle image displacement velocimetry) technique was developed using a multiple wire hydrogen bubble method and a high speed video system. A stereo vision approach was implemented to capture two orthogonal views simultaneously for the three-dimensional motion analysis. / Ph. D.