Rice University Graduate Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Rice University makes its graduate theses and dissertations available online at no cost to end users. These electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs) cover the period from 1918, when the first dissertation was issued to H. E. Bray, through the most recently processed graduating year. Occasionally a thesis or dissertation may be be missing from the repository. If you are unable to find a specific dissertation, please let us know and we will attempt to make it available through the repository, provided that the author has not elected for it to be embargoed.
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A Flexible Multimodal 3D Single-Molecule Super-Resolution Microscope for Whole Cell Imaging
(2023-07-20)Single-molecule super resolution techniques can be used to resolve subcellular structures in nanoscale detail, but they are sensitive to background signal which is common in fluorescently labeled cells. Most microscopes are limited to standard epi- illumination, which generates high background fluorescence by illuminating the entire sample at once. ... -
Network science algorithms for the reliability and resilience of engineered infrastructure networks
(2023-08-11)Critical infrastructure networks are essential engineered systems for modern society, encompassing power grids, telecommunication networks, transportation systems, and water distribution networks, among others. Despite their crucial role in maintaining community normalcy, critical infrastructure networks face a variety of threats, such as aging, ... -
Understanding the Conditions for Detecting a Phonology to Articulation Cascade in Speech Production
(2023-08-11)Phonetic distortions, subtle acoustic traces of how a competitor would be produced on the articulation of a response, have been used as evidence for cascading activation from phonological planning to articulatory implementation, that is that information flows between these levels of representation in the language production system prior to selection ... -
Advancing Higher Level Control of Nanoparticle Assemblies Through Ligands
(2023-08-11)The nanoscale size regime is full of potential for the study and development of new functional materials. Many biological materials exist on the nanoscale and can assemble into a variety of complex machinery capable of performing the functions necessary for life to continue. Human-made materials are still far behind what exists naturally, however, ... -
On the Design of Reconfigurable Edge Devices for RF Fingerprint Identification (RED-RFFI) for IoT Systems
(2023-08-11)Radio Frequency Fingerprint Identification (RFFI) classifies wireless transmitters by the signal distortions from their unique hardware impairments. RFFI capable receivers can authenticate insecure transmissions without the sender's cooperation, making them well suited for notoriously vulnerable IoT devices. Neural networks have dominated recent RFFI ... -
Emotions and Social Attitudes: Exploring Why Disgust Underlies Conservatism and Prejudice
(2023-08-11)A voluminous literature in political science has found that individuals higher on disgust sensitivity are more likely to be socially conservative, vote for right-wing parties, and hold prejudice towards outgroups. This project seeks to identify the causal mechanism behind these relationships. Each chapter in this project focuses on a different theory: ... -
Igneous life cycles: geochemistry of magma from mantle to surface and back again
(2023-08-11)Material from within the Earth is cycled and recycled from the interior of the Earth to the surface in igneous rocks. The chemistry of igneous rocks record snapshots of this complex history. Here, we use three major projects to assess important processes in this life cycle. Continental arc volcanism generates a wide diversity of magma compositions, ... -
Igneous life cycles: geochemistry of magma from mantle to surface and back again
(2023-08-11)Material from within the Earth is cycled and recycled from the interior of the Earth to the surface in igneous rocks. The chemistry of igneous rocks record snapshots of this complex history. Here, we use three major projects to assess important processes in this life cycle. Continental arc volcanism generates a wide diversity of magma compositions, ... -
Flash Joule heating for nanomaterials synthesis, waste upcycling, and hydrogen production
(2023-08-11)Many sustainable technologies, such as chemical recycling of waste plastics or the low-carbon intensity production of clean-burning hydrogen gas, have existed for decades. However, despite current political and societal initiatives to minimize plastic waste or transition to hydrogen energy sources, little global progress has been made in their widescale ... -
Transforming Covalent Organic Framework Synthesis for Advanced Applications: From Solution Processing to High- Throughput Production in Flow Reactors
(2023-08-10)Water and energy are essential for sustaining life on earth. As the population grows and living standards improve, the demand for clean water and energy continues to rise simultaneously. In this regard, fossil-fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and byproduct formation will continue to grow in these industries. Integrating advanced nanomaterials in the ... -
Transforming Covalent Organic Framework Synthesis for Advanced Applications: From Solution Processing to High- Throughput Production in Flow Reactors
(2023-08-10)Water and energy are essential for sustaining life on earth. As the population grows and living standards improve, the demand for clean water and energy continues to rise simultaneously. In this regard, fossil-fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and byproduct formation will continue to grow in these industries. Integrating advanced nanomaterials in the ... -
Using methyl halides as a reporter in a model soil consortium and for intercellular signaling
(2023-08-08)Over the past decades, there has been an increasing understanding of the important and diverse role played by the soil microbiome in maintaining soil health, plant productivity, and biogeochemical cycles. Understanding the precise nature and contribution of these roles can allow us to harness soil microbial communities for agriculture, environmental ... -
Development of Extracellular Matrix-Based Biomaterials for Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering
(2023-08-08)Extracellular matrix (ECM)-based materials, which provide tissue-specific biochemical cues for cell recruitment, proliferation, and differentiation, have been the subject of significant research for cartilage, bone, and muscle tissue engineering. The use of advanced fabrication techniques such as 3D-printing (3DP) and electrospinning enable the ... -
Engineering Surfaces for Sensitive Detection of Analytes
(2023-08-11)Engineering functional surfaces and tuning their properties has significant implications that allow us to harness their potential in addressing relevant scientific challenges. The work presented in this thesis investigates the intelligent design of micro- and nanoscale surfaces and their interactions with biomolecular and SERS-active analytes in ... -
New Frontiers in Quantum Simulation of an Extended Dicke Model and Active Cooling
(2023-08-08)Groundbreaking discoveries in the fields of light-matter interactions and thermoelectrics in the past two decades have profoundly shaped our understanding of how photons, electrons, and phonons interact. Increased control over the quality of engineered systems, novel measurement techniques, and quantitative improvements in theory are the driving force ... -
Molecular Modeling of Nonionic Surfactant Micellar Systems in Aqueous Solutions
(2023-07-31)Surfactants are amphiphilic molecules consisting of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups. The unique structure of surfactants and their ability to self-assemble into interesting microstructures lead to extensive application in industrial and commercial fields. The study of their interfacial phenomena and self-assembling behavior has also been of ... -
Molecular Modeling of Nonionic Surfactant Micellar Systems in Aqueous Solutions
(2023-07-31)Surfactants are amphiphilic molecules consisting of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups. The unique structure of surfactants and their ability to self-assemble into interesting microstructures lead to extensive application in industrial and commercial fields. The study of their interfacial phenomena and self-assembling behavior has also been of ... -
Using synthetic biology to record information in DNA and RNA within wastewater microbes and communities
(2023-08-02)Microorganisms form the bedrock of key ecological processes that make the Earth habitable. Microbial communities regulate carbon and nitrogen cycles, influencing greenhouse gas concentrations and agricultural productivity. As such, understanding these microbial processes is critical to address climate change and food security and to advance sustainable ... -
Advancement of fiber image guide based snapshot imaging spectrometer technology for bioimaging and environmental applications
(2023-08-08)Hyperspectral imaging spectrometers provide detailed and continuous spectral data in addition to spatial information found in commercial RGB or monochromatic cameras. The addition of spectral information can provide valuable insight in many fields such as but not limited to biomedical imaging, smart farming, environmental monitoring, and remote ... -
Language Support for Real-time Data Processing
(2023-08-11)Recent technological advances are causing an enormous proliferation of streaming data, i.e., data that is generated in real-time. Such data is produced at an overwhelming rate that cannot be processed in traditional manners. This thesis aims to provide programming language support for real-time data processing through three approaches: (1) creating ...
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