Project F.O.C.U.S

https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/educ_sys_202/1121/thumbnail.jp

Conjugated Polymers in Thermoelectric Composites and Small Molecules for High Light Absorptivity

Over the past several decades with increasing of global energy demand, thermoelectric materials have gained considerable attention due to their unique ability to directly convert heat to electricity. In addition to inorganic semiconductors, polymers are potential candidates for high-performance thermoelectric applications due to their intrinsic advantages such as low thermal conductivity, solution processability, and roll-to-roll production, lightweight, and flexible thermoelectric modules. This thesis provides an insight into the emerging field of organic thermoelectrics, more specifically, thermoelectric power generation based on the composites of conducting polymers (MEH-PPV, P3HT and PEDOT:PSS) and carbon nanotubes (SWNT, SWNT-COOH, SWNT-OH and MWNT). A substantial portion of my work at the graduate level has involved the composite materials of conductive polymers and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) for use in organic thermoelectrics (TE). This work comprised multiple iterations to test effects of chain length (molecular weight) and regioregularity, amount and type of CNT added, sample fabrication solvent, and doping duration led to substantial optimization of the TE power factors. A power factor of 148 μW m-1 K-2 was obtained in the optimized sample preparation with rr-P3HT-Rieke/50%SWnNT which is quite competitive with the PFs mentioned in section 2.3. Besides polymers, I also investigated TE properties of cross-linked network structures established from UV curable small molecules with CNTs. A variety of distinct morphological architectures -- consistent with differences in TE performances -- have been observed. I described the synthesis of new pyridinium and extended viologen molecules capturing light in the visible portion of the solar spectrum with high molar extinction coefficient (~22,000 to 278,000 M-1 cm-1) by means of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT), using electron-donor and electron-accepter groups linked through π-conjugation. Also, these compounds exhibited solvatochromic properties in absorption and emission spectra with respect to the ICT band

Comparative Analysis of Values in Islamic Texts and Social Studies Education in Turkey

Social studies education in Turkey is a multi-disciplinary field. One of these disciplines is religion. Social studies education can benefit from religion in terms of nurturing effective citizenship. The purpose of this study is to identify and compare the values intersecting the primary religious sources of Islam and the content of social studies education. Document analysis was employed as the method of comparison. The documents represented the verses of the Qur\u27an and the words of prophet Muhammad. The analysis focused on the values of respect for rights and freedoms, benevolence, justice, honesty, and respect for differences, among a few others. The results of the analysis demonstrate that true Islam espouses all of these values and instructs all Muslims to live according to these values. Additionally, learning about Islam from its authentic religious texts dispels misconception of that religion and enhances citizenship education

The State Theatres in Turkey: Analyses on Valuation and the Management Model

Even though accessibility of culture, preservation and promotion of arts are treated mainly as the responsibility of the State in Turkey, the government’s approach was influenced by the global neoliberal currents and eventually directed towards a market-oriented approach, moving the position of the State from ‘the initiator’ towards ‘the regulator’ side over the last decades. Within this context, the State Theatres and the Istanbul City Municipal Theatre (ICMT), which are among the deep-rooted, oldest public arts institutions, have recently become the target of some regulatory changes in the government's agenda. The regulation changes in ICMT comprising the transfer of the management from actors to municipality officers, including such duties as the selection of plays, casting actors, and hiring technical staff, were put in action on 12 April 2012. Concurrently, the Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s statement in favor of privatization of the State Theatres received reactions from the public. The main argument of the public opposition was that the freedom of state-supported art would be heavily damaged with the enactment of the new regulations. State support, it was maintained, is of crucial importance for arts production in a developing country such as Turkey. Therefore, this paper aims to contribute those debates with the examination of efficacy of the State Theatres in Turkey. Besides, valuation of the State Theatres by the public will be discussed through the results of a public opinion survey on a test group. Following the analysis, recommendations for development of a more suitable management model for state-supported theatres in Turkey will be provided

PERANCANGAN BUKU VISUAL ELEMEN SUKU OSING DI BANYUWANGI

Speaking of culture, Indonesia is a country that has a diversity of cultures from various regions and tribes that spread throughout the country, this cultural diversity can be a tourist attraction for domestic and foreign cities. Osing Quarter has great influence on the arts and culture of Banyuwangi Banyuwangi because almost all the arts is the art and culture of the tribe Osing. In the title of the adoption of this plan is "Planning Quarterly Books Osing Visual Elements in Banyuwangi" which hopes to raise public awareness of the cultural quarter Osing. Selected Media is a visual medium that serves the words, pictures illustrations and photographs that will attract attention and clarify the meal ideas. The main concept is to use the concept of Visual Book Hidden Element in the English language that has meaning hidden elements direct view of the state of culture in Kemiren village that has many cultures that are not recognized by the public and not look so through this book can present visual culture and inform the hidden parts Osing. Major media in this design is presented with the Visual book and photo realistic images coupled with attractive illustrations that can record to either the actual state of the visual visually presented in the book with a size of 20 x 15 cm is divided into 4 sections that tell the 4 aspects of life Osing tribes. To further introduce this Osing tribe culture and to raise public awareness of visual culture books needed to record and inform the culture of this tribe Osing preformance in detail so that the message of this book can be conveyed properly. Key Words : Culture, Osing, Hidden Element, Visual Boo

Complex lung physiology and airway inflammation in adults with asthma and fixed airflow obstruction

Background: Fixed airflow obstruction (FAO) occurs in asthma despite adequate treatment and no or minimal smoking history. FAO in asthma is more common in older people or those with long-standing disease and associated with poor outcomes. Airflow obstruction occurs in the small airways and is thought to be due to airway remodelling and driven by inflammation. Changes to the lung tissue, which may result in alteration of the lungs elastic properties such as loss of lung elastic recoil, may also contribute. The underlying mechanisms leading to FAO in asthma are poorly understood. Aim: To explore the physiological properties of both the airways and lung tissue and airway inflammation in older non-smokers with asthma, and to assess how they may contribute to FAO. Method: Non-smoking adults >40 years old with asthma were treated with two months of high dose inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting beta-agonist (ICS/LABA). Subsequently standard lung function and small airway function was measured using the forced oscillation technique (FOT) and the multiple breath nitrogen washout test (MBNW). Lung elastic recoil was measured using the oesophageal balloon technique. Airway inflammation was measured using bronchoalveolar lavage fluid obtained during bronchoscopy. Results: Non-smoking adults with asthma (n=19) demonstrated moderate FAO; small airway dysfunction, as measured by FOT and MBNW; increased lung compliance and loss of elastic recoil and variable airway inflammation. Worse airflow obstruction was associated with increased lung compliance. Increased airway resistance and small airway dysfunction in the acinar airways was associated with a loss of lung elastic recoil. Cross-sectional assessment of airway inflammation was not associated with lung function impairment. Conclusion: Changes to the lungs elastic properties results in increased compliance or reduced lung elastic recoil and make a significant contribution to FAO and small airway dysfunction in older non-smokers with asthma. ‘Lung remodelling’ is a potential pathological process leading to lung tissue changes and may be an alternate asthma paradigm. Underlying cellular mechanisms need further investigation

NANOPARTICLE AS SUPRAMOLECULAR PLATFORM FOR DELIVERY AND BIOORTHOGONAL CATALYSIS

Nanoparticles (NPs) are being investigated widely for many applications including imaging, drug delivery, therapeutics, materials, and catalysis due to their unique and tunable physical and chemical properties. Among NPs, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have attracted great attention due to ease of synthesis and surface functionalization, inertness of the core, biocompatibility, and functional versatility. Introducing supramolecular chemistry into the nanoparticle-based platforms brings out controllable properties, dynamic self assembly processes, and adjustable performance. My research has focused on the synthesis of AuNPs bearing different surface functionalities and their host-guest interactions with synthetic small molecules or commercially available hydrophobic catalysts for delivery and therapeutic applications. My research is consisted of two main sections. First part is the regulation of the exocytosis of AuNPs using host-guest interactions and characterization of these interactions in solution using isothermal titration calorimetry and inside cells using laser desorption/ionization/matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. Second part is about encapsulating various hydrophobic transition metal catalysts into the monolayer of AuNPs. These catalyst-embedded AuNPs were used to catalyze industrially important reactions in aqueous environment. For biological applications, this system was called as ‘nanozyme’ because it was used as an enzyme mimic to perform bioorthogonal activation of profluorophores and prodrugs for imaging and therapeutic applications, respectively. Using the host-guest chemistry, intracellular catalysis was supramolecularly regulated. Lastly, different monolayer designs were engineered to increase the catalyst loading and improve catalytic efficiency