ISTA Master's Thesis

Those who aim to devise new materials with desirable properties usually examine present methods first. However, they will find out that some approaches can exist only conceptually without high chances to become practically useful. It seems that a numerical technique called automatic differentiation together with increasing supply of computational accelerators will soon shift many methods of the material design from the category ”unimaginable” to the category ”expensive but possible”. Approach we suggest is not an exception. Our overall goal is to have an efficient and generalizable approach allowing to solve inverse design problems. In this thesis we scratch its surface. We consider jammed systems of identical particles. And ask ourselves how the shape of those particles (or the parameters codifying it) may affect mechanical properties of the system. An indispensable part of reaching the answer is an appropriate particle parametrization. We come up with a simple, yet generalizable and purposeful scheme for it. Using our generalizable shape parameterization, we simulate the formation of a solid composed of pentagonal-like particles and measure anisotropy in the resulting elastic response. Through automatic differentiation techniques, we directly connect the shape parameters with the elastic response. Interestingly, for our system we find that less isotropic particles lead to a more isotropic elastic response. Together with other results known about our method it seems that it can be successfully generalized for different inverse design problems

Kira Lurich - Master's Thesis

The purpose of this work is to create a website to help teachers of a school or a gymnasium in the preparation of small trainings in physics. Also, in principle, the site can be used for other school subjects and communication between students and students among themselves in the process of studying. Now site address is http://www.peegel.ee/game When writing the site, the programming languages of the PHP, JavaScript (JQuery) were used, CSS Framework Twitter BootStrap and the MySql database

Wool : master's design thesis

textGiven the increasing awareness of indoor air quality (IAQ) and the direct correlation to human health, passive removal materials (PRM) have become known as a potential strategy for reducing occupant exposure to indoor air pollutants (Lu 2013). In recent studies, untreated natural wool fiber has been recognized as a PRM for removing formaldehyde, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. These are common volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from sources, such as building materials, fixtures, furnishings and cleaning supplies (Darling et al. 2012). Test chamber studies have shown that wool fiber can irreversibly remove up to 67% of these VOC’s in an interior environment (Curling et al 2012). When the toxins come in physical contact with the fiber, a chemical reaction occurs due to the amino-acid side chains within the keratin molecule. Increase in air-tight buildings has recently become a concern with the rising popularity of sustainable building practices, causing occupant exposure to these indoor air pollutants to rise (Weschler 2009). Beyond known adverse health effects, such as eye irritation and respiratory issues, formaldehyde has been designated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a human carcinogen and is the leading cause for Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) (World Health Organization 2010). The interior cortex of a wool fiber is hydrophilic – highly water absorbent, and can absorb 1/3 its weight in moisture. Wool fiber has a unique wicking property that allows the fiber to absorb water vapor from the air in a regulating sense; absorbing when there is an excess moisture level and releasing the gained moisture when the surrounding atmosphere is less humid. This provides passive humidity regulation in an indoor environment, stabilizing the comfort level of 20-50% relative humidity (RH) without requiring higher air-conditioning or ventilation rates (Bingelli 2010). Wool also has excellent properties for optimizing indoor acoustics, as it absorbs acoustic energy via the friction of air being moved through the tiny spaces between fibers and reduces traveling noise and reverberation (Bingelli 2010). In an untreated, natural roving state the density of wool is ideal for acoustic control in conversational speech situations where 70dB or lower is present, such as meeting rooms, lobbies and restaurants. With the consideration of these properties, wool has the capability to improve the indoor environment quality (IEQ) and the health of occupants through the absorption of indoor air pollutants, humidity regulation and acoustic control. As Australia and the USA are among the top 3 wool producing countries, I will be working specifically with locally sourced wool from New South Wales and Texas as a basis for a sustainable IEQ intervention installation model that may be applied to future projects. The wool was obtained from local, small-scale fiber farms that implement hand processing in an effort to reduce toxins, in addition to lowering the manufacturing energy and transportation emission requirements. The local supply chain model provides increased environmental, social, economic and human health benefits to the design. Individual installations based on the vernacular wool fiber atrributes and interior climate needs will greatly increase the overall spatial environment, while also serving as an aesthetically pleasing piece of art.Architectur

NAREA AWARDS

Outstanding Master's Thesis Award: Estimation of Elasticities of Demand for Imported Meat in Russia, by Alexi Soshnin; Master's Thesis Award of Merit: Effective Rural Development Strategies: a Framework for Optimizing Community-Business Matches, by Michael Buescher; Master's Thesis Award of Merit: Sustaining the Atlantic Sea-Scallop Fishery: Viability in a Restricted Industry, by Michael Keith Price; Master's Thesis Award of Merit: Food Demand in China: A Case of Guangdong Province, by Xiaobo Zhang; Journal Article of the Year for 1998: Modeling Fresh Tomato Marketing Margins: Econometrics and Neural Networks, by Timothy J. Richards, Paul M. Patterson, and Pieter Van Ispelen; Distinguished Member Award: Linda K. LeeTeaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

NAREA OUTSTANDING MASTER'S THESIS AWARD ABSTRACTS

Pesticide externalities in Adean potato production: integrated production and biophysical models of groundwater contamination, by Cecile E. H. Ducrot; Analysis of factors influencing fair market and restriced land use values of farmland in New Jersey's purchase of development rights program via hedonic pricing models, by Nancy S. Lee; Conjoint analysis of Australian consumer preference for pork products produced with genetically engineered porcine somatotropin (pST), by April D. Parsons; Determining the best uses of mangrove areas: an application of dynamic optimization to the case of shrimp mariculture in Ecuador