Instantaneous quadrature low-coherence interferometry with 3x3 fiber-optic couplers

We describe fiber-based quadrature low-coherence interferometers that exploit the inherent phase shifts of 3 x 3 and higher-order fiber-optic couplers. We present a framework based on conservation of energy to account for the interferometric shifts in 3 x 3 interferometers, and we demonstrate that the resulting interferometers provide the entire complex interferometric signal instantaneously in homodyne and heterodyne systems. In heterodyne detection we demonstrate the capability for extraction of the magnitude and sign of Doppler shifts from the complex data. In homodyne detection we show the detection of subwavelength sample motion. N x N (N> 2) low-coherence interferometer topologies will be useful in Doppler optical coherence tomography (OCT), optical coherence microscopy, Fourier-domain OCT, optical frequency domain reflectometry, and phase-referenced interferometry

SHAKATA: Assembling, Leading and Producing An Ethnic-Fusion-Party Band

The main goal of this project is to develop and forge my artistic identity as a violinist, musician and a stage artist, and do so by extending and experimenting with my creative skills, and my administration, leadership and producing abilities. The key part of the project, and the main tool through which I’m implying these skills, is band-leading Shakata, an ethnic-fusion band I assembled with five other Berklee students. Through the course of the project, I created a five song EP (four originals and one arrangement), along with more visual and audio content for promotion and dissemination purposes. The intended outcome is to create both a strong platform for future activity of Shakata, and to enrich my own artistic portfolio for my future professional steps. Through monitoring and explaining my own creative process, as well as demonstrating how I’m incorporating influences from different genres (Balkan, Arabic, Flamenco, etc.) and musical styles into my original compositions, I hope to offer some helpful tools and insights that could also serve other musicians in their early creative steps.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-contemporary-performance/1181/thumbnail.jp

St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas on the Mind, Body, and Life After Death

Historical and philosophical investigation of the thoughts of two of philosophy\u27s most innovative Christian thinkers. The thesis primarily deals with the relationship between the mind and the body through the lenses of St. Augustine of Hippo and St. Thomas Aquinas. Thesis also includes theological discussions of life after death, and how one can be certain that the soul survives the corruption of the body

The effect of rapid weight loss on cognitive function in collegiate wrestlers

This study examined the effect of rapid weight loss on cognitive function in collegiate wrestlers

Instantaneous complex conjugate resolved spectral domain and swept-source OCT using 3x3 fiber couplers

We report that the complex conjugate artifact in Fourier domain optical coherence tomography approaches (including spectral domain and swept source OCT) may be resolved by the use of novel interferometer designs based on 3x3 and higher order fiber couplers. Interferometers built from NxN (N>2) truly fused fiber couplers provide simultaneous access to non-complementary phase components of the complex interferometric signal. These phase components may be converted to quadrature components by trigonometric manipulation, then inverse Fourier transformed to obtain A-scans and images with resolved complex conjugate artifact. We demonstrate instantaneous complex conjugate resolved Fourier domain OCT using 3x3 couplers in both spectral domain and swept source implementations. Complex conjugate artifact suppression by factors of ~20dB and ~25dB are demonstrated for spectral domain and swept source implementations, respectively

A media literacy intervention: Using self-objectification as a tool for identifying changes in well-being and internalization

According to objectification theory, females are socialised to internalize a third person perspective of their own physical appearance (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997), which in turn serves to decrease well-being (Sands & Wardle, 2003). In our culture, one of the biggest culprits for portraying a negative perspective of women\u27s bodies is media (Thompson & Heinberg, 1999). In an effort to combat the harmful effects of media, researchers have suggested that being able to critically evaluate (i.e., media literacy) such messages may be helpful (Tiggeman, Gardiner, & Slater, 2000). Past research has failed to measure trait self-objectification (TSO: high, low) and its interaction with media literacy videos. Thus, the present study investigated the effectiveness of two media literacy interventions designed to decrease internalization of the thin ideal and increase well-being. First year university women were pre-selected on their level of TSO. At Time 1, those low and high in TSO completed measures of internalization, awareness, self-esteem, positive and negative affect, and depression. At Time 2, they viewed media literacy videos that varied in their level of state self-objectification (SSO; high, low), completed the same measures as Time 1, and open-ended questions about their reactions to the videos. At Time 3, they completed the same measures as Time 1, and open-ended questions about their reactions to the videos. Although no three-way interactions between TSO, SSO, and time were found, profile analyses of general well-being measures found that high TSO women reported lower well-being compared to low TSO women. Further, qualitative results showed that women experienced a number of positive changes in well-being such as feeling better about oneself and body. Implications for future research on the interaction between TSO and SSO are discussed

Sensitivity advantage of swept source and Fourier domain optical coherence tomography

We present theoretical and experimental results which demonstrate the superior sensitivity of swept source (SS) and Fourier domain (FD) optical coherence tomography (OCT) techniques over the conventional time domain (TD) approach. We show that SS- and FD-OCT have equivalent expressions for system signal-to-noise ratio which result in a typical sensitivity advantage of 20-30dB over TD-OCT. Experimental verification is provided using two novel spectral discrimination (SD) OCT systems: a differential fiber-based 800nm FD-OCT system which employs deep-well photodiode arrays, and a differential 1300nm SS-OCT system based on a swept laser with an 87nm tuning range