bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introducing an Information Seeking Skill in a School Library to Students with Autism
Authors:   , Markey Patricia T. , Miller O'Neal Michel L.
Published: July 2021

Between the years 2002 and 2010, the identification of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) increased by more than 123% according to the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network. Recent estimates report that one in 68 children has been diagnosed with autism, with ASD affecting one in 42 boys and one in 189 girls (CDC, 2014). The purpose of this case study was to determine the effectiveness of a video peer modeling and least-to-most prompting intervention targeting the instructional delivery of an information literacy skill to students with ASD in the school library setting. Research studies have evaluated the effectiveness of video modeling procedures in the acquisition of social initiation, conversational skills, perspective-taking, appropriate play, and functional skills. However, the literature is limited on the effects of video modeling with least-to-most prompting on the acquisition of academic skills in library instructional programs. This research study is significant due to the rapid increase in the identification of students with autism spectrum disorders and current inclusionary practices in both the general education and library classrooms. This single-subject, multiple case study design utilized a descriptive approach to measure baseline, video peer-modeling intervention, and withdrawal phases for the acquisition of skills by five middle school students with autism spectrum disorder in accessing an online computer card catalog to locate a library book in the school collection. The primary question this research study sought to answer was: How does the use of video modeling accompanied by least-to-most prompting affect the acquisition of library information skills in students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)? The results suggest that video modeling with least-to-most prompting was successful in teaching the five participants to access the online library card catalog to help them select books for academic and leisure activities. The video modeling intervention effectively facilitated the acquisition of the targeted skill for all of the study participants. Each participant was able to acquire the skills needed to complete the task independently with fading of least-to-most prompts within four to twelve sessions. Findings from the current study regarding the efficacy of video modeling intervention add to the literature on the utilization of video modeling procedures in improving academic skills in students with ASD. Results can also be used to strengthen existing educational programs and services for children with ASD in library instructional programs. Keywords: academic skills, autism spectrum disorder, inclusion, instructional strategies, intervention, least-to-most prompting, school library, social learning, video modeling, video peer-modeling
The Burden of Infection-Associated and Common Cancers Among South Asians and Other Asian Subpopulations in the United States, 1999-2009
Authors:   , George Neena Sarah , Evans Alison A.
Published: July 2021

Cancer surveillance systems often do not provide detailed estimates of disease among racial/ethnic minorities due to the use of combined racial groups such as Asian/Pacific Islander. The current cancer burden in the South Asian population in the U.S. is largely unknown due to the lack of studies that examine this group separately from other Asian/Pacific Islander populations. We utilized SEER data to examine differences in stage at diagnosis and survival of infection-associated (liver, stomach, and cervical) and common (breast) cancers among South Asians compared to other Asian subpopulations in the U.S. SEER-Medicare data were used to assess the association between primary care physician visits and these cancer outcomes among these groups. In our study of infection-associated cancers, it was found that South Asians had the highest proportion (48%) of late stage liver cancer cases compared to the other Asian subpopulations examined. When examining breast cancer outcomes among the Asian subpopulations, the highest risk for late stage diagnosis when compared to non-Hispanic whites was found among South Asians, with 3% (OR=0.97; 95% CI 0.81, 1.16) reduced risk for late stage diagnosis for this group. When examining those diagnosed at early-stage disease, South Asians had 39% significant reduced risk (95% CI 0.44, 0.84) of death when compared to non-Hispanic whites. Among those diagnosed with late-stage disease, this group had 20% reduced risk (95% CI 0.59, 1.09) of death when compared to non-Hispanic whites. Primary care visits were associated with decreased risk of late stage diagnosis of breast cancer among both Asians and non-Hispanic whites. Asians in the highest quartile of total physician visits had 57% (OR=0.43; 95% CI 0.27, 0.70) decreased risk of late stage diagnosis compared to those in the lowest quartile. Our findings provide evidence for the need to examine Asian subpopulations as individual groups rather than using the aggregate racial/ethnic category known as Asian/PI. True heterogeneity in cancer outcomes exists within these separate groups and requires targeted interventions for specific subpopulations.
Biology and Management of Olive Ridley Turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) in Central America
Authors:   , Orrego Carlos Mario V. , Spotila James Robert
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this dissertation was to understand the applied biology of the olive ridley turtle nesting arribada at Playa Ostional, Costa Rica, and Playa La Flor and Playa Chacocente in Nicaragua. Harvest of eggs fromthese beaches was not sustainable. Hatchling production at Ostional and La Flor was insufficient to maintain the current populations of adults and production of hatchlings at Chacocente was marginal. To help ensure the stability of the regional olive ridley population it will be necessary to produce as many hatchlings as possible from the beaches and to reduce at sea mortality of the turtles for the foreseeable future. Hatching success and the production of hatchlings were controlled by the same spatial, temporal, human and environmental factors on all three beaches so those controls appear to be general in nature, at least in the Central American Pacific coast. Density of eggs did not have a significant effect on hatching success or hatchling production. Plots open to harvest, dogs and poaching did not have higher hatching success or higher hatchling production. Thus, removal of eggs by humans and their animals is not an effective means to increase the number of hatchlings produced from these beaches. The best way to increase hatchling production is stop poaching, reduce dog predation, and find ways to increase hatching success. It is not practical to eliminate the harvest at Ostional because the harvest provides important income for the members of ADIO. However, the legal harvest can be restricted to the dry season when eggs typically die from heat and lack of water. In the wet season harvest can be restricted to eggs that are on the surface of the sand due to digging by turtles and eggs that are in danger of being washed away by the estuaries and tides. Ecotourism now produces more income at Ostional than the legal egg harvest. A combination of a well-managed harvest of doomed eggs and ecotourism would provide a conservation plan that would eventually provide new income for local residents and increase hatchling production. A participatory management program is needed on the other beaches as well.
Juvenile Justice Encounters in an ASD Population
Authors:   , Turcotte Paul , Newschaffer Craig J.
Published: July 2021

Background: Past research has shown that individuals in the juvenile justice system have high rates of behavioral and mental diagnoses. However, there are few papers that examined rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) contact with the juvenile justice system. Aims: The purpose of this study is to investigate rates of juvenile justice system contact in a population-based sample of youth with ASD, compare these rates to general population rate, examine these trends over time and describe the distribution of crimes committed by young offenders with ASD compared to the like-aged general population. Methods: Data used to identify the population with ASD were collected through enrollment in Medical Assistance and other Public Welfare programs. Youth with an ASD diagnosis between the ages of 10 and 21 in calendar years 2005 and 2011 were identified using at least one Medicaid claim for ASD in those years, and linked by a state juvenile justice office. Results: Negative binomial regression was used adjust rates for basic demographic characteristics and to contrast adjusted rates in the populations. Regression analysis showed that individuals in the ASD group were 6.13 times as likely to come into contact with the justice system and the risk of offending from 2005-2011 increased significantly. Should these patterns persist, the implication is that individuals with ASD in our sample are at a higher risk for juvenile justice system contact than the general population. More research is needed to identify the reasons behind these patterns as to appropriately inform potential policy and program recommendations.
Comparison of the Yield from an Autism-specific and General Developmental Screener in an Urban Pediatric Population
Authors:   , Khan Sana , Newschaffer Craig J.
Published: July 2021

Background: It has been demonstrated that both general developmental screening and autism specific screening have value in the early identification of toddlers with neurodevelopmental issues in pediatric primary care. Few studies have considered the marginal benefit of adding autism specific screening to an existing regimen of general developmental screening. Objective: To determine if the addition of an autism specific screener, the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), to a pediatric primary care visit where a general developmental screener, the Ages and Stages Questionnaire version II (ASQ II), is occurring identifies additional children at risk for neurodevelopmental issues and to explore factors associated with a positive M-CHAT screening result in a sample of children seen at four, urban pediatric primary care clinics. Methods: Existing data from a randomized trial of developmental screening conducted in 4 urban pediatric clinics from December 2008 to June 2010 were reanalyzed. Of the 2092 subjects in the trial arms, they were categorized as failing the M-CHAT only, failing the ASQ-II only, failing both, or failing neither and the proportion of children who failed the M-CHAT who did not fail the ASQ-II was estimated. In addition, the time to Early Intervention referrals and referral completion were compared among screening groups with Kaplan Meier estimates. Finally, we explored the association between demographic, environmental, and maternal child health factors with M-CHAT failure using logistic regression. Results: The proportion of children who failed the M-CHAT were missed by the ASQ-II was 32.61% (95% CI: 19.06% - 46.16%). Children who failed both were got EI referrals and EI referral completions faster and at an earlier age compared to children who failed one. Those who failed only the M-CHAT tended to be poorer than children who failed the ASQ-II only (61.54% and 23.10% having a household income of less than $5,000 a year, respectively). Children of a parent who felt depressed were 2.39 times as likely to fail the M-CHAT compared to parent who weren't (OR: 2.93, 95% CI: 1.28-4.48) and children who have helpful neighbors were 3.57 times as likely to fail the M-CHAT compared to children without helpful neighbors (OR: 3.57, 95% CI: 1.58-8.09). Conclusions: This study provides initial support for the administration of the M-CHAT in addition to general developmental screening is necessary because the ASQ-II may miss one third of the children who screen positive for autism. However, the final diagnostic status of children in this study was not known and should be considered when making a final determination about joint screening. Children who fail the M-CHAT are more likely to be poor, not have helpful neighbors, and have parents who may feel depressed compared to children who did not fail.
Acceptance and commitment therapy for generalized social anxiety disorder
Authors:   , Dalrymple Kristy L. , Herbert James D.
Published: July 2021

Despite the demonstrated efficacy of cognitive-behavior therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), many individuals do not respond to treatment or demonstrate residual symptoms and impairment after treatment. Preliminary evidence indicates that incorporating mindfulness and acceptance techniques within traditional behavior therapy, through psychotherapy programs such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), can be helpful for a variety of disorders. Only one study to date has been conducted on ACT for public speaking anxiety in a college sample, which showed promising results. We examined the efficacy of ACT in individuals diagnosed with SAD in a pilot study. Participants received 12 weekly individual sessions of ACT for SAD. The treatment incorporated mindfulness and acceptance techniques within a standard exposure-based intervention protocol for SAD. Multi-modal assessments were conducted using standardized measures at pre-treatment, mid-treatment, and post-treatment. Self-reported baseline assessments were also included to control for threats to internal validity; results showed no change in symptoms from baseline to pre-treatment. Results showed significant pre- to post-treatment improvement in self-reported and clinician-rated social anxiety symptoms and observer-rated social skills, as well as significant improvement on ACT-specific measures of willingness, experiential avoidance, and valued action. Large effect size gains were found in social anxiety symptoms and quality of life, and were comparable to those of other studies examining the efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for SAD. Furthermore, 37.5% of participants met criteria for reliable and clinically significant change, and change in quality of life and experiential avoidance were significantly associated with treatment outcome. Results from the present study suggest the potential efficacy of ACT for SAD and highlight the need for future research utilizing larger samples and directly comparing ACT to CBT.
Effect of in utero exposure to beta-2 adrenergic receptor agonists and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on the risk for autism spectrum disorders
Authors:   , Gidaya Nicole Bondad , Newschaffer Craig J.
Published: July 2021

Objective: This dissertation explored associations between two specific classes of drug exposures, beta-2 adrenergic receptor (B2AR) agonists and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and the risk for ASD. Study Design: This project had two components: 1) a case-control study focused on estimation of exposure main effects from Denmark's population-registers and 2) a candidate gene-environment interaction analysis using both exposure and genotype data from a large ongoing US autism case-control study. Methods: From the Danish registers, one case per ten controls was individually matched on birth month and year. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate unadjusted and adjusted drug exposure odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Estimates were calculated in each drug class for any exposure, any exposure by preconception or trimester, dose, and duration. Special attention was paid to confounding by indication, as well as a sensitivity analysis for exposure and indicating condition misclassification. The gene-environment interaction analysis was based on unmatched case-control data and explored whether effects of in utero B2AR agonist drugs used during pregnancy are modified by polymorphisms in the ADRB2 gene (Gly16 and Glu27 polymorphisms). Logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted ORs and 95% CI. Results: In parental age and child sex adjusted models we observed an increased risk for ASD associated with any in utero B2AR agonist drugs exposure (OR 1.3, 95% CI: 1.1- 1.5). Similarly, any exposure to SSRIs during pregnancy was associated with ASD (OR 2.0 [95% CI, 2.0 [1.6-2.6]) compared to the unexposed reference group. Lastly, for the gene-environment interaction analysis we found some suggestion that the ASD risk associated with prenatal B2AR exposure may be modified by ADRB2 genotype; although estimates were imprecise. Conclusion: The combination of low exposure prevalence during pregnancy and modest odds ratios we had observed for these two classes of drugs implies that the population attributable risks associated with both exposures will be fairly small. The possible increase in ASD risk from exposure to these medications must be weighed against effects of uncontrolled indications during pregnancy and the growing concern over the potential risk for the developing fetus and the mother as well as benefits of medication to mother and fetus despite possible ASD risk.
How do individuals with fears of social situations experience making art of their feared situation?
Authors:   , Rosaio Emily Erin , Kaiser Donna H.
Published: July 2021

This qualitative case study aimed to explore how individuals with fears of social situations would experience first drawing depictions of their feared social situations and then modifying those drawings in a way that would make the situation seem positive or less fear or anxiety producing. Besides the fact that many individuals with social fears avoid seeking treatment due to perceived embarrassment and avoidance of confronting their fears, many individuals with social fears do not benefit from available exposure treatments due to attentional biases, which interrupt the fear activation necessary for effective fear extinction. No known research has used art making with the concept of cognitive restructuring, an effective cognitive behavioral treatment method for social phobia, in an attempt to find a nonthreatening, nonverbal alternative for individuals with social fears. Seven participants with self-reported fears of specific social situations completed a two-part art making activity in which they first drew their feared social situation and then modified their original drawing in a way that would make the social situation seem less fear provoking. Participants' responses to a written questionnaire and open-ended interview about their experiences suggested that the participants' anxiety was either reduced from the first drawing to the second drawing or, at least, did not increase. The data also suggested that the participants accredited this reduction to the modification drawing and discussing their social fears with the researcher. Finally, all seven participants reported a new insight or realization about their social fear that was either positive or that challenged a distorted belief about the perception of their fear.
The evolution of MTV networks from 1981-present day
Authors:   , Samtani Ryan , Salas Philip W.
Published: July 2021

This thesis examines the evolution of both MTV and VH1 and the way in which programming has changed across both networks from 1981 to the present day. Specific emphasis goes into the evolution of the music industry and how this is reflected within programming trends over time. Examples of these trends playing out are seen with the gradual decline in music video airing, coupled with an increase in reality-based programming.
The reformation of traditional television programs under the new media environment
Authors:   , Song Shanshan , Tedesco Albert S.
Published: July 2021

The purpose of the study was to explore how the new media and cyber environment prompt changes of the television programs toward an omni-media pattern of use. By using the Phoenix Group's news program, Omni Media Online as an example, the case study examines the audience's changing interests in programs' content as well as watching channels. Both audiences from television and new media platforms demonstrated a trend of merging audience composition and changing habit in China's media industry. When two-way communication could be built with multi-channel interaction, it brings more public opinions to live news broadcast. A survey was conducted to learn the relationships between modern audience and the program, taking the Phoenix Group as an example. It is important to know what viewers want based on their watching experience so that proper reform can be carried out draw their attentions.
The war on digital piracy
Authors:   , Haddad Maxwell Lee , Tedesco Albert S. , Cavallaro Mary
Published: July 2021

Digital piracy is a widespread and major issue that is estimated to cost media companies such as television networks, movie studios, and recording companies billions of dollars. Throughout the years the United States government has taken various steps to combat piracy. As technology continues to shift and piracy becomes easier and widespread it becomes increasingly difficult to thwart pirates and find solutions that both effectively stopped copyright infringers and protected the liberty of Americans using the internet. The newest attempt to thwart online piracy, House of Representatives Bill 3261, known as the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), was noble in intention but dangerous in proposed execution, and if it had passed the online liberty and freedoms of all Internet users would have been in serious jeopardy.
Thesis [Arts Lobbying]
Authors:   , Shue Jordan , Goodman Julie
Published: July 2021

The primary purpose of this assessment is to examine the types of lobbying tactics and their frequency of use by Americans for the Arts and the Sierra Club, and to identify a set of differences between the practices and structures of each organization. This study will use the Sierra Club as a comparison in order to provide Americans for the Arts with recommendations on how to strengthen and expand its current tactics. It will identify current tactics, both grassroots and inside, that Americans for the Arts and the Sierra Club use in a national forum. Though the study will examine lobbying tactics on the federal level, some national actions filter up and down through state and local efforts, so these incidences will be included in the final assessment of national policies and actions.
Approved Labor Provider Agreements
Authors:   , Roberson Stephanie , Brody Jean
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the relationship between theaters and local IATSE could be more successful with a different approach to the traditional bargaining agreement that currently exists between most theaters and their respective local IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) unions. These labor agreements, known as 'Approved Labor Provider Agreements' can be an agreeable compromise for both the theater and local IATSE chapters. An 'Approved Labor Provider Agreement' allows smaller theaters to have the expertise and skills which their local IATSE crew can provide while still allowing the theater the flexibility to be operated in house by non-union members and thus allowing these theaters to continue to operate within their budgets. It also allows the Local IATSE to work with a theater that had been unavailable to them before because of budgetary restrictions. This is advantageous to smaller Locals, which need the work for its members. Through the process of both my experience of negotiating such a contract with the IATSE and my interview with Lea Asbell-Swanger, the Assistant Director, Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State's Eisenhower Auditorium in University Park, PA, I was able to establish the advantage for the theater. Throughout the process of the contract negotiations with Allen Baysee and Joe Hartnett as well as the subsequent interviews I learned of the advantages for IATSE and the local stagehand union.
A Study of Four Arts Organization-Based Arts and Health Programs
Authors:   , Scharf Cara E. , Brody Jean
Published: July 2021

This thesis explores four programs run by arts organizations that use the arts to improve some aspect of health. Case studies of the organizations showed that programs share common characteristics, such as being beneficial to the organizations as a whole, and that all program managers want to distinguish their work from clinical therapy. There are also significant differences between programs based on organization size funding; larger, better-funded organizations are more likely to value evaluation and partnerships with medical institutions while smaller organizations are more interested in running their programs to the best of their ability. This paper serves as a call to action for the arts and health field'urging them to examine the breadth and needs of arts-organization based programs, in addition to healthcare institution-based programs, in order to serve the field better as a whole.
Couples Coping with Cancer
Authors:   , Lynch Laura E. , Davey Maureen P.
Published: July 2021

Cancer is an illness that affects not only patients but also their partners/spouses. Thus, there is a need for more couple-based psychosocial interventions designed to help couples patients and their partners with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples (EFT) is an attachment evidenced based model that has some support for use with couples coping with chronic illness. Prior researchers who evaluated couple-based psychosocial cancer interventions have included primarily white middle class samples and most focused on cognitive behavioral and psycho-educational approaches. Using attachment theory (Bowlby, 1980) and the biopsychoscial approach (Engel, 1977), this one-arm program evaluation study (pre-post test) was designed to examine if an adapted version of a couple's group therapy treatment, Hold Me Tight (HMT: Johnson, 2009) can help a racially diverse low to middle income sample of couples cope with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in a spouse or in a committed partner. A total of seven couples, six African American and one White/Asian couple (total of n=14 participants) completed this study. The couple support group intervention (HMT) was evaluated at baseline and post-intervention. The following two specific aims were examined: 1) Assess intervention acceptability and feasibility using recruitment and retention rates, participants' reasons for refusal or dropout, and level of post-intervention participant satisfaction; and 2). Pilot test treatment efficacy by comparing the pre-test and post-test measures for couples who completed the study. A comparison of baseline and post-intervention psychological (BDI II), relationship satisfaction (RDAS), attachment (ECR-S, BARE), and impact of the cancer (IES and FACT-G, version 4.0 for patients only) measures were conducted. Descriptive statistics, paired samples t-tests, and repeated measure ANOVAs were conducted to describe pre-post differences. Despite the slower than anticipated rate of recruitment at the one referring northeastern urban oncology clinic (25 couples were referred over a 13-month recruitment period; 12 volunteered and 7 couples completed the study), findings suggest the intervention is acceptable, although more feasible for patients post-cancer treatment (survivors). According to the repeated measures ANOVA results, there were significant medium to large effects for improved relationship satisfaction (RDAS total) and a decreased traumatic impact of the cancer diagnosis (IES total) for both patients and partners from pre-intervention to post-intervention. The outcome of this one-year pilot feasibility study was evidence of a promising theoretically-based (Attachment in Couples: Hazan & Shaver, 1987) brief couple support intervention for diverse samples of couples coping with cancer, acceptability, feasibility, and pilot data.
Art Therapy Informed Organizational Consulting
Authors:   , Babyak Kaitlin L. , Kaiser Donna H.
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this study was to explore and identify the frequency and manner in which art therapists are currently working as organizational consultants with individuals in a corporate environment. An online mixed-methods descriptive survey was developed to gather information from 14 English-speaking art therapists in 3 countries. In addition, a total of 3 respondents in 2 countries participated in a follow-up interview. The lack of published research in this area supported the need for further investigation into current practices by art therapists. Survey and interview respondents reported providing art therapy informed organizational consulting services for clients including workshops, corporate trainings, research, program evaluation, executive coaching, and reflective practice sessions. In addition respondents reported that the goals and objectives of the services they provided were related to areas such as promoting well-being; increasing support within communities; combating compassion fatigue; decreasing the effects of burnout syndrome and occupational stress; identifying individual and group strengths; improving interpersonal relationships, self-care, self-awareness, self-efficacy, communication, and ethical decision making; program evaluation; analysis of arts based data; and professional development. These results suggest that art therapy informed organizational consulting is a promising area of specialization especially because art therapist's clinical skills, including their training in art therapy theory, processes, and techniques, are translational to their work as consultants.
Fixed-point and implicit/inverse function theorems for free noncommutative functions
Authors:   , Abduvalieva Gulnara K. , Kaliuzhnyi-Verbovetskyi Dmitry S.
Published: July 2021

We establish a fixed-point theorem for mappings of square matrices of all sizes which respect the matrix sizes and direct sums of matrices. The conclusions are stronger if such a mapping is a free noncommutative function, i.e., if it respects matrix similarities. As a special case, we obtain the corresponding version of the Banach Contraction Mapping Theorem. This result is then applied to prove the existence and uniqueness of a solution of the initial value problem for ODEs in noncommutative spaces. As a by-product of the ideas developed in this paper, we establish a noncommutative version of the principle of nested closed sets. We prove the implicit function theorem and the inverse function theorem in two different settings: for free noncommutative functions over operator spaces and for free noncommutative functions on the set of nilpotent matrices.
A Randomized Trial of an Internet-Based Self-Help Intervention for Social Anxiety Disorder with and without Therapist Support
Authors:   , Gershkovich Marina , Herbert James D.
Published: July 2021

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in United States. Although evidenced-based behavioral treatments are available, less than 20% of those with SAD receive treatment (Grant et al., 2005). The disparity between the number of individuals affected and those obtaining treatment is due to a number of factors, including limited accessibility to therapists practicing evidence-based interventions such as cognitive behavior therapy, geographic factors, and financial cost. Internet-based interventions may be utilized to overcome some of these barriers. Guided Internet-based therapeutic interventions have been demonstrated to be effective for social anxiety (e.g., Andersson et al., 2006). The optimal role (if any) of the therapist in such programs, including the amount of therapist time necessary for effective treatment, remains unclear. The purpose of the current study was to assess the acceptability and efficacy of a novel Internet-based self-help CBT intervention for the treatment of SAD in adults, and to assess the additive role of minimal therapist support delivered through the videoconferencing platform VSee and text messaging on treatment outcome. The intervention program was derived from an acceptance-based CBT that utilizes traditional behavioral interventions (e.g., exposure) within the context of a model emphasizing mindfulness and psychological acceptance. Forty-two participants were randomized to two groups: An Internet self-help intervention only (n = 22) versus an Internet self-help intervention with therapist support (n = 20). Both groups received the Internet program consisting of eight weekly modules. The therapist support group also received weekly 10-15 minute therapist support delivered through VSee and daily text-messages. Participants were assessed pre-treatment, mid-treatment, and post-treatment on both outcome and process measures. Participants in both conditions rated the program as highly acceptable; therapists in the support condition rated the program as feasible. Both groups experienced a significant reduction in SAD symptoms and improvements in functioning and quality of life. There was no significant difference in symptom reduction or quality of life measures between groups in both completer-only and intent-to-treat analyses. However, the therapist-support group evidenced lower attrition than the minimal support group (20% vs. 50%). Implications for dissemination and future directions are discussed.
A pilot randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy of problem-solving therapy to enhanced treatment as usual for reducing high blood pressure
Authors:   , Greenberg Lauren Miriam , Nezu Arthur M. , Nezu Christine M.
Published: July 2021

High blood pressure is a highly prevalent and modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease that has substantially contributed to disability, morbidity, mortality, health disparities and economic burden in the United States. Although relatively easy to diagnosis and inexpensive to treat, controlling high blood pressure, thereby reducing its sequelae, remains difficult, particularly for Black individuals, due to a host of psychosocial, biological, and environmental factors. There is a need to identify an efficacious stress-reduction intervention for lowering uncontrolled high blood pressure that can be effectively translated into practice. In the current pilot study, the preliminary efficacy and feasibility of Problem-Solving Therapy (PST), compared to telephone-delivered enhanced treatment as usual (ETAU), were evaluated on measures of blood pressure, social problem solving ability, medication adherence, perceived stress, depression, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) at baseline, posttreatment, and three-month follow up. Recruitment from outpatient medical clinics yielded a sample of 14 participants, predominantly Black and female, with uncontrolled high blood pressure, who were randomly assigned to PST or ETAU. Mean differences between conditions from baseline to posttreatment assessments were examined using a series of intent-to-treat (N = 12) t-tests and repeated measures ANOVAs, none of which were statistically significant. Inspection of effect sizes and clinical significance indicated a trend toward efficacy of PST to improve medication adherence [F(1, 10) = 2.54, p = 0.14, [eta][p]2 = 0.20] and physical HRQOL [F(1,10) = 2.54, p = 0.14, [eta][p]2 = 0.20], as well as slightly more frequent clinically meaningful changes in systolic blood pressure, mental HRQOL, and depression for those who received PST. In terms of feasibility, about 13% of 108 recruited patients were enrolled, the rate of attrition was below 20% for treatment initiators, retention of treatment initiators was 100% for PST (nPST = 6) and 83.3% (nETAU = 5) for ETAU at posttreatment, and about 80% of participants rated the treatments as credible and effective. Three-month follow up assessments were too few to conduct meaningful analyses. Although a trend toward efficacy of PST was indicated, challenges in recruitment limited sample size, and, therefore, the aforementioned preliminary results must be interpreted with caution.
Effectiveness of Interval vs. Endurance Training to Minimize Asthmatic Symptoms in Recreationally Active Adults
Authors:   , Merlie Margaret , Volpe Stella L.
Published: July 2021

The prevalence of asthma is on the rise, affecting the quality of life of those who suffer from this condition. There are several treatments for asthma, exercise being one of the most affordable, while also offering other physiologic benefits. High intensity interval training (HIIT) consists of short bouts of maximal intensity exercise, followed by short periods of recovery. Endurance training consists of continuous, steady-state aerobic exercise, usually around 70% to 80% of maximal heart rate for 30 to 60 minutes in duration. Improvements in asthmatic symptoms have been seen utilizing both training protocols; however, most of the participants in these studies have been children. The purpose of this study was to determine if exercise will improve asthmatic symptoms of recreationally active adults, and to determine if there is a difference in interval and endurance training protocols in terms of asthmatic symptoms. It was hypothesized that exercise will improve asthmatic symptoms; however, due to lack of recruitment, the second aim of this study was not addressed. One recreationally active adult, 26 years of age, with no other chronic diseases, was recruited through the use of flyers. The participant was informed of the risks and benefits before partaking in any training protocol. Due to the fact that only one participant was recruited and time constraints to conduct a crossover design study (as was originally intended), the participant was randomly assigned to a six-week endurance protocol. Biometric and pulmonary measurements were taken before and after the protocol. It may appear that there was a slight decrease in pulmonary functions following the six-week endurance protocol; however, the measurements are likely within normal variation. Because this was a case study, no statistical analyses could be performed to determine statistical significance.
Textile supercapacitors
Authors:   , Jost Kristy Alana , Gogotsi Yury
Published: July 2021

Innovative and interdisciplinary solutions to wearable textile energy storage are explored as power sources for wearable electronics and smart textiles. Due to their long cycle life, non-toxic and inexpensive materials, supercapacitors were converted into textiles. Textile supercapacitors were developed using scalable fabrication methods including screen-printing, yarn making, and 3D computerized knitting. The electrode materials reported in this thesis undergo thorough electrochemical analysis, and are capable of storing up to 0.5 F/cm2 which is on par with conventionally solid supercapacitors (0.6 F/cm2). Capacitive yarns are capable of storing up to 37 mF/cm and are shown to be knittable on industrial knitting equipment. Both are some of the highest reported capacitance for all-carbon systems in the field. Yet both are the only systems composed of inexpensive and non-toxic activated carbon, the most commonly used electrode material used in supercapacitors, opposed to carbon nanotubes or graphene, which are typically more 10-100 times more expensive. However, all of the fabrication techniques reported here are also capable of incorporating a wide variety of materials, ultimately broadening the applications of textile energy storage as a whole. Fully machine knitted supercapacitors are also explored and electrochemically characterized in order to determine how the textile structure affects the capacitance. In conclusion, a wide variety of fabrication techniques for making textile supercapacitors were successfully explored.
Structure-based design & synthesis of [alpha]-aminoalkylphosphonate esters for prostate-specific antigen inhibition
Authors:   , Kojtari Arben , Ji Haifeng
Published: July 2021

Rational ligand design of diphenyl [alpha]-aminoalkylphosphonate ester derivatives were studied as inhibitors of prostate-specific antigen (PSA), a serine protease implicated in the advancement of prostate tumor progression. AutoDock 4.2 molecular docking suite was utilized to model covalent and non-covalent binding of this class of inhibitors to predict crystallographic poses and compare experimental IC50 concentration-dependent reponse curves and in silico potencies. The docking method utilized challenges the status quo for docking covalently-binding ligands and can be used to formulate a more robust structure-activity relationship. The new lead compound R/S-diphenyl[N-benzyloxycarbonylamino(4-carbamoylphenyl)methyl]phosphonate was identified using this structure-based approach. Additionally, tripeptide derivatives of the aforementioned lead were modeled using a similar approach. An incremental build method was utilized to improve computational efficiency of peptide docking. Peptidomimetic compounds were chosen from the compiled virtual screen and were synthesized using a convergent synthetic scheme. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using GROMACS 4.6.5 were used to obtain trajectories of selected ligands and validate key interactions in the binding complexes. A hydrogen-bonding map was used to confirm interactions between the lead compound and residues THR190, SER217, and SER227 in the binding pocket. Additionally, the importance of the classic kallikrein loop (CKL) and its interaction with the extended substrate were highlighted in the MD analysis. Ligand- and structure-based approaches were compared using QSAR models derived using 2D ligand descriptors and docking energies. This modeling study introduces novel aminoalkylphosphonates as potential drug candidates for targeting PSA for prostate cancer treatment.
Fetal Testosterone and Early Autism Spectrum Disorder Related Neurodevelopmental Outcomes
Authors:   , Park Bo Y. , Newschaffer Craig J.
Published: July 2021

Aims: Despite widely acknowledged sex bias in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. The goal of this dissertation was to examine whether differences in prenatal testosterone levels are a possible mechanism underlying the observed ASD sex difference. This was accomplished through three specific aims. First, meconium was examined as a novel prenatal androgen matrix to compare androgen levels across alternate matrices obtained at the delivery time point. Second, the association between cord blood testosterone and ASD-related 12 month phenotype was estimated in a high ASD risk cohort of multiplex families. Last, we investigated the relationship between widely used antimicrobials product use with potential androgenic activity and early autistic phenotypes. Methods: Studies were based in the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI) cohort, an enriched risk cohort following pregnant mothers who previously had a child with ASD diagnosis. Prenatal information on potential exposures, confounders, effect modifiers and two relevant biologic samples, cord blood and meconium, and early ASD-related behavioral phenotypes in the children born into the cohort were available for analysis. Results: Testosterone (T) sex difference was observed in both cord blood and meconium and there was weak correlation between cord blood and meconium androgens. Umbilical cord blood T had a weak positive association with ASD related phenotype at 12 months. We found that the association of prenatal testosterone and early ASD-related phenotype varied by the sex of older child with ASD (proband). 12 month autistic traits were unrelated to either prenatal or postpartum use of products that contain TCS or TCC. Conclusion: Meconium and cord blood were both good media to measure prenatal androgen levels may be capturing different prenatal exposure windows. The association of prenatal testosterone early ASD-related phenotype was substantially different by proband sex indicating that androgen mediated mechanisms might be more important in families with female ASD in the pedigree. We found no evidence of an association between exposure to TCS/TCC and early ASD-related phenotype.
Chemistry of two-dimensional transition metal carbides (MXenes)
Authors:   , Mashtalir Olha , Gogotsi Yury , Barsoum Michel W.
Published: July 2021

With consumer trends pushing toward smaller, faster, more flexible, multitasking devices, researchers striving to meet these needs have targeted two-dimensional (2D) materials - and graphene in particular - as holding the most promise for use in advanced applications. But in 2011, a significant interest has been triggered by a newly discovered family of novel 2D materials - layered transitional metal carbides and carbonitrides, named MXenes. Those compounds were of general formula Mn+1XnTx, where M stands for metal atom, X is C and/or N, n = 1, 2 or 3, and Tx represents surface groups. Being initially suggested as a material for electrical energy storage systems, MXenes' properties and their potential applications have not been explored. This work is the first complete study of MXenes' chemistry that sheds light on the chemical composition, structure and properties of these novel materials and possible routes of its modification. The research was focused on 2D titanium carbide, Ti₃C₂T_x, chosen as the representative of the MXene family. The kinetic study of Ti₃C₂T_x synthesis discovered the main synthesis parameters, viz. temperature, time and particle size, that affect the etching process and define the quality of final product. MXenes were found to be able to spontaneously accommodate various ions and small organic molecules between the layers leading to preopening of the structure. A major challenge of large scale production of delaminated, atomically thin 2D MXene layers was solved with two delamination techniques involving dimethyl sulfoxide and isopropyl amine pre-intercalation followed by sonication in water. Ti₃C₂T_x was also found to possess adsorptive and photocatalytic properties, revealing its potential for environmental applications. It also showed limited stability in water and in the presence of oxygen, providing important practical information on proper handling and storage of MXene materials. Completion of this work allowed the performance of energy storage devices to be improved significantly, viz. Li-ion batteries and electrochemical capacitors, and gave rise to many other potential applications such as MXene-polymer composites, sorption, and catalysis. More importantly, it opened a path to the large-scale synthesis of thin, single-layer MXene sheets and led to establishing MXenes as fully-fledged members of the growing family of 2D materials.
The Relationship between Sleep Quality, Physical Activity and Postpartum Mood
Authors:   , Nash Christina Olivia , Kloss Jacqueline D.
Published: July 2021

It is estimated that over 400,000 women in the United States experience postpartum depressive symptoms each year. Postpartum depression has been linked with a series of negative psychosocial sequelae for mothers and potential developmental sequelae for infants. Research has helped to identify potential risk factors for postpartum depression, but additional research is needed to identify and understand these factors. Previous studies have identified sleep quality and physical activity as potential factors linked with postpartum depression symptoms. Yet, none have examined the interrelationship relationship between these factors in predicting postpartum depression symptoms. This study examined the interaction between sleep quality and physical activity in predicting postpartum depression symptoms using a cross-sectional design. Ninety-six postpartum women completed this study. Findings yielded significant relationships among sleep quality, insomnia severity, fatigue, physical activity and postpartum mood. Of note, sleep quality and insomnia severity were found to be significant predictors of postpartum mood. However, a relationship between sleep quality and physical activity was not supported in this study. Physical activity was found to be positively correlated with postpartum depression symptoms, but was not a moderator of the relationship between sleep quality and postpartum depression symptoms. A more careful assessment of the types of physical activity that women engage postpartum and specific types of sleep dysregulation, in tandem with postpartum depression symptoms, is needed.