bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Marital functioning and communication in a clinical sample of social anxiety disorder clients
Authors:   , Casten Kircia Marie , Herbert James D.
Published: July 2021

Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is a prevalent and debilitating disorder that frequently has deleterious effects on interpersonal relationships. However, no research has yet examined the marital relationships of individuals with SAD and little attention has been given to the relation between marital status and SAD. The current investigation involved two studies. Study 1 examined overall marital satisfaction and communication patterns of clients with SAD and their partners, relative to control couples. Twenty-six married or cohabitating SAD clients and their partners were compared with 26 controls and their partners. Compared to control couples, SAD clients and their partners reported (a) lower ratings of overall marital satisfaction, (b) less overall positive communication, (c) more demand/withdraw interaction, with the SAD client in the withdrawing role, and (d) more demand/withdraw interaction, with the SAD client in the demanding role. With the exception of the finding regarding positive communication, these results remained significant when controlling for depression. Although SAD couples reported lower ratings of marital satisfaction, their scores nevertheless did not fall in the range of distressed couples. Gender of the SAD client did not impact ratings of marital adjustment. Discussion of these findings focuses on the interpersonal dynamics of SAD couples and how these interactions might be understood. Implications for treatment and future research are also discussed. Study 2 investigated potential differences between married and single clients with SAD in (a) degree of avoidance, (b) symptom severity, and (c) comorbid depressive symptoms in a sample of 177 SAD clients. Study 2 also evaluated whether marital status is related to treatment response in SAD clients undergoing cognitive-behavior therapy for SAD. When controlling for age, there were no significant differences between married and single patients in terms of self-reported or observer-rated symptom severity, self-reported avoidance of social interaction, or comorbid depressive symptoms. Both groups reported significant improvement from pre-treatment to post-treatment, and there was no significant difference between the groups in rate of improvement. Similar results were found when controlling for depression. Additional clinical and research implications of the findings are discussed.
Evaluation of the oxidative degradation mechanism of corrugated high density polyethylene pipe and the pipe resin
Authors:   , Wong Wai Kuen , Hsuan Yick Grace
Published: July 2021

High density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe has become one of the fastest growing engineering products. However, HDPE is susceptible to oxidative degradation which leads to strength loss and brittle cracking. This research is to evaluate some of the factors such as exposure environments, antioxidants (AO) package(s), and carbon black (CB), which affect the rate of degradation. Two types of materials were selected: (1) custom made HDPE plaque with known AO(s) concentrations and/or CB (2) commercially available corrugated HDPE pipes. Samples were subjected to air, water, aerobic, and anaerobic environments. Oxidative induction time (OIT) test is used to monitor the AO depletion; Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), melt index (MI), and tensile test are implemented to evaluate the change of polymer structural and physical strength. For the custom made samples, effects of primary AO (I-1010), secondary AO (I-168) and CB on oxidation behavior were evaluated. The combination of 2:1 ratio of I-168 to I-1010 is proven to be less effective against thermo-oxidation compared with other AO combinations. Depending on the type of AO, OIT depletion trend in water can be expressed in two term first order reaction which represents the hydrolysis and diffusion mechanism. Strong interaction between AO and CB were found, causing a rapid decrease of OIT, ultimately leading to faster degradation. CB loading and particle sizes also found to have an impact on OIT retained.
Detection of cells, proteins, and DNA using tapered fiber-optic biosensors (TFOBS)
Authors:   , Leung Angela , Shankar P. M. , Mutharasan Rajakkannu
Published: July 2021

Tapered Fiber Optic Biosensors (TFOBS) have a wide variety of applications including medical diagnostics, drug screening, pathogen detection, and environmental contaminants detection. Over the past four years, TFOBS were developed in our laboratory to detect cells, proteins, and DNA. In particular, the use of TFOBS as intensity-based label-free sensors, long wavelengths for detection, and the incorporation of sample flow into detection are distinct achievements of this project. TFOBS were fabricated with using a fusion splicer and housed in a plexiglass fiber holders or flow cells. Non-specific response of the TFOBS was measured byrecording the transmission due to the presence of E.coli JM101 cells and glucose solutions. For detection experiments, antibodies or thiolated DNA probes wereimmobilized on the TFOBS surface using silane chemistry or gold coating. Detection was carried out by recording the transmission while antibody or DNA probe-immobilized TFOBS were exposed to various concentrations of analytes. Some of the highlight results of this study include the following: 1) The nonspecific measurement of 100 to 7 million E.coli JM101 cells/mL was possible in thevisible range; 2) at 1310 and 1550 nm, the TFOBS were sensitive to 0.01 to 0.1 g/mL of glucose, which gives a sensitivity in terms of dB/RI; 3) antibody-immobilized TFOBS was able to detect down to 70 E.coli O157:H7 cells/mL in the visible range; 4) antibody-immobilized TFOBS detected down to 10 fg/mL of BSA at 1310 and 1550 nm in stagnant condition; 5) antibody-immobilized TFOBS detected BSA at 1 pg/mL in flow; 6) ss-DNA probe-immobilized TFOBS detected 1 pM target DNA in flow.
Capital juries and objective mitigation
Authors:   , Keesler Michael Edward , DeMatteo David S.
Published: July 2021

Determining precisely what type of mitigating evidence will spare a capital defendant from the death penalty is the hallmark of capital litigation defense. That understanding has driven decades of research since the reemergence of the American death penalty in 1976, and it guides the actions of mitigation specialists. Despite the procedural rule that juries must consider mitigating evidence presented and then decide whether to assign it any weight, anecdotal evidence suggests that this may not be uniformly practiced. Rather, it is reportedly not uncommon for juries to disagree with mitigating factors that are essentially settled fact. The proposed study sought to empirically explore (1) how common or uncommon that practice is; (2) whether that practice is related to the ultimate sentence recommendation of life or death; and (3) whether the effect on sentence recommendation increases linearly with the increasing number of disagreed-to facts. Results indicated that (1) the practice may be more common than hypothesized; (2) when observed, disagreement with mitigators such as lack of significant criminal history or youth are significantly related to sentence recommendation; and (3) the effect may compound when multiple mitigators are considered together.
Dynamics and transport of sulfur dioxide in the north Pacific troposphere
Authors:   , Tu Fang Huang , Bandy Alan R.
Published: July 2021

The rapid industrialization in Asia in past two decades has raised serious concerns about how the anthropogenic activities would impact the global climate. NASA conducted the Transport and Chemical Evolution over the Pacific (TRACE-P) aircraft mission over the Northwest Pacific during February-April 2001. The objectives of TRACE-P were to identify the major pathways for Asian outflow over the western Pacific and to better understand the chemical and dynamical evolution of the Asian outflow over the western Pacific. Fast time resolution (>1 Hz) sulfur dioxide (SO2) measurements were obtained using an atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometer with isotopically labeled internal standard (APIMS/ILS) on the NASA P-3B during the TRACE-P mission. The high time resolution data allowed a view into the dynamics of SO2 transport, includingthe effects of clouds. Two of the 24 flights were flown on consecutive days with quite different weather conditions along 124.5oE over the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea. The observed SO2 concentrations were markedly different in vertical and horizontal distributions. Below 2 km SO2 layers of a few hundred meters depth were often isolated from the mixed layer. The relatively slow process of entrainment limited the loss of SO2 to the marine mixed layer. When compared to chemical transport models (CTMs) predications of SO2 along the flight track, the deviations between the observations and the CTMs appear to be related to the treatment of the boundary layer dynamics. Long-range transport of SO2 from East Asia to the central North Pacific troposphere was observed on the transit flights across the Pacific Ocean. The enhanced SO2 layers in the Central Pacific were associated with low water vapor and low turbulence and were usually dynamically isolated from the marine boundary layer. Atmospheric dynamicswere the major factor in determining the SO2 distributions. Trajectory studies revealed that the SO2 came from both volcanic and anthropogenic sources in East Asia and the routes of SO2 transport were at mid-latitudes (30o-60oN) and mid-altitude (2-4 km). A comparison of SO2 observations and results of CTMs indicated that SO2 was primarily removed by heterogeneous processes. Another important observation was that Miyakejima volcano made a major contribution to the SO2 in the central Pacific troposphere during March and April 2001.
Informing the public
Authors:   , Anumba Natalie Mayona , DeMatteo David S.
Published: July 2021

Public thinking on controversial issues is important to measure, given its impact on citizens' attitudes and voting preferences. Research has demonstrated that the general public holds little faith in the criminal justice system, tending to view it as too lenient with those who violate the law. It appears that the expressed dissatisfaction may be due to a lack of accurate information about the system, the proliferation of inaccurate or distorted information, and a misrepresentation of public thinking by conventional polling practices. The current study empirically explored whether the provision of information about sentencing and corrections influenced laypersons' knowledge about, satisfaction with, and support for aspects of the criminal justice system. In addition, this study investigated the impact of an opportunity to integrate and apply this information in one's own decision-making on one's knowledge, attitudes, and support. The results suggested that although participants attended to the information provided, this information did not affect respondents' knowledge of, attitudes about, and support for the criminal justice system.
Physical and chemical mechanisms of direct and controllable plasma interaction with living objects
Authors:   , Dobrynin Danil , Fridman Alexander A.
Published: July 2021

The number of potential applications of non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure discharges in biology and medicine has grown significantly in recent years; in fact, the activity in this direction lead to the formation of a new field in plasma chemistry titled 'Plasma Medicine'. It is now clear that these plasmas can have not only physical (e.g. tissue cutting and cauterization), but medically relevant therapeutic effects - plasmas can trigger a complex sequence of biological responses in tissues and cells. To move ahead in further development of actual commercial tools that will enter the hospital, and in finding novel and perhaps even unexpected uses of these plasmas an understanding of mechanisms of interaction of non-equilibrium gas discharges with living organisms, tissues, and cells becomes essential. This thesis is focused on understanding of the mechanisms of plasma interaction with living objects using a threefold approach: physical, chemical, and biological. First, a physical characterization of a novel microsecond spark discharge ignited in a pin-to-hole electrode configuration is performed. This provides ground for deeper understanding of the physical mechanisms of plasma effects of biological objects, and further adjustment of the discharge for specific applications. A series of in vitro and in vivo experiments on inactivation of bacteria and spores using various types of plasma discharges adds understanding of physicochemical plasma biodecontamination mechanisms. Based on the results of this study, an initial model of such mechanisms is proposed. Results of in vitro and ex vivo experiments show that plasmas are able to produce a number of various reactive species in gas phase, as well as deliver these species into liquid phase and into tissues. Depth of plasma effect penetration is shown to be on the order of several millimeters. Based on these results, an in vitro physicochemical model of tissue is proposed. Biological safety of plasma treatment is revealed through a series of differential skin toxicity trials on live mouse and rat skin tissue, live pig skin tissue, and in an open wound model on pigs. Plasma ability to coagulate blood, decontaminate and accelerate wound healing is shown in a series of in vivo experiments using live rat animal models. The first invasive plasma application for treatment of gastroenterological diseases is presented.
Recreating popular user-generated tags effectively and efficiently by utilizing crowdsourcing
Authors:   , Elnatour Deima , Hu Xiaohua
Published: July 2021

It is well-known today that not all user-generated tags provide additional information that can be used to further improve web search beyond traditional methods. A number of studies established that popular tags are most useful for web search. Popular tags are common tags provided independently by a large number of users to describe web sources of interest. However, the same studies concluded that incorporating these tags will not make a measurable impact on search engine performance given the size of the web and the scarcity and distribution of popular user-generated tags across the extended web. This dissertation is focused on finding a way to create social bookmarking tags efficiently and effectively by utilizing crowdsourcing systems. Crowdsourcing is aplatform in which tasks can be posted that would then be completed at a stated price or reward. This aims to attract users to complete relatively simple tasks that are easier for humans and harder for machines. Crowdsourcing has been widely used by companies and researchers to source micro-tasks requiring human intelligence such as identifying objects in images, finding or verifying relevant information, or natural language processing. The purpose of the study is to determine whether popular internet bookmarking tags can be recreated through crowdsourcing. Amazon Mechanical Turk, the workmarketplace, was used as a means to conduct an experiment regarding the reproduction of popular tags for a variety of websites using Delicious, a service for storing and sharing bookmarked pages on the internet. The key research questions for the study were examined as a number of factors regarding tag creation including the effectiveness of crowdsourcing in reproducing popular tags, categorizing which tags can be recreated most effectively, and the relationship of worker characteristics and demographics to the effectiveness of producing popular tags. The results of the study suggest that popular internet bookmarking tags can be recreated effectively through crowdsourcing. Moreover, tag creation effectiveness was significantly higher for tag type "Factual and Subjective" (F & S) than for tag type "Factual" (F). Additionally, other variables were tested to assess their relationship with tag creation effectiveness. Interest in site, familiarity with site, tag creation experience and tag usage experience were significantly related to tag creation effectiveness for some of the sites, although the direction and significance of these relationships was not consistent across all sites included in this study. This study provides a promising new direction for cheap, fast and effective creation of user-generated tags that would be useful in indexing more of the extendedweb and consequently help improve web search. Furthermore, it informs future experimental and micro-task design for creating high quality tags reliably usingcrowdsourcing platforms.
Solute enhanced strain hardening of aluminum alloys to achieve improved combinations of strength and toughness
Authors:   , Hovanec Christopher James , Doherty Roger D. , Kalidindi Surya
Published: July 2021

The feasibility of achieving improved combinations of strength and toughness in aluminum alloy 2524 through solute enhanced strain hardening (SESH) has been explored in this study and shown to be viable. The effectiveness of SESH is directly dependent on the strain hardening rate (SHR) of the material being processed. Aluminum alloy 2524 naturally ages to the T4-temper after solution heat treating and quenching. The SHR of strain free and post cold rolled material as a function of natural aging time has been measured by means of simple compression. It has been determined that the SHR of AA2524 is more effective with solute in solution rather than clustered into GP zones. It has also been shown that the typical rapid formation of GP zones at room temperature (natural aging) is inhibited by moderate cold rolling strains (É›CR [greater than or equal to] 0.2) through dislocation aided vacancy annihilation. The practical limitations of quenching rate have been determined using hardness and eddy current electrical conductivity measurements. It has been shown that too slow of a quench rate results in solute being lost to both the formation of GP zones and embrittling precipitates during the quench, while too rapid of a quench rate results in mid-plane cracking of the work piece during the SESH processing. The mid-plane cracking was overcome by using an uphill quenching procedure to relieve residual stresses within the work piece. Aluminum alloy 2524 strengthened through SESH to a yield strength 11% greater than that in the T6-Temper exhibits: equivalent toughness, 5% greater UTS, 1% greater elongation, 7% greater R. A., and absorbs 15% more energy during tensile testing. At yield strengths comparable to published data for 2x24 alloys, the SESH 2524 exhibited up to a 60% increase in fracture toughness. The fractured surfaces of the SESH material exhibited transgranular dimpled rupture as opposed to the grain boundary ductile fracture (GBPF) observed in the artificially aged material.
Matrix-valued moment problems
Authors:   , Kimsey David P. , Woerdeman Hugo J.
Published: July 2021

We will study matrix-valued moment problems. First, we will study matrix-valued positive semidefinite function on a locally compact Abelian group. We will show that matrix-valued positive semidefinite functions and matrix-valued moment functions are in a one-to-one correspondence on a locally compact Abelian group. Next, we will explore the truncated matrix-valued K-moment problem on R^d, C^d, and T^d. As a consequence, we get a solution criteria for data which is indexed up to an odd-degree to admit a minimal solution. Moreover, the representing measure is easily constructed from the given data. We will use this criterion to partially solve the complex cubic moment problem and show that it is different from the results that were obtained in the quadratic case. Finally, we will extend Tchakalo's theorem, for the existence of cubature rules, to the matrix-valued case.
A study of boundary-value problems in interfacial fluid dynamics
Authors:   , Milgrom Timur , Ambrose David M.
Published: July 2021

We study two problems arising in interfacial fluid dynamics; a Boussinesq approximation equation derived by Bona, Chen and Saut for small amplitude long waterwaves, and a vortex sheet problem with fluids of the same densities. These problems are studied along with Dirichlet, Neumann, and mixed boundary conditions. We study a general elliptic partial differential equations for which we show the existence of non-periodic and periodic solutions. The proof of existence of these solutions uses techniques from the work of Duchon and Robert which relies on a fixed point type of estimate. The result is applied to the Boussinesq equations for periodic problems and the vortex sheet for non-periodic problems.
Interactive visualization systems and data integration methods for supporting discovery in collections of scientific information
Authors:   , Pellegrino Donald Anthony , Chen Chaomei
Published: July 2021

Technological developments have been enabling additional sharing and reuse of scientific information. Current indexing methods support query-based search and filtering, however they do not support overviews and exploration. Due to these limitations of existing indexing methods, it is challenging to discover records and connections that relate information in new and potentially insightful ways. We developed prototype systems and computational methods for integrating collections from multiple sources within a domain into a single, unified graph data structure. Graph-theoretic measures and visualizations were then applied to identify relations and records that support discovery tasks. Three collections of molecular information were studied: (1) influenza protein sequences from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, (2) Open Notebook Science notebooks and databases from Drexel University and other academic chemical research laboratories, and (3) project data from drug discovery projects at Pfizer R&D. We designed methods for data integration within these collections. We then analyzed the integrated collections to design interactive visual tools and computational methods that could systematically identify relations and records that have a high potential to lead to novel discoveries in these areas. We conducted interviews with domain experts to evaluate the effectiveness of these designs. These studies demonstrate the feasibility of the new indexing methods to improve the discoverability of novel connections across multiple collections within a domain.
Data use and access behavior in eScience
Authors:   , Zhang Jian , Chen Chaomei
Published: July 2021

Science is entering its fourth paradigm of "data-intensive science". Relatively little attention has been paid to the users of scientific data, particularly their data practices. This dissertation endeavors to advance our knowledge of data behavior in the new paradigm. In association with the scope of Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) project, I conduct two major lines of research: a content analysis of SDSS-related scientific publications to investigate astronomers' data use behavior, and a visual exploration analysis (VEA) of SDSS SQL query logs with the design of a visualization tool, SDSS Log Viewer. By integrating results from VEA and statistics, I conducted three case studies of SDSS log data to investigate users' data seeking behavior. For astronomers' data usage behavior, I found that: 1) while a large volume of scientific data is produced in SDSS, researchers that rely on SDSS only intended to leverage the large number and use more data; 2) studies that leveraged a large volume of data from multiple data sources are relatively rare in the SDSS research domain; 3) using data collected by others, both data collection projects and other researchers, is a common data behavior in the SDSS research community; and 4) the results of possibility of data reconstruction suggest that scientific publications themselves are insufficient for linking scientific data with the data sources. For users' data seeking behavior, I found that: 1) a small number of automatic query generators formed the major query traffics (in terms of the number of queries) to the SDSS data archive and six common categories of queries were identified. The number of query templates used by automatic query generators are small; 2) Academic researchers, who are the target users of the SDSS data archive, issued relatively large number of queries mannually. Compared to the queries generated by automatic data requestors, the query templates used by this type of users are rather diverse in terms of both sophistication of condition strings and complexity of query structures. A possible learning hierarchy is observed in this user group; and 3) occasional passing-by users are large in numbers, but their behavior is still unclear. As possible the first empirical study of users' data use and access behavior, aforementioned findings have lay down the foundation for wide range of future study. Also the method used in this study is generic and much of it is applicable to other fields because the specific steps in the methods are independent of application domains.
Macroporous hydrogels as vascularizable soft tissue-implant interfaces
Authors:   , Dziubla Thomas D. , Lowman Anthony M.
Published: July 2021

Implantable medical devices, such as biosensors and implantable drug delivery systems, function optimally when rapid solute exchange can occur between implant and surrounding tissue. However, almost all materials implanted into the body are encapsulated in a fibrous layer that prevents this rapid communication. Macroporous materials are known to change this response by allowing vascularized tissue ingrowth, however many questions still exist as to the role material properties play. In this work, macroporous hydrogels are presented as an ideal interface between implant and tissue due to there mechanical properties which are similar to soft tissue. These materials were synthesized with varying degrees of porosity, pore size, and surface hydrophilicity. It was found from that when the hydrogel's pore sizes were 10 [mu]m or larger, they became highly vascularized in vitro, regardless of surface hydrophilicity. This response was different from previous literature where larger pores sizes (~60 [mu]m) were necessary. It was thought that the lack of a secondary infiltrating cell (macrophages) during the in vitro studies was the cause for this discrepancy. Computer simulations verified the in vitro results presented. From in vivo studies, this high degree of vascularity was found to not only lengthen the life span of an implanted drug delivery device, but also improve the associated uptake response.
Comparison of PM 2.5 Samplers in Residential Environments
Authors:   , Widman Shannon , Cummings Curtis E.
Published: July 2021

Background: Research has shown that long-term exposure to particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less can result in adverse health effects including changes in respiratory function and in cardiopulmonary morbidity and mortality. This study sought to investigate potential contributors to heightened PM 2.5 concentrations in the home and to compare two PM 2.5 samplers that are commercially available and commonly used. Methods: This experimental study was performed in the homes of thirty-one Drexel-affiliated participants. The Sioutas Cascade Impactor (SKC Inc., Eighty Four, PA) and the Personal Environmental Monitor (PEM-SKC Inc., Eighty Four, PA) were run side-by-side for eight hours in the homes of the participants; PM 2.5 concentrations for each sampler were calculated following sampling. The resultant PM 2.5 concentrations were log-transformed to attain normality. A questionnaire was administered to gather data on housing characteristics and possible contributors to heightened PM 2.5 concentrations. Associations between contributors and observed PM 2.5 concentrations were assessed. Results: Variability between the Sioutas Cascade Impactor and the Personal Environmental Monitor was found to be statistically significant (p=0.015). The PEM was found to measure an average of two times higher PM 2.5 concentrations than the Sioutas, when sampling in the same environment. No statistical significance was observed among residences exhibiting different housing characteristics (p>0.05). Conclusions: The Sioutas appears to underestimate PM 2.5 concentrations, while the PEM measures higher PM 2.5 concentration in the same environment. It would be beneficial for this study to be expanded and continued, with samples taken in a larger number of homes in order to confirm the association. Additionally, it would be beneficial to use two of each sampler for comparison purposes.
Analysis and novel characterization of synthetic and biologically enhanced complexation hydrogels for oral protein delivery
Authors:   , Marks F. Michael , Lowman Anthony M.
Published: July 2021

Graft copolymer networks have shown promise as devices for oral delivery of proteins. By increasing adhesion of these networks at the delivery site of the upper small intestine by utilizing small chemical linkages caused by the novel addition of a synthetic or biological functional groups we can make them more viable. The synthetically functionalized aldehydes bind covalently by way of a condensation reaction with the amines of the amino acids found in the glycoprotein network of the mucus layer of the small intestine to form imines. The biologically grafted SlpA protein adhesin from L. acidophilus binds to human epithelial cells, mucus and fibronectin. To investigate the effectiveness of these bonds, P(MAA-EG) copolymers are prepared with varying percentages of grafted aldehyde modified PEG or SlpA protein adhesin and characterized. When swollen in buffered solution, results indicate that all formulations with the aldehyde modified PEG or SlpA protein adhesin maintained the desired pH sensitivity and transition as those formulations without modification. Bulk adhesion testing was carried out through the use of a mechanical testing apparatus for aldehyde modified hydrogels in contact with mucus. Adhesion results show an increase to the already present adhesion of the copolymers due to increased percentages of the aldehyde modified PEG tethers where the highest modified formulation had the largest increase over both control formulations. Molecular adhesion testing was performed on the aldehyde modified hydrogels utilizing atomic force microscopy as a novel in vitro testing method. The new method was developed to gauge the intricacies of adhesion. After, using a new technique to build hydrogel capped AFM testing tips, experiments wereperformed with mucus with results indicating an overall increase of adhesion across all formulations when compared to bulk tensile testing. Bulk adhesion testing for the SlpA modified hydrogels with Caco-2 cells also showed an increase to the already present adhesion of the control copolymers.
Rhythmicity of sleep and impact of safety behaviors
Authors:   , Swinkels Cindy Marie Johanna , Kloss Jacqueline D.
Published: July 2021

Primary insomnia is a persistent disorder that is characterized by waxing and waning symptoms (APA, 2002). The DSM-IV TR (APA, 2002) states that individualswith insomnia must complain about the inability to fall asleep, stay asleep, wake too early, or wake unrefreshed for a duration of at least one month. Therefore, there is a certain level of variability that exists innately with this disorder. Only a few studies have empirically studied the variability or rhythmicity of sleep (Vallieres, Ivers, Bastien, Beaulieu-Bonneau, & Morin, 2005; Perlis et al., 2009; Buysse, Cheng, Germain, Moul, Frazen, Fletcher, et al., 2010). Two of the three groups of researchers identified an underlying pattern in the sleep of individuals with insomnia. However, one study (Buysse et al., 2010) concluded that there was a pattern in older adults that were good sleeper but did not find a pattern in those with insomnia. The present study utilized an archival data set of 66 individuals (33 participants with insomnia (PIs) and 33 controls (GSs)). We found that individuals with insomnia were likely to have a relatively good night's sleep within 2-3 days, which replicated the Perlis et al. study (2009). These results were also extended good sleepers. In regards to patterns of sleep, several panel regressions wereused to determine that previous night's sleep did impact the current night's sleep. In addition, time spent in bed on previous nights predicted that an individual would have a decreased SE on the present night. Napping duration did not account for significant variation when accounting for either good or bad sleep. Post hoc analyses revealed that individuals with insomnia had an absolute good night's sleep after 5-6 days of poor sleep; whereas, good sleepers had an absolute good night's sleep within 1-2 days of a poor sleep. To be able to better predict an individual's sleep, one must look at not only the homeostatic drive but to other factors that might be contributing to the nuances of the day-to-day, which include biopsychosocial factors.
Shake table acceleration tracking performance impact on dynamic similitude
Authors:   , Mota Miguel Angelo Cadete Andrade , Moon Franklin L. , Aktan Ahmet Emin
Published: July 2021

Dynamic simulations conducted on shake tables offer an economical means of examining the inelastic response of structures to earthquakes. However, past studies have shown the inability of shake-tables to precisely simulate earthquake records (so-called acceleration tracking performance). While such performance deficiencies are well-documented, their influence on the inelastic response of models has not been directly studied. The objective of the research reported herein is to establish how errors associated with earthquake tracking performance influence inelastic responses, and to identify the key parameters that affect such influences. To satisfy this objective simulated earthquake records (with acceleration tracking errors) were obtained from a unidirectional shake-table and used within a parametric study that had variables of (1) earthquake record (simulated by the Table versus Input), (2) scale, (3) model frequency, (4) degree of nonlinearity. The results indicated that a) the inability of shake tables to replicate the input (desired) signal at small physical scales resulted in error between (simulated versus real) 50 and 65% b) Energy dissipation at the global level obtained thru nonlinear simulations of finite element model replicas of the physical models shows that the shake-table simulated is notlinearly proportional to the real signal. The inelastic response is affected by: physical scale, structure height and degree of non-linearity.
The online transition
Authors:   , Ciervo Nicholas Robert , Tedesco Albert S.
Published: July 2021

The media industry is undergoing a change and no one is exempt. No matter the medium, size of the company, or current subscription levels or ratings, the future is in question. Where one is positioned and how one responds to the obstacles and twists will dictate survivability. There are schools of media theorists who believe the convergence of media to be the death of journalism. Others warn that media companies should do all that they can to channel the audience back to their traditional medium. Of course there are also the camps that praise the Internet for its ability to combine traditional media distribution techniques. Where do media companies stand? On which side of the fence do they stand? What are they doing?This thesis analyzes what one major market weekly newspaper is doing, Big City Weekly, as it will be referred to for anonymity, and compares it to what the analysts are saying and other companies of varying similarities are doing. Broadcast media and print media, national and local, same market and different markets, daily and weekly, all have to formulate strategies many of which may appear to take the same skeletal structure. How does Big City Weekly look in comparison to a major national paper, the leading local paper, the leading papers of other markets, their weekly competitor in Big City, other weekly papers, and the broadcasters?Big City Publications, Inc. considers their publishing strategy to be multi-platform, publishing designated for more than one distribution technique. Their strategy for being such is compared with other "multi-platform" publishers as a way to help define multi-platform. Media companies need to be multimedia companies, print needs to take on broadcasting and broadcasting needs to take on print. The techniques that went into developing other media will still apply, but will be needed in multi-platform environments.
Electrospinning and rheological characterization of quaternized chitosan
Authors:   , Fahnestock Keith James , Schauer Caroline L.
Published: July 2021

Mobile power generation and storage is one of the greatest challenges for power hungry electronic devices. Methanol fuel cells, based on proton conducting Nafion® membranes have been shown to have a higher power density than state of the art lithium-ion batteries and have an instant recharge time. A great deal of focus has been placed on improving this system. In this work, a naturally derived polymer was functionalized and conformationally modified to make it suitable for an alkaline fuel cell membrane. Quaternary chitosan, a water soluble chitosan derivative, was synthesized by introducing quaternary ammonium functionality onto the amino groups of chitosan. This quaternized chitosan was cast into films, crosslinked, and subsequently tested for ionic conductivity. In an effort to increase ionic conductivity, the quaternized chitosan was then electrospun to produce nanoscale fibers. The solution behavior of this derivative in a variety of solvent systems was assessed for electrospinning. The quaternary chitosan was further characterized rheologically to determine solution behavior in acidic solvents.
Nutrition education via interactive animated storytelling devices in classroom environments
Authors:   , Ruane Gregory Christopher , Redmann Christopher P.
Published: July 2021

Childhood obesity has become an epidemic in developed nations and prevention in the form of education is one possible solution. My proposed thesis will combine traditional storytelling methods and constructivist educational theory with a digital, interactive animation. Through the interactive animation, a student is able to guide the central character through a story by making decisions at key points. Upon completion, an instructor leads a classroom discussion encouraging students to reflect and expand upon the decisions they have made.
Morphology and anisotropic ionic conductivity properties of poly(ethylene oxide)-lithium salt holographic polymer dispersed electrolyte volume gratings
Authors:   , Smith Derrick M. , Li Christopher Y.
Published: July 2021

Energy has become one of the most urgent topics of conversation, not only from consumer desire but from energy consumption being the leading contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. As energy sources are replaced with renewable supplies, the need for longer lasting, faster and more versatile energy storage devices soars. While many researchers have demonstrated repeatable characteristics of electrolytes, membranes and cathode systems, the fundamentals behind the interactions during ionic diffusion in polymer membranes, which hold the key to improving performance of energy storage devices such as fuel cells and Lithium ion batteries, are not well understood, specifically the role nanostructures play in affecting the macro-properties of ionic diffusion. This is partially because of the challenge to fabricate model systems that allows reconciliation of meaning between nanostructures and their corresponding ion conducting behaviorTo this end, in this thesis work, Holographic Polymer Dispersed Electrolyte (HPDE) volume gratings comprised of alternating layers of crosslinked polymer resin and lithium ion salt were fabricated using holographic polymerization and the average d-spacing of the layers are approximately 200 nm. Two optical setups were used as a model system to write patterns with the normal direction of the layers both perpendicular and parallel to the film. These one-dimensional confinement structures were used to study the anisotropic ionic conductivity of through and in-plane of the confined electrolyte layers and the unique ion conducting behavior was correlated with nanoscale phase separation. These volume gratings also offer an exciting route to fabricate multifunctional gratings for optic and sensing applications.
The osteolytic potential of polyethylene wear debris in periprosthetic tissues surrounding total joint replacements
Authors:   , Baxter Ryan Michael , Kurtz Steven M.
Published: July 2021

Despite the widespread implementation of highly crosslinked polyethylene (HXLPE) liners to reduce the clinical incidence of osteolysis, it is not known if the substantially improved wear resistance will outweigh the inflammatory potential of HXLPE wear debris generated in vivo. To address these unanswered questions with regard to wear debris in THA, a detailed analysis of the differences in size, shape, number and biological activity of polyethylene wear particles was performed. Pseudocapsular tissues were obtained from the primary revision surgery of four gamma inert--sterilized conventional polyethylene liners (CPE), five annealed HXLPE liners and five remelted HXLPE liners. Subsequently, tissues were digested using nitric acid and polyethylene wear particles (>0.05 [mu]m) were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy to determine particle size, shape, number and biological activity. Tissues from both remelted and annealed HXLPE cohorts contained significantly smaller and rounder particles compared to the CPE cohort. Despite the increased percentage of submicron particles, the total number of particles was also lower for both HXLPE cohorts. The volume fraction distribution and specific biological activity per unit volume (SBA) were not significantly different between any of the cohorts. However, the decreased size and number of HXLPE wear debris resulted in a significant decrease in the total particle volume (mm3) per gram of tissue. Accordingly, when the SBA was normalized by the total particle volume, functional biological activity of the HXLPE wear debris was significantly decreased compared to the CPE cohort. Overall, these data show that despite the increased percentage of submicron wear particles, the osteolytic potential of wear debris generated by HXLPE liners in vivo is significantly reduced by the improvements in polyethylene wear resistance.
Solvent evaporation and particle deposition of colloidal drops in inkjet printing process
Authors:   , Chhasatia Viralsinh , Sun Ying
Published: July 2021

Inkjet printing has garnered much attention due to its ability to dispense precise amounts of functional materials onto targeted areas. It is a low-cost and scalable manufacturing process for a wide range of applications including thin film solar cells, electronic circuits and flexible displays. To realize the potential of inkjet printing, the evaporation, contact line (CL) dynamics, and particle deposition of inkjet-printed aqueous colloidal drops have been investigated by using fluorescence microscopy and a high resolution goniometer. The results show that the relative humidity affects the extent to which the drop is able to spread, the evaporation rate at the drop surface, the evaporation-driven flow inside the drop, and finally the particle deposition morphology. The deposition behavior of inkjet-printed colloidal mixture of micro and nanoparticles on a substrate with varying wettability is investigated. It is found that particles inside an evaporating drop rearrange themselves near the CL according to their sizes, where smaller particles deposit closer to the CL. By increasing substrate wettability, particles in the bi-dispersed mixture can be further separated. Forces acting on the particles determine the role of particles in enhancing CL pinning, which ultimately determines the final deposition morphology of a bi-dispersed colloidal mixture. The dynamics of drop coalescence, evaporation, and particle deposition of two inkjet-printed consecutive drops have been studied by jetting the second drop on the prewetted region of the first drop with various temporal delays and drop spacings. As drop separation distance increases, the circularity of the deposition decreases. Moreover, a longer delay between two drops causes the formation of two separate coffee rings as more particles are pulled and deposited in the first drop region due to capillary pressure. The effect of particle shape on the deposition morphology is also studied to suppress the coffee ring effect for spherical particles. Finally, applications of inkjet printing for conducting lines and organic solar cells are explored. The conditions under which stable lines and uniform films are formed have been examined. The knowledge obtained will benefit a wide range of applications that involve evaporation-driven assembly of complex fluids ranging from printable electronics to tissue engineering.
Taking action to lose weight
Authors:   , Annunziato Rachel A. , Lowe Michael R.
Published: July 2021

The problem of obesity has reached epidemic proportions. Currently, roughly two-thirds of all adult Americans are overweight or obese. Of these, 40% are not engaging in weight control. Little is known about these individuals except that they are at high-risk for a variety of medical comorbidities. A greater understanding of these persons is imperative for ultimately encouraging their initiation of weight control practices. Among those who are addressing their obesity, the prominent strategy employed is dieting on one's own. Previous research has studied overweight people who seek help with weight control versus those who do not. Help-seeking has been associated with higher levels of psychological distress and more severe obesity. This classification however neglects individuals attempting other weight control methods besides seeking outside assistance. The present study proposes a two-dimensional system for understanding varying levels of weight control behavior. A help-seeking dimension is proposed that capres a gradation of help-seeking behaviors. The second dimension aims at classifying individuals on a self-agency dimension. This dimension explores how individuals' perception of themselves as agents of change influences their weight control. Socioeconomic status (SES) is hypothesized as a potential moderator of both dimensions. The present study aims to demonstrate possible correlates of both dimensions, including psychological distress, disordered eating behavior, obesity-related knowledge, body-image, and comorbid medical risks. By uncovering differences in these variables across the two dimensions, our understanding of what factors contribute to engagement in varying levels of weight control behaviors will be augmented.