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Effective mechanical Properties of material models with random heterogeneities
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016)
In this thesis we obtain analytical approximations to the probability distribution of the elastic tensor and fracture strengths of material models with random heterogeneities. We start by investigating the effective elastic ...
Stiffness characterization of mechanically-compressed cohesive soils using wave propagation
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016)
Wave propagation through soils is a non-destructive method used to characterize soil stiffness properties and is the basis for geophysical interpretations. Due to the difficulty of measuring shear waves through soft cohesive ...
Natural and synthetic estrogens in wastewater treatment plant effuent and the coastal ocean
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2013)
Steroidal estrogens are potent endocrine disrupting chemicals that are naturally excreted by vertebrates (e.g., humans and fish) and can enter natural waters through the discharge of treated and raw sewage. Because estrogens ...
The role of type I collagen heterotrimers and homotrimers in mechanical strength and collagen cleavage
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014)
Collagen is a crucial structural protein, formed through a hierarchical assembly of molecules, arranged in collagen fibrils, which constitutes the basis for larger-scale fibers. Normal type I collagen is a heterotrimer ...
Spatiotemporal variability of methane ebullition from lake sediments
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2016)
Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and natural sources to the atmosphere include inland waterways and shallow oceans. However, the magnitude of these emissions and their potential for feedbacks with climate change remain ...
Molecular structure, hierarchical assembly and stimuli-responsive mechanics of tropoelastin and elastin biomaterials
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017)
The elastin polymer, assembled from its molecular precursor tropoelastin, is the dominant component of elastic fibers, which confer elasticity and structural integrity to skin, lung, connective and vascular tissue. ...
Analysis of large deformation offshore geotechnical problems in soft clay
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017)
Although finite element (FE) methods are well established for modeling geotechnical problems in soil masses and soil-structure interaction, most prior research on large deformation problems has been limited to simplified ...
Experimental and theoretical studies of reactive transport processes in soluble porous rocks
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2019)
Underground reactive transport processes involve fluid flow and reactions (dissolution, precipitation, and pressure solution) driving the evolution of the rock-fluid systems, which may result in favorable processes such ...
Laboratory studies of the multiday oxidative aging of atmospheric organic aerosol
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2019)
Fine particulate matter (PM, or "aerosol") in the atmosphere affects the Earth's radiative balance and is one of the most important risk factors leading to premature mortality worldwide. Thus, understanding the processes ...
Dimensions of microbial biodiversity in the North Pacific subtropical Gyre
(Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2017)
Microorganisms support all life in the oceans and are fundamental to maintaining a habitable biosphere on Earth. However an understanding of their taxonomic and functional distributions across space and time are just ...