bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Engaging with surveillance in public and semi-public spaces
Authors:   , Rathjen Marco , Newman Daniel B. , Nicholas Diana S.
Published: July 2021

This project investigates design strategies for the user to engage with surveillance in both private and public spaces. Surveillance technology has become much more prevalent in today's society with the advent of machine learning and ubiquitous computing. It exists in many forms: from the security cameras staring from every corner in the public realm, to the face detection algorithms, metadata, and smartphones that are track their users' every move. The freedoms of anonymity through obscurity, especially in urban environments, are vanishing. Artists, designers and social scientists are becoming more and more aware of this potentially problematic development, and the prescribed strategies may be categorized into two main groups: behavioral and technological. Behavioral strategies are best described as different ways to passively resist data collection: turning off location services on a smartphone, not checking in with social media, refusing to give out personal data online, or using less privacy-invasive technologies such as duckduckgo instead of Google. The technological interventions are best characterized as more active interventions that exploit technology's reliance on other methods to collect data: discovering flaws in the surveillance technology so that camera chips become overexposed, or wearing unusual makeup to confuse facial recognition software. Both strategies, behavioral and technological, may be used to regain control over individual privacy in an ever increasingly connected world; the goal of this research is to generate speculative solutions that use both strategies to formulate a plan to maximize privacy in today's digital world.
Art therapy with grieving adolescents in an inpatient setting
Authors:   , Staar Jordyn O. , Carlton Natalie
Published: July 2021

This capstone thesis explored loss and how art therapy can help the grieving process for adolescents in an inpatient setting. The literature review integrated foundational and contextual models of grief and loss, while integrating cultural considerations. This included topics such as adolescence and bereavement, how adolescents understand death, how they can react, and what factors affect an individual's bereavement process, that is often not linear. The literature review also contextualized the plethora of treatment settings available to adolescents in need of support. Typical therapies available to adolescents included cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma informed care, and meta-verbal therapies such as expressive, dance/movement, music, and the focus of this capstone, art therapy. Examples of art therapy utilized with adolescents for their wide bereavement responses were shared to conceptualize specific media and materiality uses. This capstone researcher actively investigated how four different types of materials and directives may be used with bereaved adolescents in an inpatient setting. Specific media materials and processes explored were collage materials, postcards, memorial boxes, and old books for black out poetry. Conclusions noted how these specific media worked in both direct and indirect ways with bereavement and that all types of losses, not just death of a loved one, can trigger signs of grief for adolescents, especially those with low protective factors. Moreover, and via working in an inpatient setting, this researcher surmised that every adolescent is at a different point of their grief journey and that structured art therapy materials use and adaptation can allow for safety and autonomy, so each adolescent decides what and when they were ready and/or willing to share within a group of their peers. The capstone concluded that topics of grief and bereavement can be applied ethically and creatively in inpatient settings to encourage long-term support and enhanced self-awareness for adolescents.
When Physical Activity Fails to Protect Against Weight Gain
Authors:   , Call Christine C. , Butryn Meghan L.
Published: July 2021

Young adulthood is a particularly high risk time for excess weight gain, yet factors related to weight gain prevention in this population are poorly understood. Although moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is a primary component of many prevention efforts, recent research suggests that it may be insufficient to protect against weight gain for many individuals, likely because other physical activity and eating-related factors also influence weight. This study aimed to examine whether key eating- and physical activity related behavioral and psychological factors were associated with weight change among young adults meeting national physical activity guidelines. Young adults (ages 21-30; N=69) in the normal weight-range who met national physical activity recommendations had their weight measured by research staff, wore an accelerometer for one week, and completed self-report and interview-based measures of their weight history and key eating- and physical activity related behavioral and psychological factors. Participants gained an average of .91 kg over the past three years and engaged in an average of 274.04 minutes/week of accelerometer-measured bouted MVPA. Higher frequency of eating out was associated with greater weight gain, such that individuals above the median for weight gain ate out 7% more often than those below the median. Calorie, fat, and added-sugar intake, as well as sedentary behavior, light activity, and unbouted MVPA were unrelated to weight change. Greater hedonic hunger, dietary disinhibition, and food cravings, and lower self-efficacy for healthy eating were related to greater weight loss in those who had lost weight over the past three years, but were unrelated to weight change in those who were weight stable or who had gained weight. This study provides a preliminary investigation into factors associated with weight gain in active young adults and suggests that eating out may be a particularly useful target for weight gain prevention efforts in this population. Future research should address some of the limitations of this study, including using a longitudinal design, objectively assessing all weights, and recruiting a larger sample.
A Dance/Movement Therapy Method for the Elicitation and Use of Voice in Movement Sessions with Preschool-Aged Children with Developmental Delays
Authors:   , Ingebretsen Kaitlin Florence , Schelly Hill Ellen
Published: July 2021

This capstone thesis presents a complete dance/movement therapy (DMT) method for intentionally considering, eliciting, and incorporating the use of sound and voice in movement sessions with preschool-aged children with developmental delay. It considers the development of voice as a form of communication and expression in relationships beginning with the first relationship between primary caregiver and infant and generalizing to other individuals later in life, including the therapeutic alliance. Knowledge gleamed from a range of literature in the fields of counseling, speech therapy, music therapy, and DMT are incorporated into the nine method components designed to enrich the dance/movement process for young children. This method addresses the intentional use of the sound environment, sound-producing props, and the therapist's voice as well as techniques for eliciting and responding to clients' voices. Brief case vignettes demonstrate the potential for this method's application in clinical settings to facilitate the creation of space for the expressive use of voice.
Understanding the Adolescent Experience of Mental Health Stigma
Authors:   , Damis Gianna M. , Awais Yasmine J.
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of adolescents with mental illness and how they have encountered stigma. It is important for mental health clinicians to understand the ways stigma are experienced by adolescents, because most mental illness diagnoses become apparent during this time; however, many do not seek treatment. In this pilot study, two female adults were interviewed about their experiences as adolescents with mental illness and how these experiences have affected them in their present lives. Clinical implications include encouraging autonomy within an adolescent's treatment, offering psychoeducation for family, and promoting empowerment and success in art therapy.
Poly (Vinylidene Fluoride)
Authors:   , Burks Gabriel Rashad , Li Christopher Y.
Published: July 2021

Very few polymers offer the same fundamental scientific intrigue, real life application usefulness, and overall versatility as Poly (Vinylidene Fluoride) (PVDF). Though PVDF has been extensively studied, as a whole, over the past 50 years, majority of the research has centered on understanding the fascinating piezoelectric effects of PVDF and the polar beta phase conformation that results in such previously mentioned effects. Beyond its pyro- ferro- and piezoelectric properties, PVDF also offers much usefulness in the realms of chemically inert membrane materials and as a carbon precursor material. To date there fails to exist a definitive reference for the processing effects and crystalline characteristics of PVDF. In order to take the next step in fully understanding this system we must complement the current published literature with accurate and comprehensive morphological information pertaining to the many lamellar structures of PVDF which had only been theorized into existence to date. Secondarily, the use of PVDF as a viable carbon precursor material is also an understudied regime. These studies have mostly been limited in scope to carbon fiber-based materials and film applications. Here we aim to demonstrate an even greater value in the use of PVDF as a precursor material for the synthesis of unique and exotic template carbon nanomaterials. This thesis proposal shall attempt to define and characterize the free standing morphological differences in the previously documented polymorphic structures of PVDF, to produce the first processing-structure-properties phase diagram for PVDF, and to demonstrate the ability to utilize PVDF as a carbon precursor material while maintaining its unique and highly tailorable morphological structure throughout. These things in turn will provide a greater vantage point towards our comprehensive understanding of the PVDF crystallization phenomena and processing behavior.
Comparing Effectiveness and User Behaviors of Two Versions of a Just-In-Time Adaptive Weight Loss Smartphone App
Authors:   , Goldstein Stephanie Paige , Forman Evan M.
Published: July 2021

Research suggests that even small lapses from a weight control diet could explain suboptimal outcomes in behavioral weight loss programs. Just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAI) delivered via smartphone apps can allow for the prediction and prevention of lapse behavior through momentary alerts to risk. Our team developed an app (OnTrack) that has been programmed to: (a) record data via ecological momentary assessment (EMA) on dietary lapse behavior and variables known to predict lapses, (b) apply machine learning to determine risk of a dietary lapse, (c) alert individuals when risk is high, and (d) offer a brief text-based micro-intervention (approximately 150-250 words) tailored to momentary risk factors. Phases I and II trials of OnTrack provided initial evidence for the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of the app. However, during app development, there has been a tension between reducing participant burden by assessing fewer questions at each survey and having a more complete dataset from which to generate lapse predictions. A useful study of OnTrack could empirically examine the effect of additional EMA questions per prompt on app usage behaviors (i.e., EMA adherence, accessing the library of brief interventions, and opening alerts to lapse risk), user outcomes (i.e., lapses and weight change), and the quality of algorithm predictions. The study (n=121) evaluated these research questions by randomizing participants to use either the original app (i.e., 8 questions per prompt; OT-S) or an app with a longer question distribution scheme (i.e.,17 questions per prompt; OT-L) for ten weeks. Results indicate that OT-L and OT-S did not produce equivalent EMA compliance (MOT-s=65.35% v. MOT-L=60.49%; p=.16). Regardless, the completeness of cases did have a positive influence on the quality of algorithm predictions (MOT-S=50.70% v. MOT-L=57.9% accurate). Contrary to our hypotheses, improved predictive quality did not necessitate differences in accessing momentary interventions (MOT-s=47.66% v. MOT-L=46.15% risk alerts opened; p=.12) and this is likely due to problems that can arise while predicting an event that is also being intervened upon. Consequently, there were no differences in lapse frequency (MOT-s=3.3 v. MOT-L=3.1, p=.85) or weight change (MOT-s=-3.3 v. MOT-L=-3.5 PWL; p=.82) observed across conditions. Results from the current study have important implications for the next development phases of OnTrack, provide scientific insight into the relationship between app design and user behaviors, enhance our knowledge about the appropriate methods for using machine learning to personalize intervention, and add to existing literature regarding the effectiveness of just-in-time interventions for weight loss.
A Grant Proposal to Support a Mobile Art Studio for Arab Refugee Children
Authors:   , Alhajji Alaa , Awais Yasmine J. , Dougherty Abby
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this capstone thesis project was to write and submit a grant proposal to fund a mobile art studio project to support Arab refugee children living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Newly arriving refugees are among the most vulnerable communities due to limited recourses, language barriers, unemployment, and restricted transportation. Such barriers hinder access to healthcare and deny refugees the necessary opportunity to seek help for their traumatic experiences. Community art-based interventions have shown to be effective in improving traumatic symptoms of the refugee population. The goal of this mobile art studio project was to offer refugee children a free, easy-to-access, and creative outlet for self-expression, healing and advocacy. In order to fund this project, a proposal was submitted for the Art and Change grant by The Leeway Foundation in partnership with Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, a Philadelphia based organization.
Auditor Changes by the Firms Just Missing Analysts' Forecasts
Authors:   , Zhou Yaou , Curatola Anthony Paul , Chang Hsihui
Published: July 2021

This study explores a unique setting to examine whether firms tend to change their auditors when their annually reported EPS "just misses" the most recent consensus analysts' forecasts (i.e., within one cent). I find that firms just missing the consensus analysts' forecasts are more likely to switch their auditors than their peer firms. Furthermore, these just-missing firms tend to switch to a more flexible auditor and have lower earnings quality than their peer firms after making the auditor switch, suggesting some opportunism in their switching behavior. In contrast with most opinion shopping literature, this "just-miss" setting allows me to test an implicit form of opportunistic auditor switching behavior - the shopping of auditors' styles rather than their opinions. The results taken together indicate that firms can successfully shop for a more lenient auditor when the incumbent possibly constrains their ability to meet or beat the earnings target. This also provides empirical evidence in support of DeFond and Zhang (2014)'s argument that opinion shopping may occur in forms other than the reduction of going-concern opinions and still reflect an impairment of auditor independence/quality.
The Application of a Standardized Handoff Approach in a Community Hospital Setting
Authors:   , Hartley Rebecca D. , Rundio Al , Vega David
Published: July 2021

Handoffs are the transfer of care, involving communication of important clinical information, transfer of responsibility, and collaboration between clinicians, assuring safe transfer of care from one clinician or department to another. Inadequate handoffs may result in serious events that compromise patient outcomes and influence care provider's perceptions of handoff processes. Handoff communication stood as a critical patient safety issue and was identified as being an area of risk at the project organization. This risk was associated with inconsistent phone report processes and low scores concerning handoffs on the AHRQ Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture. Using the Plan, Do, Study, Act quality improvement cycle, this project focused on the implementation of an evidenced-based standardized handoff tool to provide consistency in information transfer from the Emergency Department to the Medical Unit or Surgical Unit; and the Post Anesthesia Care Unit to the Surgical Unit. The goal of this project was to streamline processes, reduce waste. and promote quality communication of essential care elements to improve nurse's perceptions of handoff transitions. As a part of this process, direct care nurses were involved in developing and implementing the handoff tool, with the goal of improving staff perceptions of handoff processes using the AHRQ Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture handoff and transition survey questions to evaluate the outcomes of quality improvement project. Results reflected no statistical change in any of the four handoff questions, although qualitative feedback did suggest positive implications associated with the implementation of the new handoff standard work. Keywords: patient handoff, clinical competence, quality of care, nurse perceptions
On the compaction of granular media using a multi-particle finite element model
Authors:   , Procopio Adam T. , Zavaliangos Antonios
Published: July 2021

A Multi-Particle Finite Element Model (MPFEM) has been developed and was used to explore the compaction of granular media. Individual particles discretized with a finite element mesh allow for a full description of the contact mechanics and the local and global particle kinematics. Compaction modes ranging from hydrostatic to that of high shear are studied at various levels of interparticle friction to understand all stages of the powder compaction process. Isodensity curves in hydrostatic/deviatoric stress-space during densification are shown to take the equivalent shape of a cap and cone model. Such a mechanical response predicted by this model is softer than the one predicted by other models resulting from simplifications on interparticle contact behavior. The micromechanical behavior has also been studied with the MPFEM with focus on rearrangement and translational and rotational motion which are significantly affected by both interparticle friction and macroscopic stress triaxiality. Local deviatoric stresses and equivalent plastic strains are present during the formation of stress chains at low relative densities indicating that contact deformation can occur early in densification. Unloading of compacts was explored with MPFEM. The importance of interparticle cohesion was clearly demonstrated at the very last stages of unloading which was verified with experiments. Such analysis could aid in the diagnosis of problems with compact performance before ejection. Probing yield surfaces that describe comprehensively the overall material behavior of compacts were generated with the MPFEM. Analytical and computational discrepancies in the probing yield surfaces are a matter of the assumptions made regarding the particle constitutive behavior and more importantly the particle kinematics. With the MPFEM model, a 'softer' yield surface is obtained as compared with other modelling efforts. Differences seen between the strain paths are verified but are less extreme as those proposed by approximate analytical models and the DEM models. The results of MPFEM are in line with the recent experimental work of S. Galen (Drexel PhD 2004). This work illustrates that the MPFEM model is useful in describing the interparticle behavior and its effect on microscopic and macroscopic response for various strain histories at all stages of the powder compaction operation.
Gauging the readiness of an institution of higher education to implement change in its distance education program in ways that are consistent with the paradigm of organizational agility
Authors:   , Charnitski Christina Wotell , Redmann Christopher P.
Published: July 2021

The democratization of finance, information, and technology has created a new global reality that affects every dimension of society and has transformed the competitive context. In this new reality, higher education is losing its monopoly as a credentialing agent, and it has become vulnerable to market forces from which it has been traditionally insulated. The majority of institutions of higher education have developed distance education programs to create market opportunities; however, in many cases these programs depend upon traditional organizational and communicative structures that are inconsistent with the new competitive environment. To implement change that will support competitive distance education programs will require the restructure of many traditional organizational and communicative structures to make institutional responses faster, more flexible and customizing, and where needed, collaborative. Research suggests that it makes fiscal and organizational sense to determine the readiness of an organization to change prior to attempts to implement change. The purpose of this study is to design an evaluation tool that can be used by post-secondary institutions to gauge their readiness to implement agile change with respect to the design and implementation of their distance education programs by examining the cultural context of an institution vis-à-vis trust and readiness factors as they relate to the dimensions of organizational agility.
Psychological processes involved in adherence to art and prenatal care utilization among HIV infected, pregnant women
Authors:   , Psaros Christina , Geller Pamela A.
Published: July 2021

Rates of HIV infection in the United States remain high, and many HIV infected women experience pregnancy. Advances in treatments, namely antiretroviral therapy (ART), have allowed persons to live with HIV as a chronic illness. However, high levels of adherence are required in order to achieve optimal benefit from treatment. These advances in treatment, have allowed vertical transmission of HIV to be virtually eradicated. Without prenatal care, interventions geared at reducing vertical transmission cannot be implemented, nor can health of the mother be optimized. Understanding which factors predict adherence to ART as well as prenatal care utilization is vital to our understanding of what constitutes the best treatment of this group. According to the World Health Organization, a comprehensive model explaining all aspects of adherence does not yet exist. However, five dimensions have been proposed: social and economic factors, therapy-related factors, patient-related factors, condition-related factors, and health system factors. The current study is concerned with patient-related factors, as well as their interaction with health system factors. The current study sought to evaluate whether differences exist in cognitive appraisal of HIV, health beliefs, satisfaction with the patient-provider relationship, depression, and adjustment among women who missed doses of ART or initiated prenatal care late versus women who did not. Participants (N=10) were recruited from a high-risk obstetrics clinic in Philadelphia, PA. Adherence to ART was assessed using both pharmacy refill data and self-report while prenatal care utilization was assessed using the Kotelchuck Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization Index. The current study found high levels of adherence to ART, early initiation of prenatal care, and a high number of completed prenatal care visits among the sample. The current study also found differences in cognitive appraisal of HIV and adjustment among participants who missed at least one dose of medication in the past two weeks versus those who did not. However, the current study did not detect differences in adjustment and cognitive appraisal of HIV among women who initiated prenatal care late versus those women who initiated prenatal care earlier in pregnancy. Given the small sample size, results should be interpreted with caution.
An evaluation of brief adaptive inferential feedback training
Authors:   , Fernandez Jennifer Anne Nesbitt , Geller Pamela A. , Panzarella Catherine
Published: July 2021

Increasing perceived social support may be an important strategy for preventing the development of depression, especially for individuals who are vulnerable to depression because of the stressors they face, inadequate coping skills, or depressogenic thinking styles (e.g., McCall, Reboussin & Rapp, 2001; Heller, Price & Hogg, 1990). However, the field of social support has been criticized for lack of consensus regarding the numerous definitions of social support, and it has therefore been difficult to harness its therapeutic potential in training protocols and specific interventions (e.g., Brand, Lakey & Berman, 1995). Panzarella and Alloy (1995) identified a subtype of social support, adaptive inferential feedback, which is precisely defined and allowed for the development of a training protocol to teach others specific guidelines for providing this type of social support. The current study was the first evaluation of the effectiveness of an adaptive inferential feedback training protocol. Two hundred forty two participants (121 participant-partner pairs) were randomly assigned into either the adaptive inferential feedback group or control group. Each participant selected a partner for the study who was a close confidant and with whom the participant shared a mutually supportive relationship. Participants in the adaptive inferential feedback group received adaptive inferential feedback training, and participants in the control group did not receive training. As expected, individuals who received the adaptive inferential feedback training protocol demonstrated a significant increase in the frequency of adaptive inferential feedback statements offered over time, compared to those in the control group. However, measures of the partner' s depressed mood, perceived social support and perceived adaptive inferential feedback following participants' receipt of adaptive inferential feedback training did not significantly differ between groups or over time. Additional studies evaluating the result of receiving adaptive inferential feedback need to be conducted to demonstrate a beneficial effect on a partner before the training protocol is implemented and further applied. If future research documents the benefits of receiving adaptive inferential feedback from a natural support provider, the adaptive inferential feedback-training protocol could easily be implemented within a variety of health facilities and broader applications of the adaptive inferential feedback protocol should be considered.
Neuropsychological functioning in preschool-aged children with sickle cell disease
Authors:   , Tarazi Reem A. , Barakat Lamia
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this study was to examine the association of illness-related and psychosocial factors with neuropsychological functioning in preschool-aged children with sickle cell disease (SCD). The following hypotheses were proposed: (1) children with SCD would perform less well than normative groups on neuropsychological measures, (2) they would perform relatively less well on measures of Memory/Attention as compared to other domains, and (3) psychosocial risk factors would predict variability in neuropsychological performance over and above that predicted by illness-related factors. Methods: Participants were 22 children with SCD, ages 3-5 years, without overt stroke. The following neuropsychological domains were assessed: general intellectual functioning, language, memory/attention, visuospatial/visuoconstructional, and motor/visuomotor. Primary caregivers completed an information form, the Family Environment Scale, the Pediatric Inventory for Parents, and a questionnaire regarding home environment. Information about illness severity was gathered from medical charts and data collected as part of a longitudinal study from which all children were recruited. Results: Mean standard scores across domains ranged from 87.7 to 94.9. The sample performed significantly lower than the normative sample on Full Scale IQ and several other domains. Although the sample performed statistically better on the Memory/Attention domain than other domains, these differences did not seem clinically meaningful. Correlation analyses indicated that disease severity was not significantly related to neuropsychological functioning. However, maternal education/family income was correlated with most neuropsychological domains and accounted for a large portion of the variance in regression analyses. Other psychosocial variables of interest included the PIP difficulty total score, number of children living in the home, and hours per week in school/day care. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of identifying neuropsychological effects of SCD in preschool-aged children. Results of this study suggest that the disease process may not have a significant effect on neurological integrity in young children without overt stroke. At this age, psychosocial factors seem to be appropriate targets for intervention, with the goal of promoting cognitive development. Despite several limitations that may have affected the results, the study provides support for early identification of at-risk children in order to decrease neuropsychological morbidity in SCD.
Facsimile intrusion systems over IP networks
Authors:   , Dandekar Anup , Kam Moshe
Published: July 2021

In this thesis, we investigate the security vulnerabilities present in sending a facsimile document over an IP network. We have developed and tested an intrusion mechanism, which is capable of intruding into the facsimile communication over the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) section of the FOIP network without either communicating parties having any knowledge of intrusion taken place. Additionally, we describe the various techniques by which intrusion can take place over an IP network. Finally, we conclude by suggesting countermeasure to prevent the occurrence of such attacks on the FOIP network in the future.
How information visualization systems change users' understandings of complex data
Authors:   , Allendoerfer Kenneth Robert , Chen Chaomei
Published: July 2021

User-centered evaluations of information systems often focus on the usability of the system rather its usefulness. This study examined how a using an interactive knowledge-domain visualization (KDV) system affected users' understanding of a domain. Interactive KDVs allow users to create graphical representations of domains that depict important papers, authors, or terms. Interactive KDVs have several potential advantages over other presentation methods, such as making connections explicit, and the ability for users to see the overall structure of the domain. The project examined CiteSpace, an interactive KDV that uses article cocitation analysis and text analysis to create visualizations of important papers and terms in a domain. In this study, participants completed several tasks related to the field of artificial intelligence. Depending on the experimental condition, participants read a review article about the domain, interacted with a CiteSpace visualization containing equivalent information, or both. Participants who neither read the article nor used the KDV system served as a baseline. The participants completed three tasks in which they sorted papers and terms according to their importance and relatedness. The hypotheses predicted that participants who used the KDV, especially in conjunction with the review article, would show a more expert-like understanding of the domain compared to the baseline and to participants who used only the article. The study measured the quality of participants' understanding by comparing their card sorting responses to benchmark responses obtained from domain experts. Participants who produced judgments of importance and relatedness that were similar to the benchmarks were considered as demonstrating a good understanding of the domain. The card sorting results were analyzed using several statistical techniques, including multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis. The results showed that while participants' understanding of the domain was influenced by using the KDV, this influence was not in the direction of the benchmarks. The data suggest that a lack of agreement between the benchmarks and the depiction of the field presented in the KDV may have led to these findings. The study discusses several possible reasons for these results and recommends possible changes to KDVs that may increase their usefulness.
Fibroblast growth factor-2 interaction with vascular cells and basement membrane under physiological fluid flow and diabetic hyperglycemia
Authors:   , Reisig Karl Vernon , Clyne Alisa Morss
Published: July 2021

Diabetes is a debilitating disease with a significant impact on global health. People with diabetes experience early and accelerated atherosclerosis and are at increased risk of restenosis. Though the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and restenosis are complex, endothelial cells (EC), smooth muscle cells (SMC), and basement membrane (BM) play important roles in lesion development. Healthy EC regulate SMC function, but EC become dysfunctional in hyperglycemia or on glycated collagen, which may alter SMC regulation. Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2), which is produced and released by EC and binds to heparan sulfate proteoglycans in the endothelial BM, may be critical to loss of vascular homeostasis. Experimental and computational models of BM-FGF2 binding kinetics under static conditions are well established in the literature but remain largely unexplored under flow. To investigate BM-FGF2 binding kinetics under fluid flow, BM-FGF2 equilibrium and associative binding were measured at various shear stresses. Surprisingly, BM-bound FGF2 increased up to a physiological arterial shear stress of 25 dynes/cm2, after which it decreased. These data suggest that FGF2 binding varies with shear stress possibly by a catch-slip mechanism, where applied force changes the dissociation constant to either promote ("catch") or reduce ("slip") binding. A computational model of BM-FGF2 interaction incorporating convective-diffusive transport and a surface binding reaction was also created. BM-bound FGF2 is released over time, after which FGF2 affects both EC and SMC. EC and SMC proliferation and intracellular signaling in response to FGF2 were investigated under hyperglycemic conditions, including for cells grown on glycated collagen or in high glucose media. Glycated collagen did not change EC proliferation or pERK signaling, however pAkt signaling decreased on glycated collagen. This suggests that glycated collagen may decrease FGF2 promotion of EC survival. SMC proliferation decreased on glycated collagen, while SMC cultured with FGF2 showed no difference in growth. Improved understanding of BM-FGF2 binding with flow serves as an initial step in a comprehensive model of FGF2 binding to BM and cells under fluid flow. Together with the observed altered FGF2 effects on vascular cells, these data motivate the development of improved growth factor treatments under physiological and disease conditions.
Persistent organic pollutants in diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) tissues and eggs, and sediments in Barnegat Bay, New Jersey
Authors:   , Basile Emily Rose , Avery Harold W.
Published: July 2021

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are ubiquitous in the environment and have the potential to become a health risk to wildlife by eliciting toxic effects and altering survival and reproduction. The group of studies included in this dissertation characterizes POP contamination levels and patterns in an estuary located on the central coast of New Jersey by utilizing a model estuarine vertebrate, the diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin). I determined that the terrapin is a suitable bioindicator of organic contamination in an estuarine environment and can be used as indicators of local contamination by collecting a non-lethal plasma sample which represents the stored contaminant burden. The POP concentrations and patterns in the terrapin tissues collected suggest that Barnegat Bay, New Jersey has relevant levels of organic contaminants relative to other wildlife species, with the exception of a contaminant class of emerging concern, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). Terrapin tissues and Barnegat Bay nesting beach sediment revealed an atypical PBDE pattern with a higher prevalence of hexa-brominated PBDEs (154, 153 and 100) instead of the normal predominance of lower tetra and penta-brominated PBDEs (47 and 99). The data in these studies indicate maternal transfer of all POPs reported and that it is the major source of POPs to developing terrapin embryos. In an experiment where terrapin eggs were incubated in sediments spiked with PBDEs, transfer of PBDEs and other POPs from nesting sediment into developing eggs was found to be negligible. Therefore transfer of POPs from natural nesting sediments into eggs is unsubstantial unless that natural sediment is highly contaminated. Examination of three health endpoints in terrapins suggest that environmentally relevant concentrations of mirex, PCBs and PBDEs may be associated with immune and endocrine disruption and that PBDE 47 may be associated with a disruption in neurobehavioral development. These data suggest that terrapins may also be useful as bioindicators of endocrine disruption and immunotoxicity within the estuarine environment in respect to other species and humans.
Anthropogenic impacts on the reproductive ecology of the diamondback terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin
Authors:   , Wnek John P. , Avery Harold W.
Published: July 2021

Diamondback terrapins, Malaclemys terrapin, inhabit estuaries along the east and Gulf coasts of North America. One such estuary, Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, is considered one of the most anthropogenically altered estuaries in the United States. Barnegat Bay's marsh and shoreline habitats have been filled with anthropogenically impacted substrate dredged from the bay floor, called dredged sediment. Terrapins use anthropogenically impacted areas for nesting that can negatively impact hatching success of terrapins. The introduction of non-native plants and structures (i.e., fences) shadefinest sites, reducing nest temperature which affects the incubation duration and gender of terrapin embryos. This study investigated population sizes, hatching success, incubation duration of terrapin embryos in nests in different soil treatments including dredged substrate; and nests exposed to shade at North Sedge Island, Barnegat Bay. Microhabitat nest factors including: temperature, soil conductivity (SC), water potential, and gas composition in different soil types were studied. Our results indicated that freshlydredged substrate had the lowest water potential (MPa) and highest soil conductivity (mS/cm) than all other soil treatments with a100% embryo mortality with no embryonic development past the first stage of development. Nest temperatures at North Sedge Island were at the pivotal incubation temperature in non-shaded treatments and were below the pivotal temperature with 50% shade. Shading of nests caused significantly longer incubation durations and delayed emergence for terrapin embryos compared to non-shaded nests. Terrapin population estimates at N. Sedge Island indicated that 430 + 23 female terrapins utilize the island for nesting, and the earliest reproductive age of females on the island was six years. Increased body size and earlier age of maturity at N. Sedge Island may be a result of the area being located within a marine conservation zone, which has a large expanse of marsh, limited commercial operations, and ample estuarine food resources. This study showed that nest site conditions (i.e., soil texture, shading) are important for the success of diamondback terrapin populations. Effective management practices including the analysis of dredged substrate and washing it prior to its utilization to enhance or restore wildlife habitat are recommended based on the results of this study.
Quality of public sector website and its impact on citizen involvement
Authors:   , Zaman Maliha , Anandarajan Murugan
Published: July 2021

The primary purpose of this dissertation study is to develop and test a model that examines the quality of a public sector website (PSW) and its influence on citizen's intention to be involved in the governing process. PSW quality was first evaluated using a new construct, e-CiRM, developed in this study. The construct was developed by identifying dimensions from multi-discipline of theories and used to rate over 400 county websites. A 2X2 quasi-experiment was used to test the research model which was based on the Expectation Disconfirmation Theory. The results from the 159 usable data points indicate that the quality of a PSW is critical to citizen's satisfaction. Furthermore, citizen's satisfaction mediates the relationship between disconfirmation and the dependent variables; intention to be involved, internal and external political efficacy. The study showed that regardless of citizen's expectation of a PSW, it was the actual performance that had a significant influence on their wish to be involved
Synthesis and optimization of novel amides using the Ugi reaction for anti-malarial screening
Authors:   , Mirza Khalid Baig S. , Bradley Jean-Claude
Published: July 2021

The primary goal of this work was to easily synthesize a library of diamides predicted to be potential anti-malarial agents. This thesis focuses on synthesis of those diamides by the Ugi reaction and further optimization studies. Solubility of the reactants and the Ugi product has been used to optimize the reaction. During the preliminary phase we focused on the synthesis of a library of active compounds obtained from Find-A-Drug, a non-profit computing project which serves to address a number of diseases. Although we were unable to synthesize any of the compounds from the Find-A-Drug library, the diamide nucleus served as 'pharmacophore' for the later libraries that were develop in collaboration with computational chemists. Some of the diamides synthesized showed promising results when tested for bio-activity against the plasmodium enzyme, falcipain-2. However, during the synthetic process of these diamides via the Ugi reaction it became clear that not every compound from the library could be synthesized by one general method. One major issues encountered was related to solubility of starting materials in methanol, the usual choice of solvent used for the Ugi reaction. Therefore, optimization studies were carried out to estimate the best solvent and conditions required in order to obtain a better yield with crystalline product, which would not require further chromatographic purification. In one of the optimization studies involving benzaldehyde, furfurylamine, boc-glycine and tert-butylisocyanide best results in terms of yield were obtained when the reaction was performed at 0.4M concentration per component in methanol with 1.2eq imine. This was a significant improvement compared to the reaction performed under equimolar conditions with a 49% yield. Apart from solubility, reaction kinetics and solvent effects which played major role in the final yield of the reaction were also studied. In essence we postulate that knowing the kinetics and 'by being able to predict the solubility of starting materials and products, one can predict the optimal solvent and concentration to carry out the reaction and isolate the Ugi product by simple filtration.
Dose-response models of rickettsiae and other biological agents of concern
Authors:   , Tamrakar Sushil Bahadur , Haas Charles Nathan
Published: July 2021

A dose-response relationship describes the relationship between the level of microbial exposure (doses) and likelihood of occurrence of an adverse health effects. It is a key ingredient of microbial risk assessment paradigm. Dose-response modeling now appears to be widely used for food and water microbial risk assessments. The thesis focuses on development of dose-response models of Rickettsiae and some other pathogens listed as bioterrorism agents by CDC. Rickettsial diseases are a group of infections to humans caused by rickettsiae. The rickettsiae are small, Gram-negative, aerobic, coccobacillary bacteria that are obligate intracellular parasites of eucaryotic cells with a life cycle involving both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. Among several rickettsial diseases, Rocky Mountain spotted fever caused by R. rickettsii and endemic typhus caused by R. typhi are diseases of concern in the thesis. Besides classical dose-response models of rickettsial diseases, development of multi-routes dose-response models, interspecies susceptibilities and outbreak analysis of rickettsial diseases have been analyzed and presented in the study. Moreover, the study also includes dose-response models of Coxiella burnetii (Q fever), Burkholderia pseudomallei (Melioidosis) and Lassa virus fever. The development and analysis of dose-response models will help to the concern authorities and decision makers to cope emergency situation and formulating guidelines such as minimum detection limits, evacuation volume etc.
Mathematical programming for multi-vehicle motion planning under communication constraints
Authors:   , Abichandani Pramod , Kam Moshe , Benson Hande Yurttan
Published: July 2021

Multi-Vehicle Motion Planning (MVMP) problems feature multiple vehicles traversing in their work space while avoiding collisions with each other and with other obstacles. Real world MVMP problems require the optimization of suitable performance measures under an array of constraints including kinematics, dynamics, communication connectivity, target tracking, and collision avoidance. The general MVMP problem can thus be formulated as a mathematical program (MP). In this thesis we present a mathematical programming framework that captures the salient features of the general MVMP problem. We use state-of-the-art solution algorithms and associated numerical solvers developed by our group to solve MVMP problems using this framework. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this framework, we investigate a variant of the general MVMP problem, viz. Multi-Vehicle Path Coordination wherein we generate time optimal velocity profiles for multiple robotic vehicles confined to move along predetermined and fixed paths. Each robot must follow a fixed and known path, arrive at its goal as quickly as possible (or at least not increase the time for the last robot to arrive at its goal) and stay in communication with other robots in the arena throughout its journey. We enforce a variety of communication connectivity constraints that incorporate deterministic and stochastic physical layer communication models to ensure that the robots can communicate with each other while in transit. We develop Partition Elimination constraints that assist in ensuring that the communication network is fully connected while the robots are in transit. The resulting mathematical programming models are solved using state-of-the-art highly efficient mixed integer nonlinear optimization tools developed by our group. Several conditions that affect the feasibility of the problem are identified and formalized. Both centralized and decentralized formulations are studied to demonstrate (i) the effect of communication connectivity requirements on robot velocity profiles; (ii) the dependence of the scenario completion time on communication connectivity requirements; (iii) the dependence of computation time on the number of robots; (iv) the tradeoff between the arrival time and the communication connectivity requirements. As MP solution algorithms and associated numerical solvers continue to develop, we anticipate that MP solution techniques will be applied to an increasing number of MVMP problems and this thesis may serve as a guide for future MVMP research.