bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Theoretical Considerations and Computational Strategies for Molecular Electronic Device Design
Authors:   , Domenico Janna , Sohlberg Karl
Published: July 2021

The key feature of electronic devices is the interface through which electrons or holes flow. The behavior of such a device is therefore dependent upon how energetically favorable this charge injection process is. The energetics of the system can be computed using quantum chemical methods and the charge injection barrier can be inferred from these results. The efficiency of one type of electronic device, the dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC), is strongly influenced by dye molecule orientation and interactions with the substrate. Understanding the factors controlling the surface orientation of sensitizing organic molecules and being able to study them using electronic structure calculations will aid in the improvement of both traditional DSSCs and other devices that integrate molecular linkers at interfaces. Chapter 3 first presents a general approach to understand relative dye-substrate orientation and analytical expressions predicting orientation are provided. The effects of substrate, solvent, and protonation state on dye molecule orientation are considered. A two-part analytical model is developed that predicts the binding energy of a molecule and quantifies the dye solvation energy for two solvents. This affords the rapid prediction of dye molecule and MOF linker binding preference on the basis of the size of the adsorbing molecule, identity of the surface, and the solvent environment. Once binding orientation is predicted, the charge injection barrier between the materials that constitute the interface can be computed. This computation and its challenges are discussed in Chapter 4. Finally, with the rapid advancement of the field of interface materials, it is surprising that materials science topics are currently underrepresented in the chemistry curriculum. Chapter 5 describes student activities that were developed in order to introduce concepts surrounding the electronic structure of materials to upper-level-undergraduate and introductory-graduate-level chemistry students.
The Zero Attractor of Perturbed Chebyshev Polynomials and Sums of Taylor Polynomials
Authors:   , Erickson Joseph , Boyer Robert Paul
Published: July 2021

Defining s_n(z) to be the nth degree Taylor polynomial at 0 for the exponential function, we employ methods from complex analysis to study the limiting behavior of the zero distribution of polynomials in the sequence As_[an]([alpha]nz) + Bs_[bn]([beta]nz) as n [right arrow] [infinity]. Invariably the zero distribution approaches one or more fixed piecewise smooth curves in the complex plane which we call the "zero attractor'' of the sequence. Also we determine the zero attractor of the sequence T_n(z) - z^[ℓn] for fixed integer ℓ [greater than or equal to] 2 and nth degree Chebyshev polynomial of the first kind T_n(z).
Testing User Interaction in Virtual Reality to Understand the Effects of Field of View Manipulation
Authors:   , Ellis Lewis J. , Jushchyshyn Nicholas E
Published: July 2021

Virtual reality allows users to have immersive and engaging experiences within a virtual environment. To have that experience, the user needs to be able to see what they are doing and how they are interacting inside the environment. We, as humans, only have so much visibility when it comes to real life so when entering into a virtual space, we want that to be as much of an authentic experience as possible to keep the immersion. This thesis addresses the ability to actively engage in virtual reality with a manipulation to the field of view. This thesis uses subject input for task completion within virtual reality with FOV variations to determine the most efficient FOV whilst having the least likelihood of simulator sickness. Results showed that a wider FOV proved to be the most efficient way to complete a task inside virtual reality in this study.
Societal Perceptions of Magic
Authors:   , Franchino Patricia L. , Goodman Julie Renee
Published: July 2021

This thesis examines the perception of magic by magicians, the public, and the philanthropic community and analyzes how those perceptions have had an impact on magic-based nonprofit organizations and their outreach programming. This qualitative study uses a multiple case study of four nonprofit organizations and draws upon interviews and website observations, and an analysis of public and private funding avenues. It also draws from a separate market analysis to gauge the viability of magic-based outreach programming. The results of this research indicate that the societal perception of the performance art of magic, while not yet formally classified as an art form, is significantly marginalized in the arts and culture sector, which limits its opportunities for advancement within the sector. More work is warranted within the magic industry to advance advocacy efforts. Advocacy can enhance awareness of the intrinsic, and potentially instrumental, benefits of magic and expand opportunities for increased engagement in diverse ways. Additionally, it was determined that while magic will continue as a niche performance art form within the arts and culture sector, the greater potential of magic lies in the form of an interventional tool or art therapy where nonprofits can design innovative programming that serves the education and healthcare sectors.
Community-Based Methods for Large-Scale Relational Data Analysis and Applications
Authors:   , Chen Zheng , Hu Xiaohua
Published: July 2021

Data mining and machine learning equipped with large-scale data is an interesting and popular research topic and in both academia and industry. Leveraging large data has been shown helpful for a wide variety of problems and application, and it is still in active development. Large data introduces challenges to almost all aspects of data mining and machine learning, including performance, efficiency, scalability, deployment, etc. For this dissertation, we focus on the relational data and develop a community-based approach to develop a framework capable of handling large-scale relational data by the "divide-and-conquer" strategy, while we also involve techniques like pre-training and sampling to improve performance generality and scalability. Relational data is ubiquitous; it is not just the graph data with explicit links like social network or knowledge base; any data with feature vectors can have underlying relations by similarities or correlations. The topology of a set of real-life relational data tend to have underlying community-like structures of which we can take advantage. This thesis develops methods that try to solve sub-problems on partitions of a large dataset and then merge the results if necessary.
Opinion Mining on Digital Media Data
Authors:   , Quan Wei , Hu Xiaohua
Published: July 2021

We live in this digital age surrounding by ever growing volumes of data. The past decade has witnessed the rapid growth of digital media. Thus, there are valuable, vast and unstructured information about public opinions online. This type of contents is ever more recognized as a source of data that has added value for multiple application domains, such as, education, entertainment, shopping, etc.
A Pilot Study Examining Initial Acceptability and Feasibility of a Remote Coaching Intervention to Improve Parenting Skills in Parents of Children with Overweight and Obesity
Authors:   , Evans Brittney Christine , Forman Evan M
Published: July 2021

Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern. Family-Based Behavioral Treatment (FBT) is the first-line treatment for childhood obesity; however, outcomes are sub-optimal. Parents play a central role in influencing children's eating and weight control behaviors, yet parenting skills show little change during treatment. Thus, a key target for improving FBT outcomes may be to increase parent acquisition and implementation of effective parenting skills related to promoting healthy weight control behaviors in children. In-vivo parent coaching offers a more efficacious means to teach effective parenting skills in the moment. In addition, remote parent coaching may circumvent typical barriers to adherence to FBT, such as difficulties with scheduling and attendance. The current study developed and tested the initial feasibility and acceptability of a remote, in-the-moment parent coaching intervention with a small pilot sample (N = 5). Improvements in parenting skills, child dietary changes, and parental self-efficacy were also examined. Results indicated that the treatment was feasible to implement and acceptable to participants; however, low recruitment rates may indicate lower rates of acceptability more broadly. Participating in the treatment program increased child fruit and vegetable intake and increased use of effective parenting skills, particularly offering and modeling tasting of new foods. Participants also reported fewer child feeding problem behaviors and improved parental self-efficacy for effectively managing mealtime problem behaviors following the intervention. Initial results indicate early promise of this remote coaching intervention as an adjunct to standard FBT programs, although further evaluation with larger samples is warranted.
Vitamin D Status and Inflammation in Young Healthy Overweight and Obese Adults
Authors:   , Al-Ani Sumer Hatham , Sukumar Deeptha
Published: July 2021

Background: Low vitamin D status, high inflammation, and excess weight have been shown to be associated with adverse physical and mental health effects. The association among young otherwise healthy overweight and obese adults has not been thoroughly investigated.
Reaching Voters with Television Advertising
Authors:   , Arbell Hila , Tedesco Albert S. , Cowart Helen Claire
Published: July 2021

Political advertising stands out as a unique advertising category in the television industry, and with their significance comes an additional layer of complexity. Therefore, the researcher analyzed industry trends and how these complexities are being addressed. The research questions focus on media consumption behaviors due to the changes in how audiences view television, the current political advertising environment, and strategies to reaching voters with television advertising. The analysis was conducted using qualitative methodologies: a participant observer case study and in depth expert panel interviews. The research examined industry professionals with substantive experience in the political advertising sector with over 30 years combined experience in the industry and from the perspective of a political advertising sales division within a leading advertising sales and technology company.
From Script to Screen
Authors:   , Giusto Gina M. , Tedesco Albert S.
Published: July 2021

Virtual reality is currently the only medium that provides a fully immersive narrative experience for audiences while traditional Hollywood films are limited to a passive experience in front of a flat screen with a framed area of vision. When filmmakers who are trained to work in 2-dimensional film enter the playing field that is 360° virtual reality films, they begin using story methods and tools that are currently in developmental infancy. Screenwriters and storyboard artists are among the first team members in the ideation process of 360° virtual reality films and it is here that the first hurdle within the workflow is approached.
A Multilevel Examination of Leader Emergence
Authors:   , Farro Andrea Christine , D'Innocenzo Lauren E
Published: July 2021

This study used a multi-wave longitudinal design to test a number of hypotheses related to gendered leader dynamics in small self-managing teams. Specifically, my predictive model examined the claiming and granting of leadership within the purview of specific team processes in project team dyads and how these interactions may be different for females versus males. By drawing on current social-psychological theories of leadership construction (DeRue & Ashford, 2010; DeRue, 2011; DeRue, Nahrgang, & Ashford, 2015), which emphasize the claiming and granting of leader roles as a dynamic social process, I examined leadership claims and grants among team members over the course of a five week project. Specifically, I leveraged the functional perspective of leadership which focuses on team processes and specific team need satisfaction (Marks, Mathieu, & Zaccaro, 2001; Morgeson, DeRue, & Karam, 2010) and examined how gender may have different effects on leader emergence depending on 1) the type of team process leadership under examination, 2) the stage in which the project team is in, 3) and whether one is claiming or granting leadership.
Essays in Empirical International Trade and Innovation
Authors:   , Ghosh Ishan Deep , Kurmann Andre
Published: July 2021

This thesis is divided in two parts: the first part investigates the role of firms in international trade and productivity growth; the second explores the changing geographical landscape of innovation and high-tech jobs in the U.S. In the first essay, I use confidential firm level data from the U.S. Census Bureau to study the causal impact of offshoring on R&D expenditures and quantify their joint impact on firm performance. I highlight two main contributions: First, by constructing a shift-share design instrument to identify exogenous variation in offshoring, I show that offshoring has a significant positive impact on domestic R&D expenditures. Second, I build and estimate a structural dynamic model of R&D investment, in which a decline in the relative cost of imported intermediates increases the firm's incentive to invest in R&D, thus endogenously leading to an increase in firm productivity. I then use the estimated model to quantify the effects of a (not so) counterfactual tariff on firm value and long-run returns to R&D. In response to a proposed 20% unilateral tariff on intermediate imports, firm value declines by 0.6% in the subsequent period, while average long-run gains from R&D decline significantly by 2.94 percentage points, owing to a decline in R&D participation by 7.1 percentage points. In light of the current political discourse on protectionist trade policies, this paper shows that identification of the offshoring driven R&D channel is fundamental to quantify the consequences of trade policies on firm performance. In the second essay, I provide external validation to the results highlighted
Stylometric Authorship Attribution Techniques and Analysis for Collaborative Platforms
Authors:   , Dauber Edwin George , Mancoridis Spiros , Greenstadt Rachel
Published: July 2021

Stylometry is defined as the study of writing style. While it has traditionally been studied in natural language, recent advances have also seen it applied to source code. There are many topics of interest in stylometry research, but the most common is authorship attribution - attempting to determine the author of a currently anonymous or disputed document. Most of this research has a common limitation: it assumes each document has a single author. While this is sufficient for many applications, in the modern world there are many documents we may wish to attribute which are written collaboratively. With the ubiquitous use of the Internet, content creation platforms such as Wikipedia and GitHub have opened new avenues of collaboration. In this thesis, we examine three authorship attribution problems on two collaborative platforms.
Predictive and Visual Analytics of Scientific Development
Authors:   , He Jiangen , Yan Erjia
Published: July 2021

Background: The increasing availability of big scholarly data and computational methods offer unprecedented opportunities to understand the mechanism of how science advances and predict critical scientific dynamics. However, our understanding of driving factors behind scientific development is limited and predictions driven by big scholarly data are not well-studied.
Towards an Adaptive, Context-aware Checklist for Concurrent Use in Dynamic Medical Settings
Authors:   , Kulp Leah , Sarcevic Aleksandra
Published: July 2021

Checklists have been created to assist with the performance of sequential tasks, thereby reducing human errors and improving communication and collaboration. Although paper-based checklists have improved safety in aviation and healthcare, digitization of these checklists may lead to increased efficiency in task performance by allowing faster access to data through integration with other systems and sharing of information through common displays. Digital checklists can also adapt to varying scenarios, especially in non-routine events where checklists could provide support for poorly recalled or necessary information. Attempts have been made to digitize checklists, but even a simple translation of tasks from analog to digital may compromise efficiency and user satisfaction, as evidenced in the implementation of electronic health records. As electronic systems become increasingly integrated into their environments, context-aware computing has been used to support dynamic teamwork in the healthcare domain.
The Value and Lasting Impact of a College Theatre Program
Authors:   , Glenn Kaitlin Maureen , Yau Pamela
Published: July 2021

This study examines the value and impact that a small college theatre program has on the personal and professional lives of current students and alumni after graduation. Throughout this case study, a combination of a survey with current students and interviews with faculty, alumni, and current students were conducted. The aim was to discover whether or not there was an importance and value of theatre and performing arts education and how it can impact the lives of current students and alumni. Why do students choose to dedicate their time to the theatre when it is not their future career path? What skills do they gain from the experience of working with a small theatre program that they will transfer to their professional lives? What skills do they learn that are beneficial to post graduate life? I found that the majority of the current students and alumni had positive and valuable experiences involved in the theatre program. Many students experienced social and psychological benefits like increased self-esteem, enhanced public speaking skills, lasting relationships, and an increased sense of belonging. Throughout this study, I will breakdown and show the importance of theatre involvement and education as well as its long-term effects on current students and alumni in their professional and personal lives.
Identification of CD4+ T cell-stimulating Plasmodium yoelii Epitopes via in vivo Immunopeptidomics
Authors:   , VanPelt Matthew Joseph , Vaidya Akhil B.
Published: July 2021

Plasmodium falciparum is the protozoan parasite that causes the most severe form of malaria in humans. An effective vaccine is required to achieve complete elimination of malaria. In addition to pre-erythrocytic stage parasites targeted by the partially-effective RTS,S vaccine, blood-stage parasites have also been shown to be neutralized by immune-mediated mechanisms. Currently, the development of blood-stage malaria vaccines is focused on eliciting high titers of antibodies against antigens on the surface of merozoites or infected erythrocytes. However, the efficacy of these antibody-focused vaccine attempts has been suboptimal. Published data suggest the need for a parasite-specific, IFN-[gamma]-producing CD4+ T cell response to eliminate blood-stage parasites. Here, we seek to identify the immunogenic peptides of blood-stage parasites displayed by the MHC Class II molecules of splenic antigen presenting cells (APCs) during acute Plasmodium yoelii blood-stage malaria. Protocols for isolation of MHC Class II + peptide complexes from splenic APCs by immunoprecipitation were optimized. Peptides from host and parasite proteins were eluted and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. The corresponding proteins were identified by searching murine and P. yoelii 17X genome databases. A total of 19 P. yoelii peptides were identified, 15 of them were unique and corresponded to 9 unique proteins. The predicted binding affinity of each peptide for MHC Class II was evaluated using bioinformatics tools available through the Immune Epitope Database and Analysis Resource. 13 putative P. yoelii T cell epitopes were assessed for the ability to stimulate memory CD4+ T cells isolated from malaria-immune mice. The results show that none of the identified peptides could be classified as immunodominant. No single peptide stimulated significant responses from memory T cells in all animals tested. Instead, a different set of peptides for each animal stimulated T cells to respond. This was somewhat unexpected as studies were conducted with inbred strains of mice. These findings suggest that alternate approaches will be needed to address the challenge of variability in the specificity of infection-induced CD4+ T cell responses in order to successfully develop a T cell-priming blood-stage malaria vaccine.
Crossing Bridges
Authors:   , Roberson Ja'Net Adrienne , Phillips Joy C.
Published: July 2021

The retention and persistence of students who come from the foster care system and are enrolled in four-year college institutions was the focus of this qualitative study. Former foster care youth resided in out-of-home care with state approved guardians who received funding and monitoring of services. When enrolled in college, foster care youth require more support than students who never experience foster care. A small number of four-year college institutions provide interventions to retain foster care students. The research sought to identify best practices and to establish a foundation for research. Foster care youth often have a history of abusive and neglectful life experiences. It is fundamental to assure that these students are provided with the appropriate resources to ensure persistence and success. By doing so, institutions may be able to increase student retention and completion. The conceptual framework reflects the historical context of students. The outcome of several different retention efforts is discussed. Finally, the literature explored access to higher education for former foster care youth. The research is aimed to provoke further research, best practice, and to inform research. Four research questions guided the investigation concerning the lived experiences of students who have come from the foster care system and who are enrolled in four-year college institutions. The stories former foster youth told about their interaction with faculty and staff in four-year college institutions inform this study. Four themes emerged from A Narrative Inquiry into Transitioning from Foster Care to College iii the study, (1) campus-based support as an external support, financial support, family as an internal support, transition and access. Through the stories told we learned that former foster care youth require external support in the form of campus-based support, a direct liaison who is assigned to former foster care youth. Internal support is important in assuring consistency, a place to call home and lasting friendships. Financial aid is the driving force that allows former foster care youth to persist. Transition support is crucial in properly progressing into college and adulthood for foster care youth. Finally, best practices are discussed for monitoring success in students who come from the foster care system and are enrolled in four-year college institutions.
Magnetically Actuated Micro-Robotic Systems for Biomedical Applications
Authors:   , Ran Sijie , Friedman Gary G. , Guez Allon
Published: July 2021

Magnetically driven micro-robotics has drawn the attention of researchers due to its emerging importance in biomedical applications. This interest is partly due to the physics of transporting and manipulating microscopic objects in a complex environment and partly because of its promising applications, such as minimally invasive surgery, sensing and drug delivery. However, on the one hand the poor understanding of the physics behind microscopic objects in a complex environment, such as blood and soft tissue, limits the precision of control and manipulation of micro-robots in biomedical applications, whereas on the other hand it obstructs the development of a new mechanism to improve the translation rate of object when in the object is in small size. There is a critical need for technologies that provide a satisfactory methodology and model to achieve high translation rate and precise transport of micro-robots in the body. The few existing approaches suffer from fundamental defects and must be improved. This work focuses on developing a new methodology for transporting magnetically driven micro-robots in biomedical applications. The first part of the work discusses the development of a magnetically actuated swimming mechanism of colloidal particle aggregation in Newtonian fluid environment, which has potential application in the body environment, such as the bloodstream. The colloidal particles that are free to move in fluid can be an attractive swimming system due to their simplicity and ability to assemble in situ. A new mechanism of swimming that relies on only the rotation of the particles themselves is under development in this study, which compares favorably with the traditional dragging mechanism using external magnetic force, when the size of the colloidal particles is reduced. The second part focuses on the modeling of accurate and controlled movement of small, untethered objects within soft tissue. Modeling such movement is important, as in many practical situations position feedback might not be available all the time, and trajectory planning is often essential. A model of highly non-linear soft tissue force response to the movement of a spherical solid capable of rotation and translation via forces and torques applied by an external magnetic field is developed based on experimental observation. While these responses can be complicated by the multiple degrees of freedom, it is revealed that these additional degrees of freedom can reduce the required forces, minimizing tissue deformation and decreasing required forces. In conclusion, this work has developed a new methodology for transporting magnetically driven micro-robots. The new mechanisms and models could spur improvement in the translation rate, accuracy and control of micro-robotic movement in biomedical applications.
The Show Hole
Authors:   , McMenamin Matthew Richard , Tedesco Albert S.
Published: July 2021

This thesis is an audience analysis of television viewers habits related to binge-watching. Through a survey that was distributed to 159 respondents, data was collected to determine how viewers make decisions about what television programs to watch next after bingeing a show to completion. From the sample it was determined that 1) after viewers finish a show they seek to replace it with new content to binge, 2) streaming services are currently satisfying customers with the ways they recommend follow-up content and 3) there is no standout choice that most viewers make about which genre or style of content to watch in relation to the previously binged program.
Magnetically Actuated Alginate Scaffolds
Authors:   , Steele Lindsay Allyson , Sell Christian , Polyak Boris
Published: July 2021

Artificial tissue presents a novel therapeutic approach for restoring function in severely damaged tissues. Macrophages have a central role in the vascularization and engraftment of implanted artificial tissue constructs. Our laboratory engineered magnetically responsive alginate scaffolds capable of delivering dynamic mechanical cues to scaffold associated cells in response to remote magnetic stimulation. In the current study, we investigated the ability of magnetically actuated scaffolds to modulate macrophage function in vitro and in vivo. We report that magnetically actuated scaffolds enhance the phenotype of classically activated (M1) macrophages, as shown by the increased expression of the M1 cell-surface marker CD86 and increased secretion of multiple M1 cytokines. Likewise, cyclic stretch applied directly to M1 macrophages using a commercial tension generating cell culture system increased the expression of CD86 and secretion of numerous M1 cytokines, corroborating the impact of cyclic strain on macrophage function. When scaffolds were implanted subcutaneously into mice and treated with magnetic stimulation days 5-8 post-implantation, there was increased infiltration of host macrophages and an increase in macrophage expression of CD86. Analysis of downstream regenerative outcomes revealed a subtle but encouraging trend towards an increase in scaffold vascularization and a decrease in fibrous capsule formation. These results advance our understanding of how remote-controlled mechanical cues, namely cyclic strain, impact macrophage function, and demonstrate the feasibility of using mechanically active materials to modulate the macrophage response in vivo.
Development of a Fluorescent Assay of Septin Filament Assembly
Authors:   , Iglesias Stephano , Cocklin Simon
Published: July 2021

Septins are cytoskeletal proteins that are involved in cytokinesis, regulation of the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons, and implicated in various diseases. In mammals, thirteen Septin proteins form complexes of defined stoichiometry, for example, a hexameric complex of SEPT2, SEPT6, and SEPT7 (SEPT2/6/7). These complexes assemble end-to-end to produce filaments. While the existence of the filaments is clear, the cellular cues controlling when and where these filaments form are poorly understood. Here, I develop a quantitative biochemical assay for Septin filament formation that will provide a key tool for the mechanistic biophysical study of this filament forming process. By improving an existing heterologous expression system for the SEPT2/6/7 complex and removing surface-exposed cysteines from all three subunits, I have enabled the introduction of novel site-specific cysteines. Using cysteine targeted fluorophores, I show that the targeted subunits can be labeled. To decide where to place fluorophores in a polymerization sensor, I demonstrated that the SEPT2/6/7 organization is not consistent with the long-standing dogma, but instead supports a recently proposed revised model. By placing cysteines near these end surfaces, I hope to generate a fluorescence sensor compatible with kinetic assays of Septin filament assembly needed to understand the dynamics of this filament forming process.
Characterization of acetaldehyde-induced genomic instability during DNA replication in esophageal keratinocytes
Authors:   , Parnell-Peake Jasmine Denice , Noguchi Eishi
Published: July 2021

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a genetic disorder that results in bone marrow failure if not treated by hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). However, post-transplant FA patients face a high risk for young-onset squamous cell carcinoma, namely esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The FA DNA repair pathway is activated upon DNA damage induced by acetaldehyde, a chief alcohol metabolite and a major human carcinogen. However, the molecular basis of acetaldehyde-induced genomic instability and SCCs remains elusive. Here we report the effects of acetaldehyde on replication stress response in esophageal cells. Acetaldehyde-exposed esophageal keratinocytes display accumulation of DNA damage foci, S- and G2/M-phase delay, and increased localization of the FA complementation group D2 protein (FANCD2) at the sites of DNA synthesis, indicating that acetaldehyde impedes replication fork progression. Furthermore, FANCD2 depletion exacerbates replication abnormalities and elevates DNA damage, indicating that FANCD2 prevents acetaldehyde-induced genomic instability in esophageal keratinocytes. Moreover, with the emergence of p53 as a negative transcriptional regulator of the Fanconi anemia (FA) DNA repair pathway, we set out to investigate the functional interaction between p53 and the FA DNA repair pathway in ESCC. We found that dominant-negative p53 promotes ESCC cell survival, while FANCD2 depletion imparts crosslink sensitivity on ESCC cells. Additionally, stabilization of p53 increased transcription of p21 mRNA and G1 cell accumulation after acetaldehyde treatment. These studies contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms that drive genomic instability in FA patients and alcohol-related carcinogenesis, thereby providing a translational implication in the development of more effective therapies for SCCs.
An Analysis of the Characteristics, Adoption and Competitiveness of the Major OTT Devices
Authors:   , Winter Devon , Tedesco Albert S.
Published: July 2021

The number of ways to watch television content is directly affecting the business model for TV broadband internet streaming devices. Streaming devices introduced to the market increases competition. This thesis will analyze if the capabilities of a streaming device directly affect how consumers value digital streaming platforms. This thesis focused on the design attributes of Roku, Chromecast, Amazon Fire, Xbox, Apple TV, Smart TVs and how their capabilities contribute to their success against competition in the market space. The ability for a consumer to choose the way they view content affects how U.S. consumers access their content and the devices upon which they view.
Mission Possible
Authors:   , O'Brien April C. , Vakharia Neville
Published: July 2021

The museum membership field has evolved over the course of the last century by creating more affordable and accessible membership levels and benefit packages. As museums continue to work to expand their reach by addressing social causes and injustices on a national and international scale, the effects of the change on the current membership model is unclear. Membership is often viewed as an administrative function, relying heavily on marketing techniques. This paper explores a case study of one museum in the midst of a mission-change, Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site. Semi-structured interviews of the institution's members and non-members revealed an unending curiosity and intrigue of Eastern State's initiatives and future. Yet interviewees struggled to articulate a clear reason for their intrigue. Interviewees also lacked a direct interest in the museum's new mission through membership. Instead, traditional motivators to become a member emerged such as association, access and value. In summary, a museum's mission change might not have a considerable impact on the museum's members and non-members based on the traditional administrative role membership continues to play in the museum. This paper serves a foundation for all museum membership programs of institutions considering a change in direction or mission.
Global Television
Authors:   , Sutherland Sharisse K. , Tedesco Albert S.
Published: July 2021

The global television industry has undergone significant change in recent years. Technology has changed the way both local and global players approach the global market now that more content than ever can reach audiences across the world simultaneously. The format market has transformed from the days of one-time deals into a world of market festivals and producers who think globally before they think locally. Now, with streaming services supplying subscribers with foreign content, this study examines how this fact has been affecting the scripted format trade and the global companies that are strategizing to remain competitive in a world where streamers have captured their audiences. To carry out this study, six professionals in the global television workspace were interviewed on the topics of what contributed to market changes, how they believed their companies and others were adapting to the global changes, and what they believed might happen in the future. This study concludes that both the scripted format trade and the licensed finished content trade are strong. Streamers are investing in more local production, and standout global series have found wide and avid audiences. However, traditional broadcasters still turn to scripted formats to reduce financial risk since streaming and other forces have led to a steep decline in their viewership and their established sources of revenue. To survive in a world of streamers, global media companies have turned to co-producing, producing more original content, investing in their own streaming, and merging with or acquiring other companies to bolster their libraries and to spread into more regions.
The Effects of Military Service Embeddedness on Veteran Calling Orientation Toward Military Service, Social Advice Network Composition, and Career Decision Self-Efficacy in the Post September 11, 2001 Era
Authors:   , Smith Brandon M. , Tzabbar Daniel
Published: July 2021

What factors affect the transition of military veterans, especially those who served after September 11, 2001, to civilian employment? To answer this question, I developed new measures that assessed the impact of military service on the attitudes of veterans about their service and their post-service employment explorations and preparation behaviors. These measures dealt with service embeddedness for any veteran regardless of physical disability, branch of service, or active or reserve service, and have equal weight across all veterans regardless of their time in service and intensity of service. Rather than correlate the effects of service embeddedness directly with employment outcomes, this research ties service embeddedness to an orientation toward service, the effects on the composition of the veterans' career advice networks, the effects on their career decision self-efficacy, and the depth and breadth of the veterans' career exploration behavior. The results indicate that military veterans vary in seeing their service as a calling, a career, or a job, and contrast this attitude with how they view their civilian career. They also demonstrate that service embeddedness affects this orientation, as well as the composition of the veterans' career advice network and career decision self-efficacy. Counter-intuitively, increased service embeddedness has positive effects on career decision self-efficacy and the composition of the veterans' career advice network. This outcome differs from the negative effects that I expected. Primarily, it is career decision self-efficacy more than any other factor that has a positive effect on the breadth and depth of the veterans' career exploration. There are several recommendations for future research. Primarily, validating a service embeddedness variable for future research would bolster the arguments found here. Additional factors include a better-defined measure and the associated effects of the similarity between military and civilian careers. In addition, more study is needed about the extent to which the amount of time separated from active service and continued part time reserve or National Guard service after active duty moderate the effects of service embeddedness.
Crisis Management Planning and Theatre Organizations
Authors:   , Yow Joseph Ryan , Fithian Justin
Published: July 2021

Closures of theatre organizations due to COVID-19 have presented these organizations with a crisis - how to sustain an organization when the primary service of live performance is interrupted. This investigation uses qualitative research, focusing on case studies and semi-structured interviews with administrative officials of three theatre organizations in New Jersey, to provide a comparison of how each organization handles financial sustainability, employment, management, and communication. In addition, it examines how each of these companies engaged in the practice of crisis management planning - preemptively developing strategies and procedures for handling financial, public relations, and service-related crises. Research findings on financial sustainability, charitable giving, and crisis management planning, paired with the investigation, demonstrate multiple points of attention for theatre organizations during a crisis. Success in surviving a service-interruption crisis depends largely on leadership, organizational flexibility, willingness to explore new ventures, clear communication with its audience, and continued engagement in fundraising and revenue generation. However, this investigation also finds that crisis management planning is less-often engaged in by these organizations, with more focus placed upon maintaining organizational flexibility and reacting to changing circumstances. Theatre organizations that engage in financial sustainability practices - building reserve funds, endowments, and robust development - are better equipped to manage the challenges of service interruption, while smaller organizations that operate on thinner revenue margins are more likely to face closure.
Adenosine deaminase-1 (ADA-1) induces DC maturation and improves adaptive immunity
Authors:   , Taramangalam Bhavani , El Haddad Elias
Published: July 2021

Due to their role as professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs), dendritic cells (DCs) bridge innate and adaptive immunity. They are strong initiators of adaptive immunity due to their unique capacity to present antigen from invading pathogens to naïve and quiescent cytotoxic and helper CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. The heterogeneity in the resulting immune responses makes DCs a potent tool in the repertoire of vaccine immunology. One of the effector functions of CD4+ T cells is their ability to interact with cognate B cells to stimulate T-cell dependent antibody responses within germinal centers (GC). These specialized T cells are known as follicular helper T cells (Tfh) and they are critical for humoral immunity following infection or immunization. Given the importance of Tfh cells, identifying the underlying mechanisms and specific molecules that enhance this phenotype via DCs is a promising field of study. To this end, the enzyme adenosine deaminase-1 (ADA-1) has been identified as a regulator of the Tfh program, and despite a growing interest in the pathway, there is still a great deal unknown about ADA-1 and its effects in immune cells. We hypothesize that upon stimulation by ADA-1, DCs will promote a pro-Tfh microenvironment, leading to enhanced immunogenicity, and superior capacity for antigen presentation. We found that ADA-1 does induce DCs to differentially secrete cytokines that may skew naïve CD4+ T cells towards a Tfh pathway and that these DCs have increased immunogenicity that enhance their ability to activate T cells. We also found that memory T cells differentially secrete cytokines and chemokines in response to antigen presentation by ADA-1 DCs. Altogether, these results add to our knowledge of how ADA-1 affects human innate immunity and how it may be utilized in a vaccine-adjuvant platform
The role of mitotic motor forces of KIFC1 on microtubule array during neurodevelopment
Authors:   , Muralidharan Hemalatha , Baas Peter W
Published: July 2021

The pattern of organization of microtubules plays a significant role in the polarization of neurons, which enables neurons to migrate, axons to elongate and growth cones to navigate. These patterns are established and maintained by motor proteins (dynein and kinesins) that impose forces on short and long neuronal microtubules. KIFC1 (also called HSET or kinesin-14a) belongs to Kinesin-14 family, an unusual group of kinesins that like cytoplasmic dynein move towards the minus end of the microtubule but additionally has specialized microtubule crosslinking properties. Despite KIFC1's high expression in both embryonic and adult neurons, its functional role in neurodevelopment remains unexplored. Experimental manipulations of KIFC1 in vitro and in vivo early in neurodevelopment elicit defects in neuronal migration, as well as morphological changes in axonal outgrowth. Our data suggest that in neuronal migration, KIFC1 crosslinks microtubules in the soma, facilitating dynein to thrust the soma forward, by providing midcourse corrections that keep the migrating neuron on its appropriate trajectory. Moreover, in axon outgrowth, we conclude that the major role of KIFC1 in the axon is to crosslink microtubules in a manner that resists their capacity to slide, especially in the distal region of the axon where forces such as the retrograde flow of actin filaments may otherwise push microtubules backward. Mechanistically our data indicate that KIFC1 organizes the microtubule ensemble in neurons by binding to microtubules and sliding them into alignment in an ATP-dependent fashion and then crosslinking them in an ATP-independent fashion.
Influenza A virus infection of the CNS
Authors:   , Williams Riley Michele , Rall Glenn
Published: July 2021

Influenza A virus (IAV) is primarily known as a respiratory pathogen, infecting lung epithelial cells. Far less is understood about IAV infection of other cell types, especially those of the central nervous system (CNS), despite the ability of multiple neurotropic IAV strains to cause severe, even life-threatening neurological consequences, including encephalitis and meningitis. Research aimed at uncovering the mechanisms by which IAV replicates and spreads within the CNS and how the host responds to infection is therefore of increasing importance. In this dissertation, it was demonstrated that astrocyte derived type I interferon (IFN) is critical to limiting viral replication in neurons. The type I IFN response limited viral loads in mouse brains and prevented viral dissemination out of the CNS. The IFN stimulated gene, Z-DNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1), was found to aid in mouse survival following IAV CNS infection. Even though type I IFN induced ZBP1 in neurons, no anti-viral role for ZBP1 was observed in neurons. Instead, ZBP1 was protective in an anti-inflammatory, astrocytic cell death-dependent manner. Additionally, I showed that a non-neurovirulent strain of the flu is able to infect neurons and elicit high levels of an immune response within the mouse brain following intracerebral infection. While the neurovirulent IAV strain resulted in both neuronal and mouse death, the non-neurovirulent strain did not appear to cause any disease in vitro or in vivo. Lastly, I determined that RNA from the neurovirulent IAV strain is able to be detected in mouse brains months after infection. These studies establish a basic science foundation for which future studies will be aimed at developing therapeutic approaches to limit the neuropathogenesis caused by IAV CNS infection.
Weaving Identities
Authors:   , Abioye Taiwo , Gerondelis Ann I. , Nicholas Diana S.
Published: July 2021

Africans and descendants of Africa within the Diaspora in the US have had historical challenges that have included miscommunication, stereotyping, trauma, and a disassociated sense of identity. In considering these issues, the following has emerged as an area of interest: by examining the different cultures within Africa and the Diaspora, there are challenging gaps that exist within and between them. Opportunities for bridging these gaps are found in creative spaces, an arena for building community, and shared experiences in this community. Storytelling in this creative space offers a way for the expression of identities in an open-minded setting. What better way to communicate these languages of identity and experience than through fashion? Personal expression and social movements have long been explored through fashion. Telling and sharing stories creates a collective identity within a community to bond and create shared meaning. This approach has been validated through human-centered investigative and expert interviews. Secondary research also reveals the value of creative space that deepens understanding and shapes self-worth. Therefore, we must ask the questions: Can symbol and pattern be useful in articulating individual and shared identities? How does co-creation form our conception of culture and lived experience? Can collaborative storytelling be a way to create a diverse understanding of different communities? The purpose of this research is to test how the use of storytelling through fashion and arts can be a useful tool to encourage collaboration and develop shared experiences that will deepen understanding and shape self-worth to build a stronger community.