The Effect of Infancy Radiation Exposure and Its Role as Ability Shifter in Estimating Return to Education

The instrumental variables (IV) model is widely used in estimating returns to education. A key, untestable, assumption for the validity of IV is the exclusion restriction. In this paper, I revisit the common schooling instrument based on local college openings to evaluate its validity and estimate heterogeneity in treatment effects. To do this, I use infant radiation exposure in the U.S. in the early 1960s as a measurable shifter that affects the latent ability term, which is assumed to be independent of the IV. Under the IV assumptions, introducing a control function for latent ability should have no effect on the estimated return to schooling. I find that controlling for infancy radiation exposure does not significantly alter the IV estimates. Second, the latent ability shifter can be used to identify heterogeneity in IV treatment effects. I show that the estimated IV treatment effect of schooling on wages decreases sharply with infancy radiation exposure

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationOver the last decade, technological progress and advances in the miniaturization of electronic devices have increased demands for light-weight, high-efficiency, and carbon-free energy storage devices. These energy storage devices are expected to play important roles in automobiles, the military, power plants, and consumer electronics. Two main types of electrical energy storage systems studied in this research are Li ion batteries and supercapacitors. Several promising solid state electrolytes and supercapacitor electrode materials are investigated in this research. The first section of this dissertation is focused on the novel results on pulsed laser annealing of Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO). LLZO powders with a tetragonal structure were prepared by a sol-gel technique, then a pulsed laser annealing process was employed to convert the tetragonal powders to cubic LLZO without any loss of lithium. The second section of the dissertation reports on how Li5La3Nb2O12 (LLNO) was successfully synthesized via a novel molten salt synthesis (MSS) method at the relatively low temperature of 900°C. The low sintering temperature prevented the loss of lithium that commonly occurs during synthesis using conventional solid state or wet chemical reactions. The second type of energy storage device studied is supercapacitors. Currently, research on supercapacitors is focused on increasing their energy densities and lowering their overall production costs by finding suitable electrode materials. The third section iv of this dissertation details how carbonized woods electrodes were used as supercapacitor electrode materials. A high energy density of 45.6 Wh/kg and a high power density of 2000 W/kg were obtained from the supercapacitor made from carbonized wood electrodes. The high performance of the supercapacitor was discovered to originate from the hierarchical porous structures of the carbonized wood. Finally, the fourth section of this dissertation is on the electrochemical effects of embedding Cu nanoparticles into a carbonized wood supercapacitor. The nano-composites were fabricated using a solution method. The electrochemical measurements indicated that Cu nanoparticles did enhance the energy density of the supercapacitor by a factor of three. Both cyclic voltammetry and cyclic charge-discharge measurements showed that the electrode has typical reversible pseudocapacitive behavior, with two pairs of redox reaction peaks

The Role Of The Piccolo In Beethoven's Orchestration

This dissertation discusses the role of the piccolo in Beethoven’s orchestration in his symphonic works. These include the Fifth Symphony, the Sixth Symphony, the Egmont Overture and the Ninth Symphony. The document includes the history of piccolo’s development since the ninth century B.C. until the modern Boehm piccolo. The author provides comparative observation through Beethoven’s orchestration techniques such as the range covered, instrumental pairing, balance, and melodic organization of each symphony works. In addition to discussing development of the piccolo in orchestration, this study compares the piccolo’s usage through motives (e.g. the “Ode to Joy” theme), harmonic analysis; range; balance; and melodic organization. Appendix A provides of tables that summarize piccolo’s harmonic function of works discussed to help the reader comprehend the piccolo function at a glance. This dissertation includes observations of performers, theorists and musicians; and these guides provide the reader with better understanding of the piccolo’s place in Beethoven’s orchestration. By following the observations, piccolo players will bring a deeper musical and technical understanding to individual performances

Real-time bioprocess and automated feed control with in-line Raman sensor

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FFTPL: An Analytic Placement Algorithm Using Fast Fourier Transform for Density Equalization

We propose a flat nonlinear placement algorithm FFTPL using fast Fourier transform for density equalization. The placement instance is modeled as an electrostatic system with the analogy of density cost to the potential energy. A well-defined Poisson's equation is proposed for gradient and cost computation. Our placer outperforms state-of-the-art placers with better solution quality and efficiency

Osteomyelitis of Multiple Lumbar Vertebrae Associated with Infected Aortic Aneurysm: A Case Report

A 73-year-old male patient presented with a pulsating abdominal mass and intractable low back pain for several days. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an infected abdominal aortic aneurysm invading the second, third, and fourth lumbar vertebrae. He underwent radical debridement of the infected aneurysm with reconstruction using vascular bypass, partial corpectomy of the L2 to L4 vertebrae, anterior reconstruction with autogenous fibular shaft, and posterior instrumentation with posterolateral fusion. Culture of the necrotic tissues grew oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. He received intravenous vancomycin infusion for 4 weeks and oral ciprofloxacin for 6 months postoperatively. After a 15-month follow-up, no apparent signs of further infection were noted. C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate returned to normal during follow-up. No neurologic symptoms other than mild low back soreness were noted. The stability of the lumbar spine was maintained using long segment reconstruction with autogenous fibula shaft and posterior instrumentation along with posterolateral fusion. Infected aortic aneurysm with vertebral osteomyelitis is a rare clinical entity. Prompt diagnosis and adequate treatment are essential