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<p>Carbon-fiber reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are often used in the aerospace and automotive  industries for their high strength-to-weight ratios and corrosion resistance. A new class of  composites – known as Prepreg Platelet Molded Composites (PPMCs) – offers further  advantageous such as high forming capabilities with modest compromises in strength and stiffness.  One such property of PPMCs that have garnered interest over the years is their apparent  insensitivity to notches. Previous studies have researched the effect of specimen size and platelet  length on its effect on the open-hole performance of PPMCs. Research however has focused on  thinner samples with smaller hole sizes and neglected thicker samples with larger holes.  Additionally, while platelet sizes have been investigated for unnotched samples, platelet width on  notched samples is less clear from the literature. The present thesis offers some investigations to  aid in filling this knowledge gap. </p> <p><br></p> <p>The objective of this work is to study two parameters that could influence the performance of PPMCs under open-hole tension. First, thick (7.6 mm) specimens are subjected to large hole  sizes (up to 19.08 mm) to investigate their behavior in comparison to the smaller sample sizes  previously investigated in the literature. Through-thickness DIC measurements are taken to  investigate strain gradients in these thicker specimens. Second, various platelet widths are tested  to research their influence on notch insensitivity of open-hole tensile PPMC specimens. Lastly, a  finite element based continuum damage mechanics model is implemented to predict macro-level  structural properties using only material properties of the parent prepreg. It is found that large holes  in thick samples increase notch sensitivity compared to other samples of similar diameter-to-width  ratios. Narrower platelets were found to produce higher unnotched strengths, while wider platelets  offered more notch insensitivity. Lastly, the finite element model developed was found to  qualitatively replicate features and failure modes that are exhibited by PPMCs, though strength  predictions became inaccurate at larger specimen sizes. Recommendations are made for future  work on the basis of these findings.   </p>

<p>Censoring arises quite often in lifetime data. Its presence may be planned or unplanned. In this project, we demonstrate progressive Type-II right censoring when the underlying distribution is log-logistic. The objective is to discuss inferential methods for the unknown parameters of the distribution based on the maximum likelihood estimation method. The Newton-Raphson method is proposed as a numerical technique to solve the pertinent non-linear equations. In addition, confidence intervals for the unknown parameters are constructed based on (i) asymptotic normality of the maximum likelihood estimates, and (ii) percentile bootstrap resampling technique. A Monte Carlo simulation study is conducted to evaluate the performance of the methods of inference developed here. Some illustrative examples are also presented.</p> / Master of Science (MSc)

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may mand repetitively for preferred items using the same mand topography, unless the environment is arranged to promote mand variability. For example, an individual with ASD may request access to songs played on the radio by repeating the word “dance” only. Previous research suggests that lag schedules of reinforcement can increase variability of vocal mands displayed by individuals with ASD. The current study evaluated the effects of a lag schedule of reinforcement and progressive time delay (TD) on the vocal mands by a 27-year old male, 28-year old female, and a 26-year old female. The evaluation included a multiple baseline across behaviors with embedded reversal design. A mand topography invariance assessment (MTIA) was conducted with each participant to identify new and existing vocal mand topographies. Two conditions were used to assess variable responding when variability was (Lag 1 + TD) and was not (Lag 0) required to produce reinforcement. During Lag 0, reinforcement was contingent on instances of independent manding (of any topography). During Lag 1 +TD, reinforcement was contingent on instances of independent variant and prompted variant responses (i.e., a mand topography had to be different from the mand topography that occurred independently in the preceding trial). A progressive TD was used to transfer stimulus control from an echoic prompt to naturally occurring contingencies. Results indicated that a Lag 1 schedule of reinforcement with progressive TD resulted in acquisition of novel vocal mand topographies for all participants, with varying effects on rates of independent variant mands. / Applied Behavioral Analysis

An ever-present figure throughout much of the nineteenth century, the prostitute existed in a state divorced from "traditional" womanhood as a shadowy yet "necessary" evil, and was largely seen as a static element of the city. The archetypes of the "endangered maiden" and the "fallen woman" were discursive creations evolving from an inchoate form to a more sharply defined state that were designed to explain the prostitute's continued existence despite the moral objections voiced by religious and social reformers. These archetypes functioned in an agrarian/proto-industrial society; however, under pressures of urbanization, industrialization, and population mobility, these archetypes were gradually supplanted by sharper, more emotionally loaded archetypes such as the "White Slave" and the trope of the "Vice Syndicate" to explain the prostitute. In this manner Progressive-Era social and moral reformers could interpret prostitution in general and the prostitute in particular within the framework of their understanding of a contentious social environment. In moving away from a religious framework towards a more scientific interpretation, the concept of prostitution evolved from a moral failing to a status analogous to a disease that infected the social body of the state. However, because the White Slave and the Vice Syndicate were discursive creations based upon anecdotal interpretations of prostitution as a predatory economic system, their nebulous nature encouraged a crisis mentality that could not survive a concrete examination of their "problem." Realities of race, class, and gender, as well as the fluid nature of the urban environment as well as non-moral concerns rendered the new archetypes and tropes slippery, and applicable to any reform-oriented argument. By the later years of the Progressive Era anti-vice discourse ceased to advocate moral arguments calling for the rescue of the prostitute and instead became a vehicle to articulate non-moral concerns such as political reform, social order, and female economic suffrage. After the First World War, the archetype of the White Slave collapsed in the face of women's suffrage and sexual agency, and the prostitute once more reverted to a state analogous to pre-Progressive cultural interpretations of prostitution. / History

Though she is widely considered one of the "four pioneers" of American modern dance, German-American Hanya Holm (1893-1992) occupies a shadowy presence in dance history literature. She has often been described as someone who fell in love with America, purged her approach of Germanic elements, and emerged with a more universal one. Her "Americanization" has served as evidence of the Americanness of modern dance, thus eclipsing the German influence on modern dance. This dissertation challenges that narrative by casting new light on Holm's worldview and initial intentions in the New World, and by articulating the specifics of the first five years of her American career. In contrast to previous histories, I propose that Holm did not come to the U.S. to forge an independent career as a choreographer; rather, she came as a missionary for Mary Wigman and her Tanz-Gemeinschaft (dance cultural community). To Wigman and Holm, dance was not only an art form; it was a way of life, a revolt against bourgeois sterility and modern alienation, and a utopian communal vision, even a religion. Artistic expression was only one aspect of modern dance's larger purpose. The transformation of social life was equally important, and Holm was a fervent believer in the need for a widespread amateur dance culture. This study uses a historical methodology and accesses traces of the past such as lectures, school reports, promotional material, newspaper articles, personal notebooks, correspondence, photographs, and other material--much of it discussed here for the first time. These sources provide evidence for new descriptions and interpretations of Holm's migration from Germany to the U.S. and from German dance to American dance. I examine cultural contexts that informed Holm's beliefs, such as early twentieth century German life reform and body culture; provide a sustained analysis of the curriculum of the New York Wigman School of the Dance; and consider how the politicization of dance in the 1930s--in both Germany and the U.S.--affected Holm and her work. / Dance

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