bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non-invasive optical technologies to monitor wound healing
Authors:   , Zhu Linda Chaoqun , Papazoglou Elisabeth S.
Published: July 2021

Impaired wound healing is one of the most serious complications of diabetes. Lack of quantitative assessment of healing progress makes diabetic wound management a clinical challenge. Optical non-invasive monitoring of wound healing may be of great value in both acute and chronic wounds, especially in assessing treatments to achieve faster wound healing. The goal of my thesis is to implement clinically relevant optical technologies to study the healing process and understand the tissue changes responsible for optical property changes. The hypothesis underlying my thesis research is that tissue oxygenation, as measured by macroscopic optical properties, can be valuable indicators of the state of healing of a wound. The encouraging results obtained with a handheld imaging station, a frequency domain Near InfraRed (NIR) device, and a diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) device form the basis of my thesis. The multi-filter imaging system, the single source, four-detector NIR instrument with multiple wavelengths along with a commercially available DRS device were used to follow healing progress on a streptozotocin induced diabetic rat animal model. We were able to collect objective wound geometry data due to image registration. Our results demonstrate that there are significant changes in oxygenated hemoglobin, deoxygenated hemoglobin, and tissue scattering during the wound healing process, and that such differences can be correlated with wound histopathology changes. Based on the results, NIR and DRS can be used as valuable tools to assess biological changes including angiogenesis and collagen formation. DRS scattering is identified as a possible valuable new parameter that correlated well with collagen concentration determined via histology. In vitro collagen phantoms verified the strong correlation between collagen concentration and DRS scattering.
Predicting software change coupling
Authors:   , Dondero Robert Michael , Hislop Gregory W.
Published: July 2021

This project was an exploratory study of techniques for predicting future change coupling among a program's source code files. Two source code files are change coupled if programmers edit them together frequently, and separately infrequently. Specifically, this project investigated the predictive power of three approaches: mining of software change logs, software similarity detection, and software proximity detection. Software mining extracts patterns from source code databases, that is, version control systems containing source code and change histories. This project explored whether identification of past change coupling among source code files can predict future change coupling among those files. Software similarity detection finds files that contain similar, alias cloned, code. This project explored whether identification of similar code among source code files can predict future change coupling among those files. Finally, software proximity detection finds files that reference each other heavily. This project explored whether identification of proximity among source code files can predict future change coupling among those files. This project performed the study applied a software miner (created specifically for this project), three preexisting similarity detectors, and two proximity detectors (created specifically for this project) to four large open source code databases at multiple points in time. It determined that software mining generally generated the best predictions of the three approaches, followed by similarity detection, followed by proximity detection. Excessive source code change coupling can be a serious maintenance problem. So the prediction of future change coupling is an important challenge in software engineering. The results of this project shed light on the abilities of the three approaches, both in the absolute and relative senses, to predict change coupling. So the results of this project hold promise for decreasing program maintenance costs.
New development of theory and application in capillary electrophoresis
Authors:   , Zhou Marilyn Xiaohong , Foley Joe Preston
Published: July 2021

Although the theoretical research of capillary electrophoresis (CE) is quite active in past twenty years and the technology of capillary electrophoresis has been accepted and widely used in chemical and pharmaceutical industries, quantitative control of electroosmotic mobility, the driving separation force in capillary electrophoresis, is still very limited. So far, there was no thorough study conducted on the quantitative control of electroosmotic mobility from theoretical approach. In this thesis, a new equilibrium ion adsorption model was developed based upon the chemical kinetic theory and Langmuir isotherm theory. This theory was succefully confirmed by the experimental results. In Chapter 1, a historical review of the development of capillary electrophoresis technology, the development of theories involved in CE, and the landmarks of the application of CE are presented. In Chapter 2, the detailed derivation of the equilibrium ion adsorption model is provided. In addition, the theoretical model was verified by using three types of buffer systems: buffers containing monovalent cations only; buffers containing multiple cations; and buffers containing cations and neutral additives. Chapter 3 presents the study of suppressing the electroosmotic mobility by using multiply charged cations along with the microemulsion system for the purpose of dual opposite injection, which further qualitatively confirmed the theoretical model described in Chapter 2. An improvement of bias correction factor for an electrokinetic injection of sample was also presented. Chapter 4 presents a development of a new analytical method for the quantitation of chiral impurities in sertraline hydrochloride, a therapeutic drug. The highly sulfated c-cyclodextrin was used as the chiral selector. The method is capable to separate and accurately quantitate the stereoisomeric impurities at 0.1% of the active. In addition, the van't Hoff plot demonstrates a non-linear relationship between ln ttand 1/T. The effectof temperature on separation also supported by the theoretical model described in Chapter 2.
Chitosan thin films as metal ion sensors and structurally colored coatings
Authors:   , McIlwee Holly Alice , Schauer Caroline L.
Published: July 2021

The sensitive and selective detection of heavy metal ions is important in environmental and biomedical applications. A new system incorporating chitosan and optically interesting metallic nanoparticles has been used to create a cost-effective, selective metal ion sensing platform. The system utilizes surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and localized SPR spectroscopy (LSPR), which detect shifts in the oscillation frequency of gold films or nanoparticles induced by changes in the dielectric contrast of the surrounding matrix. High selectivity is achieved by introducing a known chelating polymer as the surrounding matrix. Chitosan is an attractive natural polymer for numerous reasons. It is a renewable resource and waste product of the seafood industry and it is in abundant supply. It is biocompatible, biodegradable, and it has been modified in previous studies to be selective for different metal ions. The dielectric contrast change in a gold nanoparticle containing chitosan thin film has been shown to be an effective sensor for Fe3+ and Cu2+. This system is of interest because of the possibility for sensitivity increase due to modification of the chitosan structure as well as nanoparticle size, shape, and configuration. In addition to being a known chelator, chitosan also exhibits structural color. The structural coloration of chitosan thin films have been studied previously, but new applications such as color tunable paints and cosmetics, as well as packaging and coatings call for structural color which is independent of a silicon substrate. Examples in nature are the intense coloration of butterflies, snakes, hummingbirds and peacocks whose color is created by the differences in the refractive index of stacked thin film layers comprised of alternating materials, such as chitin and air which have a high and low index of refraction respectively. Colored polymer thin films can undergo perceptible color shifts when geometric periodicity of the layers is varied. In our attempts to better understand these processes, stacking of structurally colored polymer thin films of varying index of refraction as well as altering geometries to achieve this effect were investigated herein.
Development of a 'genetic signature of environmental lead exposure' in wild Peromyscus using combinatorial data from cDNA microarrays and blood metabolites
Authors:   , Basu Amitabha , Spotila James Robert
Published: July 2021

A study of environmental toxicology must be able to identify the biomarkers of one or a few related effectors among a myriad of toxicants affecting diverse biological factors in one or more organisms residing in a contaminated environment and at present, no available technique meets this unique requirement. Lead (Pb) toxicity remains an important environmental toxicological problem on a global scale because of the prevalence of lead exposure to adults and children and its impact on public health (Lanphear, 2007; Hu, et al., 2007). In addition, lead exposure equally affects organisms in natural ecosystems, since lead is ubiquitously found in the environment both as a contaminant from man made materials and natural sources. In addition, the lead is not metabolized in the body, which makes it ideal for the preliminary detection of biomarkers for environmental toxicants. The fundamental goal of my research study was to identify and assess the effectiveness of DNA microarray technology for detection of the biological impact of environmental lead (Pb). I worked it out by identifying correlation between gene expression data from the DNA microarray and conventional toxicological data, such as change of blood Pb and heme concentrations, resulting from environmental lead exposure. I linked the gene expression profiles to the well known lead inducible biochemical processes, to discover 'genetic signature of lead exposure' in the liver and spleen of laboratory Peromyscus maniculatus and Rattus norvagicus, two widely available rodents. I used this laboratory data to develop the genetic signature of environmental lead in the wild Peromyscus maniculatus collected from contaminated field. I found that lead significantly affected expression of the nuclear genes of NADH dehydrogenase and cytochrome oxidase of mitochondrial electron transport system, acyl CoA metabolism, calmodulin, a multifunctional Ca-binding protein, and heat shock protein-1 (90KDa) from stress pathway. However, in these rodents lead induced anemia without affecting the expression of genes in hemoglobin metabolism.
TEM investigation of contact loading induced phase transformation in silicon
Authors:   , Ge Daibin , Gogotsi Yury
Published: July 2021

Uniaxial compression in a diamond anvil cell (DAC) and indentation tests were used to achieve high contact pressures on silicon samples. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigations, supplemented by depth-sensing indentation, Raman microspectroscopy and X-ray icrodiffraction (Micro-XRD), were carried out to study pressure induced phase transformations in silicon. It has been believed that a phase transformation from a cubic diamond structure (Si-I) to a [beta]-tin structure (Si-II) takes place during nanoindentation. It was discovered that with slow unloading, the [beta]-tin structure could be transformed into two metastable crystalline phases, Si-III and Si-XII. These two structurally similar phases were distinguished by using selected area diffraction and high resolution imaging, and their spatial distributions within indentation were determined in dark field TEM micrographs. The thermal stabilities of metastable silicon phases produced by nanoindentation were thoroughly studied by annealing experiments. Inparticular, we suggested the formation of a new silicon phase, referred SI-XIII, during heating at elevated temperatures. In situ heatingexperiments showed that different transformation paths exist for the metastable silicon phases present in the indentations. In looselyconstrained areas, Si-III and Si-XII often directly collapse into an amorphous structure, whereas in relatively thicker areas of ion-milled samples, the new Si-XIII structure and Si-IV may form. The phase transformation sequence during heating of indented samples was established as Si-XII [right arrow] Si-III [right arrow] Si-XIII [right arrow] Si-IV/a-Si [right arrow] Si-I. In addition, DAC experiments provide a means to monitor the pressure induced phase transformation in silicon, with the aid of Raman spectroscopy. Consistent with nanoindentation work, DAC experiments showed similar phase transformation paths during a compression-decompression cycle and upon subsequent heating. In particular, formation of Si-II was confirmed in DAC tests. However, the formation of Si-XIII in DAC samples is much lessprobable than in nanoindentation. Finally, a novel technique for investigation of indented materials was developed through the successfulapplication of TEM observations in silicon, enabling direct microscopic study of structural changes under contact loading in a wider range of materials. It was also shown that characterization methods such as TEM,micro-XRD, Raman spectroscopy, nanoindentation, and DAC are complementary in the comprehensive analysis of materials deformation and structural changes induced by contact loading.
An evaluation of the role of conventional and alternative discourses on breast cancer research funding policies
Authors:   , Raval-Nelson Palak , Brulle Robert Joseph
Published: July 2021

Breast cancer continues to be one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality for women in the United States. It is estimated that every three minutes a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer and every twelve minutes a woman dies from this disease. Research has identified three potential causes for breast cancer: genetics, lifestyle choices and the environment. Genetics and lifestyle choices contribute to less than 30% of breast cancer cases; the remaining 70% of all cases can be linked to the environment and environmental carcinogens. Environmental carcinogens can be found in cosmetics, household cleaning materials, and as by products of pollution, such as PCBs and organochlorides. Elimination of environmental carcinogens would lead to prevention. Despite this fact, research funding policies tend to neglect the role of environmental carcinogens which have been linked to breast cancer and instead fund research for new screening and treatment methods. In order to determine how and why research funding policies for breast cancer are formulated and if in fact these policies systematically exclude funding for the role of environmental carcinogens, a thorough analysis of the research funding policies had to be conducted. This study applied theoretical arguments from sociology, elaborated on policy theories and utilized the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) and Congressional hearings to evaluate how and why research funding priorities for breast cancer are determined. The results of this study revealed that: the discursive coalitions advocating for research into the environmental causes of breast cancer are marginalized during the Congressional hearings; due to this marginalization, research funding is limited for the environmental coalition; and that the majority of hearing testimony is impacted by the economic interests of the presenter. Since the environmental coalition does not have equal participation during the Congressional hearing process, it also does ot receive equal funding for research activities.
A novel approach to programmable imaging using MOEMS
Authors:   , Nasis Vasileios T. , Kurzweg Timothy P.
Published: July 2021

New advancements in science are frequently sparked by the invention of new instruments. Possibly the most important scientific instrument of the past fifty years is the digital computer. Among the computers many uses and impacts, digital imaging has revolutionized images and photography, merging computer processing and optical images. In this thesis, we merge an additional reconfigurable micro-mechanical domain into the digital imaging system, introducing a novel imaging method called Programmable Imaging. With our imaging method, we selectively sample the object plane, by utilizing state-of-the-art Micro-Optical-Electrical-Mechanical Systems (MOEMS) of mirror arrays. The main concept is to use an array of tiny mirrors that have the ability to tilt in different directions. Each mirror acts as an "eye" which images a scene. The individual images from each mirror are then reassembled, such that all of the information is placed into a single image. By exact control of the mirrors, the object plane can be sampled in a desired fashion, such that post-processing effects, such as image distortion and digital zoom, that are currently performed in software can now be performed in real time in hardware as the image gets captured. It is important to note that even for different sampling or imaging functions, no hardware components or settings are changed in the system. In this work, we present our programmable imaging system prototype. The MOEMS chipset used in our prototype is the Lucent LambdaRouter mirror array. This device contains 256 individually-controlled micro-mirrors, which can be tilted on both the x and y axes ±8o. We describe the theoretical model of our system, including a system model, capacity model, and diffraction results. We experimentally prototype our programmable imaging system using both a single mirror, followed by multiple mirrors. With the single mirror imaging, we explore examples related to single projection systems and give details of our required mirror calibration. Using this technique, we show mosaic images, as well as images in which a single pixel was extracted for every mirror tilt. Using this single pixel approach, the greatest capabilities of our programmable imaging are realized. When using multiple mirrors to image an object, new features of our system are demonstrated. In this case, the object plane can be viewed from different perspectives. From these multi-perspective images, virtual 3-D images can be created. In addition, stereo depth estimation can be performed to calculate the distance between the object and the image plane. This depth measurement is significant, as the depth information is taken with only one image from only one camera.
Structurally colored biopolymer thin films for detection of dissolved metal ions in aqueous solution
Authors:   , Cathell Matthew David , Schauer Caroline L.
Published: July 2021

Natural polymers, such as the polysaccharides alginate and chitosan, are noted sorbents of heavy metals. Their polymer backbone structures are rich in ligands that can interact with metal ions through chelation, electrostatics, ion exchange and nonspecific mechanisms. These water-soluble biopolymer materials can be processed into hydrogel thin films, creating high surface area interfaces ideal for binding and sequestering metal ions from solution. By virtue of their uniform nanoscale dimensions (with thicknesses smaller than wavelengths of visible light) polymer thin films exhibit structure-based coloration. This phenomenon, frequently observed in nature, causes the transparent and essentially colorless films to reflect light in a wide array of colors. The lamellar film structures act as one-dimensional photonic crystals, allowing selective reflection of certain wavelengths of light while minimizing other wavelengths by out-of-phase interference. The combination of metal-binding and reflective properties make alginate and chitosan thin films attractive candidates for analyte sensing. Interactions with metal ions can induce changes in film thicknesses and refractive indices, thus altering the path of light reflected through the film. Small changes in dimensional or optical properties can lead to shifts in film color that are perceivable by the unaided eye. These thin films offer the potential for optical sensing of toxic dissolved materials without the need for instrumentation, external power or scientific expertise. With the use of a spectroscopic ellipsometer and a fiber optic reflectance spectrometer, the physical and optical characteristics of biopolymer thin films have been characterized in response to 50 ppm metal ion solutions. It has been determined that metal interactions can lead to measurable changes in both film thicknesses and effective refractive indices. The intrinsic response behaviors of alginate and chitosan, as well as the responses of modified derivatives of these materials, have been investigated. It has been found that the natural metal selectivity of biopolymer films can be tuned and refined by adjusting the ligand environment through backbone modification. Other investigations have also been undertaken, including in situ monitoring of biopolymer-metal interactions and quantification of thin film metal-binding capacities.
Roles, expectations, and influence
Authors:   , Woodson Jennifer Christi , DeMatteo David S.
Published: July 2021

This study investigated the differences between younger and older college students with respect to perceptions of engaging in high-risk group behaviors. The sample consisted of 106 college students fiom Drexel University. Overall, the results did not confirm the hypotheses and revealed that (1) younger students did not report significantly higher levels of willingness to engage in high-risk behaviors compared to older students; (2) older students did not report significantly higher levels of expected risk in high-risk behaviors compared to younger students; (3) older students did not report significantly lower levels of expected benefits in high-risk behaviors compared to younger students; and (4) older students did not report significantly lower levels of expected involvement in high-risk behaviors when compared to younger students. This study supplements previous research on perceptions of expected high-risk behavior, and the present analyses revealed trends that lend support to the hypotheses.
The effect of written emotional expression on depression following mild traumatic brain injury: a pilot study
Authors:   , Anderson Shakesha Sheba , Kloss Jacqueline D.
Published: July 2021

The purpose of the following study was to examine the effects of an emotional expression exercise on depressed mood in a population of individuals who sustained mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI). Depression is the most common psychological disorder that develops following mTBI and a significant number of people are affected by it. It was proposed that emotional expression could be a practical, cost-effective, and time-efficient tool that might decrease depressed mood in this population. Forty-two participants with history of mild Traumatic Brain Injury and who reported experiencing depressed mood were recruited for this study. Participants were divided into two groups, Emotional Expression (EE) and Neutral (N) groups, and were required to complete three writing exercises from their homes. The Emotional Expression group was instructed to write about their thoughts and feelings about their head injury. The Neutral group was instructed to write about the details of the day, excluding thoughts and feelings. Each participant also completed measures of immediate affect, mood, coping, and neurobehavioral functioning. Low power prevented this study from obtaining significant results in most of the outcome measures. Relationships between depressed mood and three coping indices (behavioral disengagement, planning, and acceptance) were revealed. the null hypothesis, Despite some findings, statistical analyses failed to capture or disconfirm hypotheses. Therefore, a post-hoc qualitative analysis was accomplished. Responders were compared to non-responders and differences in narratives emerged. Analysis revealed that focusing on perceived benefits may result in a reduction in symptoms associated with depressed mood following mTBI. Implications for future research in this area are discussed.
Development of a multi-functional construct for central nervous system repair
Authors:   , Shanbhag Mihir S. , Wheatley Margaret A.
Published: July 2021

Engineered tissue strategies for central nervous system (CNS) repair have the potential for localizing treatment using a wide variety of cells and/or growth factors. However, these strategies are often limited by their ability to address only one aspect of the injury. Here we report the development of an alginate construct that acts as a multifunctional tissue scaffold for CNS repair, and as a localized growth factor delivery vehicle. Initially the effect of alginate constructs on the model mouse neuroblastoma (NB2a) cell line was studied. NB2a attachment and differentiation patterns were observed on the surface of alginate constructs. These results were then used in order to demonstrate the ability of these constructs to support neural progenitor cell (NPC) attachment, preserve viability, and initiate lineage differentiation of cultured NPCs. Three different hydrogel constructs were evaluated and it was found that alginate optimally supported NPC attachment and viability. In addition, a laminin-111 surface coating of alginate enhanced NPC attachment and migration. It was also demonstrated that encapsulation of fibroblasts over expressing mitogens (NT-3 or BDNF) promoted unique NPC differentiation profiles while directing the phenotypical lineage of the cells. Moreover, the encapsulation of these growth factor producing fibroblasts within the alginate construct reduced the severity of injury when implanted in vivo. A final test of the construct showed that alginate constructs seeded with NPCs allowed for migration and integration of lineage restricted cells into the surrounding injured tissue, while directing phenotypical differentiation and influencing the injury environment.
A hardware/software platform for fault detection and identification in electric power distribution systems for testing various detection schemes
Authors:   , Schegan Christian M. , Miu Karen Nan
Published: July 2021

Distribution systems are seeing a larger penetration of intelligent devices such as digital protection devices, advanced metering equipment and distributed generation. These devices are generally equipped with processors, which are capable of advanced computations. With advanced measurement and computation, faster and improved fault detection and identification techniques can be investigated. Since actual fault data is rarely released for testing such techniques, research relies heavily on data collected from a simulation tool. This thesis proposes a hardware/software platform for performing fault experimentation in Drexel's Reconfigurable Distribution Automation and Control (RDAC) laboratory. Specifically, hardware setups have been designed to test a software implementation of a wavelet-based fault detector. This approach to fault studies preserves uncertainty stemming from system parameters and equipment. The effects of load on fault detection are studied with single-, two- and three-phase resistive and series resistive/inductive loads. While a wavelet-based approach was taken in this work, the hardware platform can be used with any detection scheme. The discrete wavelet transform has been recently implemented for power quality analysis and fault detection. For fault detection, most work focuses on balanced power systems using per phase analysis. This thesis proposes a wavelet-based fault detection and identification algorithm capable of detecting and identifying faults within 1/4 cycle of a 60Hz signal in unbalanced radial distribution systems. Fault experiments under a wide range of load distributions and loading levels have been performed in order to design and validate the algorithm's performance. In addition, studies have been performed on meter placement, sensitivity and detection error with respect to various fault types and locations, in order to further increase the algorithm's reliability.
Cross-layer design for cooperative wireless networks
Authors:   , Dong Lun , Petropulu Athina P.
Published: July 2021

Cooperation and cross-layer design are two emerging techniques for wireless networks. In this dissertation, novel cooperative cross-layer techniques are proposed in three areas of wireless networks: cooperative beamforming, wireless security and collision resolution. First, we propose a cross-layer cooperative beamforming (CB) approach that enables long-distance communications in an energy and bandwidth efficient fashion. This is a two stage scheme. In the first stage, source nodes share their information with their neighbors via low-power communications. In the second stage, cooperating nodes, by appropriately weighting and forwarding the signal that they received in the first stage, act as a distributed antenna array and beamform the source signals to destinations. We propose system design based on various criteria, such as we allow for the desired signals to combine coherently at the destination(s), maximize the received signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), or maximize the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR). We also analyze the system performance in term of average beampattern, SNR/SINR, symbol error probability, spectral efficiency and packet delays. Second, we propose a novel cross-layer cooperative approach to wireless security. Cooperation of network nodes allows us to overcome the limitations of previous physical (PHY) layer based security approaches posed by the wireless channel. We consider system design that maximizes the secrecy capacity, or minimizes the transmit power in the presence of one and multiple eavesdroppers, respectively. Finally, we present a multichannel extension of ALLIANCES - a cross-layer cooperative protocol for collision resolution in broadband wireless networks. At the PHY layer, the proposed approach is based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), which effectively handles frequency selective fading. At the medium access control (MAC) layer, we propose various schemes of OFDM subchannel allocation for wireless traffic with diverse quality of service (QoS) requirements. We also conduct error analysis to study how the maximal achievable diversity is effectively by network parameters.
Magnetic manipulation of colloids at the micro and nanoscale
Authors:   , Halverson Derek Stieler , Friedman Gary G.
Published: July 2021

Manipulation and assembly of colloidal sub-micron and nanometer sized particles is important in many applications ranging from drug delivery and separation of biologically different species of micro-organisms and molecules to fabrication of meta-material micro- and nanostructures consisting of regular arrays of particles. Most of the methods that have been proposed are based on short-range interactions including chemical affinity and surface forces. Such forces are difficult and, most often, impossible to manipulate using externally tunable apparatus. Electric fields have been employed to create longer range forces. However, electric fields often affect biological molecules and can be substantially screened in ionic solutions. Magnetic field manipulation is a relatively unexplored method of manipulation of colloidal particles. Some work has been performed in the recent decade to develop methods of manipulation and assembly of non-magnetic colloidal particles near surfaces. However, the developed methods have been limited mainly to particles greater than 1 micrometer in diameter which experience relatively small Brownian motion. The question can arises: To what extent similar methods are applicable to manipulation of much smaller particles and molecules? Can Brownian motion be helpful for some applications? Another important question is: Can non-magnetic colloidal objects be manipulated away from surfaces?These are the main questions addressed in this work. The main contribution of this thesis is the development of a series of magnetic manipulation methods by which non-magnetic colloidal sub-micron particles and molecules can be manipulated near surfaces and in the bulk of a fluid suspension. One specific important contribution of this thesis is demonstration of magnetic trapping and transport of non-magnetic sub-micron particles and molecules near surfaces patterned with ferromagnetic material. This work is the first to demonstrate that biological molecules can be attached to designated areas on a substrate using magnetic trapping, for example. Development of a method for magnetic fractionation of non-magnetic colloids by size in bulk fluid suspension is also an important specific contribution of this thesis. Such fractionation dramatically improves on the speed of previously proposed depletion fractionation technique. Each specific method mentioned above will be described in separate chapters of this thesis.
Depolarized light scattering and rheology of hydrogels
Authors:   , Kolb James Thomas , Papazoglou Elisabeth S. , Zubkov Leonid
Published: July 2021

The goal of this thesis was to design, develop and characterize a non-destructive method to assess the mechanical properties of clear hydrogels using information from the depolarized scattering of focused light. There are currently no published commercially available systems with the ability to monitor remotely the crosslinking density of hydrogel systems. This new system will allow for accurate in-process monitoring and process optimization without the loss of product. The optical system developed uses inexpensive off-the-shelf components and measures the relative intensity, a qualitative measure that is correlated to the crosslinking density of ionically (Ca²⁺) crosslinked alginate gels. The incident laser (685 nm wavelength) is vertically polarized while the scattered light is collected after having been horizontally polarized The crosslinked sections of hydrogels, are structures where the local index of refraction varies when observed from different directions, that is they exhibit optical anisotropy. polarized light scattering is a sensitive measurement method for the investigation of systems exhibiting local anisotropy, such as macromolecules and liquid crystals. The polarized light is scattered from both isotropic and anisotropic structures within the media, and by measuring the depolarized light, the contribution of the anisotropic structures can be separated and assessed. We have used as a model hydrogel system sodium alginate hydrogels crosslinked by Calcium ions (in the form of CaCl2). The scattered depolarized light intensity is related to a "flow index", a measure of apparent viscosity, and is directly related to the crosslinking density of the gel structure. The final designed system is sensitive to 1% changes in alginate concentration and .1% changes in calcium ion concentration.
A Single Family Case Study of Patterns of Movement Phrasing and Effort Dynamics Among Three Generations of Men
Authors:   , Kornberg Wendi F. , Goodill Sherry W.
Published: July 2021

The objective of this single family case study was to explore the similarities and/or dissimilarities of patterns of movement phrasing and effort dynamics among three generations of men. A Grandfather, Father, and Son from a Caucasian, Catholic family were recruited and asked to participate in a three part assessment, which included a questionnaire, a movement activity, and an interview. Both the movement activity and the interview were videotaped. Prior to the convening of the two raters, a predominant movement phrase from each family member's movement activity and interview was chosen by the researcher and a professional movement observation specialist whom was blind to the study. The movement assessment that this study used to rate the patterns of movement phrasing and effort dynamics observed in the chosen phrases was based on Laban's Effort/Shape Analysis and North's Movement Personality Assessment. This qualitative form of analysis and case assessment examined the subject's predominant use of patterns of emphasis, length, and efforts in a phrase and helped to provide a holistic view of the subjects' sequencing and style (Levy, 1988). Overall, the analysis of the data collected fostered a greater understanding of this family, and it revealed that similarities among the Grandfather, Father, and Son are present. These similarities were observed among all three generations of men, as well as within the Grandfather-Father dyad, Father-Son dyad, and Grandfather-Son dyad. After evaluation of the movement demonstrated by the three generations of men, it was determined that this family has access to all of the effort factors, which signifies the presence of health. Since currently there is no baseline of normal patterns of movement phrasing and effort dynamics of male family members, this research began an exploration of the intergenerational transmission of nonverbal movement patterns. Future research can possibly use these nascent findings to expand and continue understanding this phenomenon. Further pursuit of this intergenerational research will continue to increase our knowledge and understanding of the family and the transmission of behaviors through the generations. The dance/movement therapist is uniquely equipped to work with the whole family and use movement and nonverbal behavior to observe family interactional patterns, assess the nature of the family system, and provide interventions that create positive changes (Bell, 1984, p. 101). By breaking down family patterns of behavior into their nonverbal elements, dance/movement therapists might help families formulate healthier, more functional patterns of nonverbal communication, providing a new perspective for understanding the intergenerational family dance.
An Exploration of Artwork by Israeli and Palestinian Children
Authors:   , Alexander Christina Louise , Gerber Nancy E.
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this thesis is to identify and define how suffering andpsychological trauma is perceived, experienced, and portrayed artistically by childrenages 6 to 12 years old who have lived with sustained violence in Israel and in thePalestinian territory. The research question posed for this study asks: "How aresuffering and trauma defined, experienced, and graphically portrayed by Israeli andPalestinian children living with sustained political violence?" This study explores theperception and graphic portrayal of suffering and psychological trauma of children in theIsraeli and Palestinian territories. The design of this research is a qualitative case study. A qualitative case study isbounded by time. Therefore the circumscribed time boundaries chosen for this researchincluded data from 1997 to the 2007. These time boundaries were chosen to represent themost recent time period wherein children have experienced sustained violence as a resultof ongoing political, religious, cultural, and territorial disagreements for over a decade. The case in this research was examined by collecting data from the following sources: 1)literary and research data; 2) published oral narratives, archival interviews, publishedcase studies; and 3) existing children's artwork from the public domain. The three datasources were organized into data collection matrices, coded, categorically aggregated,and analyzed for emergent themes. The results of this research indicated that the sustained trauma and/or politicalviolence seem to produce an increased resilience or tolerance to trauma. This appears tobe reflected in the structural elements of the artwork used for this study. Moreover, theappropriate structural elements in the artwork appear to reflect a defense against theviolent content of the artwork. Thus, in this study the artwork provides information intothe underlying psychological state of latency age children who have experiencedsustained trauma. Further, external stimuli are influential in shaping the psychologicalresponse of children to trauma exposure. Research also suggests that both the age andpsychosocial developmental level of children informs the capacity to process the effectsof sustained trauma. Finally, to provide comprehensive clinical care, the knowledge ofresidual effects of trauma, external stimuli, psychological factors, artwork analysis, andindicators are beneficial for effective treatment. Clinical applications suggest the development of preemptive therapeutic treatmentto strengthen the internal resources of children during times of sustained trauma. Arttherapy intervention in a safe, stable, and consistent manner in order to process traumaticmaterial in the mist of sustained exposure to trauma is considered. Further, the use offamily art therapy in order to enhance external resources for children during times oftraumatic stress is recommended.
A Dance/Movement Therapy Clinical Model for Women with Gynecologic Cancer Undergoing High Dose Rate Brachytherapy
Authors:   , Ginsburgs Vera Hannah , Goodill Sherry W.
Published: July 2021

The diagnosis of gynecologic cancer not only has obvious physical ramifications for the patient, but also produces secondary psychological stressors that negatively impact the patient's quality of life. These secondary stressors may include altered self-image, sense of isolation or of betrayal by one's body, anxiety, depression, and complications related to sexuality. Additionally, these stressors may be persistent even ten years post diagnosis. Dance/movement therapy (DMT) has been shown to directly address these issues through a holistic approach to healing the mind-body connection to contribute to a patient's abilities to cope with, and potentially, alter the progress of their illness. However, there are no published studies to date showing the utility of DMT as a psychosocial support intervention specifically with gynecologic cancer patients. The present literature-based research study collates results from various studies, in a matrix model format, to demonstrate the potential efficacy of DMT as it could be applied to patients with gynecologic cancer being treated with high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, which presents the patient unique challenges both psychological and physical. A ten-week clinical model is designed for an intervention program to be initiated upon diagnosis and continued through the treatment. It combines elements from established DMT practices to specifically address psychological and psychosocial issues relevant to the targeted patient population.
The Group Dynamics of the Collaborative Artwork by Group Members from the Korean Culture
Authors:   , Park Jooryung , Gerber Nancy E.
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this study was to explore the phenomenon of the collaborative group art process as experienced by Koreans. Korean culture has a strong relationship with collectivistic cultural value. This thesis, therefore, intends to probe the influence of collectivistic cultural values in a group art therapy setting using phenomenological study methods. For this study, six Korean participants were recruited for a collaborative art making session. They were asked to draw a community of their minds. A group interview was conducted after the drawing was completed as well as individual validations interviews one month after the session. The phenomenological data analysis showed three essential structures that were central to the lived experience of the phenomenon: differing views on the meaning of boundaries, guidance to uninhibited self-expressions, and maintenance of Korean culture in America. In conclusion, the Korean collectivistic value of cooperation conformed to the collaborative art making, the use of image as means of communication suited the Korean collectivistic norm that values non-verbal communication, resulting in enhanced self-expression and understanding of others.
Broadcasting and transmission coordination for ad hoc and sensor networks
Authors:   , Kini Ananth V. , Weber Steven P.
Published: July 2021

This thesis studies the performance benefit of coordination in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) and ad hoc networks (AHNs). WSNs are often comprised of a large number of inexpensive nodes with short battery life and limited communication and processing capabilities. AHNs are wireless networks operating without the benefits of network infrastructure (basestations) or centralized control. WSNs often require control messages be broadcast to the entire network. We study the performance of a class of randomized broadcast protocols that employ coordination to reduce the transmission of redundant messages and to reduce the occurrence of message collisions. Specifically, information coordination entails a potential transmitter employ local information to infer whether or not its potential receivers would be interested in its message, while communication coordination entails a potential transmitter employ local information to infer whether or not its transmission would interrupt other ongoing transmissions. The individual and joint benefits of these two forms of coordination are assessed through their impact on a variety of natural performance indicators. AHNs working with limited spectrum perform best when simultaneous transmissions are coordinated to avoid collisions. Optimal transmission coordination is a combinatorial optimization problem that is, in general, intractable for large size networks, even with global information and central control. Constraints on simultaneous transmissions may arise from both transceiver limitations (e.g., half-duplex designs) and from requirements on the signal to interference ratio. We study the transmission coordination optimization problem under a variety of natural communication constraints. Our work identifies particular instances where the problem may be solved by greedy algorithms, and studies the performance of several natural heuristic solutions.
Breast cancer detection and differentiation using piezoelectric fingers
Authors:   , Yegingil Hakki Orhan , Shih Wan Y. , Shih Wei-Heng
Published: July 2021

A piezoelectric finger (PEF) is a tissue elasticity sensor developed in our laboratory. With a dual piezoelectric layer design, a PEF can apply a force and detect the resultant displacementall-electrically, ideal for potential in vivo tissue elasticity measurements. The goal of this thesis is to develop PEFs towards a breast cancer detector. The study encompasses (1) fundamental development and characterization of PEFs as a tissue elasticity sensor using model tissues, (2) application of PEFs to ex vivo breast samples, and (3) development of array PEFs towards in vivo measurements. I have shown that a PEF can accurately measure the elastic or shear moduli values of soft polymer samples using indentation methods. Furthermore, I have shown that a PEF has a depth sensitivity twice its width by testing inclusions embedded at various depths in model tissues. Using the measurements from two PEFs of different widths, I showed that the depth and modulus of an inclusion can be determined with an empirical "two-spring" model. I have shown that a PEF could distinguish between the 2-D and 3-D smooth and rough surface inclusions by examining the shear (G) to elastic (E) moduli ratio: smooth and rough inclusions have G/E ratio of ~0.3 and >0.7, respectively. I have characterized 71 ex vivo breast tumors in terms of tumor size, location, malignancy and invasiveness. I have shown that PEFs predicted all abnormalities, including a 3 mm tumor. PEF's size predictions were accurate within 10% of the pathologic measurements. Furthermore, using G/E > 0.7 as a criterion, we predicted invasive carcinoma with 89% sensitivity and 82% specificity. With G/E = 0.3 and >0.7 as a criterion, the malignancy prediction had a 96% sensitivity and 54% specificity. Moving toward real patient applications, PEF compression array was developed, characterized over the model tissue samples, and successfully located an in-vivo tumor inside breast tissue and predicted its size, depth and modulus. Instantaneous moduli measurement and PEF array motion automation were achieved.