Digital Commons Network^™

Multidimensional Nonlinear Optical Imaging, Fengyuan Deng

Open Access Dissertations

The work in this dissertation is focused on extending the information content for second harmonic generation (SHG) and two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) imaging. Despite the simplicity and symmetry selectivity of nonlinear optical processes, limited information on chemical composition can be recovered solely based on intensity measurements. To further explore the potential for second order nonlinear optical (NLO) measurements, additional dimensions were added to the NLO imaging platforms. By combining NLO microscopy with powder X-ray diffraction, a novel approach was established for accessing percent crystallinity in amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) with a limit of detection in the ppm range. ASDs are …

Teacher Identity And The Role Of Relational Coaching, Melinda R. Ehmer

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify specific strategies that principals use when coaching teachers who struggle to develop positive relationships with students. Using a qualitative case study design, six principals were identified through the use of a demographic survey. The principals were interviewed about their experiences. Each interview was recorded, transcribed, and coded for data analysis. The principals’ narratives, emerging themes and sub themes provide insight into their experiences with both relational and non-relational teachers. The emerging themes are: (a) relationship building for teachers and students; (b) coaching strategies; (c) roadblocks and deficiencies; and (d) identity and belief …

Quantum Correlations In Nanophotonics: From Long-Range Dipole-Dipole Interactions To Fundamental Efficiency Limits Of Coherent Energy Transfer, Cristian L. Cortes

Open Access Dissertations

Quantum properties like coherence and entanglement can lead to enhanced performance characteristics in a wide range of applications including quantum computation, quantum memory storage, optical sensing, and energy harvesting. Entanglement is very sensitive to static and dynamical disorder. Similarly, the generation of highly-entangled states requires strong coupling or strong driving fields. Satisfying all of these requirements is generally quite difficult. In the first part of this thesis, we present an approach to overcome these limitations through the use of exotic light-matter states in hyperbolic media which provide a new approach to control quantum correlations and interatomic interactions. We reveal a …

Conceptualizing Individual Disaster Resilience: Benchmarking Tools For Individual And Social Coping Capacity For A Disaster Resilient Society, Lindsey J. Ditirro

Open Access Dissertations

Individual disaster resilience is a new and understudied concept. It is defined as the degree to which an individual has the capacity to obtain, process, and understand disaster-related information and identify and mobilize relevant resources to make appropriate decisions and actions in dealing with disaster-related risk situations. This concept is composed of four factors: knowledge coping, information coping, communal coping and affective coping. This dissertation operationalizes this new concept and its four dimensions and develops a measurement system to test this multivariate concept known as the Individual Disaster Resilience Assessment or InDRA. This was accomplished by conducting two studies. Forty-six …

Political Order In The Modernizing Mormon Kingdom, 1887-1896, Mark Denninghoff

Open Access Dissertations

What was the function of political parties in colonizing the American West? How did the arrival of national party politics impact the public lives and lived religious experience of everyday Mormons? How did the Latter-day Saints disaggregate their hierarchal religious communities and re-aggregate them into party affiliations that pitted co-religionists against one another? Mormons had endured coerced adoption of secular public education, industrialization, a hostile military presence and legal battles threatening the existence of the church. The introduction of national political parties served as tipping point that precipitated the integration of this religiously constituted community into the American polity at …

Influence Of Radical Proximity On The Charge Transport Of Nitroxide-Based Electronics, Martha E. Hay

Open Access Dissertations

As the societal dependence upon electronics continues to expand, consumer demand dictates the development of new materials to further augment both performance and user experience. Organic electronic materials enable unique features and applications due to the synthetic tunability of their optoelectronic properties, light weight, compatibility with flexible substrates, and biocompatibility. Radical polymers, macromolecules bearing pendant stable radical sites, have emerged as a new class of conducting polymers. These materials have demonstrated charge storage and transport capabilities in electrolyte-supported systems (e.g., secondary batteries) and have since been a source of inquiry for solid-state applications. Initial studies of their solid-state properties have …

Nooses & Balancing Acts: Reflections And Advice On Racism And Antiracism From Black Writing Tutors At Predominantly White Institutions, Talisha Haltiwanger Morrison

Open Access Dissertations

Over the past 10-15 years, writing center scholars have acknowledged the significance of race to writing center work and examined the ways racism manifests within writing center spaces and practices. More recently, conversations have shifted from acknowledging racism to how to combat it through antiracist activism. However, due to the demographics of the field, the voices most often contributing to these conversations are white scholars, many of them directors at predominantly white institutions (PWIs). This study positions Black writing tutors as individuals with expertise to share on how to engage in antiracism through writing center work that stems from their …

The Federal Reserve As A Social Actor: On The Intersection Of Communication And Investor Expectations, Lauren Berkshire Hearit

Open Access Dissertations

As the U.S. central bank, the Federal Reserve sets U.S. monetary policy (i.e., control of the money supply and management of the inflation rate, economic growth, and price stability) through the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) and serves as a lender of last resort. A major actor in the U.S. economic system, it is dispersed geographically across the United States and contains many branches. The chairman of the Federal Reserve communicates on behalf of the entire system before Congress, makes a statement after FOMC meetings, and gives speeches and lectures on economic status and related economic topics.

Yet there is …

Investigating The Developmental Toxicity Of Legacy, Emergent, And Current Use Environmental Toxicants Using The Zebrafish Model System, Katharine Ann Marie Horzmann

Open Access Dissertations

Environmental toxicants are chemical or physical agents that enter the environment and can have adverse health effects on populations of humans. Chemical contamination of rivers, lakes, and ground water is a significant public health concern; 23% of private wells are contaminated with at least one significant environmental toxicant and chemical spill incidences can have severe consequences to human health and the environment. Even low doses of chemicals in the environment can have an effect on human health, and it is suggested by the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis that embryonic exposure to toxicants alters health status and …

Techniques For Reconstructing A Riemannian Metric Via The Boundary Control Method, Paul A. Kepley

Open Access Dissertations

In this dissertation, we consider some new techniques related to the solution of the inverse boundary value problem for the wave equation with partial boundary data. Most results are formulated in a geometric setting, where waves propagate in the interior of a smooth manifold with smooth boundary M, and the wave speed is modelled by an unknown Riemannian metric g. For data, we focus mostly on using the Neumann-to-Dirichlet (N-to-D) map with sources and receivers restricted to a measurement set Γ ⊂ ∂M. The goal of the inverse problem, in this setting, is to use these wave boundary measurements to …

Three Essays On Strategic Human Capital, Managers And Competitive Advantage, Jongsoo Kim

Open Access Dissertations

In this dissertation, I investigate the interplay between strategic human capital and the role of managers in an organization. In Essay 1, using a natural experiment setting with a dataset on change of interdependence that an organization requires, and unexpected employee exit in a professional sports league for the period 1992 to 2010, I examine the consequence of losing strategically important human resources (HR) and shows that how specific organizational recovering techniques for dealing with HR can help the firm’s strategic renewal process. The data present that the consequential impact of losing employees is depending upon the type of interdependence …

Airborne Challenges To Vocal Folds: Studies On Barrier Function And Inflammation, Xinxin Liu

Open Access Dissertations

The vocal folds are located in the larynx and are responsible for voice production. The epithelium of the vocal folds is of the stratified squamous type. These epithelial cells along with the characteristic tight junctional complex create an active barrier, that protects the underlying connective tissue against air-borne xenobiotics. Damage to the epithelium can lead to penetration of xenobiotics and may cause inflammation in connective tissue. Particles and chemicals have different physical properties and have different capacities for penetrating epithelium and inducing inflammation in underlying tissues. In this study, we investigated the effects of one type of particle (single-walled carbon …

Novel Multiphysics Phenomena In A New Generation Of Energy Storage And Conversion Devices, Arpan Kundu

Open Access Dissertations

The swelling demand for storing and using energy at diverse scales has stimulated the exploration of novel materials and design strategies applicable to energy storage systems. The most popular electrochemical energy storage systems are batteries, fuel cells and capacitors. Supercapacitors, also known as ultracapacitors, or electrochemical capacitors have emerged to be particularly promising. Besides exhibiting high cycle life, they combine the best attributes of capacitors (high power density) and batteries (high energy storage density). Consequently, they are expected to be in high demand for applications requiring peak power such as hybrid electric vehicles and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). This dissertation …

Horses In Agriculture Online: Designing, Developing, And Assessing Situational Interest An Online Museum Exhibit Using The Systems Approach Model Of Instructional Design, Elisa Anne Lofgren

Open Access Dissertations

Research on motivations of learners has been done in traditional museum environments, but the research of online museum exhibits is in its infancy. While variables such as interactivity have been explored in traditional museum exhibits, little is still known about how these variables affect visitor experiences in online applications. It is important to know if the application of technology into these programs, such as online learning experiences and corresponding characteristics such as interactivity, free-choice use, and adaptive/adaptable e-learning effects the learner experience. This study follows a formal process of instructional design to develop an online educational resource to be used …

Part I: Polyrotaxanes As Mri Contrast Agents And Npc Therapeutics. Part Ii: Development Of An Analytic-Directed Synthesis System, Bradley P. Loren

Open Access Dissertations

The work described in this dissertation is separated into two parts. Part I describes the development of cyclodextrin-based polyrotaxanes (PRs) as both MRI contrast agents and as potential therapeutics for Niemann-Pick Type C (NPC) disease. Polyrotaxanes are a class of supramolecular materials which are constructed through the non-covalent threading of macrocyclic molecules onto a polymer core that are retained by the covalent attachment of bulky molecules to the ends of the polymer as end-caps. This unique architecture provides a rigid and rod-like morphology that imparts attractive biological and mechanical properties compared to other nanomaterials used in biological applications. In our …

Yshb Is A Positive Regulator For Salmonella Intracellular Survival And Facilitates The Spatio-Temporal Regulation Of Bacterial Pathogenesis, Rajdeep Bomjan

Open Access Dissertations

Salmonella pathogenesis primarily involves invasion of host cells followed by modulation of the intracellular environment for survival and replication. While tremendous progress has been made toward understanding the pathogenesis, the picture is far from complete. In an effort to characterize the role of small RNAs (sRNAs) in Salmonella pathogenesis, we identified a previously undefined small protein YshB as a positive regulator for intracellular bacterial survival and virulence. Essentially, we were able to show YshB was important for survival within macrophages and contributed significantly in mouse virulence. Further, when induced within the bacteria, YshB would lower the invasion efficiency. Notably, yshB …

Interplay Of Endogenous And Exogenous Biochemical Species On Neuropathic Pain After Spinal Cord Injury, Breanne Suzanne Muratori Butler

Open Access Dissertations

Neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury (SCI) presents a complex clinical challenge, affecting millions with no satisfactory treatment options currently available. Much of the recent research focuses on a wide variety of endogenous mechanisms that can contribute to pain, but have yet to produce positive results in clinical studies. This dissertation focuses on the role of a highly reactive and toxic aldehyde, acrolein, in initiating, instigating, and perpetuating neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury. Acrolein is shown to mimic damage caused by an injury, in the absence of mechanical trauma. Additionally, removing it using acrolein scavengers can mitigate neuropathic pain-like …

A Molecular Perspective For The Understanding Of Polymer‒Drug Interactions, Laura Isabel Mosquera Giraldo

Open Access Dissertations

Polymers are often used to stabilize amorphous drug formulations enabling the maintenance of high drug supersaturations. However, the molecular mechanism of stabilization is unclear, making the rational design of new polymers challenging. This research has focused on understanding the effectiveness of polymers to inhibit drug crystallization using experimental and computational modeling approaches. This thesis has six sections. The first section reviews the pharmaceutical significance of amorphous solid dispersions. The second section describes a study to evaluate the phase behavior of supersaturated drug solutions of telaprevir, a compound that undergoes glass-liquid phase separation when the amorphous solubility is exceeded. The third …

Nanoparticles With High Drug Loading And Circulation Stability For Systemic Delivery Of Anticancer Drugs, Joonyoung Park

Open Access Dissertations

Nanoparticles have been pursued as a promising strategy to improve the safety and therapeutic efficacy of systemic chemotherapy, but clinical translation of nanoparticle drug carriers has been slow. Several reasons account for the tedious progress. From the formulation perspective, drug loading efficiency and circulation stability remain to be improved: Low drug loading increases the amount of co-delivered carrier materials, imposing biological burdens to patients. Poor circulation stability compromises the pharmacokinetic benefits of nanoparticles. To develop nanoparticles with high drug loading efficiency and circulation stability, albumin-coated nanocrystal (“Abxtal”) formulation of hydrophobic anti-cancer drugs was developed. Abxtal consists of drug nanocrystals and …

Optical Signal Processing For Manipulating And Characterizing Time-Frequency Entangled Photons., Ogaga D. Odele

Open Access Dissertations

Time-frequency entangled photons ("biphotons") exhibit joint spectral and temporal correlations that are unattainable with classical light. Besides being deployed for tests of quantum nonlocality, these photonic states are desirable for a unique range of applications that can significantly impact communications and computation. In this dissertation, we describe novel schemes based on spectral and temporal domain processing for manipulating and characterizing broadband biphotons. Implementing frequency-dependent filters, first, we present and demonstrate a technique for controlling the relative delay between a pair of entangled photons, relying on pump frequency tuning and the quantum concept of nonlocal dispersion cancellation. Next, we demonstrate near-field …

Understanding The Molecular Mechanism Of Arsenic Tolerance And Accumulation In Pteris Vittata, Chao Cai

Open Access Dissertations

Arsenic is a toxic metalloid that is naturally occurring and widely distributed. The consumption of arsenic-contaminated food and water is threatening the health of millions of people in the world. The fern Pteris vittata is unusual in its ability to tolerate and hyperaccumulate exceptionally high concentrations of arsenic in its fronds. How P. vittata tolerates and accumulates arsenic is fundamentally different from that in angiosperms; however, the molecular mechanism underlying this trait in P. vittata is not well-defined. Because the haploid phase of the fern (the gametophyte) is morphologically simple, easy to grow and also tolerates and hyperaccumulates arsenic, the …

Depth-Resolved Assessment Of Atherosclerosis By Intravascular Photoacoustic-Ultrasound Imaging, Ayeeshik Kole

Open Access Dissertations

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and the incidence is projected to increase by 18% by 2030. Yet, there remains a pressing clinical need for tools to detect vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques that can rupture and lead to major adverse cardiac events. Plaques that are considered most vulnerable for rupture are thin-capped fibroatheromas, which are grossly defined by hallmarks of a thin fibrous cap, a large lipid-rich necrotic core, inflammatory infiltrate, and positive remodeling. These plaques are often structurally non-obstructive to moderately obstructive, thus asymptomatic and clinically unidentifiable with routine angiography and stress testing. …

Authoring Organizational Tensions Within The Roman Catholic Church: Women Religious Organize For Themselves, Jessica A. Pauly

Open Access Dissertations

For centuries women religious have faced an uncomfortable tension with the all-male hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church. This tension is underscored today by the Vatican’s 2008 assessment and subsequent investigation of women religious in the US. Considering this tension-filled context, this study is concerned with the ways in which women religious organize around, alongside, and in some cases against the Church while also supporting the same beliefs and values as the Church. Specifically, this study recognizes NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice as a unique organizational site operating at the intersection of religion, politics, and authority, and explores how …

Morphological Changes Of Neuronal Growth Cones By Intracellular Signaling And Cell Culture Conditions, Yuan Ren

Open Access Dissertations

Proper wiring of neurons is key to the functionality of nervous system. This is achieved by a highly motile structure referred to as the neuronal growth cone located at the tip of axons and dendrites during both development and regeneration. The morphology of growth cone is a product of both intracellular signaling pathways and extracellular factors, and is closely linked with neuronal outgrowth. Studies of how growth cone morphology is changed by key regulatory proteins and by cell culture conditions are therefore important in elucidating the mechanisms of neurite regeneration. In the first part of this thesis, we identified a …

Revisiting Rustow: An Empirical Assessment Of The Relationship Between National Identity And Attitudes Towards Democracy In Post-Soviet Russia, John P. Schultz

Open Access Dissertations

Does national identity influence a country’s prospects for democratization? Brudny and Finkel (2011) contend that national identity explains variation in the political developments among former Soviet states. In considering this argument, this effort examines the empirical evidence to determine 1) whether a measurable model of national identity has developed within Russia, 2) how this national identity has developed over time, and 3) whether a relationship exists between this intersubjectively held conception of national identity and attitudes towards democracy. Findings suggest the development and ongoing contestation of two competing conceptions of national identity that covary with changing attitudes towards democracy over …

Multi-Dimensional Simulation And Experimental Benchmarking Of Ultrashort Pulsed Laser Interactions With Metallic Targets, Anastassiya Suslova

Open Access Dissertations

In this work, ultrashort pulsed laser interactions with metallic targets and laser-induced effects were theoretically investigated, and the multi-dimensional simulation package FEMTO-2D was developed based on the solution of two non-linear heat conduction equations for electron and lattice sub-systems. Inverse Bremsstrahlung absorption was considered as primary light absorption mechanism. The laser-target interaction was assumed to occur at solid-like material density since laser pulse duration is orders of magnitude shorter than the time required for material thermal expansion. A theoretical approach based on the collision theory had been implemented to define the thermal dependence of target material optical properties and thermodynamic …

Bayesian Nonparametrics To Model Content, User, And Latent Structure In Hawkes Processes, Xi Tan

Open Access Dissertations

Communication in social networks tends to exhibit complex dynamics both in terms of the users involved and the contents exchanged. For example, email exchanges or activities on social media may exhibit reinforcing dynamics, where earlier events trigger follow-up activity through multiple structured latent factors. Such dynamics have been previously represented using models of reinforcement and reciprocation, a canonical example being the Hawkes process (HP). However, previous HP models do not fully capture the rich dynamics of real-world activity. For example, reciprocation may be impacted by the significance and receptivity of the content being communicated, and modeling the content accurately at …

Haremization Of Desdemona: A Comparative Study Of Shakespeare’S Othello In The Ottoman Context, Tulin Ece Tosun

Open Access Dissertations

My dissertation takes a comparative approach by setting Shakespeare’s Othello within the context of Ottoman history and the Ottoman harem to represent current Middle Eastern trends in the field of Comparative Literature. I argue that Othello paints a portrait of stereotypical Muslim characteristics drawn from the travel narratives of Richard Hakluyt, Richard Knolles, and Paul Rycaut. I use these travel narratives to identify cross-cultural relationships, comparisons, interactions, and psychology. In my final chapter, I argue that from a certain perspective, Othello is a Turk because Shakespeare turns the citadel in Cyprus into a harem. The word harem, stemming from the …

Using Tangible Interaction And Virtual Reality To Support Spatial Perspective Taking Ability, Shen-Kuen Chang

Open Access Dissertations

According to several large-scale and longitudinal studies, spatial ability, one of the primary mental abilities, has been shown as a significant predictor for STEM learning (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and career success. Frameworks in HCI (Human-Computer Interaction) and TEI (Tangible and Embodied Interaction) also indicated how the spatial-related aspects of interaction are a common design theme for interfaces using emerging technologies. However, currently only very few interactive systems (using TEI) are designed around a target spatial ability. TEI’s direct effects on spatial ability are also not well-investigated. Meanwhile, a growing body of research from cognitive sciences, such as embodied …

Characterization Of Type I Collagen And Osteoblast Response To Mechanical Loading, Silvia P. Canelón

Open Access Dissertations

Bone is a composite material made up of an inorganic (hydroxyapatite mineral) phase, a proteinaceous organic phase, and water. Comprising 90% of bones organic phase, type I collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. Both hydroxyapatite and collagen contribute to bone mechanical properties, and because bone is a hierarchical material, changes in properties of either phase can influence bulk mechanical properties of the tissue and bone structure. Type I collagen in bone is synthesized by osteoblasts as a helical structure formed from three polypeptide chains of amino acids. These molecules are staggered into an array and the …