bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spectral Density Functions and Their Applications
Authors:   , Wong Chung Yuen , Woerdeman Hugo J.
Published: July 2021

The Bernstein-Szegő measure moment problem asks when a given finite list of complex numbers form the Fourier coefficients of the spectral density function of a stable polynomial in the one-variable case. Szegő proved that it is possible if and only if the Toeplitz matrix form by these numbers is positive definite. Bernstein later proved a real line analog of the problem. The question remained open in two variables until Geronimo and Woerdeman stated and proved the necessary and sufficient conditions. Unlike the solution in one variable, it does not suffice to write down a single matrix and check whether it is positive definite. A positive definite completion condition is also required. In this thesis, we further pursue the moment problem in two variables and beyond. We first enhance the two-variable results by identifying the eigenstructure of matrices that arise from the theory. We then create a method that allows us to compute the Fourier coefficients in a given infinite region by using a finite portion of the coefficients. Use is made of determinantal representations of stable polynomials. In addition, we compute the asymptotics for the Fourier coefficients and later generalize the result to higher dimensions. In the final chapter, we draw a connection between offset words and a particular type of spectral density functions and compute the asymptotics of the number of offset words as different parameter changes.
Examining Nurses' Attitudes and Beliefs Toward Patients with High Body Mass Index
Authors:   , Hartman Kathleen , Fisher Kathleen Mary
Published: July 2021

Background: Higher weight patients seeking healthcare services are at risk of negative societal attitudes toward obesity. It is essential that the healthcare industry evaluates factors that influence the perception of care at the bedside for this population. Purpose: This study sought to compare differences between Registered Nurses (RN) attitudes toward patients with high Body Mass Index (BMI) in a Bariatric Center of Excellence to those in a community hospital. In addition, this study sought to determine if a relationship existed between nurses' attitudes toward higher weight patients and their own body satisfaction, internalized weight bias, and experiences with weight stigmatization. Methods: This study utilized a quasi-experimental design with a sample of 118 nurses from the two study sites that completed an electronic survey containing a series of validated questions and demographic data. Evaluation: Descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations, and frequencies) were used to report the demographics and major study variables in each hospital. Independent samples t-tests showed one difference between study sites in negative attitudes towards patients with high BMI. One subscale related to controllable factors of obesity showed lower negativity in the Bariatric Center of Excellence, as measured by the Nurses Attitudes Toward Obese and Obese Patient Survey (NATOOPS). No significant correlations were found between negative attitudes and body satisfaction, internalized weight bias, or external weight stigma. Clinical Implications: Attitudes about controllable factors of obesity is impacted by a bariatric center environment. Further field research with a focus on implicit attitudes and evidenced-based educational tactics are needed to obtain a more in-depth perspective on nurses' attitudes.
The K-12 Online Teaching Dynamic
Authors:   , Van Vooren Scott E. , Grant Allen C.
Published: July 2021

This study harvested and synthesized information on K-12 online educators within the State of Pennsylvania through structured interviews and artifact evaluations. As parents, students, and the greater K-12 educational community look for innovative ways to increase rigor and student achievement in the 21st century, educational technology is viewed as the conduit to that end. Using a multi-site case study approach, comprehensive research brought to the surface a profile of effective K-12 online educators teaching at various Pennsylvania cyber charter schools. This study sought to answer the following questions: What are the characteristics and competencies of effective K-12 online educators in Pennsylvania cyber charter schools? What evidence displays skills that are specific to effective K-12 online educators in Pennsylvania? These educators rely on their skills acquired during traditional pre-service training to teach in an online environment. Study participants stated they require skills that go above and beyond traditional knowledge, skills collectively known as digital pedagogy. In the 21st century, digital pedagogy skills are moving to the forefront of teacher usage and knowledge base. This is evidenced from the study participants' statements and the adoption of online teacher certification and credentialing by state departments of education.
Integrated Process Model of Stereotype Threat Effects on Product Price and Value Judgments
Authors:   , Song Lei , Huang Yanliu , Suri Rajneesh
Published: July 2021

Pricing literature has offered conflicting evidences in the way working memory resources impact consumers' price and value perceptions. This research aims to clarify the ambiguity by examining the effect of a situational factor (e.g., stereotype threat) that could impact the influence of working memory resources on price and value perceptions. This research finds that if stereotype threat (i.e., a situational predicament caused by the notion that one is at risk of confirming negative stereotypes about one's group) temporarily depletes working memory resources, it would also affect product price and value perceptions. Specifically, this research finds that stereotype threat temporarily lowers working memory resources, which increases targeted individuals' tendency to engage in heuristic information processing. Heuristic processing increases targeted individuals' tendency to rely more on a price-quality rather than price-sacrifice relationship to infer product value. This research further finds that a store environment would minimize the impact of stereotype threat on working memory resources of stereotype-threatened individuals and subsequently on price and value perceptions. This research also employs EEG (i.e., electroencephalogram) neuroimaging technique to provide further evidence that the observed effects were indeed due to impairment of working memory resources. This research contributes to pricing literature by identifying situational and environmental factors that could influence price perceptions and provides practical implications to modify store environment.
The Impact of Virtual Literacy Communities in an English Language Arts Classroom
Authors:   , Duvall Matthew D. , Smith Brian K.
Published: July 2021

This case study, conducted at a large suburban high school with two sections of a contemporary literature class for struggling 12th grade students, sought to understand how repurposing a non-educational technology such as Goodreads might impact adolescents' academic literacy practices and events. Incorporating Goodreads in a high school classroom allowed the researcher to examine how the design of this learning environment affected students' views of themselves as readers and writers, as well as their academic products. The three research questions addressed were: (1) How does the use of Goodreads affect the literacy practices of adolescents in a high school class? (2) How does the use of Goodreads affect the literacy events in a high school class? (3) How can Goodreads be effectively integrated with the existing curriculum in an English language arts classroom? While there was no significant change in the students' literacy practices, there were changes in the observable literacy events. The students wrote more text when reviewing books on Goodreads as compared to in-class worksheets. The teacher also expressed surprise that students who typically did not complete assignments did complete the activities using Goodreads. The study also demonstrated the use of the Social Infrastructure Framework proposed by Bielaczyc (2006) as a useful guide for planning the use of Goodreads in the classroom. This research provides a baseline for future exploration into ways teachers can use Goodreads to reach students in ELA classrooms. It could also serve as the basis for a customized Goodreads interface for educational settings.
Towards Rational Design of Functional Fluoride and Oxyfluoride Materials from First Principles
Authors:   , Charles Nenian , Rondinelli James M.
Published: July 2021

Complex transition metal compounds (TMCs) research has produced functional materials with a range of properties, including ferroelectricity, colossal magnetoresistance, nonlinear optical activity and high-temperature superconductivity. Conventional routes to tune properties in transition metal oxides, for example, have relied primarily on cation chemical substitution and interfacial effects in thin film heterostructures. In heteroanionic TMCs, exhibiting two chemically distinct anions coordinating the same or different cations, engineering of the anion sub-lattice for property control is a promising alternative approach. The presence of multiple anions provides additional design variables, such as anion order, that are absent in homoanionic counterparts. The more complex structural and chemical phase space of heteroanionic materials provides a unique opportunity to realize enhanced or unanticipated electronic, optical, and magnetic responses. Although there is growing interest in heteroanionic materials, and synthetic and characterization advances are occurring for these materials, the crystal-chemistry principles for realizing structural and property control are only slowing emerging. This dissertation employs anion engineering to investigate phenomena in transition metal fluorides and oxyfluorides compounds using first principles density functional theory calculations. Oxyfluorides are particularly intriguing owing their tendency to stabilize highly ordered anion sublattices as well as the potential to combine the advantageous properties of transition metal oxides and fluorides. This work 1) addresses the challenges of studying fluorides and oxyfluorides using first principles calculations; 2) evaluates the feasibility of using external stimuli, such as epitaxial strain and hydrostatic pressure, to control properties of fluorides and oxyfluorides; and 3) formulates a computational workflow based on multiple levels of theory and computation to elucidate structure-property relationships and anion-order descriptors. The insights gained in this work advance the understanding of oxide-fluoride anion engineered materials and we anticipate that it will motivate novel experimental efforts and materials by design in the future.
Impact of Socioeconomic Status on the Television Viewing Habits of Children
Authors:   , Perry-Harrison Tiffany L. , McHugh Michelle , Tedesco Albert S.
Published: July 2021

This study examines the relationship between socioeconomic status and the impact it has on the television viewing habits of children. Most of this research was done through a survey as well as with the use of online articles, journals, and books. The data found that demographic factors such as race, education and employment status all affected what children watch on television as well as how much television children watched. Factors such as access to the outdoors and yearly household income had little to no influence on the television viewing habits of children. The number of adults in the home had little to no bearing on how much television children watched, but the employment status of those adults did. Other factors that impacted the number of hours that children watched was the educational level of the parent and household's yearly income. Television managers and broadcasters should apply this research to their marketing strategies surrounding children's and educational programming to yield greater results.
Redox-active Hybrid Materials for Pseudocapacitive Energy Storage
Authors:   , Boota Muhammad , Gogotsi Yury
Published: July 2021

Organic-inorganic hybrid materials show a great promise for the purpose of manufacturing high performance electrode materials for electrochemical energy storage systems and beyond. Molecular level combination of two best suited components in a hybrid material leads to new or sometimes exceptional sets of physical, chemical, mechanical and electrochemical properties that makes them attractive for broad ranges of applications. Recently, there has been growing interest in producing redox-active hybrid nanomaterials for energy storage applications where generally the organic component provides high redox capacitance and the inorganic component offers high conductivity and robust support. While organic-inorganic hybrid materials offer tremendous opportunities for electrochemical energy storage applications, the task of matching the right organic material out of hundreds of natural and nearly unlimited synthetic organic molecules to appropriate nanostructured inorganic support hampers their electrochemical energy storage applications. We aim to present the recent development of redox-active hybrid materials for pseudocapacitive energy storage. We will show the impact of combination of suitable organic materials with distinct carbon nanostructures and/or highly conductive metal carbides (MXenes) on conductivity, charge storage performance, and cyclability. Combined experimental and molecular simulation results will be discussed to shed light on the interfacial organic-inorganic interactions, pseudocapacitive charge storage mechanisms, and likely orientations of organic molecules on conductive supports. Later, the concept of all-pseudocapacitive organic-inorganic asymmetric supercapacitors will be highlighted which open up new avenues for developing inexpensive, sustainable, and high energy density aqueous supercapacitors. Lastly, future challenges and opportunities to further tailor the redox-active hybrids will be highlighted.
Structure and Electrochemical Properties of Holographically Polymerized Polymer Electrolyte Membranes for Lithium Batteries
Authors:   , Smith Derrick M. , Li Christopher Y.
Published: July 2021

With the increasing demand for mobile technology, the next generation of power storage devices must be realized. The insertion-type electrodes typically used in commercially available secondary batteries have low capacitances; for instance, a graphitic anode has a theoretical specific capacitance of 372 mAhg-1. The most promising route to increasing the energy density is by switching the anode to Li metal, which has a specific capacitance of 3860 mAhg-1, and using stabilizing additives for the latter. However, Li metal experiences unacceptable Li dendritic failure at consumer operating conditions. Polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) have been explored over the past four decades to address this; however, a suitable material has not yet been found to address this failure mechanism prohibiting commercialization. In this dissertation, we demonstrate using holographic polymerization induced phase separation as a facile top-down technique to nanostructure the PEM and exploit the long-range phase separation offered by this technique to decouple the mechanical and ion transport properties. Isotropically floodlit samples were used as a baseline to examine the nanostructuring effect. For example, with 30% electrolyte, the baseline isotropic samples showed a room temperature conductivity and tensile modulus of 1.5 x 10-6 S/cm and 156 MPa, where the 1D lamellar patterned PEMs boasted an impressive improvement to both properties, 2.0 x 10-5 S/cm and 618 MPa. The nanostructuring and mechanical enhancemet effects regarding Li metal and dendritic growth were also observed using galvanostatic polarization. It was found that there was a tradeoff between certain nanostructure geometries that increased the current density and the mechanical enhancement provided by said nanostructures. Two nanostructures exhibited a 100-150 fold increase in cell lifetime before dendritic failure over the predicted lifetime based on Chazalviez's model. This top-down nanostructuring technique also uniquely offers a new exciting platform for exploring other structure-property relationships in electrochemical membranes.
Return-to-Learn for Students Who Experience Concussions
Authors:   , Linkes Corrin M. , Levine Bruce A.
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this case study was to examine the academic return-to-learn procedures implemented by a Western Pennsylvania high school. The case study sought to answer the following questions: 1. What factors led to the development of the Western Pennsylvania high school's academic return-to-learn procedures? 2. How has the implementation of a return-to-learn protocol impacted concussion management in the Western Pennsylvania high school? 3. What do the concussion management team members perceive to be the strengths, challenges, and recommendations for improvement of the Western Pennsylvania high school's return-to-learn protocol? The 12 participants of this study were members of the high school's concussion management team during the 2016-2017 school year. Through individual interviews, observation of a meeting, and a review of documents, this research revealed the process of developing and implementing a return-to-learn protocol in a western Pennsylvania high school. Interview data was transcribed and coded to exhibit emergent themes. Observation data analysis included a review of reflective and descriptive notes. Documents relevant to concussion management were reviewed and integrated with the other data to provide a rich, comprehensive picture of concussion management at the high school. The following conclusions were developed as a result of the implementation of the return-to-learn protocol: (a) the protocol improved communication amongst stakeholders, (b) the protocol provided a consistent plan for staff to follow, (c) the protocol provided clearly defined roles and duties for team members, and (d) the protocol allowed for individualization of accommodations.
Prioritizing contemporary music
Authors:   , Galvin Shawn , Brody Jean
Published: July 2021

Symphony orchestra programming has become steadily more traditional due to the perception that contemporary music will not deliver at the box office. This thesis is a case study of two American regional orchestras, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and the Albany Symphony, that have found success by making significant institutional commitments to contemporary music. By doing so they have promoted an expectation of adventure in their audiences and identified new supporters. Important factors in their success include: consistency with contemporary music programing, demonstrable support of new repertoire from orchestra leaders, and the production of festivals dedicated specifically to contemporary music. Thorough decisions to identify their ensemble's outputs with the entirety of the canon, rather than only what has become standard repertoire, both the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and Albany Symphony have set their work apart, engaged with their communities more fully, and contributed to the continuance of the art form.
Investigations into Synthesis and Reactions of Black and Red Phosphorus Nanomaterials
Authors:   , Lascio Samuel Andrew , Ji Haifeng
Published: July 2021

Research discoveries in carbon nanostructures have encouraged scientists to look for the next generation of versatile nanomaterials with novel electronic and optical properties to generate new scientific knowledge and discover materials with unanticipated or enhanced functionality. One element that has become of great interest in the last few years is phosphorus. Although studies investigating phosphorus nanostructures and properties are still in their infancy, unique properties of various phosphorus nanostructures are expected. First, in a literature review, this work will summarize some optical and optoelectronic applications of both black and red phosphorus. The role of phosphorus as a photocatalyst is also discussed. Next, this work will explore liquid exfoliation techniques applied to 2D black phosphorus with several exotic and common laboratory solvents, both with and without the use of potentially damaging ultrasonication. Lastly, investigations into reactions of black phosphorus and boron trifluoride under ambient conditions will be undergone to study the formation of boron phosphate.
Examining the Perceived Willingness and Ability of Public Works Staff to Respond During a Public Health Emergency
Authors:   , Redington Suzanne C. , Villanueva Augusta M.
Published: July 2021

This mixed methods study sought to explore the extent to which public works staff believe they will respond to a public health emergency, identify factors which may influence their willingness and ability to respond, and provide an in-depth understanding of this behavior intention. Themes identified through background research and the study's qualitative interviews informed the study's quantitative survey. Statistical tests for association examined the relationship between the independent variables (attitude and belief statements, individual and employment characteristics, support services, perceived threat, and efficacy), and willingness and ability to respond outcomes. A few of the key findings of the study were as follows: 1. Sense of duty and supportive family were newly identified concepts which may contribute to increased willingness and ability to respond, 2. Positive responses to attitude and belief statements were typically associated with greater odds of being willing and able to respond, 3. Support services most desired by public works staff may not be those most likely to increase willingness and ability to respond, 4. Major influential factors related to willingness and ability to respond included family preparedness, confidence, employer/institutional trust, and efficacy, 5. Efficacy had a greater influence than threat on willingness and ability to respond, 6. When high threat was combined with high efficacy for the extended parallel process model variable it further increased the odds of being willing to respond but decreased the odds of being able to respond, compared to when low threat was combined with high efficacy, 7. Understanding one's response role may not be necessary to believe one's response role is important, and 8. Public works staff have a high rate of willingness and ability to respond compared to other populations from previous studies.
Framing Contests in the Emergence of Dominant Design
Authors:   , Miller Jacob Leander , Narayanan Vadake K. , Gefen David
Published: July 2021

In my dissertation, I study how firms with competing technologies are competing first to shape the market's cognition about what those technologies really are. When a new technology is brought to market, potential buyers may be unsure as to what the product is, and why it exists. For the technology to succeed, market participants have to develop some sort of understanding of it. Participants' technological frames form the cognitive underpinnings of purchase, research, and investment decisions, and can influence the technology's development trajectory (Kaplan & Tripsas, 2008). These frames are often heavily influenced by discourse in the marketplace. In these framing contests, firms battle to shape how participants frame the technology. By shaping the collective cognition of the market, firms aim to make their design dominant, and ultimately triumph in the economic contest. Prior research on dominant design has emphasized technical and economic factors, only recently considering cognitive factors. I identify factors in technology contests that make these markets act like social movements, and theorize that some of the previously identified technical and economic factors are likely mediated by the participants' frames. Empirically, I examine the smartphone industry, with emergence of the dominant keyboard and then multitouch designs. I make a novel contribution to by using latent semantic analysis (LSA) (Landauer, 2006 #2073) to study framing discourse. I use LSA in multiple ways to explore how the technology and market evolved. Various kinds of visualizations offer distinct advantages and disadvantages in exploring and understanding the meanings extant in a semantic space. I find four distinct periods in the evolution of smartphones, from 1992-2010. These are consistent with both framing and technology lifecycle theories. I find that LSA can be used to unpack the meanings of terms within a set of text, and that the content of a document can be used to identify the firm which produced it, indicating differences in content between firms. The data suggests the importance of both discursive and material framing in technology battles. It also suggests ways in which discursive opportunity can be manipulated as part of a framing contest.
Biomechanical evaluation of the intact, injured and surgically reconstructed ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow joint
Authors:   , Thinnes John Hobart , Siegler Sorin
Published: July 2021

The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the elbow is a major passive stabilizer againstvalgus moments and is a frequent site of injury for the professional throwing athlete. Due to theimportance of the UCL in elbow stabilization, many clinical and biomechanical studies wereconducted in the past to understand its role; however, no study has evaluated the stabilizingfunction of the UCL when subjected to a pure valgus-varus moment at varying degrees of flexion. In addition, few comparative studies have been done on the biomechanics of common tendongraft reconstructions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the stabilizing function of the nativeand reconstructed UCL with the following specific goals for each: i) determine the valgusstability of the elbow as a function of flexion angle; ii) quantify the kinematic coupling betweenforearm rotation and valgus displacement; iii) determine the UCL/tendon graft elongation whensubjected to a valgus displacement at varying degrees of flexion; iv) determine the ultimatestrength of the UCL/tendon graft and its length at the instance of failure. Testing was conducted on six pairs of cadaveric elbows. A four degree of freedomloading device was used to assess the load'displacement characteristics of the native andreconstructed medial ligamentous complex while an opto-electrical kinematic tracking systemrecorded the motion of the origin and insertion points of the UCL/tendon graft reconstruction. For each elbow, a series of tests was conducted at 30 degrees, 60 degrees, 90 degrees, and 110 degrees of flexion. Data fromfive loading/unloading cycles were collected. The UCL of each elbow was then loaded to failure at 80 degrees. The medial ligamentous complex was then reconstructed with either the Jobe or Dockingtechnique, using the palmaris longus tendon. Once reconstructed, the aforementioned series oftests was repeated, followed by loading the tendon graft to failure.
Psychopathy, negative emotions of anger and depression, and causal attributions
Authors:   , Di Francisco Maria , Nezu Christine M.
Published: July 2021

Psychopathy has been extensively investigated in its relation to violent behavior. This construct appears to be an important variable in studying aggressive behavior given that it considers many of the problems manifested in the emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal domains among forensic populations. Emotion- and cognitive-oriented research have reported affective dyscontrol (negative emotions) and cognitive components such as causal attributions, as factors associated with criminal behavior. Integrating these findings, the current study examined the associations of psychopathy, anger and depression symptoms, and locus causal attributions to severity of sexual aggression in a retrospective study design. Eighty males with a history of conviction of adult (Rapists, n = 42) or child (Molesters, n = 38) sex offenses completed the Novaco Anger Scale and Provocation Inventory (NASPI; Novaco, 1994); Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II; Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1996); and Offence Questionnaire (OQ; McKay, Chapman, & Long, 1996). The variables of psychopathy and severity of past sexual aggression were obtained from records review using the PCL-R (Hare, 1991) and SASI (Nezu, et al., 1997), respectively. Primary analysis indicated that psychopathy and locus causal attributions accounted for 50 % of the variance in severity of sexual aggression in Molesters, with anger indicating a trend in the model. In the Rapists group, psychopathy accounted for 47 % of the variance in severity of sexual aggression, Anger and locus causal attributions were not significant. Results of secondary analysis indicated that one specific psychopathy factor (Factor 1) significantly contributed to severity of sexual aggression in both groups. Results of current study suggest that sexual offenders who display higher severities of sexual aggressive acts against their victims are also higher in psychopathic characteristics regardless whether they will be adult or child perpetrators. Findings impact treatment selection and treatment delivery drawn to specifically address features that are highly linked with treatment resistance, risk for recidivism, and difficulties in learning new non-deviant sexual patterns.
Underlying factor structures of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales - Fifth Edition
Authors:   , Chase Danielle , Chute Douglas L.
Published: July 2021

The majority of commonly used intelligence measures provide information about the underlying factor structure of a test by including both exploratory, as well as confirmatory, factor analyses in their manuals (Wechsler, 2002; Wechsler, 2003). However, the manual of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales - Fifth Edition (SB5) does not include an exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The initial concern is that EFA and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) are supposed to be used together when constructing a new test instrument (Gorsuch, 1983). The second greatest concern is that CFA only confirms one factor structure, while EFA can be used as an exploratory measure to find all possible factor structures. To ensure that findings of the CFA of the SB5 were not sample-specific an EFA was conducted on the data. The hypothesis of this study was that an EFA of the SB5 would yield a different underlying structure than the five-factor model used by Roid, which in fact it did. The factor structure found was dichotomous and named General Knowledge and Ordering/Sequencing of Information. The variables that loaded on factor one all reflected an individual's fund of knowledge. Therefore, this first factor was named General Knowledge (GK). The variables that loaded onto the second factor had one major quality in common, which was that they required the ability to order and sequence information. Hence, this second factor was named Ordering/Sequencing of Information (OSI). The EFA of the SB5 data indicated that a different factor structure underlies the measure. This information is very useful to clinicians and may guide interpretation of the SB5 in practice. These findings also confirmed the necessity of EFAs when constructing a new test battery, even when the battery is based on a pre-established theory.
Detection and quantification of pathogens, proteins, and molecules using piezoelectric-excited millimeter-sized cantilever (PEMC) sensors
Authors:   , Campbell Gossett A. , Mutharasan Rajakkannu
Published: July 2021

In this study novel rectangular-shaped piezoelectric-excited millimeter-sized cantilever (PEMC) sensors were fabricated and shown to have picogram to femtogram sensitivity under liquid flow conditions (0.05 to 0.74 cm/s). Sensitivity is characterized by detecting pathogens, proteins, and small molecules: Escherichia Coli O157:H7, Bacillus anthracis spores, and Group A Streptococcus at 1, 300, and 700 per mL, respectively. Staphylococcal enterotoxin B, a food toxin, was detected at 50 pg/mL, and the adsorption of 1-hexadecanethiol at 1 nM was measured. The sensors were operated under both batch and flow configurations in various sensor flow cell (SFC) geometries. Flow was shown to double the detection sensitivity for the same sensor design. Robustness of PEMC sensors was demonstrated under various flow rates, ranging of 1 to 17 mL/min. The sensors showed frequency fluctuations of ± 20 Hz over the flow rate range investigated, which is on the noise level of the device. The recognition layer (antibody) was shown to be regenerated at least twice with HCl/PBS buffer (pH 2.0), using model protein BSA, without significant loss in the antibody activity. Selectivity was established by detecting a fix concentration of bacillus anthracis spores (333/mL) in the presence of varying amounts of other bacillus species. A constant total change in resonant frequency was observed in all the experiments with a decrease in binding rate with an increase in the non-antigenic species concentration.
Randomized trial of weight gain prevention interventions for young women
Authors:   , Butryn Meghan L. , Lowe Michael R.
Published: July 2021

Potential interventions for weight gain prevention include encouraging weight self-monitoring and teaching strategies that facilitate healthy eating. In young women, such interventions may also positively influence risk for disordered eating. In this pilot study, 70 normal weight young women were randomly assigned to 1) an assessment-only control group; 2) a weight monitoring (WM) intervention; or 3) a weight monitoring plus healthy eating condition (WM+HE). After 8 weeks, participants' weight significantly increased, on average, but weight change did not differ across groups. Positive changes in some weight control behaviors were observed in WM+HE participants who participated in most intervention activities. Iatrogenic effects on eating behavior were not observed in either intervention, although the statistical power to detect such changes was limited.
Dissociation of vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease using a sequential working memory and recognition task
Authors:   , Hampstead Benjamin M. , Chute Douglas L.
Published: July 2021

Previous research suggests that it is possible to differentiate between patients with dementia due to subcortical ischemic white matter disease (i.e. vascular dementia - VaD) from those with Alzheimer's disease (AD), as the former generally demonstrate executive dysfunction within the context of preserved recognition memory (i.e. encoding ability) whereas the opposite pattern is present in patients with AD. Executive abilities, specifically working memory, are important in utilizing the temporal aspects of memory (e.g. the sequence in which events occurred). Thus, a novel test was developed wherein participants were asked to sequence and then recognize a series of letters from among distracters with the expectation that the VaD patients would perform more poorly on the sequencing task whereas those with AD would do worse on the recognition component. Participants with mild AD (n=14), mild VaD (n=13), and healthy controls (n=10) were administered the experimental task and traditional neuropsychological tests of working memory and recognition memory. The patients were diagnosed with either AD or VaD and were required to have either low or high white matter damage, respectively, as evidenced by MRI scans. The VaD group performed worse during the sequencing task and also demonstrated difficulty utilizing the temporal aspects of memory. There was some evidence that encoding was relatively preserved in the VaD group compared to the AD patients following even the short delays used in this study (i.e. 15 seconds). Thus, the results support the relationship between executive abilities and the temporal aspects of memory and suggest that white matter damage can result in deficits analogous to those observed with cortical lesions. Additionally, the methods used in the experimental task may hold promise for examining such abilities within these and other populations.
An evaluation of landscapes, hydrology, and channel morphology of coastal plain drainages with different cranberry agriculture histories
Authors:   , Procopio Nicholas Anthony , Kilham Susan Soltau
Published: July 2021

Watersheds in the New Jersey Coastal Plain that drain active-cranberry bogs, abandoned-cranberry bogs, and forest land with no history of cranberry agriculture were compared to determine if alterations imposed by typical cranberry agriculture practices changed drainage patterns, wetland landscape composition, flow regimes, or channel morphology. Additionally, common drainage basin and channel dynamic relationships were evaluated to determine if their use was applicable to the study area. This also included the evaluation of basin area-discharge relationships and estimates of average annual runoff and basin area to estimate average annual flow. Finally, a transition analysis was completed for the period 1986-2002 to determine what cover types where removed and what soil types were utilized in the process of constructing new cranberry bogs. Aside from subtle differences, drainage patterns and landscape composition did not differ significantly outside the footprint of the cranberry bogs. Flow regimes, and channel morphology also did not differ significantly between the three groups. Relationships between four drainage basins metrics (the number of streams, cumulative stream length, drainage area, and drainage density) were significantly related to stream order. Using power functions, relationships between discharge and stream width, stream depth, and velocity were significant and strong for all study sites and allowed for the estimation of regional curves for the estimation of channel dimensions, velocity or discharge. Two methods used to estimate average annual flow proved to be poor. Lastly, during the period 1986-2002 nearly 240 hectares of new bogs were created, primarily from the conversion of blueberry fields and other agricultural lands.
A Meta-Analysis of Mental Health Courts
Authors:   , Arnold Shelby , DeMatteo David S.
Published: July 2021

Mental health courts (MHCs) were developed in 1997 and have rapidly expanded to address the overrepresentation of individuals with mental illness in the criminal justice system. MHCs seek to divert offenders living with mental illness into appropriate community treatment by using a specialized court docket with a team-based, non-adversarial court staff to promote rehabilitation and address the underlying needs that exacerbate criminogenic risk factors and, in turn, criminal behavior. This meta-analysis sought to evaluate the current state of the research on MHCs and examine their impact on both criminal and clinical outcome measures. Stringent methodological inclusion criteria were employed to restrict analyses to high-quality studies. A total of 32 eligible studies were identified and 24 were included in quantitative analyses. Results show that, on average, MHCs have a small impact on recidivism (as measured by re-arrests, reconvictions, and time to re-arrest). MHCs were found to have a moderate effect on reduction of jail days. Clinical outcome data could not be quantitatively analyzed due to heterogeneity in data and measurement; qualitative review highlights the dearth of research in this domain and presents mixed results regarding MHCs' effects. Future research should seek to improve methodological limitations highlighted in this study and evaluate mechanisms by which MHCs impact key outcome measures.
Associations of built and social neighborhood environment variables with pediatric BMI z-score and changes in BMI z-score
Authors:   , Daniels Kimberly M. , Diez Roux Ana Victoria
Published: July 2021

Introduction: Child obesity remains a major public health challenge and neighborhood environments could have a significant role in driving the epidemic. However existing evidence on the impact of neighborhoods on child obesity remains inconclusive. I conducted a systematic literature review of longitudinal studies analyzing the associations between built and social neighborhood environment exposures and pediatric weight. I also conducted a cross-sectional and longitudinal study of these exposures' associations with BMI z-score using geographically linked electronic heath records (EHR) from a large sample of urban-dwelling, predominantly African American children. Methods: The literature search included six databases searched over 2011 to 2017. Thirty-one longitudinal studies met the inclusion criteria. Information on the study populations, exposure and outcome measures, and main results were extracted. To conduct the cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses I used a pediatric integrated EHR database of children residing in Philadelphia from 2007-2016. I used a generalized estimating equation to analyze the cross-sectional associations between built and social neighborhood environment variables with BMI z-score. I also examined synergisms between built and social environment variables. I used a fixed effects model to analyze the associations between a change in the neighborhood environment with a change in BMI z-score. In both analyses I examined whether associations were modified by age, sex, neighborhood SES, or population density. Results: Most longitudinal studies of the relationship between the built and social environment are prospective cohort studies conducted in high income western countries. The literature review showed that higher access to greenness, parks, and physical activity facilities were associated with less weight gain and lower obesity incidence. The literature also showed that increases in crime were associated with increases in BMI and higher obesity incidence. Cross-sectional analyses showed that higher greenness and Walk Score® were associated with lower BMI z-scores. Higher access to healthy food and physical activity facilities was associated with higher BMI z-scores. I did not find synergisms between built and social environment exposures. Longitudinal analyses showed that increases greenness and safety were associated with decreases in BMI z-score. The effects of safety were stronger in younger children than older children. Increases in social cohesion were associated with increases in BMI z-score and this effect was stronger in boys than in girls. Conclusions: Greenness and safety are associated with decreases in weight in children. Further research is needed to understand associations between changes in healthy food stores, physical activity facilities, urban form, and social cohesion with changes in pediatric BMI.
Decreasing Wait Time and Increasing Satisfaction in Outpatient Endoscopy Procedures
Authors:   , Cowell Alcynthia L. , Dinsmore Dulcine , Wilson Linda , Okupniak Carol
Published: July 2021

Outpatient procedures account for a vast number of medical procedures performed in the United States. The United States healthcare system seeks to provide services which are of the highest quality. Patient satisfaction is a major driver of services protocol. Hospital and outpatient facilities are highly motivated to provide care that meets or exceeds patient expectations. Efficient use of resources is necessary for continued solvency and provision of quality care. Patients expect to be treated in a timely manner by personnel who are well trained. Outpatient endoscopy unit time is resource dependent and delays can be a major source of patient frustration. This quality improvement project proposed that increasing efficiency through the utilization of daily pre-procedure huddles and scheduling of patients, based on actual procedure length versus standard thirty-minute interval arrival times would decrease wait time and increase patient satisfaction in outpatient endoscopy procedures. Retrospective analysis of preoperative wait time data and post procedure patient satisfaction survey data, for a two-week period, was performed and compared to data received during the two-week project implementation period. Descriptive statics analysis exploring trends of the patient satisfaction survey revealed no drastic change in the proportion of responses from pre-implementation to post-implementation. Analysis using a repeated measures ANOVA indicated that there were not differences in average pre-op time between pre-implementation and post-implementation. Keywords: Wait times, Patient Satisfaction, Wait Time and Patient Satisfaction, Safety huddles
Effects of Misalignment of Total Ankle Replacement on Ankle Mechanics through Dynamic Simulation Approach
Authors:   , Dikici Yusuf , Siegler Sorin
Published: July 2021

Misalignment was identified as a cause for failure of total ankle replacement (TAR) [1,2]. The presumed mechanism leading to this failure is altered mechanical properties leading to elevated and concentrated contact pressure [1] and increased in micro-motion [2]. In this study we use image-based, three-dimensional (3D) musculoskeletal models to identify the changes in ankle mechanics due to TAR misalignment. Previously developed and validated 3D musculoskeletal models of the ankle complex were used to identify the effect of TAR misalignment on joint mechanics. A generic TAR with cylindrical articular surfaces replaced the natural surfaces of the ankles. The tibial and talar components were first inserted in an optimal fashion with the surfaces parallel to each other. A misalignment was then produced by translating (2 mm Elevation/Depression, 3 mm Anterior/Posterior) and rotating (10° Dorsi/Plantar Flexion, 10° Inversion/Eversion, 10° Internal/External Rotation) the tibial component. Simulations, conducted in ADAMSTM consisted of loading the model in all three planes while recording the applied loads, the displacements produced and the forces in the ligaments. From these results the following parameters were derived: surface-to-surface distance maps at the ankle, Range of Motion (ROM), stiffness, ligament forces, ligament strains, and kinematic couplings. Misalignment of the tibial component of TAR produces changes in the stiffness of the ankle joint complex, changes in the surface to surface interaction at the ankle joint and affects the forces and strains developed in the surrounding ligaments. Knowledge of the effect of misalignment of TAR is clinically relevant since it indicates the sensitivity of the mechanical behavior of the joint to component misalignment [3]. As such, this technique can be used as a predictive tool to indicate the most sensitive direction in which misalignment is critical.