MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2023, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

Urban spaces contain layers of development in a city's quest for evolution and expansion, however, perceived triumphs of development such as highways have created downfalls in cities' structures and history. Highway systems are an infrastructure that threads cities and states in an accessible line of transportation. Suburban communities have gained direct access to cities at the cost of urban communities being severed from the urban core. While interstates are integral to the vitality of a city's success, there are opportunities to reevaluate the form of interstates to minimize the divide created by their location and structure. One of these opportunities is to utilize interstate capping, building over interstates in order to expand the development potential of cities and help to positively affect these severed communities. In the process of investigating highway capping, the West End of Cincinnati will be analyzed in order to find opportune locations existing in the layout of I-75 and I-71 to be able to locate caps that would have the most impact. Along with analyzing this portion of the city, it is important to analyze the history of the neighborhood and its history of being undervalued by local government and city planners. Through this experiment, there is an opportunity to bring a positive effect to the West End community and help to mend the residual disappointment leaders and planners have inflicted on the community. Evaluating the current infrastructure can also allow for Downtown to expand, breaking through the current gridlock confines. With the proposed design, highway capping can create positive, sustainable, public spaces that can rebuild areas of neighborhoods that have been lost due to the creation of the highway and allow for city centers to expand.

Committee: Elizabeth Riorden M.Arch. (Committee Member); Michael McInturf M.Arch. (Committee Chair) Subjects: Architecture

PHD, Kent State University, 2023, College of Arts and Sciences / Materials Science Graduate Program

Nematic Liquid Crystal Sessile Droplets in Electric and Magnetic Fields Abstract of Dissertation Zoltan Karaszi Materials Science Graduate Program, Kent State University Sessile droplets with uniform director structure could be used as tunable optical lenses where the focal length could be controlled by light polarization, viewing angle, and magnetic or electric fields. To achieve that, one must understand the liquid crystal director structure in various external fields. In this dissertation, I presented detailed experimental studies. I summarized the theoretical description of the director structure of uniaxial nematic liquid crystals, such as the formation and dynamics of Neel wall type metastable inversion walls, either in magnetic or electric fields or magnetic and electric fields combined. Sessile nematic droplets allow for studying the combined effect of anchoring at solid and gas interfaces. The combination of various alignments at the two surfaces and external fields results in various director distribution schemes, ranging from a defect-free, almost homogeneous state to configurations with point-, line- and wall defects. We designed a polarizing optical microscope made of non-magnetic materials that could be placed between an electromagnet's poles. The design allowed us to study the effect of various combinations of electric and magnetic fields on nematic liquid crystal sessile droplets. Additionally, a long-range microscope was used to observe the side view of the LC drop. We also built another experimental setup that enabled us to measure the focal length in response to electric fields while rotating the sample between crossed polarizers. (1) Our main experimental findings can be summarized as follows. We showed that under low magnetic fields applied along the base plane of a sessile droplet with homeotropic alignment, the director structure becomes distorted and gradually leads to a defect wall that moves toward the periphery. We explained the dir (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Antal Jákli Dr. (Advisor); Antal Jákli Dr. (Committee Chair); Hamza Balci Dr. (Committee Member); Liang-Chy Chien Dr. (Committee Member); James Gleeson Dr. (Committee Member); Philip Bos Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Chemistry; Materials Science; Physics

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2022, Antioch New England: Environmental Studies

As climate change accelerates and social inequity grows, adaptation planning and policy must respond to both problems. Adaptation scholars increasingly call for transformative solutions that not only address problems with the status quo but articulate ethical commitments to justice and equity. City climate action and adaptation plans (CAAPs) have begun to center these commitments, but little is known about how such responses become articulated and change as CAAPs are developed and passed. This dissertation, a critical case study of San Antonio's first CAAP, SA Climate Ready, addresses this gap by focusing on changes to the discourse of climate equity during the planning and drafting phases. Combining critical discourse analysis and rhetorical analysis methodologies, the study examined claims about climate equity and climate action, as well as the value resonances conveyed by these claims. The dataset included transcripts of 45 planning meetings in 2018 and three CAAP drafts published in 2019. Findings suggest that climate equity discourse was backgrounded, and economic arguments for climate action foregrounded, to appeal to decision-makers' values and priorities. Identifying four rhetorical constraints contributing to these changes and four recommendations for mitigating these constraints, this study has implications for transformative climate planning and policymaking in other contexts.

Committee: Jimmy Karlan Ed.D. (Committee Chair); Jason Rhoades Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kenneth Walker Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Studies

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2022, Chemistry

Enterovirus 71 (EV71), represents a persistent threat to global health and economies, as outbreaks are reported in the United States and globally each year. Infections are self-limited; however, prolonged infection in the immunocompromised can lead to severe neurological disorders and, eventually, death. As of the time of writing, there are no FDA-approved treatments against this pathogen. Thus, there is an immediate urgency to determine the mechanisms regulating host-virus interactions. EV71 utilizes a type I IRES element to initiate viral translation in a cap-independent pathway by recruiting multiple host proteins through a poorly understood mechanism. This thesis seeks to define the molecular and specificity determinants regulating the formation of IRES-protein complexes that modulate cap-independent translation. Herein, we studied the interactions of the negative translation modulator AUF1 with the conserved stem loop II (SLII) IRES domain. In chapter 2 we demonstrate that AUF1 and its isolated RRMs bind to the SLII bulge motif via a monophasic thermodynamic transition, where the bulk of the thermodynamic stability is conferred by the first RRM. Building on this knowledge, in chapter 3 we screened a library of RNA-targeting small molecules against the SLII IRES domain and found a potent inhibitor (DMA-135) of EV71 translation and replication. A combination of biophysical and functional studies revealed that DMA-135 functions by inducing a conformational change on SLII which stabilizes the formation of the repressive SLII:DMA-135:AUF1 complex. In chapter 4, we validated the proposed mechanism of action by generating (DMA-135)-EV71 resistant mutants, where the suppressor mutations mapped to SLII. Biophysical studies revealed that the suppressor mutations changed the local RNA structure around the SLII bulge which impaired DMA-135 and AUF1 binding. In chapter 5, we gathered the knowledge obtained in all previous chapters to delineate a pipeline for the identificat (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Blanton Tolbert (Advisor); Fu-Sen Liang (Committee Chair); Robert Salomon (Committee Member); Thomas Gerken (Committee Member); Shane Parker (Committee Member) Subjects: Biophysics; Chemistry; Virology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2018, Biochemistry Program, Ohio State

Eukaryotic gene expression depends on the 5' cap structure added to all mRNAs. The biology of RNA capping is more dynamic than originally thought, with cytoplasmic recapping enabling spatial and temporal control of translation and other aspects of the RNA life cycle. Despite progress over the past decade, critical gaps remain in our understanding of the biochemistry of RNA recapping and its context within the cell, which are addressed in this dissertation. Recapping an uncapped RNA in the cytoplasm begins with the combined activities of a 5' monophosphate RNA kinase and capping enzyme (CE). Recapped RNAs are also methylated at the N7 position of the cap guanine, enabling recognition by cap-binding proteins such as the translation initiation factor eIF4E. However, it was unknown how caps synthesized in the cytoplasm acquire this critical methyl group. Here I describe the identification of the enzyme that completes the synthesis of mature caps in the cytoplasm. This enzyme, RNA guanine-7 methyltransferase (RNMT), was originally thought to be restricted to the nucleus, but I show that it also functions in the cytoplasm. Cytoplasmic RNMT activity is unexpectedly robust compared to that of nuclear RNMT, and RNMT knockdown points to RNMT being the predominant, if not only cap guanine-N7 methyltransferase in the cytoplasm. These results were obtained using an adapted cap methyltransferase activity assay, the details of which are provided. RNMT directly interacts with CE through its C-terminal catalytic domain, allowing it to associate with the multifunctional cytoplasmic capping complex. Cytoplasmic RNMT activity is additionally stimulated by dimerization with the small protein cofactor RAM. Inhibiting cytoplasmic cap methylation with a dominant-negative form of RNMT caused recapping target RNAs to destabilize, suggesting surveillance by decapping enzymes specific for unmethylated caps. The full complement of proteins required for cytoplasmic recapping is also unknow (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Daniel Schoenberg (Advisor); Dawn Chandler (Committee Member); Venkat Gopalan (Committee Member); Michael Ibba (Committee Member) Subjects: Biochemistry; Cellular Biology; Molecular Biology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2018, Civil Engineering

Dougong, one of the unique features of ancient Chinese architecture, are located at the intersections of pillars under the roofs in the support systems of ancient Chinese buildings. Virtual reality (VR) is a way to recreate or simulate an environment in which users can interact with objects with high realism and have an immersive experience exploring this virtual world. So far, 38 types of dougong have been modeled in 3-D graphics and imported into the virtual reality environment to establish a complete dougong 3-D graphical library, in which the user can browse and review dougong knowledge with multiple presentation methods in an immersive and interactive experience. Furthermore, a knowledge-based system with the inference engine as a decision tree, the Intelligent Dougong System in Virtual Reality (IDSVR), has been developed as a learning platform to introduce and comprehensively simulate dougong structure and construction. To assess the performance of the application of virtual reality adopted in engineering education, a set of surveys was conducted among the users to collect their feedback on IDSVR. The results obtained from this project prove that the technique of virtual reality is a promising approach to reconstructing ancient buildings and structures such as the Chinese dougong that was modeled, presented, and simulated in this project.

Committee: Fabian Tan (Advisor); Lisa Burris (Committee Member); Abdollah Shafieezadeh (Committee Member); Michael Parke (Committee Member) Subjects: Archaeology; Architecture; Civil Engineering; Computer Engineering; Education; Engineering; History

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2017, Chemistry

Enterovirus 71 is the major causative agent of neurovirulent hand, foot and mouth disease. Infection is acute and may culminate in severe neurological and/or cardiovascular complications that have been linked to severe morbidity and death. There currently are no approved vaccines or antivirals to prevent infection or spread of disease, underscoring an urgent need to better understand the molecular determinants underlying this serious threat to public health. EV71 utilizes a type I IRES to promote viral translation in a cap-independent manner through the co-opting of host proteins via a poorly understood mechanism. This thesis seeks to elucidate the molecular determinants regulating cap-independent translation. To that end, studies were pursued using the positive regulator hnRNP A1 and the negative regulator AUF1. Both modulate translation through interactions with the conserved Stem Loop II (SLII) domain of the IRES. Work presented herein shows that hnRNP A1 binds to SLII via a two state thermodynamic transition to the conserved 5nt bulge loop, and the apical portion of the RNA. Mutations that alter sequence and/or structure of these elements destabilized complex formation in vitro and abrogated viral translation and replication in vivo. Site-specific recognition of the bulge loop by hnRNP A1 is facilitated by structural rearrangements in SLII. Calorimetric analysis reveals that hnRNP A1 interacts site-specifically with SLII using a coupled ion-exchange mechanism. Conversely, in a novel RNA recognition mechanism, SLII binding promotes ligand induced folding of AUF1, providing the first structural evidence that AUF1 does not adopt an ordered fold. To assess how SLII structure can coordinate these two distinct translational outcomes, the high resolution solution structures of SLIIWT and a SLIICCC mutant, wherein the conserved 5'-UAG-3' bulge loop was mutated to 5'-CCC-3', were determined using an NMR-SAXs based approach. SLIIWT adopts a stable, structured fold in sol (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Blanton Tolbert S (Advisor); Mary Barkley D (Committee Chair); Gregory Tochtrop P (Committee Member); Thomas Gerken (Committee Member); Derek Taylor (Committee Member) Subjects: Biochemistry; Biophysics; Chemistry

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2015, History (Arts and Sciences)

The scholarship regarding US policy and military strategy in Vietnam is substantial, and by no means conclusive. To provide clear focus within the realms of national policy and military strategy, the analysis provided by this thesis is focused on the advice and actions taken by the Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV), and its commander General William Westmoreland from 1964 to 1968. Within the actions of MACV, this thesis seeks to determine the contribution of MACV in the decision to escalate US involvement in the Vietnam War. This thesis analyzes the US Army's doctrine, structure, and culture related to civil-military relations. Also, this thesis analyzes the military approach taken by MACV in fighting the Vietnam War at the operational level, and concludes with an analysis of a possible alternative to MACV's military strategy in the form of the Combined Action Program (CAP). This thesis concludes that MACV's operational approach was correct.

Committee: Ingo Trauschweizer (Advisor); John Brobst (Committee Member); Chester Pach (Committee Member) Subjects: American History; History; Military History; Military Studies; Modern History

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2015, Environmental Science

This study investigated soil quality under corn (Zea mays L.) -- soybean (Glycine max L.) rotation as affected by cereal rye (Secale cereal L.) cover crop in the U.S. Corn Belt. The objectives were to 1) examine the affect of cereal rye cover cropping on various physiochemical soil quality indicators, including bulk density and total porosity, plant available water content, soil organic carbon concentration and stock, total nitrogen concentrations and stock, pH, cation exchange capacity, and clay activity ratios to a depth of 60 cm; 2) integrate several of these soil surface (0---10 cm depth) quantitative parameters into a unit less soil quality index (SQI); and 3) examine the affect of cereal rye cover cropping on corn and soybean yields.three case studies were investigated with soil samples taken in 2011 and crop yields over four growing seasons. These case studies were on a Mollisol (Nicollet series: Fine-loamy, mixed, superactive, mesic Aquic Hapludoll) in northwestern Iowa, an Alfisol (Nabb series: Fine-silty, mixed, active, mesic Aquic Fragiudalf) in southeastern Indiana, and an Alfisol (Capac series: Fine-loamy, mixed active, mesic Aquic Glossudalf) in central Michigan.

Committee: Rattan Lal (Advisor) Subjects: Agriculture

Artium Baccalaureus (AB), Ohio University, 2014, French

Pendant que les communautes rurales se trouvent de plus en plus poussees vers l’urbanisation, les paysans francais s’accrochent a leurs proprietes et a leur heritage. L’agriculture mecanisee, alimentee par un haut taux d’investissement et des developpements technologiques, remplace le besoin du travail manuel a la campagne pendant que les methodes productivistes augment brusquement la reserve des produits agricoles aux niveaux excessifs, font baisser les prix, et saisissent la part de marche. Bien que les grandes corporations agroalimentaires en France soient mieux regulees que celles dans d’autres pays tels que les Etats-Unis, la legislation au niveau national et au niveau europeen favorisent les operations agricoles plus efficaces au depens des petites fermes traditionnelles. Cette these part en exploration des chances de reussite de redynamiser les communautes rurales durables en France, et les benefices atteignables si l’on soutient des methodes de culture traditionnelles et moins intensives. As rural communities find themselves continuously pushed towards urbanization, the French provincial-farmer class clings to its landholdings and its heritage. New investments in expensive farming equipment and techniques are replacing the need for manual labor in the countryside as productivist methods hike the supply of agricultural products to excessive levels, depress prices, and seize market share. While large food and agriculture corporations in France are more tightly regulated than they are in countries such as the United States, legislation at both the national and European levels have favored more efficient agricultural operations to the detriment of traditional small farms. This thesis explores the viability of reinvigorating sustainable rural communities in France and the benefits of supporting less-intensive, more traditional farming practices.

Committee: Lois Vines Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Agricultural Economics; Agriculture; Business Costs; Conservation; Demographics; Economics; Environmental Economics; Environmental Health; Environmental Management; Environmental Studies; European Studies; Food Science; Modern History

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2010, Geological Sciences

Geodesists and geophysicists engaged in crustal motion geodesy monitor the position (or displacement) time series associated with thousands of GPS stations worldwide. These time series are useful for studying a wide range of geodynamic phenomena including plate motion, mountain building, the earthquake deformation cycle, postglacial rebound, and environmental loading. Station coordinate time series are expressed in a spatial reference frame which is typically a global, earth-centered, earth-fixed (ECEF) reference frame. The motion of a station in a given reference frame can be referred to as the trajectory of that station. The great majority of station trajectory models in use within the geodetic community are linear models, which consist of three component or sub-models characterizing: (i) the trend of displacement over time, (ii) jumps or discontinuities in the time series, and (iii) annual oscillations. In this thesis, we use a constant velocity model for most trends, but a polynomial function for trends with time-varying velocity, Heavyside function to implement jumps if and when jumps are required, and a truncated Fourier series, typically composed of just annual and semi-annual terms to compose our standard linear trajectory model. We first illustrate the use of a polynomial trend model with reference to a GPS station of our GNET project which is well known to have a time-varying velocity, particularly in the vertical component. We then consider an original problem: quantifying time-changes in the velocity of a station COYQ near Coyhaique in southern Chile from CAP project which manifests postseismic transient deformation in the aftermath of the great 1960 Chile earthquake. We have shown that station trajectory models in which the secular trend of displacement can be represented as a polynomial function of time can be very useful for modeling GPS time series obtained in areas undergoing accelerating ice loss, and in areas undergoing postseismic transie (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Michael Bevis PhD (Advisor); C.K. Shum PhD (Committee Member); Michael Barton PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Geophysics

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2009, Geological Sciences

Oxygen isotopes are useful proxy records in ice cores because of the selective fractionation process that occurs during evaporation and condensation of water molecules, yet the controls on these fractionation processes are under debate for tropical ice core records. Two ice cores from the eastern and western range of the Peruvian Andes (Quelccaya Summit Dome and Coropuna Caldera Core) are annually resolved for the last 200 years and provide an excellent means for comparison to localized instrumental meteorological records as well as regional measures of past climate. The oxygen isotope histories from these cores show no significant correlation with temperature or precipitation from two nearby meteorological stations or an automated weather station on the summit of Quelccaya. Yet significant correlation is found on a regional scale with Lake Titicaca water levels as well as equatorial Pacific sea surface temperatures over recent time. However, overall trends for the last century offer conflicting evidence to this end. On centennial and millennial time scales, temperature has been shown to be positively correlated with oxygen isotopes in tropical ice cores, yet the mechanisms for this control need further research.

Committee: Lonnie Thompson (Advisor); W. Berry Lyons (Committee Member); Bryan Mark (Committee Member) Subjects: Geology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2008, Geological Sciences

Three ice cores drilled to bedrock atop Nevado Coropuna, southwestern Peru reflect Holocene and late glacial stage climate variability. Two cores measure <34 m in length yet provide seemingly continuous >16 kyr histories, and thus represent the shortest known ice cores to extend from the present into the last glacial. High major ion concentrations and dust particle diameter ratios identify a succession of abrupt and severe Holocene droughts on the Altiplano centered at 3.4, 4.2, 5.6, 7.5, 8.2 and 10.1 kyr B.P. Modern precipitation availability in the region is dominated by ENSO variability on interannual timescales and these events may thus reflect extended periods of El Nino-like conditions in the tropical Pacific. The Deglaciation Climate Reversal, the tropical counterpart to the Northern Hemisphere Younger Dryas stadial, is marked by large, abrupt stable isotopic depletion, with δ18O ~9-10 per mil lower at this time relative to the early Holocene. This δ18O shift is remarkable as it is ~4-5 per mil greater than that observed in any previously drilled central Andean ice core record. In concert with marked, synchronous deuterium-excess increases, these shifts may be explained by a coeval southward migration of the ITCZ. Decreased major ion and dust concentrations and low dust particle diameter ratios likely reflect increased central Andean precipitation at this time, in agreement with other regional paleoclimate records.A complete history could not be produced for the third core due to conflicting dating results. Annual resolution over the past 244 years allows for a detailed assessment of recent regional climate change and its relation to possible forcings. Decadal δ18O variability is strongly correlated with tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures and lends support to precipitation, via the amount effect, controlling δ18O on these timescales. On longer timescales, temperature plays an increasingly important role in governing this parameter and it is suggested t (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Dr. Lonnie Thompson (Advisor); Dr. W. Berry Lyons (Committee Member); Dr. Bryan Mark (Committee Member) Subjects: Geology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2007, Environmental Science

A model was constructed to simulate emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the electricity generation and transportation sectors in the US. The model was then used to develop 30-year projections of CO2 emissions from the two sectors in the US and from electricity generation in Ohio. The projections were evaluated to determine the ability of various CO2 reduction strategies to achieve desired emission levels. The study concluded that under “business as usual” (BaU) conditions, electricity generation and transportation in the US will add approximately 43 gigatons of carbon to the atmosphere over the next 30 years. In the case of electricity generation, the Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) adopted by 23 States will decrease emissions by only 5.5 %, short of a 52% reduction obtained by imposing a 1990-level cap on emissions. Applying the Energy Efficiency Standards proposed by the Ohio Consumers Council (OCC) to the entire US would achieve a reduction of approximately 39% from the BaU case, as would applying the California Standards nationally. Capping emissions at the 2000 level would result in a reduction of 38%. If CO2 sequestration and/or control were the sole methods of reducing emissions, their combined control efficiency would need to reach 47% by the end of the 30-year period to maintain emissions at the 2005 levels. For automobiles and light-duty trucks, capping emissions at the 2000 level would reduce the BaU, 30-year emissions by 50%. Applying the California rules at the national level would result in a 30% decrease. This would have substantially the same effect as capping emissions at the 2005 level. In Ohio, the electricity generation BaU case would add 1,155 million tons of carbon to the atmosphere over 30 years. Implementing the RPS proposed by the OCC would reduce that amount by 17%, to 954 million tons over 30 years. Capping emissions at the 2005 level could be accomplished by immediately reducing the coal percentage in the Ohio fuel mix from 89% to (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Douglas Southgate (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2009, Environmental Studies (Arts and Sciences)

Remote sensing offers useful tools for monitoring surface mining operations and reclamation in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming. This research demonstrates how remote sensing techniques can be integrated into the monitoring process, allowing the regulatory agencies responsible for monitoring surface mining and reclamation to do so more efficiently and help avoid or minimize the adverse effects of mining. Data includes 3 anniversary date Landsat satellite images and GIS layers from the study area. A 3-phase methodology includes normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) analysis, land cover mapping, and change detection. Image classification utilized the Tasseled Cap Transform and at-satellite brightness temperature and the K-means algorithm. Analysis indicates increased disturbance over the 14-year time horizon. The techniques used were useful for monitoring the progression of disturbance caused by mining, identifying and tracking reclamation sites, and assessing land cover changes.

Committee: James K. Lein PhD (Advisor); Michele Morrone PhD (Committee Member); Geoffrey Buckley PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Science; Geography; Mining; Remote Sensing