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Experimental data for Efficacy of sodium hypochlorite and peracetic acid in reducing cross‐contamination during washing of baby spinach at different water quality levels
No full textThis is the dataset for manuscript titled Efficacy of sodium hypochlorite and peracetic acid in reducing cross‐contamination during washing of baby spinach at different water quality levels that has the DOI of https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.17657USDA-NIFAhttps://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.1765
Single Ion Detection in Nanotube Nanofluidics
No full textThis dissertation demonstrated the application of organic color center (OCC)-functionalized (6,5) single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) to detect proton diffusion in nanofluidic systems at the single-ion level. I first developed a method to encapsulate SWCNTs between two layers of Parylene-C, a polymer with exceptionally low permeability to water and oxygen. The resulting sandwiched structures were transformed into a trap-in-a-pore (TIP) platform by lithography, exposing only the 0.422 nm pore mouth of the nanotubes while preserving the integrity of the SWCNTs and OCCs. This design enables the controlled introduction of water molecules and small ions while stabilizing the photoluminescence emission of both the SWCNTs and the OCCs. I then introduced protons into the TIP using an HClO4 solution, whose bulky counterions are excluded from the pore, ensuring the selective proton entry. I observed stochastic photoluminescence blinking as excitons collide with protons at the OCC sites. Using OCCs as optical sensors, I directly tracked proton diffusion along a single-file water chain confined within the nanotube channel. The measured diffusion coefficient is five orders of magnitude lower than that in bulk water, highlighting the dramatic impact of confinement on proton transport
Phonological representation and processing in bilingual learners: investigating cross- language phonological activation and accuracy of phonological representation
No full textPhonological activation and processing constitute a pivotal area of inquiry within second language (L2) research. The intersection and distinctiveness of phonological representation across languages leads to cross-linguistic phonological activation and challenges in L2 phonological processing. A large volume of previous evidence suggests that cross-linguistic phonological activation occurs through homophone and cognate priming in processing of isolated words. However, investigations into sentence-level processing remain sparse. Moreover, the significance of cross-linguistic phonological priming and its consistency across various languages, task modalities, and priming directions have yet to be fully elucidated. Concerning the challenges faced by L2 learners in phonological processing, previous research suggests that the difficulties may lie in an inaccurate, imprecise phonemic representation and perception in both auditory and visual word recognition. The primary objectives of this dissertation are: (1) to investigate cross-linguistic phonological activation between Chinese and English in both isolated word and sentence processing contexts (Study 1); (2) to assess the significance and consistency of phonological activation in bilinguals in a meta-analytic review (Study 2); (3) to examine whether and how Chinese ESL learners show fuzzy phonological representation in both auditory and visual word recognition tasks and the role of proficiency in moderating the accuracy (Study 3). The findings from these studies advance our understanding of the organization in bilingual lexicon and interaction across languages, with a particular focus on phonological representation and processing across Chinese and English, and the nuances specific to learning English L2
SPACE CHARGE LIMITED DIELECTRIC BREAKDOWN, OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE APPROXIMATIONS
No full textSpace charge induced dielectric breakdown in spacecraft components exposed to energetic cosmogenic radiation has remained poorly understood despite decades of research. In this work, breakdown in electron irradiated polymethyl methacrylate is described by a new 1D space charge limited front (SCLF) model that reconceives breakdown as a propagating front rather than a diffuse event. To quantify embedded charge distributions and validate model predictions of breakdown charge transport, charge distributions produced in bulk PMMA by electron irradiation were mapped using custom designed pulsed electroacoustic systems. These measurements both supported the SCLF model of breakdown charge transport and revealed unexpected positive charge accumulation at high electron deposition within PMMA. To capture the real time dynamics of the breakdown front, high speed direct and streak imaging were employed, and a sharply localized front was observed whose velocity increased with embedded charge density, in agreement with SCLF predictions. To characterize the difficult to probe environment through which the breakdown current is transported, varied resistance loading was used to measure the time dependence of breakdown source impedance. These measurements demonstrated a transition from a capacitive, high impedance regime during front propagation to a resistive, low impedance state after breakdown, thereby highlighting the differing current transport environments at and behind the breakdown front. Limitations of the 1D SCLF arising from multi sign charge configurations, three dimensional effects, and transient breakdown pathways were identified, and the necessity for multidimensional numerical simulations to extend and refine the SCLF framework for spacecraft relevant geometries was outlined. Together, these results establish a unified experimental and theoretical foundation for understanding space charge induced breakdown in PMMA and outline a clear path for future quantitative empirical validation and model development
Example-Aided Design: Supporting Visualization Ideation and Implementation
No full textData visualizations are a powerful tool for understanding data and conveying complex information to audiences with diverse technical backgrounds. However, designers often struggle to choose and craft visual representations that fit their analytical and communicative goals. In practice, when designers cannot develop design ideas, they often use examples of past visualizations to find inspiration or conceptualize the space of possible designs, offering an avenue for designers to understand what designs are possible for the data they are working with and how they can author these designs. Yet, many existing visualization authoring tools assume designers always have a fully specified design intent, completely overlooking the use of examples as cognitive scaffolds for the visualization design process.
This dissertation systematically investigates example-aided design in data visualization. First, through semi-structured interviews with novice and expert visualization designers, this dissertation studies what, how, and why designers engage in example-aided design. The results of this interview study reveal designers’ motivations and processes for engaging in example-aided design, highlighting gaps between designers’ practices and current visualization tools. Specifically, there is a lack of adequate support for retrieving diverse design examples and enabling designers’ example adoption strategies (i.e., select & merge, replicate & modify, trial & error). Second, this dissertation presents a two-part controlled experiment to identify and measure the factors that modulate curated examples’ influence on design outcomes and investigate the relationship between example browsing patterns and design outcomes. The findings from this experiment show that design outcomes are influenced not only by data schema similarities between examples and the working dataset but also by the timing of example exposure during ideation and the visual complexity of the examples. Furthermore, connections exist between designers’ strategies to filter and browse example galleries and the quantity and variety of designs they produce. Finally, towards translating these findings of how designers engage in example-aided design to improve design tools, this dissertation presents Mirny, a web-based tool that supports example-based iterative prototyping of interactive D3 visualizations, enabling the process of replicating and modifying design examples to suit a designer’s design and analytical contexts.
By integrating empirical insights with a practical authoring environment, this work advances our understanding of how to harness examples for more expressive visualization creation and lays a foundation for a new avenue of research on example-aided design for next-generation data visualization design tools
Explainable Data Driven Anomaly Detection for Securing Cyber Physical Systems: Theory and Experiment
No full textThis thesis addresses the growing security challenges in cyber-physical systems (CPS) used in mission-critical applications such as autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, and IoT devices. CPS environments, characterized by their multi-layered structure—comprising perception, transmission, and application layers—are increasingly exposed to sophisticated cyberattacks that exploit vulnerabilities across these layers. Traditional security measures, including network segmentation and rule-based threat detection, are often inadequate against a continuously evolving attack corpus. While AI-based threat detection has gained traction and trust across various industries, most solutions rely on supervised anomaly detection methods. Although these solutions excel at identifying known threats, they frequently fail to detect zero-day vulnerabilities and novel attack patterns.
In response, this work proposes novel multi-layered, AI-driven anomaly detection algorithms and framework that leverages multimodal and multivariate time-series data to provide offline and real-time threat identification without prior knowledge of attack vectors. our proposed solutions are enhanced with explainable AI (xAI) techniques, which bolster the interpretability and trustworthiness of model decisions, thereby enabling effective human-on-the-loop oversight with actionable insights. We assessed our proposed solutions in several ways to ensure they work well in real-world applications and can be easily adopted by industry. First, we measured their performance using publicly available datasets and standard benchmarks. In addition, we curated a novel dataset based on actual robotic operations. Finally, we implemented our solutions on a fully operational CPS to demonstrate the feasibility of real-world deployment and their detection capabilities.
By integrating advanced anomaly detection methods with real-time responsiveness and explainability, this research contributes to the development of next-generation CPS security solutions that are robust, adaptable, and ready for real-world deployment
Suture Thread Modeling Using Control Barrier Functions for Autonomous Surgery
No full textAutomating surgical systems enhances precision and safety while reducing human involvement in high-risk environments. A major challenge in automating surgical procedures like suturing is accurately modeling the suture thread, a highly flexible and compliant component. Existing models either lack the accuracy needed for safety-critical procedures or are too computationally intensive for real-time execution. In this work, we introduce a novel approach for modeling suture thread dynamics using control barrier functions (CBFs),achieving both realism and computational efficiency. Thread-like behavior, collision avoidance, stiffness, and damping are all modeled within a unified CBF and control Lyapunov function (CLFs) framework. Our approach eliminates the need to calculate complex forces or solve differential equations, significantly reducing computational overhead while maintaining a realistic model suitable for both automation and virtual reality surgical training systems. The framework also allows visual cues to be provided based on the thread’s interaction with the environment, enhancing user experience when performing suture or ligation tasks. The proposed model is tested on the MagnetoSuture system, a minimally invasive robotic surgical platform that uses magnetic fields to manipulate suture needles, offering a less invasive solution for surgical procedures
Scream Queen: Drag, Dance, and the Grotesque Beauty of Queer Imagination
No full textScream Queen is, if anything, an act of adoration for the medium of horror and the power of queer expression. This paper will detail the process and culminating product of my choreographed work, Scream Queen, presented in October 2024. I will discuss persona, drag, and the intimate relationship between horror and queerness. As a queer alternative movement artist, I hope to honor the subversive and revolutionary voices who have come before me. I will explore the belief and theory that queer people gravitate towards that which is grotesque, horrific, and villainous because it allows them to feel a sense of power within their otherness, actively witnessing aspects of their identity within figureheads that oppose the world which has demonized their existence
What Remains: Dance as Resilience and Embodied Memory
No full textThis thesis explores dance as a tool for resistance and embodied memory. It examines how movement can serve as both a personal and collective response to trauma, engaging with themes of structured violence, intergenerational pain, and the reclamation of agency. Through choreographic research, performance, and scholarly inquiry, it investigates the intersections between trauma, cultural identity, and the body’s capacity to process and transform lived experiences. At the heart of this thesis is What Remains, a choreographic work that explores the coexistence of grief and joy, the interaction between structure and improvisation, and the power of movement as a form of resilience. This research traces the embodied and intellectual creative process from conceptual development to rehearsals, collaboration, and performance. It reflects on how movement conveys meaning beyond words, engaging with theories of embodiment, cultural memory, and dance dramaturgy.
Beyond the stage, this work expands into educational and social realms. It draws attention to issues of cultural appropriation in social Latin dances, such as Salsa and Bachata, while advocating for dance education grounded in historical and ethical principles. It also emphasizes how structured violence leaves its mark on the body and how choreographic practices can act as a form of resistance awareness.
What remains after this work is not merely a performance or a research document but a sustained commitment to dance as a space for questioning, witnessing, and transformation. This thesis argues that dance serves as a political, emotional, and communal force, embodying the echoes of the past while shaping new possibilities for the future