bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of chemical bath deposition of inorganic thin films for photovoltaic applications
Authors:   , Opasanont Borirak , Baxter Jason B.
Published: July 2021

Chemical bath deposition (CBD) is a simple, low cost and scalable technique to deposit inorganic films, but lack of fundamental understanding and control of the underlying chemistry has limited its versatility. We combined the use of a continuous-flow microreactor (CF[mu]R), speciation modeling, and novel time-resolved bath characterization techniques to better understand the evolution of the baths and its impact on film formation and properties. The model system for this study was ZnS, a wide band gap semiconductor whose many applications, such as photovoltaic buffer layers, require uniform and continuous films down to several nanometers thick. In CBD of ZnS, oxygen is often incorporated into the film as oxide and hydroxide to form Zn(S,O,OH). Oxide tunes electronic band levels while hydroxide detrimentally affects electronic device stability. Efforts to understand the film formation and gradation of the film stoichiometry and properties are limited by film thicknesses of ~50 nm that are smaller than the probe size of many characterization techniques. We used a CF[mu]R to investigate relationships between bath composition and film properties deposited from a high-performance alkaline recipe. For decreased film oxygen content, the near-neutral deposition regime was explored. Hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) was successfully used as an additive to maintain near-neutral pH for rapid deposition of continuous film with reduced oxygen impurities. Complexing agents, or ligands, limit the free metal ion concentration and control the film deposition rate, but their dynamic properties are poorly understood. We demonstrated that dynamic speciation modeling is a powerful tool in predicting the ligands' throttling behavior. Time-dependent deposition rate was captured through spatially-dependent film thickness by CF[mu]R, and confirmed the prediction of the model. Understanding bath dynamics is crucial to advancing CBD from the traditional "recipe-based" perception to a level in which film properties can be fully controlled by bath engineering.
Optical properties and electronic structure of non-d⁰ perovskite oxide epitaxial films and heterostructures
Authors:   , Scafetta Mark Dominic , May Steven J.
Published: July 2021

Perovskite oxide materials provide a chemically diverse pseudo cubic ABO₃ platform that possesses a large number of technologically relevant physical properties. It is possible grow complex heterostructures in addition to the nearly infinite stable chemical combinations. With this vast possibility for tuning and combining properties, it is not unlikely that perovskite oxides could change the face of many electronic and energy devices. However, analysis of the optical properties of non-d⁰ perovskite oxides is quite lacking and thus the electronic structure and important device parameters of many systems are not well characterized. This thesis is focused on understanding the coupling between composition, electronic structure and optical absorption in complex oxides. Modeling the absorption with Tauc plots is the standard way to determine the band gap energy (EG), a critical parameter for high performance photovoltaics, and other optical devices. Accurately modeling the absorption in complex oxides has not previously been studied in depth, leading to significant uncertainty in the limited work that has been conducted. Additionally, most of the prior work on the optical properties of perovskite oxides has been conducted on relatively simple systems with no d-electrons in the valence band (d⁰). Using LaFeO₃ (LFO) (d⁵) as a model system, the optical absorption has been calculated and used to determine the most appropriate Tauc model. The results were applied to epitaxial films of LFO to determine a more accurate experimental band gap energy. Building on this knowledge, the effects of epitaxial strain, cation vacancies, A- and B-site substitution, and oxygen vacancies, on the optical and structural properties of LaFeO₃-related compounds were investigated, providing new insights for band gap engineering in perovskite oxides.
Successful Psychopathy
Authors:   , Strohmaier Heidi , DeMatteo David S.
Published: July 2021

Despite growing interest in "successful" psychopathy, little is known about how psychopaths who evade criminal conviction differ from their incarcerated counterparts. Prior research has demonstrated an overselective attention mechanism in criminal psychopathy involving reduced sensitivity to peripheral information during goal-oriented activity. This study explored whether similar processes operate in successful psychopathy. Stroop tasks were used to assess attentional interference in non-criminal community dwelling participants divided into high and low psychopathy groups (N = 47) using the short form of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised. As hypothesized, participants in the high psychopathy group exhibited moderately reduced interference on the modified Stroop task and equivalent interference on the classic Stroop task relative to those in the low psychopathy group, providing evidence of overselective attention in successful psychopathy. Contrasting predictions, primary psychopathy was not associated with reduced interference on the expected (i.e., modified) Stroop task. Participants in the high psychopathy group also reported somewhat greater levels of antisocial conduct and exhibited higher intelligence than participants in the low psychopathy group, inviting speculation that intelligence may distinguish successful from criminal psychopathy.
Multiple access stability and broadcast delay in wireless networks
Authors:   , Xie Nan , Weber Steven P.
Published: July 2021

This thesis addresses issues of design and performance analysis in wireless communication networks. We investigate topics relevant to both uplink and downlink. For uplink, we study the stability region of the slotted Aloha protocol under the collision channel model, for the case of a finite number of independent users. The stability region (i.e., the set of arrival rate vectors such that the whole queueing system can be made stable) is in general unknown when the number of users is more than two. We seek to characterize the set of stabilizable rate vectors, whereas most existing works only provide bounds on the region of stabilized rate vectors under a given control (i.e., a vector of contention probabilities). We choose a natural and important inner bound on the exact Aloha stability region. The results we obtain include equivalent forms of and alternative membership testing for this set, as well as other properties such as various geometrically intuitive and simple inner and outer bounds, and generalized convexity properties of the associated "excess rate" functions. For downlink, we seek to characterize the delay when broadcasting (random linear combinations of) information packets over independent erasure channels to a finite number of users. Of interest is the random delay until all the receivers recover all the packets initially queued at the base station (i.e., the sender). This falls into the study of certain order statistic of random variables. We obtain lower and upper bounds, exact expressions and a finite-step computational procedure (recurrence) for the moments of the random delay. We also investigate the dependence of the delay on the code blocklength (under random linear combinations of packets as the scheme employed in random linear network coding), and on the number of receivers, respectively. Results here include asymptotics, monotonicity properties and asymptotically tight lower and upper bounds.
The Voices of Career GPS
Authors:   , Christopher Linda , Levine Bruce A. , Chavez Jose L
Published: July 2021

Is the time honored "career fair" a viable educational tool to support high school students in becoming career ready? The research in this study examines this question as it pertains to Career GPS, a "home-grown" career program that includes a large career exploration event with accompanying curriculum. The theoretical basis for the study is drawn from Bandura's seminal research on Social Cognitive Theory. Also reviewed are other studies which offer data and supporting evidence that high-interest career fairs, building self-efficacy, and engaging career curriculum may be key interventions for preparing young people for the world of work and career choices. Using a mixed methods, single case study approach, the qualitative portion of the research recorded the stories that exited with high school students, and adults after participating in Career GPS. Student data showed interaction with adult career experts to have a strong impact on their experience, while teacher/chaperones expressed appreciation of a large-scale event that their school or district could not replicate. The quantitative portion of the research utilized a Likert-scale survey returned by exhibitors and stakeholder/sponsors at Career GPS to determine how they valued their monetary and personnel time investment in Career GPS. Regression results indicated that value in both time and monetary investment was deemed significant by exhibitors' participation at the event. Research conclusions support that while an in-person career fair experience is perceived as valuable by participants, career "choice" readiness and student self-efficacy should be the outcomes pursued by a single event with commitment by the host organization to follow up with a longer program that fosters an in depth change in college and career readiness abilities.
Investigating factors that affect new student retention rates in fully online programs at a private university in Southeastern Pennsylvania
Authors:   , Delleville Valerie A. , Grant Allen C.
Published: July 2021

Student retention is vital to any institution's sustainability, as it poses a significant opportunity cost when institutions must compensate for student departure through increased new student recruitment or other revenue-generating functions in order to meet financial objectives. As trends demonstrate online student population growth in conjunction with campus student population declines, institutions must evaluate and intervene to address the unique education needs of the online student population, mostly made up of adult learners. This study reviews online student retention initiatives and outcomes at a private university in Southeastern Pennsylvania, with a population of approximately 7,000-8,000 online students. Factors that contribute to online student retention were identified and investigated: in particular, demographic and academic traits of incoming students were evaluated in comparison with second and third term persistence; effects of new student coaching in their first two program terms were reviewed; and program/institutional features available to online students were reviewed to determine any significance in aiding retention rates. Best practices are identified and recommended for institutions to implement to combat low online student retention rates.
Exploring the Influence of the Pre-Departure Orientation on the Undergraduate International Students' Cultural and Academic Adjustment at Drexel University
Authors:   , Jeon-Huh Angela , Bureau W. Edward
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe undergraduate Chinese international students' experiences during and subsequent to participation in the Drexel Preview, a pre-departure orientation. Thirteen undergraduate international students from China who attended the Pre-Departure Orientation in Shanghai and Beijing (the Drexel Preview) participated in semi-structured interviews to identify the kinds of influences the Drexel Preview had on their cultural and academic adjustment at the university. Data gathering sought to answer three research questions: (a) How do undergraduate Chinese international students at Drexel University describe their experiences with the Drexel Preview? (b) How do these undergraduate Chinese international students describe their academic and cultural transitions into Drexel University? (c) What have undergraduate Chinese international students experienced that is beneficial to them through their participation in the Drexel Preview? The six key findings emerged from the dataset were: (a) prefers United States higher education, (b) impression of United States higher education, (c) initial concerns before attending the Drexel Preview, (d) the Drexel Preview was helpful, (e) initial adjustment struggles after arriving in the United States, and (f) means used to overcome initial adjustment struggles. Through a process of subsuming these themes, four major key results became apparent: (a) Chinese international students' understanding and expectations of United States culture and higher education system prior to attending the Drexel Preview, (b) Chinese international students' initial concerns prior to attending the Drexel Preview, (c) experiences of Chinese international students' participation in the Drexel Preview, and (d) Chinese international students' cultural and academic adjustment during the first year at Drexel University. Stemming from the six key findings and four results of this research study, the researcher made recommendations for providing an influential orientation program that alleviates potential adjustment issues. The three major recommendations for this research study are: (a) develop comprehensive pre-departure virtual information and cost efficient pre-departure orientation program internationally, (b) deliver fall orientation that primarily focuses on engaging students socially by providing activities and opportunity to make connections, and (c) provide transitional courses that enhance international and global competencies.
Indonesian Journalists' Ethical Dilemmas
Authors:   , Ayu Anggi Fajar , Timmins Lydia , Tedesco Albert S.
Published: July 2021

This thesis analyzes the practice of the profession of television journalism in Indonesia and whether the fundamental codes of ethics as standards of journalism were consistently practiced in Indonesia's market-driven media sector. This thesis draws on the research from a thesis about "Press Ethics and Practice of Journalism in Turkey: A Case Study on Turkish Journalists' Self Evaluation of Their Codes of Practice." (Hilal, 2006). According to Hilal, while media owners, executives or stockholders have consistently used the press as an instrument in the furtherance of their interests; this issue has been aggravated by the recent concentration in media proprietorship. This thesis addresses the historical formation of the Journalism Code of Ethics in Indonesia, practices prior to and after freedom of press happened in 1999 preceding concentrating on the implementation of 11 principles of the Journalism Code of Ethics in Indonesian news media. It also addresses the recent development such as media, politics and PEMILU (presidential election). The fundamental issue in media morals is the ethical quality of those in the area and the compatibility of journalism and ethics. (Hilal, 2006). This thesis's objective was to learn if Indonesian TV journalists and Newsmakers were using the code of ethics as guidance, will they use it again in the future, and will they recommend its use to their peers; how effective was the 11 principles of the Journalism Code of Ethics to encounter ethical dilemmas with technology. The study finds while 92% of the respondents have knowledge of the Indonesian Journalism Code of Ethics, and 36% of the respondents impacted by a severe conflict/ ethical dilemma, the majority of the respondents, 26% are in doubt that it was helpful and 33% of them though that the Indonesian Journalism Code of Ethics was really helpful to help them to solve their ethical dilemma. 30% of the respondents also in doubt that they would promote the Indonesian Journalism Code of Ethics to their peers nor they would use it in the future because it was not very effective when the dilemma is too new, too complex or too personal. Keywords: Indonesian TV journalists, producers, executives, management, 11 principles of Journalism Code of Ethics, Ethical dilemmas
Television Broadcasters vs. Aereo
Authors:   , Wang Jiaying , Salas Philip W. , Tedesco Albert S.
Published: July 2021

This thesis is a case study of a controversial technology company by the name of Aereo, Inc. Aereo was a technology company based in New York that created a dime-sized antenna that allowed subscribers to view over-the-air television on internet-connected devices. The technology used by Aereo potentially affected the broadcast business model because the antennas could pick up broadcast signals and retransmit broadcasters' programs to its subscribers without payment of a retransmission fee. Thus, broadcasters decided to file suit against Aereo, Inc. Through a timeline analysis, this thesis examines the reasons and facts that led to Aereo's loss in court, as well as the significance of the Aereo cases to the major networks such as ABC, Fox, NBC and CBS who were potentially affected by the outcome of the courts' decisions. After proceeding through various local and federal lawsuits against Aereo, broadcasters weren't satisfied with the decisions and brought the case to the Supreme Court of the United States. The Supreme Court eventually ruled in a 6-3 decision that Aereo's business model was no different than a cable television provider, despite the differences in technology, and that Aereo was violating US copyright law (McKenna, 2014). Aereo filed for bankruptcy protection in November, 2014. As a result, Aereo received $2 million by selling its assets to TiVo and other companies. Aereo, the now-defunct provider of internet TV, cloud DVR services, and ABC, Fox, CBS, NBC and other broadcasters reached a $950,000 settlement. As of April 22, 2015, this settlement was awaiting approval by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York (Baumgartner, 2015).
On Time Starts in the Endoscopy Suite
Authors:   , Clarke Pauline , Wilson Linda
Published: July 2021

This is an evidence-based project that examined on time starts in an endoscopy suite. The goal of this project was to improve on time starts for all first cases of the day from between 68% - 59%, to 70%. The benchmark of 70% was adopted from on time starts for procedures performed under general anesthesia from the general operating room (OR) because the endoscopy specialty had no industry benchmark. On time start was defined as patient in the procedure room (wheels in) by the scheduled time and out of the procedure room (wheels out) to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) on time. The room turnover time between cases was expected to occur within ten (10) minutes and is a team effort for all available staff on the unit. This project utilized the Kaizen/Lean methodology framework. A Rapid Improvement Event (RIE) was originally planned to implement the workflow change with the objectives to hardwire the new process to increase efficiency and to benchmark with other system endoscopy suites. The Rapid Improvement Event was replaced with a pilot project when full cooperation of all stakeholders was not forthcoming.
Twitter Compete
Authors:   , Shao Yiqun , Wagner Michael G.
Published: July 2021

Social network gaming is growing ever more popular across a number of social networks. Facebook alone has over 250 million social game players on its network. Despite its growth in popularity one social network, Twitter is not a major player in this arena. My thesis project asks, and answers how can design principles used in social network games, be combined with Twitters massive user, hashtag, searching function, to create a platform for a text-based social network game? The methodology used to solve this problem is based on an analysis of existing games using a value-added model as an analytical framework.
The Stability of Ti₂AlC and V₂AlC with Al, and the Synthesis of Composites in the Al-Ti-B-C and Al-V-C systems
Authors:   , Agne Matthias Thomas , Barsoum Michel W.
Published: July 2021

As automotive, aerospace and the power industries increasingly look to carbide and boride based aluminum composites for their high specific strengths and increased thermal stability, it is important to characterize the equilibrium phase relations at temperatures common for processing these composites. Herein, two composite systems were investigated. Composites in the Al-Ti-B-C system were fabricated starting with Al, Ti₂AlC, and B4C. Composites in the Al-V-C system were fabricated starting with elemental powders. The Ti₂AlC/B4C powders were mixed in both 50/50 and 75/25 vol. % ratios and cold pressed into 53 % dense preforms. The preforms were pressureless melt infiltrated in the 900 to 1050 °C temperature range with Al. X-ray diffraction, XRD, and scanning electron microscopy, SEM, confirmed that neither Ti₂AlC nor B4C was an equilibrium phase. The equilibrium phases were found to be Al, TiB₂, Al3BC, and Al4C3 for the more B-rich composite and Al, TiB₂, TiC, and Al4C3 for the Ti-rich composite. From these results, the 1000 °C quaternary phase diagram adjacent to the Al-TiB₂- Al4C3 triangle and in the Al-rich corner was developed for the first time. In the Al-V-C system, Al-V₂AlC composites were synthesized in situ by quenching from 1000 °C, however fully dense composites have yet to be realized. XRD and SEM investigations indicated a predominately two phase composite (Al and V₂AlC), and that some Al particles did not break their oxide shell. Furnace cooled samples did not form two phase composites. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to determine the instability of V₂AlC with Al below ~ 950 °C. Additionally, the Al-V-C phase diagram was characterized in the Al-rich corner at 800 °C. Al and V₂AlC were found to be in equilibrium with both Al3V and Al4C3, but not with each other.
Social Problem Solving and Psychological Distress among Pregnant Women
Authors:   , Evans Amy N. , Nezu Arthur M.
Published: July 2021

Animal and human studies have provided evidence that psychological distress during pregnancy may adversely affect the physical and psychological health of the child and mother. Given this evidence, it is important to learn about the ways in which women cope with stressors during pregnancy. Social problem-solving is the cognitive-behavioral process whereby an individual copes with stressful problems. As such, the purpose of this study was to determine if social problem-solving statistically predicted psychological distress (i.e., depressive and anxious symptomatology) during pregnancy. It was hypothesized that social problem-solving would statistically predict psychological distress above and beyond demographic variables, stressful life events, and pregnancy related-stressors. Additionally, it was believed that negative problem orientation would be the most predictive. Pregnant women (n = 31; 58.1% white, 16.1% black, 12.9% Latina, 9.7% Asian, and 3.2% other/multiracial; mean age = 30.43 years, SD = 4.99; mean gestational age = 30.23 weeks, SD = 9.18) seeking prenatal care from two university-based obstetric and gynecologic offices in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania were recruited to fill out a series of self-report questionnaires, including the LES, PES, EPDS, PRAQ-R, and SPSI-R. Hierarchical multiple regressions demonstrated that social problem-solving did not statistically predict psychological distress among pregnant women (depression: R2 = 0.47, F(5, 25) = 1.41, p = .25; anxiety: R2 = 0.22, F(5, 24) = 0.58, p = .72). Additional research is needed to determine if social problem-solving predicts psychological distress among pregnant women. Keywords: pregnancy, anxiety, depression, psychological distress, social problem solving
Testimonial Inconsistencies, Adverse Credibility Determinations, and Asylum Adjudication in the United States
Authors:   , Filone Sarah Anne , DeMatteo David S.
Published: July 2021

Political asylum is a judicial process by which an individual facing persecution in his or her home country may be granted residence and protection within a foreign country. In the United States, immigration judges render credibility determinations that are often considered one of the most influential components of an asylum claim. Even small testimonial inconsistencies can be cited as the basis for an adverse credibility determination and subsequent asylum claim denial; however, to date no research has compared the levels/types of discrepancies in veracious accounts to those in fabricated claims. The present study aimed to add to the literature by determining what, if any, differences in testimonial inconsistencies existed between genuine and exaggerated asylum claims. Twenty-eight individuals who have been legally granted asylum in the United States were randomized to either a "genuine" or "exaggerated" claim condition and interviewed at two time points. The content of the interviews was coded for discrepancies, and discrepancy levels were compared between groups. No significant differences between groups were found, and discrepancy levels across participants were unexpectedly high. Results suggest that the current practice of using testimonial inconsistencies as a proxy for the detection of exaggerated or false asylum claims may be misguided. practice of using testimonial inconsistencies as a proxy for the detection of exaggerated or false asylum claims may be misguided.
An Investigation of Novel Predictors of Physical Activity in Individuals Attempting Weight Loss
Authors:   , Kerrigan Stephanie G. , Kerrigan Stephanie G. , Butryn Meghan L.
Published: July 2021

Despite the well-established benefits of physical activity, current interventions to promote physical activity produce only small to moderate effects that are poorly maintained. Social cognitive theories have attempted to explain behavior, identifying self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, and self-regulation as potentially important predictors of physical activity engagement. However, self-regulation has rarely been measured by processes such as distress tolerance (the ability to persist in a psychologically or physically distressing task) or executive function (a complex set of neurocognitive processes that enable self-directed behavior), which underlie the ability to regulate behavior. The current study aimed to evaluate self-regulation, measured by physical and psychological distress tolerance, delay discounting, set-shifting, and complex problem-solving as predictors of physical activity intention, physical activity behavior, and the relationship between intention and behavior in a sample of individuals at the six-month point of a behavioral weight loss program. Results revealed that self-regulatory ability may predict intention and behavior, specifically that physical distress tolerance is positively associated with intention and delay discounting is positively associated with behavior. No measure of self-regulation was associated with the gap between intention and behavior. Delay discounting may, however, moderate the relationship between intention and behavior. Finally, several interactions between physical distress tolerance and executive function variables indicate that deficits in one measure of self-regulation may moderate the relationship between other measures of self-regulation and physical activity intention and behavior. Results indicate that self-regulation may be an important and understudied area of research with regard to physical activity. Future research should seek to further delineate these relationships in order to inform treatment development.
The Moderating Effect of Impulsivity on Psychopathy and Risk-taking in a Community Sample
Authors:   , Patel Unnati H. , DeMatteo David S.
Published: July 2021

Psychopathy is a personality disorder comprised of affective (superficial charm, callousness) and behavioral (impulsivity, risk-taking) deficits, along with deficits in interpersonal relations (manipulativeness, grandiosity). Because a majority of the research on psychopathic individuals has been restricted to incarcerated offenders, little is known about community psychopathy and the characteristics associated with it. The construct of impulsivity is considered a core behavioral feature of offender populations, but the relationship between community psychopathy and impulsivity has received limited empirical focus. The purpose of this study is to fill the gap in the literature by examining the relationship among between impulsivity, risk-taking, and psychopathy among community members. Eighty-nine participants were recruited using Amazon Mechanical Turk to complete the study. Using several behavioral and self-report measures, participants provided information related to their impulsivity, risk-taking, and psychopathy. Separate multiple regressions were used to analyze whether impulsivity moderates the relationship between psychopathy and risk-taking. Regression results revealed no moderation effect of impulsivity between psychopathy and risk-taking, but correlational analyses suggest the presence of a relationship between psychopathy and trait impulsivity.
EEG Prefrontal Asymmetry in Weight Gain Prone College Students
Authors:   , Winter Samantha , Lowe Michael R.
Published: July 2021

Background: Obesity is a continuously emergent epidemic in the Western world, but little is known of the nature of weight gain proneness. Knowledge of predisposing factors and biological correlates of weight gain is necessary for curbing the impact of the obesity epidemic. History of dieting and weight (body mass index) are shown to be reliable predictors of future weight gain. Furthermore, both human and animal literature suggests that differential activation in the left- and right- prefrontal cortices may be correlated with obesity or suggestive of some propensity toward weight gain. Based on this extant literature, it is hypothesized that individuals of different weights and different dieting histories will show differential brain activation at rest. Objectives: This study examined brain activation at rest in participants with a history of dieting versus those with no history of dieting across a broad weight range. Hypotheses: Those higher in body mass index (BMI) were hypothesized to demonstrate greater left-prefrontal asymmetry compared those in a lower weight range. Dieting status was expected to moderate the relationship between weight and prefrontal asymmetry such that overweight dieters would show marked left prefrontal asymmetry and low weight dieters would show right prefrontal asymmetry. An exploratory analysis explored the main effect of dieting history on prefrontal lateralization. Methods: A total of 60 participants were recruited from Drexel University and the surrounding Philadelphia community. Participants demonstrated a history of dieting or no history of or current dieting. Participants were in the normal to overweight BMI range (20-30 kg/m2). Prefrontal asymmetry was assessed using a 25-electrode EEG array during rest with eyes open and eyes closed in an alternating design. These data assessed the utility of prefrontal asymmetry to predict dieting history and weight. Results: There was no significant relationship observed between dieting history and prefrontal asymmetry, nor BMI and prefrontal asymmetry. Likewise, no relationship was observed between BMI, dieting history and prefrontal asymmetry with the inclusion of PFS, Restraint, Positive Affect and Negative Affect as covariates. However, an exploratory analysis revealed that higher scores on Power of Food Scores confer greater left prefrontal asymmetry, while higher Revised Restraint Scores are associated with right prefrontal asymmetry. Discussion: This study suggests that dieting history and BMI, when not extreme, are not predictive of prefrontal asymmetry using EEG. However, measures associated with cognitive components of eating behavior are meaningful in predicting prefrontal asymmetry.
Magnet Recognition Program® Status
Authors:   , Wenzler Donald Thomas , Rundio Al , Giarelli Ellen
Published: July 2021

Excellence in healthcare is a key outcome for providers and consumers of healthcare services alike. Patient satisfaction is a firmly recognized indicator of quality and patient-centeredness of a healthcare system. Beginning in 2013, healthcare organizations have been reimbursed based on their Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Value-based Purchasing score, 70% of which is based on clinical outcomes of care and 30% on patient satisfaction. Higher satisfaction scores also drive a number of increased patient quality indicators and decreased malpractice litigation. The purpose of this research was to quantitatively measure the relationship between a positive professional practice environment, in this case Magnet Recognition Program® designation, and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) patient satisfaction, top-box score for the question "Would you recommend this hospital to your friends and family?" and also to triangulate nurses' perceptions within a Magnet® status organization on actions that drive higher "willingness to recommend" scores. This study was designed to determine whether significant correlations exists between Magnet Recognition Program® designated healthcare organizations and non-Magnet® healthcare organizations in terms of the "willingness to recommend" question on the HCAHPS survey. This study is a quantitative secondary analysis of data collected and compiled from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, and the CSM HCAHPS database. A qualitative study was performed using naturalistic inquiry to gather more in-depth information to clarify the quantitative data. Analysis of the data revealed that Magnet® designated organizations have significantly (p < .05) higher scores than non-Magnet designated organizations. Qualitative results revealed nursing units that scored well on the "willingness to recommend" question demonstrated a patient-centered model of care with concrete advocacy actions on behalf of patients and families, and that positive interprofessional team relationships were the most successful in driving a higher "willingness to recommend" score within a Magnet® organization. The implications of these results for nursing organizations and overall outcomes analysis are presented.
Stability of atmospheric pressure glow discharges
Authors:   , Chirokov Alexandre V. , Fridman Alexander A.
Published: July 2021

There has been a considerable interest in non-thermal atmospheric pressure discharges over the past decade due to increased number of industrial applications. Although non-thermal atmospheric pressure discharges have been intensively studied for the past century the clear physical picture of these discharges is far from being complete. Spontaneous transition of non-thermal atmospheric pressure discharges to thermal discharge and discharge filamentation are among least understood plasma phenomena. The discharge stability and reliable control of plasma parameters are highly desirable for numerous applications. This study focuses on stability of atmospheric pressure glow discharges with respect to filamentation and arcing. Atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APG) is the newest and the most promising addition to the family of non-thermal atmospheric pressure discharges. However this discharge is very susceptible to thermal instability which causes arcing, loss of uniformity and significant damage to electrodes. Suppression of thermal instability and effective control of discharge parameters is critical for industrial applications. A model was developed to understand transition to arc in atmospheric pressure glow discharges. APG discharges that operate in pure helium and in helium with addition of oxygen and nitrogen were considered in these studies. Simulation results indicate that arcing is the result of sheath breakdown rather than thermal instability. It was shown that although sheath breakdown is always followed by overheating the transition to arc in atmospheric glow discharges is not a result of thermal instability. In second part of this research interaction between plasma filaments in dielectric barrier discharges has been studied. This interaction is responsible for the formation of microdischarge patterns reminiscent of two-dimensional crystals. Depending on the application, microdischarge patterns may have a significant influence on DBD performance, particularly when spatial uniformity is desired. A microdischarge interaction model is proposed and a Monte-Carlo simulation of microdischarge interactions in the discharge is presented. A new method for analysis of microdischarge patterns that allow measuring the degree of pattern regularity was developed. Simulated and experimental patterns were compared using the newly developed method. Analysis of microdischarge patterns shows that regularity of the patterns increases with the number of excitation cycles used to produce the pattern.
Design, Development, and Validation of a Rapid Modal Testing System for the Efficient Structural Identification of Highway Bridges
Authors:   , DeVitis John Louis , Moon Franklin L.
Published: July 2021

A rapid modal testing system for highway bridges was designed, developed, and validated. The motivation for the work stemmed from the lack of quantitative, experimental evaluations in current highway bridge condition assessment practice. Modern applications of St-Id can provide an accurate assessment of the load carrying capacity of a highway bridge but are too costly for widespread application. The developed system aims to supplement perform modal impact tests on common highway bridges in a rapid, low-cost, and repeatable manner. The experimental approach utilizes a mobile driving point (input/output source) that is equipped with a local array of accelerometers and a reduced set of stationary sensors. The stationary sensors are installed out of the way of traffic and are used as a modal scaling and phase reference. This allows independent subsets of local single-input-multiple-output (SIMO) measurements to be sequentially integrated into a full multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) data set. The result is a mobile, adaptable testing system that can quickly and efficiently obtain reliable FRF measurements of a structure. As part of this research, the physical prototype of the test system was developed using a systems engineering approach. Through a series of numerical examples, laboratory benchmarks, and field tests, the prototype system and general experimental and analytical methodology is developed. The system performance is evaluated by comparisons between two field tests on a typical highway bridge: a multi-reference impact test (MRIT) and a static truck load test. The research concluded that the prototype system is capable of performing a modal impact test that is equivalent to a traditional MRIT but with reductions in both time and cost of the evaluation. The research also found good agreement between displacement predictions made by a finite element (FE) model that was calibrated with the dynamic results from the prototype system and the "ground truth" displacement measurements obtained by truck load testing.
Financial capacity and neuropsychological performance in acquired brain injury (ABI)
Authors:   , Sunderaraman Preeti , Schultheis Maria T.
Published: July 2021

Difficulty with financial capacity (i.e., difficulty with efficiently managing one's finances), a common consequence in individuals with moderate to severe brain injury, has been found to affect self-autonomy and limit the individual from fully integrating into the community. Previous studies have found that individuals with brain injury have impaired financial capacity six months post-injury. However, the nature of financial capacity with post-injury periods extending to more than a year has not been studied. Moreover, there is mixed evidence regarding the nature and extent to which different cognitive abilities contribute to financial capacity. Therefore, the current study had three specific aims: (1) To compare the nature of financial capacity in individuals with chronic, moderate to severe acquired brain injury (ABI) with demographically matched controls. (2) To examine the contributions of various cognitive abilities (attention, working memory, executive functions, impulsivity) to financial capacity in the ABI group. (3) To investigate the association between the self-report and informant-report report of financial capacity, in the ABI group. A total of 25 participants with chronic, moderate to severe ABI were recruited from a day-treatment program, and 9 age and education matched-healthy control participants were recruited from the community. All participants were administered a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests to measure cognitive abilities and the Financial Competence Assessment Inventory (FCAI) to assess financial capacity. In addition, 22 informants were interviewed using the Third Party Perspective FCAI. Results indicated that the control group outperformed the ABI group on the overall and the different dimensions of financial capacity. In the ABI group, specific cognitive abilities, including attention, working memory, delayed verbal memory, abstract reasoning and impulsivity contributed to different dimensions of financial capacity. However, no associations were found between ABI- and informant-reports of financial capacity suggesting the confounding presence of a combination of cognitive impairments and biases. These findings shed light on the compromised nature of financial management in ABI individuals years after a brain injury, and underscore the importance of focusing on continued monitoring and rehabilitation of this crucial functional ability.
Literacy Instructor
Authors:   , Huber James , Bureau W. Edward
Published: July 2021

Secondary literacy has been an area of focus for many educators, parents, employers, and policy makers for several decades. Despite this focus, and a growing body of research that espouses the importance of developing literacy skills at the secondary level, low literacy ability remain a serious problem for many schools and districts throughout the United States. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological research was to explore the lived experiences and perceptions of secondary teachers who are translating literacy professional development into their professional practice. This phenomenological study was guided by the following research questions: "How do secondary instructors who have had literacy training describe the nexus between the training and their day-to-day classroom instructional practice?" "How do secondary instructors describe the impact, if any, literacy professional development had on their beliefs and/or views of secondary literacy instruction?" "How do secondary instructors describe the intersections between literacy training and what they believe to be an effective instructor at the secondary level?" The goal of this research was to explore the experiences, reflections, and observations of the participating teachers to better understand how to effectively deliver literacy professional development to secondary educators.
Making the case for stem integration at the upper elementary level
Authors:   , Miller Brianna M. , Levine Bruce A.
Published: July 2021

Student achievement in science and math has been linked to per capita gross domestic product (GDP) growth propagating the belief that science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education is an important factor in economic prosperity. However, The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), favors math over science, positioning the subjects as competitors rather than collaborators. Additionally, NCLB focuses almost exclusively on the cognitive outcome of students' achievement with the affective outcome of students' attitudes being nearly ignored. Positive attitudes toward science and math early on are essential for subsequent and cumulative decisions students make in taking courses, choosing majors, and pursuing careers. Positioning students' attitudes as a desirable educational outcome comparable to students' achievement is an emerging goal in the literature. Using the case of one school district in south-central Pennsylvania with three elementary schools, 15 upper elementary teachers, and 361 students, the purpose of this study was to better understand influences on upper elementary students' attitudes toward STEM (SA) subjects and careers. The study aimed to explore two influences on SA, opportunity to learn (OTL) and teacher's efficacy (TE), in the comparative contexts of math and science. The studied employed a mixed methods convergent design in which five data sets from four sources were collected over three phases to triangulate three constructs: OTL, TE, and SA. The goal of the study was to offer recommendations to the case school district for enhancing OTL, TE, and thus SA. Findings regarding OTL revealed that the opportunity to learn science was lower than math. Finding regarding TE revealed that outcome expectancy was lower than personal teaching efficacy in both science and math; and, teachers had low STEM career awareness, STEM integration, and technology use. Findings regarding SA revealed a lower perceived usefulness of science compared to math and a high interest in engineering careers, especially among girls. Based on these findings it was recommended that the school district utilize its District Level Plan and the pre-existing structures of Career Day and the Science Fair to integrate STEM education as a means of improving OTL, TE, and thus SA.
Deposition and structural formation of 3D alginate tissue scaffolds
Authors:   , Khalil Saif El Din O. , Sun Wei
Published: July 2021

Tissue engineering is considered to be one of the most innovative approach for tackling many diseases and body parts that need to be replaced. Biopolymeric scaffolds have been utilized in tissue engineering as a technique to confide the desired proliferation of seeded cells in vitro and in vivo into its architecturally porous three-dimensional structures. Novel freeform fabrication methods for tissue engineering polymeric scaffolds have been an interest because of its repeatability and capability of high accuracy in fabrication resolution at the macro and micro scales. A novel multi-nozzle biopolymer deposition system which is capable of extruding biopolymer solutions and living cells for bioactive fabrication of 3D alginate tissue scaffolds is presented. The deposition process is biocompatible and occurs at room temperature and low pressures to reduce damage to cells. Sodium alginate aqueous solution is deposited into calcium chloride solution using 3DD to form hydrogel structures. Feasibility studies showed that the system is capable of extruding Manugel alginate between 0.4% and 3% (w/v). The flow rate, nozzle diameter, and nozzle velocity were studied and a model was developed to design 3D scaffolds with controlled strut diameters (D = 250 - 410 microns) and pore sizes. In addition, rat heart endothelial cells were deposited through the system with alginate to form gel scaffold structures with encapsulated cells in a bioactive fabricated manor. The study showed that the suitable bioactive parameters preferred 1.5% (w/v) sodium alginate with 0.5% (w/v) calcium chloride. Cell viability studies were conducted on the cell encapsulated scaffolds for validating the bioactive freeform fabrication process that sowed viability up to 85%. The bioactive scaffold supported proliferation up to 21 days of incubation time. The elastic modulus was studied over degradation time that showed that the stiffened during the 24 hours due to crosslinking and degraded then on up to 21 days of incubation at 37 oC. The system showed potential use for accurate cell placement in tissue engineering applications and promote regenerative medicine based on CAD systems.