Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, University of Toledo, 2010, Electrical Engineering

Flash Memory is the current predominant technology in the non-volatile memory market. It has gained popularity due to its rapid increase in reliability, storage density and the reduction of cost. This has been possible because this technology has borrowed a large amount of collected knowledge from complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology helping to its fast development and optimization. Unfortunately, in line with the CMOS transistor technology, scaling of Flash devices is becoming harder to obtain in a reliable way due to the limitations of the current lithography technology. As a result, semiconductor companies are finding it hard to supply the increasing market demand for the higher density non-volatile memories. The recent invention of memristor devices has given hope to semiconductor companies by offering an easier way to increase the storage density by using the current fabrication technology. This is possible because memristor devices only requires two terminals in order to operate, which uses less wafer space, reduces the complexity of circuit interconnections, and facilitates high density integration when used in crossbar structures. Additionally, the main limitation of the flash memory devices is the quality and reliability of the tunnel oxide, which is not present in memristor devices. Due to these advantages, it is expected that the memristor devices will outperform flash memory in scalability, speed and endurance. However, memristor devices are relatively new compared to flash memory technology, for this reason, researches like this one are needed in order to gain a better understanding of the memristor operation, to identify the ways to improve its performance and to understand its limitations. Eventually, all the effort put into researching this device will pay off and soon memristor devices will become the new predominant non-volatile technology replacing the aging flash memory devices.

Committee: Dr. Rashmi Jha (Committee Chair); Dr. Christopher Melkonian (Committee Member); Dr. Mansoor Alam (Committee Member); Dr. Vijay K. Devabhaktuni (Committee Member) Subjects: Electrical Engineering

Doctor of Nursing Practice , Case Western Reserve University, 2025, School of Nursing

The exposure to inhaled anesthetics can happen during anesthetic induction or emergence. The process of GA induction is the most likely time OR staff, especially anesthesia providers, may be exposed to residual inhaled anesthetic vapors. Exposure may also occur when the mask is removed from the patient's face to instrument the airway as the anesthetic gas is still being conducted through the circuit of the anesthesia machine which is connected to the mask that was on the patient's face. The purpose of this DNP quality improvement descriptive-cross-sectional project was to educate anesthesia providers regarding the potential harmful effects of exposure to residual inhaled anesthetic agents during the processes of GA induction and emergence. This took place at a tertiary care facility in Northeast Ohio. The education also ensured provider understanding of the WAG scavenging system. Anesthesia providers were surveyed prior to and after the delivery of education on the harmful effects of inhaled anesthetics, safe handling practices of volatile anesthetics, and the WAG scavenging system. The survey created was based off a five-point Likert scale with some questions having written responses. Descriptive and inferential statics were analyzed utilizing SPSS for the statistical analysis. To address the change in provider knowledge and willingness to adopt new practices, a paired samples t-test was conducted to analyze results from matched items on the pre and post survey, with statistical significance set at p<.05. When analyzing the completed data, the inferential statistics demonstrated there was no statistically significant difference (t=0, p = 1.00) in provider knowledge before and after education. There was statistical significance (t = 2.753, p=.022) between improved knowledge after education and the likelihood an anesthesia provider will change their practice. More research is needed on the hazardous effects of chronic exposure to the newer halogenated anesthetics suc (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Christopher Bibro (Committee Chair); Sonya Moore (Committee Co-Chair); Amanda Richmond (Committee Member) Subjects: Adult Education; Biology; Health Care; Health Sciences; Medicine; Microbiology; Morphology; Nursing; Public Health Education; Statistics

Master of Science in Environmental Science, Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Physics, Astronomy, Geology and Environmental Sciences

This research project is the establishment of a clandestine grave site, known as the “body farm”, for future geophysical and geochemical studies that will examine the long- term influence of seasons and its relationships between geophysical signatures and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from a simulated clandestine grave site that uses buried pig cadavers as human analogues. The objective and motivation of this research is to establish the body farm which will be used in future research that will provide detailed information to government law enforcement agencies that can be used to improve their planning efforts and their ability to locate homicide victims buried in clandestine graves. A simulated clandestine grave site was constructed with 20 graves, five graves were left empty to act as a control, and the other 15 graves contained pig proxies. Given the various scenarios of homicide victims, the different scenarios were simulated at the site involving pigs that are naked, clothed, clothed warped in tarp, and clothed covered in hydrated lime. Future research will conduct seasonal data collection of samples to determine the long term and seasonal relationship between decomposition and geophysical and chemical signatures. Future geophysical data will be collected with geophysical instruments such as ground penetrating radar (GPR), electromagnetic induction (EMI), and high sensitivity magnetic gradiometer. Future chemical analysis will be collected through constructed piezometers and analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) methods. The outcomes from this research will be used by law enforcement agencies and investigators to analyze changes in the long-term seasonal characteristics of VOC emissions and geophysical signatures associated with decomposing pig cadavers. These findings can be used to further improve law enforcement training and their approaches to locate homicide victims located in the subsurface.

Committee: Jeffrey Dick PhD (Advisor); Tom Jordan PhD, PG (Committee Member); Harry Bircher P.E. (Committee Member); Billie Spieler PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Chemistry; Environmental Geology; Environmental Science

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2007, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Science, Miami University, 2024, Biology

Floral traits, including color, morphology, and scent, play a crucial role in attracting specific pollinators, with floral scent being a significant component for both short- and long-range pollinator attraction. In dioecious systems, where male and female flowers are present on separate plants, sexual dimorphism of floral displays is driven by differing selective pressures on male and female reproductive success. In some dioecious species, females engage in Bakerian mimicry—offering no nectar rewards yet mimicking male pollination syndromes to deceive pollinators. Research has observed Bakerian mimicry in several species, but its evolutionary conservation within the largely dioecious Caricaceae family remains underexplored. We used Vasconcellea parviflora as a model to examine the characteristics of Bakerian mimicry within the Caricaceae. We characterized sexual dimorphism in floral display, collected and analyzed floral volatile quantity and composition, and assessed nectar production in males and females. We found that V. parviflora females have smaller floral displays and produce no nectar rewards unlike males. There is, however, increased emission rates of floral scent compounds in females relative to males, potentially representing an evolutionary trade-off in females between producing no nectar rewards at the cost of increased volatile production to ensure pollinator attraction.

Committee: Richard Moore (Advisor); Yoshinori Tomoyasu (Committee Member); Cassie Majetic (Committee Member) Subjects: Biochemistry; Biology; Botany; Ecology

Master of Science, Miami University, 2024, Chemical, Paper and Biomedical Engineering

Cyclohexane is used in the production of consumer products and fuels and as a solvent. Based upon its industrial relevance, cyclohexane was selected as a representative volatile organic compound (VOC) with which to investigate the role of metal oxide supports in potassium/manganese (K/Mn) – based catalysts. Mn-based catalysts are effective catalysts due to their several oxidation states, mobility of oxygen vacancies, and redox properties. Cryptomelane, a K/Mn-based catalyst material, has been shown by others to be an effective VOC oxidation catalyst. In this study, K/Mn-based catalysts supported on various metal oxide materials were investigated for cyclohexane deep oxidation. The short-term activity of K/Mn on supports followed the trend: Fe3O4 > MnO2 > Al2O3 > TiO2 > SiO2. The performance of Fe3O4-supported and MnO2-supported catalysts with varying K/Mn and Mn loadings were investigated further. The catalysts were characterized for surface area, pore size, morphology, crystallinity, and crystal structure. At 350°C, the catalysts with the lowest loading of 0.63 mmoles K/Mn/g Fe3O4 exhibited the best short-term catalytic activity in the deep oxidation of cyclohexane, while 0.63 mmoles K/Mn/g MnO2 performed best over 95 hours. FTIR spectroscopy was used to assess partial oxidation product build-up on used catalysts.

Committee: Dr. Catherine Almquist (Advisor) Subjects: Chemical Engineering

PHD, Kent State University, 2024, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Biological Sciences

White-tailed deer are one of the most widespread mammalian herbivores throughout both North and South America. Throughout much of this broad geographic range, deer populations occur at densities that greatly exceed historic estimates. At high densities, deer can negatively suppress juvenile tree growth, inhibit plant regeneration, and alter plant communities which can have long-term cascading effects on small mammals, birds, and plants. Anthropogenic development can help support overabundant deer populations by creating novel foraging opportunities via disturbance regimes and supplementary foraging opportunities. Moreover, apex predators that can help regulate deer populations have been extirpated from many areas, which enables deer populations to reach high densities. The objectives of this dissertation are to identify how white-tailed deer use anthropogenic landscapes at multiple spatial scales, determine the plant chemical properties that influence deer forage selection, and discern how unique predator communities influence the spatiotemporal activity of deer in multiple ecosystems. My first study developed a novel method to measure activity densities of white-tailed deer in multiple habitats that also excluded non-target species from interfering with data collection. In my second study, I measured the activity densities of deer in forest ecosystems that are fragmented by anthropogenically developed meadows. I found that during times of the year when resources are abundant across the landscape, deer preferred meadow patches that contained an abundance of plants that provided deer with a better foraging opportunity than the adjacent forest patches. The third study in this dissertation examined how plant chemistry and volatile scent-cues influence the forage selection of white-tailed deer. During summer I found that deer preferred plants with higher carbohydrate content, likely due to these plants providing fat reserves before winter. Whereas during winter, deer we (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: David Ward (Advisor); Mark Kershner (Committee Member); He Yin (Committee Member); Melissa Schmitt (Committee Member); Christie Bahlai (Committee Member) Subjects: Animal Sciences; Conservation; Ecology; Plant Sciences; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management; Zoology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Nutrition Program, The Ohio State University

Tumorigenesis relies on cellular metabolism reprogramming driven by oncogenic mutations, profoundly affecting gene expression, cellular differentiation, and the tumor microenvironment. Metabolomics profiling is a potent tool for monitoring tumor metabolism, assessing treatment response, predicting metabolic shifts, measuring drug efficacy, and tracking drug resistance. We investigated lung cancer cell cultures to understand the metabolic processes underlying cancer-associated VOCs and identify related protein-encoding genes. Utilizing SESI-HRMS, we identified VOCs associated with lung cancer, distinguishing between NSCLC and SCLC. Treatment-induced changes in VOC profiles were also observed. To overcome ion competition in data collection, we developed dGOT-SESI-HRMS, leveraging the mVOC database and spectral stitching. Validation with anaerobic bacterial cultures uncovered robust data collection and paved the way for biological interpretation using this novel VOC screening tool. This method enabled robust analysis of the volatilome associated with interventions in mice, revealing unique profiles associated with distinct microbiome compositions and cancer. Our analyses circumvented the metabolic and genetic heterogeneity in humans to established pre-clinical models for standardized VOC analyses. Additionally, mass spectrometry based metabolomics can be a powerful tool when combined with other –omics techniques. Unbiased high-throughput metabolomics techniques uncovered metabolic deregulations associated with acquired ibrutinib resistance in lymphoma and allowed us to construct metabolic maps to reveal key players like IL4I1 influencing metabolic reprogramming. This integrated approach highlights the power of metabolomics for revealing systemic metabolic and volatile changes in cancer cells and facilitates advancements in cancer detection and treatment monitoring for improved outcomes.

Committee: Jiangjiang Zhu (Advisor); Lalit Sehgal (Committee Member); Rachel Kopec (Committee Member); Martha Belury (Committee Member) Subjects: Nutrition

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2023, Medicine: Industrial Hygiene (Environmental Health)

Structure fires encompass organic and inorganic fuel sources from both natural and synthetic materials. Incomplete combustion of these materials harvests several hundred byproducts including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Firefighters are required to wear a certified National Fire Protection Association personal protective equipment (PPE) ensemble. In recent years, new and more advanced PPE control measures have been introduced (i.e., interface control measures, particulate-blocking materials, and the utilization of base layer clothing worn underneath the ensemble) with the intention of attenuating the ingress of known carcinogens to the inside of the gear. Providing interface control measures and adding particulate-blocking materials appeared to provide a protective benefit against less-volatile chemicals, like naphthalene and styrene. Using a fireground exposure simulator (FES), this mannequin-based study evaluated the effectiveness of four different PPE conditions with varying contamination control measures (incorporating PPE interface design features and particulate blocking materials) to protect against ingress of volatile and semi volatile contaminants in a smoke exposure chamber. Furthermore, we investigated the effectiveness of long-sleeve base layer clothing to provide additional workplace protection against skin contamination. Outside gear airborne concentrations were collected within the smoke exposure chamber. Personal air concentrations were collected from mannequins under PPE at the breathing zone, abdomen, and thigh heights and under the base layer at the abdomen and thigh heights. Sampled contaminants included benzene, toluene, styrene, and naphthalene. Workplace protection factors (WPFs) for all compounds were lower under hoods and jackets compared to under pants. Observed across all four conditions, median WPFs increased from the hood and jacket down to the turnout pant. We al (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jun Wang Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Sivaraman Balachandran Ph.D. (Committee Member); Mary Beth Genter Ph.D. (Committee Member); Kenneth Fent Ph.D. (Committee Member); I-Chen Chen Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Occupational Health

Master of Science, Miami University, 2023, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

Silver sulfide has garnered significant interest across a range of applications, such as resistive-switching, atomic switches, and neuromorphic systems, due to its exceptional superionic properties and memristive characteristics. An inherent challenge in atomic switches is the loss of accuracy over time, attributed to the accumulation of disorder within the silver sulfide crystal used in these switches. During the RESET and SET operations of the atomic switch, only a portion of the Silver Sulfide undergoes a transformation, resulting in a metaphase state of the atomic switch crystal. This constraint restricts the lifespan and reliability of the atomic switch. To address this, the present study employs MD simulation to investigate the local structural topology of polycrystalline silver sulfide. A numerical method was developed to quantitatively measure Relative Electrical Conductivity by examining the metaphase state of the silver sulfide atomic switch at a molecular level; this research aims to enhance our fundamental understanding of its behavior which can contribute to the development of improved atomic switch designs, and performance enhancements. In addition, it will be demonstrated in this study how the application of graph theory-based descriptors can link the structural characteristics of polycrystalline silver sulfide to their electrical properties.

Committee: Mehdi Zanjani (Advisor); Carter Hamilton (Committee Member); Giancarlo Corti (Committee Member) Subjects: Mechanical Engineering

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2023, Food Science and Technology

Sunflower seeds are a popular snack in many countries such as the United States, China, and Spain. Sunflower seeds were roasted to create desirable aromas from the Maillard and lipid oxidation reactions. Increasing the pH increased the pyrazines but did not affect other volatiles. Adding reducing sugars or whey protein increased most volatiles. Fructose increased 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2-methylpyrazine, trimethylpyrazine concentration more than glucose. However, glucose increased furfural concentration more than fructose. Whey concentrate increased volatile levels more than any other treatment. Total Maillard volatiles and Browning index were increased by the same treatments. Sensory indicated that fructose increased desirable aroma the most, followed by whey protein treatments, and both were liked more than the pH 7 control. Optimizing roasting conditions by increasing the pH, reducing sugar and protein content can favor the Maillard reaction conditions increasing the positive aromas associated with roasted sunflower seeds.

Committee: Sheryl Barringer Dr. (Advisor); James Jasinski (Committee Member); Luis Rodriguez-Saona Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Chemistry; Food Science

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2022, Nutrition Program, The Ohio State University

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA; valine, isoleucine, and leucine) can be deaminated by many amylolytic bacteria to branched-chain volatile fatty acids (BCVFA, isobutyrate, 2-methylbutyrate, and isovalerate), which are growth factors for some cellulolytic bacteria. Many cellulolytic bacteria cannot uptake BCAA or decarboxylate them, thus depending on cross feeding for BCVFA precursors for carboxylation to BCAA or synthesis of branched-chain fatty acids (BCFA; iso even-chain, iso odd-chain, and anteiso odd-chain) and branched-chain aldehydes (BCALD) found in bacterial phospholipid and plasmalogens, respectively. Supplemental BCVFA and valerate, a straight-chain volatile fatty acid (VFA) that is also a growth factor for some rumen bacteria, have been previously supplemented together in a combination commonly referred to as ‘isoacids'. However, prior in vivo studies have either provided only one BCVFA individually or all BCVFA and valerate but not different combinations of isoacids. Our objective in the first study was to determine an optimal combination of isoacids. Sixty (28 primiparous and 32 multiparous) lactating Jersey cows (106 ± 54 days in milk) were blocked and randomly assigned to either a control (CON) treatment without any isoacids, 2-methylburtyate (MB, 12.3 mmol/kg DM), 2-methylbutyrate and isobutyrate (MB + IB, 7.7 and 12.6 mmol/kg DM of MB and IB), or all 4 isoacids (ISO, 6.2, 7.3, 4.2, and 5.1 mmol/kg DM of MB, IB, isovalerate, and valerate, respectively). The CON diet was fed for 2-wk covariate period, then cattle were fed their assigned treatment for the 8-wk sampling period (n=15). Daily intake and milk yield were recorded and samples from 4 consecutive milkings a week were analyzed for milk components. The milk fatty acid profile was analyzed on wk 5 and wk 9. Treatment tended to interact with parity for both fat and protein concentrations. Primiparous cows did not differ by treatment, whereas multiparous cows supplemented with MB + IB tended to h (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jeffrey Firkins (Advisor); Zhongtang Yu (Committee Member); Robin White (Committee Member); Chanhee Lee (Committee Member) Subjects: Animal Sciences; Microbiology; Nutrition

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2022, Medicine: Industrial Hygiene (Environmental Health)

Nail technicians utilize a wide variety of ever-changing nail products that contain or release hazardous chemicals. A new type of nail product created by Gelish is a nail enhancement technology called PolyGel®. This product was made to combine the best aspects of two popular nail services: gel polishing, and acrylic nail extensions. The PolyGel®'s major difference compared to either of these products is the removal of the novel material. While both gel polishing and acrylic nail extensions are removed through soaking in acetone, PolyGel® must be filed off which is typically done using an electric nail file for efficiency. This study aimed to look at the relationship between nail file speed and curing time during the application and removal of PolyGel® to volatile organic compound (VOC) concentration, particle size and concentration. Samples (n=54) were taken from a chamber every minute using a Flow-2 air quality sensor, an Optical Particle Sizer, and a NanoScan to determine these VOCs and particles, respectively. The PolyGel® was applied with variable curing times and then removed with variable file speeds within an air-tight chamber. The data were analyzed through statistical software using multiple linear regressions and two-way ANOVAs to determine the significance of file speed and cure time on VOC and particle emissions. VOCs were detected during both application and removal. File speed was correlated with a change in both geometric mean diameter and particle concentration. All average geometric mean diameter measurements were under 2 μm: therefore, these particles are predominately respirable particles. Overall, these results suggest that nail technicians should use the slowest file speed possible when removing PolyGel® with an electric nail file, and a suggested cure time of 60 seconds should be used during the application of PolyGel®. These suggestions, in tandem with ventilation measures such as general ventilation and nail dust vacuums, will help mitigate t (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jun Wang Ph.D. (Committee Member); Lynne Haber Ph.D. (Committee Member); Mary Beth Genter Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Health

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2021, Civil Engineering

As people spend most of their time inside the buildings, the improvement of the indoor air quality has received considerable attention. The major contaminants inside the building is volatile organic compounds (VOCs) referred to the carbon-contained organic substances in the air. VOCs are usually not acutely toxic, but they cause an adverse health effect when human are exposed to a concentration of ppmv level of VOCs. Thus, it is critical to mitigate the VOCs level inside the building. To achieve the purpose of removing VOCs and improving the indoor environment, an innovative photocatalytic membrane we designed and fabricated. This new photocatalytic material can be applied to the indoor surface and used as a smart functional surface. Furthermore, the fundamentals related to its photocatalytic activities and practical applications were explored by integrating the experimental, physics-based and data-driven approaches. Nitrogen-doped TiO2 photocatalysts were synthesized using a sol-gel method and a post-annealing heat treatment. The annealing temperature and time affect their microstructures and surface chemical compositions. It was found that these characteristics are relevant to the adsorption and photocatalytic activities of the nitrogen-doped TiO2 photocatalysts. Therefore, a physics-based kinetic model was developed to distinguish the impact of three different mechanisms, including adsorption, photocatalysis, and direct light photolysis, on the removal of VOCs. The kinetic modeling and experimental results show that a higher annealing temperature leads to not only less adsorption, but also nitrogen loss. To predict the kinetics of contaminant degradation and facilitate the choice of the optimal photocatalyst, three data-driven machine-learning (ML) models were developed to predict the photocatalytic degradation performance. The ML model inputs include tens of organic contaminants and other experimental variables, including light level, photocatalyst dosage, (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Xiong Yu Dr. (Advisor); Chung-Chiun Liu Dr. (Committee Member); Anna Samia Dr. (Committee Member); Michael Pollino Dr. (Committee Member); Huichun Zhang Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Civil Engineering; Materials Science

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2020, Engineering and Applied Science: Aerospace Engineering

This study quantitatively investigates the fundamental physics underlying the deformation, atomization, and vaporization of volatile liquid fuel droplets impacted by a normal shock wave using a high-fidelity, VOF-DIM (volume of fluid – diffuse interface method)-based methodology. The “Stiffened Gas” equation of state is used to model the liquid and a modified Kapila method is used to account for surface tension and viscosity. A thermal-mechanical-chemical equilibrium relaxation procedure is implemented to simulate vaporization. Because of the unavailability of experimental data on a fragmenting and vaporizing droplet as it interacts with shock waves, the framework is first validated against measurements of droplet-shock interactions of a non-vaporizing water droplet, showing excellent agreement. Next, the vaporization model is benchmarked against the d2-law. Once both vaporization and shock wave dynamics have been validated against available experimental data, we investigate the atomization and vaporization of a dodecane droplet as it interacts with a shock wave traveling at a Mach number of 6.5. When the vaporization model is not enabled, heat transfer and mass transfer are not considered, and shockwave dynamics are similar to that of water, where their breakup morphology is dependent on Weber number. When vaporization is enabled, aerothermal heating from shockwave impact and high temperatures in the post shock region provide sufficient heating for volatile liquid droplets to undergo vaporization. When the droplet is vaporizing, it can be shown that some of the vapor plume is forced in the direction opposing the shockwave, an effect which is lessened as the Mach wave strength increases. Furthermore, regions of entrainment of the liquid, as well as spacing between the retransmitted wave and the end of the vapor plume are discussed with respect to Mach number. Due to the significant effect the Mach number has on the dynamics of the vapor flow field, it is used for (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Prashant Khare Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Shaaban Abdallah Ph.D. (Committee Member); Jongguen Lee Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Aerospace Materials

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2020, Computer Science and Engineering

Data is growing at an exponential rate. As a consequence, cloud microservices and scientific applications are becoming more complex and computationally demanding. This requires the design of new large-scale storage systems that can handle this ever-increasing load and provide a robust and responsive service platform. New memory technologies such as PCM, STT-RAM, and 3D-XPoint offer persistence with unprecedented performance. Devices are available in the form of NVMe SSDs and NVDIMMs (or PMEM), both of which can be accessed quickly between nodes using RDMA networks. These devices are being increasingly adopted in datacenters and HPC clusters to accelerate data storage and analytics. These technologies have the potential to change the fundamental design principles of storage systems. Unfortunately, existing data storage systems that have been designed around the performance characteristics of archaic hardware such as spinning disks and Ethernet adapters are unable to make efficient use of the technology. This is because these modern storage devices have very low latency and the high software overhead of traditional designs prevents full utilization of available bandwidth. Moreover, prior work has been unable to hide the weak and complicated persistence properties of PMEM while fully exploiting its byte-addressability and performance. In this thesis, we rethink the assumptions and design paradigms of traditional storage systems and propose new algorithms that would have been considered impractical on previous generation hardware. To solve the new challenges with storage system design, we propose Navi Store, a generic storage sub-system with a focus on improving the performance of three classes of applications – online analytics, scientific HPC, and cloud microservices. Navi Store's design is based on cross-layer holistic thinking and includes four key components. Specifically, we design Arcadia, a generic replicated log on PMEM to make it easier to use. Arcadia hide (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Xiaoyi Lu (Advisor); Feng Qin (Committee Member); Yang Wang (Committee Member); Mike Bond (Committee Member) Subjects: Computer Science

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2020, Medicine: Industrial Hygiene (Environmental Health)

Additive manufacturing (AM) has been increasingly used over the past decades. Emissions of fine particles and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from AM processes have been associated with adverse health effects. In this study, we compared the particulate and chemical emissions from five different types of AM printers, from two different labs, within the studied facility. Fine particle-counting instruments and VOC-detectors were utilized to compare the pollutant concentrations at the background level to those measured during the time periods when the desktop extruders and plastic printers were operating. The control measures were implemented, respectfully, throughout the duration of the printing process (HEPA air cleaners or local exhaust ventilation). The experiment in the Teaching Lab involved studying 20 desktop extruders running simultaneously, whereas the experiment in the Plastic Printing Lab involved studying stereolithography (SLA) printers, fused deposition modeling (FDM) printers, Polyjet printers, and a Projet printer. The concentrations of fine particles and VOCs were compared for each printer in the following manner: background phase vs. printing phase and printing phase without the control vs. printing phase with the control. The results showed that VOC concentrations measured with a PPBRae ranged from 0 to 4500 ppb. In most processes (except SLA), the concentrations increased during the printing phase. On average, a 1.5-fold increase was observed in the concentrations of VOCs emitted from the plastic printers, except for the SLA printers. When the HEPA air cleaners were utilized in the Teaching lab at the LOW and HIGH setting, the VOC concentrations decreased by 2.1-fold and 2.6-fold, respectively. The implementation of controls did not decrease the VOC concentrations in the Plastic Printing Lab. The fine particle concentrations measured with a P-Trak ranged from 0 to 58000 particles/cc. In most processes (except Polyjet and Projet), the concentrations (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Tiina Reponen Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Sergey Grinshpun Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Health

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2020, Biological Sciences

Understanding plant-plant communication further elucidates how plants interact with their en-vironment, and how this communication can be manipulated for agricultural and ecological purposes. Part of understanding plant-plant communication is discovering the mechanisms be-hind plant-plant recognition, and whether plants can distinguish between genetically like and unlike neighbors. It has been previously shown that plants can “communicate” with neighbor-ing plants through airborne volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can act as signals relat-ed to different environmental stressors. This study focused on the interaction among different genotypes of the annual plant Ar-abidopsis thaliana. Specifically, a growth chamber experiment was performed to compare how different genotypes of neighboring plants impacted a focal plant's fitness-related phenotypes and developmental stages. The focal plant genotype was wild type Col-0, and the neighboring genotypes included the wild type Landsberg (Ler-0), and the genetically modified (GM) geno-types: Etr1-1 and Jar1-1. These GM lines have a single point-mutation that impacts their abil-ity to produce a particular VOC. This allows for the evaluation of a particular role that a VOC may have on plant-plant airborne communication. Plants were grown in separate pots to elimi-nate potential belowground interactions through the roots, and distantly positioned to avoid aboveground physical contact between plants. In addition, to avoid potential VOC cross-contamination between different treatments (genotypes), each neighboring plant treatment oc-curred in separate, sealed growth chambers. Results showed that when A. thaliana Col-0 plants were grown alongside neighbors of different genotypes, they exhibited some significant differences in fitness-related traits, such as increased rosette width, stem height, aboveground biomass, and total fruit number. However, these results differed with neighbor identity, and when the experiment was (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Maria Bidart Dr. (Advisor); Heidi Appel Dr. (Committee Member); Vipa Phuntumart Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2019, Animal Sciences

2-hydroxy-(4-methylthio) butanoic acid (HMTBa), a methionine analog, can alleviate dietary induced milk fat depression by increasing milk fat percent and changing the milk fatty acid profile. Branched chain volatile fatty acids (BCVFA) are important growth factors for rumen cellulolytic bacteria, which biohydrogenate polyunsaturated fatty acids into compounds that contribute to milk fat depression. Therefore, the objective of these experiments is to determine how HMTBa, BCVFA, or their combination affects rumen fermentation, milk production and profile, and nutrient digestibility in dairy cows. We hypothesized that HMTBa and BCVFA would improve rumen biohydrogenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids and reduce risk of milk fat depression and that the combination of the two would have a synergistic effect. To test the hypothesis, three experiments were conducted: two in vitro batch cultures and an in vivo experiment. Experiment 1 used the following treatments: a typical diet (50:50 of forage to concentrate on a DM basis, CON), CON with the addition of 3.0% linoleic acid (DM basis, LA), LA with 0.1% D/L methionine (MET), and 0.1% of HMTBa (Rhodiment, Adisseo Inc.) in an in vitro system. Experiment 2 had the following treatments: a typical diet (60:40 of forage to concentrate on a DM basis, CON), CON with the addition of 3.0% linoleic acid (DM basis, LA), LA with 0.1% HMTBa, LA with equal molar proportions (1 mmol/L) of isovalerate, isobutyrate, and 2-methylbutyrate (BCVFA), and a combination of HMTBa and BCVFA (COMBO) in an in vitro system. Experiment 3 was designed as a replicated 5 × 5 Latin square design using 5 ruminally cannulated and 5 non-cannulated lactating Holstein cows (194 ± 58 DIM) blocked by cannulated and non-cannulated cows. Treatment diets included a high forage diet (32.2% NDF of which 64.4% came from forage NDF, 24.0% starch, and 3.4% FA; HF), a low forage diet (28.9% NDF of which 60.1% came from forage NDF, 29.1% starch, and 3.5 FA; LF), LF with (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Chanhee Lee (Advisor); William P. Weiss (Committee Member); Jeffrey L. Firkins (Committee Member) Subjects: Animal Sciences

Master of Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, 2020, Geological Sciences

Glassy spherules from three Transantarctic Mountain sediments were geochemically analyzed and at two of these sites (Mt. Raymond (RY) in the Grosvenor Mountains and Meteorite Moraine (MM) in Walcott Neve, in the Beardmore Glacier region of Antarctica) Australasian microtektites were discovered. The microtektites were identified based on their pale yellow appearance and confirmed geochemically; they have high concentrations of silica (SiO2 = 60.0 +/- 6.9 wt%) and alumina (Al2O3 = 23.0 +/- 4.0 wt%) and all have K2O/Na2O > 1, characteristic of microtektites and distinct from spherules of meteoritic origin. Additionally, the trace element pattern matches the upper continental crust with enrichments in refractory elements and depletions in volatile elements, most likely as a result of melting and vaporization of the source material. The presence of Australasian microtektites in RY sediment confirms the recent Australasian strewnfield extension to Antarctica (Folco et al., 2008) and the presence of highly-depleted microtektites (Van Ginneken et al., 2018). In addition to microtektites, thousands of chondritic spherules and a few unique cosmic spherules were identified in RY, MM, and Jacobs Nunatak (JA) sediments. These sites are evidently successful cosmic dust and impact debris collectors, and thus their usefulness in recording influx events is explored.

Committee: Ralph Harvey Dr. (Committee Chair); James Van Orman Dr. (Committee Member); Steven Hauck II Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Geochemistry; Geology