Spartan Daily, October 26, 1989

Volume 93, Issue 38https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/7898/thumbnail.jp

Spartan Daily, October 26, 1989

Volume 93, Issue 38https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/7898/thumbnail.jp

Spartan Daily, April 3, 1989

Volume 92, Issue 40https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/7830/thumbnail.jp

Spartan Daily, November 30, 1989

Volume 93, Issue 60https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/7919/thumbnail.jp

The Study and Replication of Plant Surfaces

The analysis and replication of surfaces which mimic the behaviour of plants is of importance as it can have a variety of applications. These applications, such as the collection of fog for drinking water, waterproof electronics, and antibiofouling devices have the potential to improve the day to day lives of millions of people. In this thesis the surfaces of multiple plants were analysed and replicated using a variety of techniques to better understand and replicate their wetting mechanisms. Also developed were a range of new analysis and replication techniques which have many potential applications in future projects. The wetting mechanism and surface of Xanthosoma sagittifolium was investigated through the use of analytical techniques such as scanning electron microscopy and time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, before being replicated using a nanoimprinting process. This led to the successful production, and testing, of replicas of the leaves of Xanthosoma sagittifolium. These techniques were also employed to aid in the analysis of other plant surfaces, such as that of Eremopyrum orientale and Phyllostachys aurea, and led to the development of a new technique by which plant surfaces could be analysed using time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry without the need for a live specimen. Also developed was a new replication method employing 3D printing to replicate the surfaces of Phyllostachys aurea. The development of these techniques should prove useful in future analysis and replication of plant surfaces, particularly in countries where resources are limited, or where the plant of interest is in an isolated location

Comparing genomic and epigenomic features across species using the WashU Comparative Epigenome Browser

Genome browsers have become an intuitive and critical tool to visualize and analyze genomic features and data. Conventional genome browsers display data/annotations on a single reference genome/assembly; there are also genomic alignment viewer/browsers that help users visualize alignment, mismatch, and rearrangement between syntenic regions. However, there is a growing need for a comparative epigenome browser that can display genomic and epigenomic data sets across different species and enable users to compare them between syntenic regions. Here, we present the WashU Comparative Epigenome Browser. It allows users to load functional genomic data sets/annotations mapped to different genomes and display them over syntenic regions simultaneously. The browser also displays genetic differences between the genomes from single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) to structural variants (SVs) to visualize the association between epigenomic differences and genetic differences. Instead of anchoring all data sets to the reference genome coordinates, it creates independent coordinates of different genome assemblies to faithfully present features and data mapped to different genomes. It uses a simple, intuitive genome-align track to illustrate the syntenic relationship between different species. It extends the widely used WashU Epigenome Browser infrastructure and can be expanded to support multiple species. This new browser function will greatly facilitate comparative genomic/epigenomic research, as well as support the recent growing needs to directly compare and benchmark the T2T CHM13 assembly and other human genome assemblies

Cooperative Behavior of Kinetically Constrained Lattice Gas Models of Glassy Dynamics

Kinetically constrained lattice models of glasses introduced by Kob and Andersen (KA) are analyzed. It is proved that only two behaviors are possible on hypercubic lattices: either ergodicity at all densities or trivial non-ergodicity, depending on the constraint parameter and the dimensionality. But in the ergodic cases, the dynamics is shown to be intrinsically cooperative at high densities giving rise to glassy dynamics as observed in simulations. The cooperativity is characterized by two length scales whose behavior controls finite-size effects: these are essential for interpreting simulations. In contrast to hypercubic lattices, on Bethe lattices KA models undergo a dynamical (jamming) phase transition at a critical density: this is characterized by diverging time and length scales and a discontinuous jump in the long-time limit of the density autocorrelation function. By analyzing generalized Bethe lattices (with loops) that interpolate between hypercubic lattices and standard Bethe lattices, the crossover between the dynamical transition that exists on these lattices and its absence in the hypercubic lattice limit is explored. Contact with earlier results are made via analysis of the related Fredrickson-Andersen models, followed by brief discussions of universality, of other approaches to glass transitions, and of some issues relevant for experiments.Comment: 59 page

Spartan Daily, March 30, 1989

Volume 92, Issue 38https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/spartandaily/7828/thumbnail.jp

A study of a space-station-associated multiple spacecraft Michelson spatial interferometer

One approach to Michelson spatial interferometry at optical wavelengths involves use of an array of spacecraft in which two widely-separated telescopes collect light from a star and direct it to a third, centrally-located, device which combines the beams in order to detect and measure interference fringes. The original version of a spacecraft array for Michelson spatial interferometry (SAMSI) was modified so that the system uses the fuel resupply capability of a space station. The combination of this fuel resupply capability with a method of obtaining image Fourier transform phase information, necessary for full image reconstruction, permits SAMSI to be used to synthesize images equivalent to those produced by huge apertures in space. Synthesis of apertures in the 100 to 500 meter range is discussed. Reconstruction can be performed to a visual magnitude of at least 8 for a 100 A passband in 9 hours. Data are simultaneously collected for image generation from 0.1 micron to 18 microns. In the one-dimensional mode, measurements can be made every 90 minutes (including acquisition and repointing time) for objects as faint as 19th magnitude in the visible

The hyperbolic lattice : morphology, kinematics, and potential applications

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1999.Includes bibliographical references (p. 101-102).This thesis is a study of the kinetics and morphology of the hyperbolic lattice. Experiments began with simple models of sticks and string and progressed to the development of a surgical retractor made from biocompatible materials and the design for a lightweight deployable emergency shelter. These applications share many criteria while spanning a wide range of scales and manufacturing methods. The mechanics of soft bodied organisms such as the worm and the sea anemone were observed to better understand the kinetic models being made. A unifying theme of this study has been an interest in the correlation of form, mobility and structural behavior.by Dale Timothy Clifford.S.M