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Theme-Based Lessons: Teacher Perceptions Of A Theme-Based Approach And Its Influence On Student Engagement In Grades 3-8, Robin Penna-Baskinger

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study was to explore how teachers in Grades 3-8 in one New Jersey school district perceive theme-based lessons on student level of engagement and teaching pedagogy when using their own initiatives to develop a theme-based approach. Research was conducted using a qualitative design to investigate the perceptions and observations of those directly involved in developing theme-based lessons in the classroom. Twelve participants, all experienced teachers within the district of study, participated in a pre-selection questionnaire and an interview process. Increased student engagement, good teaching practices, and teaching pedagogy were dominant themes in this study. The study …

The People We Like: Do Introversion-Extroversion And Commitment Affect Evaluation Of Potential Partners?, Naquan Ross

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The present study assessed whether similarity of a hypothetical partner on Introversion-Extroversion, along with partner preference for long-term or short-term relationships, might vary according to participants’ own Introversion-Extroversion. MANOVA results suggest three important points. First, ratings by extrovert participants showed higher levels of romantic interest for extroverted, rather than introverted, hypothetical partners; introvert participants’ ratings did not differ between introvert and extrovert partners on this dimension. Second, the similarity of the participant and the hypothetical partner on Introversion-Extroversion appeared to influence interpersonal interest, romantic interest, and commitment potential. Last, the partner’s commitment level may drive participants’ non-platonic interest and potential …

Perceptual Teleology: Expectations Of Action Efficiency Bias Social Perception, Patric Bach, Matthew Hudson, Katrina L. Mcdonough, Rhys Edwards

School of Psychology

No abstract provided.

Three-Dimensional Imaging, Visualization And Recognition In Low Light Environments, Adam Markman

Doctoral Dissertations

There has been significant research in developing novel image sensors to capture a scene in low illumination environments. Using conventional passive imaging sensors that operate in the visible spectrum, camera read-noise becomes higher than the signal information from the scene resulting in read-noise dominant images. These images suffer from poor signal-to-noise ratio making scene visualization unobtainable. Thus, imaging in photon-limited environments has been viewed as a nuisance. This dissertation will consist of three separate parts that discuss utilizing photon-counting principals for secure information storage or imaging in photon-limited environments. First, an optical security system for information storage is introduced that …

Method For The Destruction Of Endotoxin In Synthetic Spider Silk Proteins, Richard E. Decker, Thomas I. Harris, Dylan R. Memmott, Christopher J. Peterson, Randolph V. Lewis, Justin A. Jones

Biological Engineering Faculty Publications

Although synthetic spider silk has impressive potential as a biomaterial, endotoxin contamination of the spider silk proteins is a concern, regardless of the production method. The purpose of this research was to establish a standardized method to either remove or destroy the endotoxins present in synthetic spider silk proteins, such that the endotoxin level was consistently equal to or less than 0.25 EU/mL, the FDA limit for similar implant materials. Although dry heat is generally the preferred method for endotoxin destruction, heating the silk proteins to the necessary temperatures led to compromised mechanical properties in the resultant materials. In light …

Activity Pattern Of School/University Tenants And Their Family Members In Metro Manila – Philippines, Simonas Kecorius, Everlyn Gale Tamayo, Maria Cecilia Galvez, Leizel Madueño, Grace Betito, Mylene Gonzaga-Cayetano, Edgar Vallar, Alfred Wiedensohler

Physics Faculty Publications

Existing studies that focus on personal exposure to or the deposition dose of particulate pollution in developing regions are limited. Hence, in this study, as a first step, we present results on how people spend their daily time in Metro Manila, Philippines. This information is critical to assessing personal exposure to and the deposition dose of particulate pollutants. We found that people spend less time at home on workdays than weekends (52% versus 70%), the fraction of time spent at work/school increases with age until retirement, adult males spend less time at home than females (18% versus 28%), and people …

Investigating The Role Of Pdgf-Bb/Pdgfr-Β In Periosteum-Mediated Bone Regeneration, Xi Wang

Doctoral Dissertations

Fracture repair involves complex interactions between cell lineages under the spatiotemporal control of growth factors and cytokines. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate the commitment and differentiation of mesenchymal progenitor cells is critical for the advancement of regenerative medicine. While bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) have been well characterized over the years as an experimental model for osteoblast precursors, increasing evidence suggests a critical role of the periosteum during fracture. Platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) is a potent mitogen for mesenchymal cells and an important mediator during fracture healing. The role of PDGF signaling on periosteum-derived cells is still unknown. Therefore, …

Self-Regulation Abilities Of Low-Income Mothers In Community Based, Expanded Food And Nutrition Education Program, Alyssa Abreu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Diet is strongly associated with many risk factors for chronic disease. Educational programs such as the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) are designed to improve dietary behaviors among low-income populations. Although EFNEP has seen improvements, they are not yet up to recommendations. Previous studies have been successful in eliciting behavior change when improving self-regulation in conjunction with dietary education. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine self-regulation in EFNEP participants and its relationship to participants change in dietary behavior. All participants were currently enrolled in an EFNEP program and were asked to complete an additional self-regulation …

Respon Pertumbuhan Dan Hasil Cabai Keriting (Capsicum Annuum L.) Ck5 Akibat Perlakuan Pupuk Npk Dan Pupuk Hayati, Heru Waskito, Anne Nuraini, Neni Rostini

Jurnal Kultivasi

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui respon pertumbuhan dan hasil tanaman cabai keriting CK5 terhadap dosis pupuk NPK dan pupuk hayati Percobaan dilaksanakan di Desa Sindanglaya, Kelurahan Cibereum, Kecamatan Sukamantri, Kabupaten Ciamis Provinsi Jawa Barat dari bulan Agustus 2017 sampai Januari 2018. Rancangan percobaan menggunakan Split Plot dengan 4 ulangan. Yang menjadi main plot adalah dosis pupuk NPK yang terdiri dari dari 2 taraf yaitu 50% dan 100% NPK, dan sub plot adalah konsentrasi pupuk hayati yang terdiri dari 3 taraf yaitu: 0%; 0,5%; dan 1%. Hasil percobaan menunjukkan bahwa: pengaruh interaksi dosis NPK dengan konsentrasi pupuk hayati hanya terjadi pada …

Developing Multi-Scale Models For Water Quality Management In Drinking Water Distribution Systems, Ahmed A. Abokifa

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Drinking water supply systems belong to the group of critical infrastructure systems that support the socioeconomic development of our modern societies. In addition, drinking water infrastructure plays a key role in the protection of public health by providing a common access to clean and safe water for all our municipal, industrial, and firefighting purposes. Yet, in the United States, much of our national water infrastructure is now approaching the end of its useful life while investments in its replacement and rehabilitation have been consistently inadequate. Furthermore, the aging water infrastructure has often been operated empirically, and the embracement of modern …

Robust Engineering Of Dynamic Structures In Complex Networks, Walter Botongo Bomela

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Populations of nearly identical dynamical systems are ubiquitous in natural and engineered systems, in which each unit plays a crucial role in determining the functioning of the ensemble. Robust and optimal control of such large collections of dynamical units remains a grand challenge, especially, when these units interact and form a complex network. Motivated by compelling practical problems in power systems, neural engineering and quantum control, where individual units often have to work in tandem to achieve a desired dynamic behavior, e.g., maintaining synchronization of generators in a power grid or conveying information in a neuronal network; in this dissertation, …

Development And Application Of Hybrid Wray-Agarwal Turbulence Model And Large-Eddy Simulation, Xu Han

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Rapid development in computing power in past five decades along with the development and progress in building blocks of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) technology has made CFD an indispensable tool for modern engineering analysis and design of fluid-based products and systems. For CFD analysis, Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations are currently the most widely used fluid equations in the industry. RANS methods require modeling of turbulence effect (i.e. turbulence modeling) based on empirical relations and therefore often produce low accuracy results for many flows. In recent years, the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) approach has been developed which has shown promise of …

Aromatic Tolerance And Utilization Mechanisms Of Rhodococcus Opacus Pd630 To Produce Value-Added Products From Lignin, Wiliam Henson

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Lignocellulosic biomass is a potential renewable feedstock for the microbial production of fuels and chemicals. For microbial utilization, lignocellulosic biomass must undergo pretreatment (e.g., thermochemical and enzymatic processing) to release fermentable sugars.

Lignin comprises ~15-30% of lignocellulosic biomass, and lignin-derived aromatic compounds released during pretreatment can inhibit the microbial conversion of lignocellulosic sugars to bioproducts. Additionally, cost-effective separation of lignin and lignin by-products from lignocellulosic sugars remains a challenge, and current processes generate large waste streams that are typically burned or discarded. Thus, efforts are underway to improve microbial tolerance to lignin by-products and to develop approaches for valorizing waste …

Exploring Fatty Acid Metabolism For The Biosynthesis Of Non-Natural Chemicals, Wen Jiang

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

The global energy crisis and increasing environmental concerns have spurred the sustainable production of biofuels and other fossil-fuel-derived chemicals. One approach is to engineer microbial metabolic pathways to convert renewable feedstocks (e.g. lignocellulosic biomass) to compounds that have structures similar to those of petroleum-derived fuels and chemicals. The microbial fatty acid (FA) biosynthetic pathway is attractive because FAs are common precursors that can be converted to several types of chemicals, including alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, and esters. These chemicals have numerous applications as fuels, fragrances, emollients, plasticizers, thickeners, and detergents. Most work has used Escherichia coli as the microbial host due …

Controlling The Oxygen Microenvironment: The Role Of Hif-1Α In Early Tumor Progression, Sandra Lam

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Cancer drug efficacy has remained a critical obstacle for researchers as it has one of the lowest probabilities of success compared to other diseases. One method to help improve this success rate is to create better tumor models on which to perform the drug testing. With growing interesting in microphysiological systems, scientists can create more advanced in vitro models of human organ systems as well as diseased states. These “organ-on-a-chip” platforms aim to improve drug response prediction for both efficacy and toxicity. One underappreciated characteristic of many disease states is that they are often at a lower oxygen tension that …

Assessment And Diagnosis Of Human Ovarian And Colorectal Cancer Using Optical And Photoacoustic Imaging, Sreyankar Nandy

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Optical imaging modalities have the advantage of high resolution, label free, rapid, low cost imaging for both in vivo and ex vivo diagnosis of biological tissues. Optical scattering, which is the main contrast of optical coherence tomography (OCT), is related to elastic scattering components, mainly stromal collagen. Tissue elasticity has recently emerged as an important diagnostic parameter associated with tumor development and progression and is also related to the distribution of structural components such as tissue collagen. We have used an optical coherence tomography elastography (OCTE) system for characterizing the differences in the micro-mechanical properties of benign and malignant human …

Engineering Robust And Programmable Biological Systems, Tatenda Shopera

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

The ability to engineer programmable biological systems using complex artificial gene networks has great potential to unlock important innovative solutions to many biotechnological challenges. While cells have been engineered to implement complex information processing algorithms and to produce food, materials, and pharmaceuticals, many innovative applications are yet to be realized due to our poor understanding of how robust, reliable, and predictable artificial gene circuits are built. In this work, we demonstrate that robust complex cellular behaviors (e.g., bistability and gene expression dynamics) can be achieved by engineering gene regulatory architecture and increasing the complexity of genetic networks. We further demonstrate …

Mathematical Models Of Innate Immune Cell Signaling Networks Using Protein Phosphorylation Patterns, Allison Anne Throm

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Immune dysregulation has been implicated in pediatric autoimmune disease

pathogenesis, but the underlying mechanisms still remain poorly understood. We explored

immune cell signaling dysregulation in two different pediatric autoimmune diseases:

polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), a disease characterized by pain, swelling, and

limited range of motion in five or more joints and juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), a disease

characterized by pathognomonic skin rashes and proximal muscle weakness. Both polyarticular

JIA and JDM can be controlled with newer biologic medications, but a substantial fraction of

patients still experiences refractory disease courses. To explore potential immune cell signaling

dysregulation, mass cytometry was performed …

Continuous Nicotine Exposure Does Not Affect Resurgence Of Alcohol Seeking In Rats, Charles C. J. Frye, Jillian M. Rung, Rusty W. Nall, Ann Galizio, Jeremy M. Haynes, Amy L. Odum

Psychology Faculty Publications

Alcohol is the most commonly used drug in the United States and alcohol abuse can lead to alcohol use disorder. Alcohol use disorder is a persistent condition and relapse rates following successful remission are high. Many factors have been associated with relapse for alcohol use disorder, but identification of these factors has not been well translated into preventative utility. One potentially important factor, concurrent nicotine use, has not been well investigated as a causal factor in relapse for alcohol use disorder. Nicotine increases the value of other stimuli in the environment and may increase the value of alcohol. If nicotine …

Sifat Campuran Herbisida Berbahan Atrazin 500g/L+ Mesutrion 50 G/L Terhadap Beberapa Jenis Gulma, Dedi Widayat, Uum Umiyati, Yayan Sumekar, Dani Riswandi

Jurnal Kultivasi

Gulma bila tidak dikendalikan dapat menurunkah hasil tanaman 20% sd 80%, untuk itu pengendalian gulma mutlak diperlukan. Pengandalian gulma dengan menggunakan herbisida tunggal bila dilakukan terus menerus akan menimbulkan gulma resisten, untuk mengnangulanginya perlu dilakukan pencampuran herbisida. Campuran herbisida dengan dua atau lebih jenis bahan aktif dapat bersifat sinergis, aditif, atau antagonis. Tujuan penelitian adalah untuk mengetahui sifat campuran herbisida Atrazin 500g/L + Mesutrion 50 g/L terhadap beberapa jenis gulma. Penelitian dilakukan pada bulan Maret-Juni 2017, di Laboratorium Kultur Terkendali Universitas Padjadjaran, Jatinangor. Perlakuan terdiri dari tiga jenis herbisida dengan empat tingkat dosis, yaitu herbisida tunggal Atrazine (1080, 540, 270, …

Additive Manufacturing Of Metal Functionally Graded Materials: A Review, Yitao Chen, Frank W. Liou

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Functionally graded materials (FGMs) have attracted a lot of research interest due to their gradual variation in material properties that result from the non-homogeneous composition or structure. Metal FGMs have been widely researched in recent years, and additive manufacturing has become one of the most important approaches to fabricate metal FGMs. The aim of this paper is to review the research progress in metal FGMs by additive manufacturing. It will first introduce the unique properties and the advantages of FGMs. Then, typical recent findings in research and development of two major types of metal additive manufacturing methods, namely laser metal …

A Distributed Semi-Supervised Platform For Dnase-Seq Data Analytics Using Deep Generative Convolutional Networks, Shayan Shams, Richard Platania, Joohyun Kim, Jian Zhang, Kisung Lee, Seungwon Yang, Seung Jong Park

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

A deep learning approach for analyzing DNase-seq datasets is presented, which has promising potentials for unraveling biological underpinnings on transcription regulation mechanisms. Further understanding of these mechanisms can lead to important advances in life sciences in general and drug, biomarker discovery, and cancer research in particular. Motivated by recent remarkable advances in the field of deep learning, we developed a platform, Deep Semi-Supervised DNase-seq Analytics (DSSDA). Primarily empowered by deep generative Convolutional Networks (ConvNets), the most notable aspect is the capability of semi-supervised learning, which is highly beneficial for common biological settings often plagued with a less sufficient number of …

Brain-Computer Interfaces Using Electrocorticography And Surface Stimulation, Jesse Wheeler

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

The brain connects to, modulates, and receives information from every organ in the body. As such, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have vast potential for diagnostics, medical therapies, and even augmentation or enhancement of normal functions. BCIs provide a means to explore the furthest corners of what it means to think, to feel, and to act—to experience the world and to be who you are. This work focuses on the development of a chronic bi-directional BCI for sensorimotor restoration through the use of separable frequency bands for recording motor intent and providing sensory feedback via electrocortical stimulation. Epidural cortical surface electrodes are …

Self-Powered Time-Keeping And Time-Of-Occurrence Sensing, Liang Zhou

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Self-powered and passive Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices (e.g. RFID tags, financial assets, wireless sensors and surface-mount devices) have been widely deployed in our everyday and industrial applications. While diverse functionalities have been implemented in passive systems, the lack of a reference clock limits the design space of such devices used for applications such as time-stamping sensing, recording and dynamic authentication. Self-powered time-keeping in passive systems has been challenging because they do not have access to continuous power sources. While energy transducers can harvest power from ambient environment, the intermittent power cannot support continuous operation for reference clocks. The thesis of this …

Building On Nature: Spectroscopic Studies Of Photosynthesis-Inspired Pigments, Fused Light Harvesting Proteins, And Bacterial Reaction Center Mutants, Kaitlyn Faries

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Photosynthesis is the dominant form of solar energy conversion on the planet, making it critical to understand the fundamentals of the process in order to effectively mimic and improve upon it for human energy needs. The initial stages of photosynthesis include light harvesting and chemical conversion of that harvested energy via electron transport, with both of these stages relying on pigments (or chromophores) such as chlorophyll and specific protein architectures for the processes. In this work, the fundamental underpinnings of photosynthetic light harvesting and electron transport are explored via spectroscopy of various photosynthetic systems with altered natural pigments and proteins. …

Viral Mhc Class I Evasion Affects Anti-Viral T Cell Development And Responses, Elvin James Lauron

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Cytotoxic CD8+ T cells (CTLs) play a critical role in protective immunity against viruses, a fact underscored by the evolution of viral CTL evasion mechanisms. For instance, many viruses commonly target the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHCI) antigen presentation pathway to prevent CTLs from recognizing infected cells. A striking example of this is cowpox virus (CPXV), which interferes with MHCI antigen presentation through two distinct mechanisms. One mechanism of CPXV-mediated MHCI inhibition is to retain MHCI molecules in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The second mechanism is to prevent antigen peptide loading onto MHCI molecules. When combined these mechanisms result …

Functional And Skeletal Muscle Impairments In Progressive Diabetic Ckd, Daniel Bittel

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

1-in-3 persons with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) develop chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is characterized by progressive renal dysfunction leading to end-stage renal disease. In response to elevated blood glucose and systemic inflammation of diabetes, a process of active thickening of the renal glomerular basement membrane ensues with concomitant damage to the structural supports (podocytes) of the kidneyճ filtration barrier. This results in impaired renal filtration. The metabolic sequelea of T2DM and CKD also, synergistically, alter skeletal muscleճ degradative pathways, satellite cell function (muscle reparative cells), and mitochondrial health (muscle energetic machinery) -- resulting in muscle breakdown, poor muscle quality, …

Instrumentation For Cryogenic Dynamic Nuclear Polarization And Electron Decoupling In Rotating Solids, Faith Joellen Scott

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) increases the sensitivity of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) using the higher polarization of electron radical spins compared to nuclear spins. The addition of electron radicals for DNP to the sample can cause hyperfine broadening, which decreases the resolution of the NMR resonances due to hyperfine interactions between electron and nuclear spins. Electron decoupling has been shown to attenuate the effects of hyperfine coupling in rotating solids. Magic angle spinning (MAS) DNP with electron decoupling requires a high electron Rabi frequency provided by a high-power microwave source such as a frequency-agile gyrotron. This dissertation describes the development …

The Costs Of A Big Brain: How Region Scaling And Energetic Costs Influence Brain Size Evolution In Weakly Electric African Fishes (Mormyridae), Kimberley Varunee Sukhum

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Brains control an organismճ ability to sense, remember, and respond to the frequently changing world. Brains are composed of multiple regions and systems, which are associated with different processes. These regions are homologous across all vertebrates yet vary greatly in size and shape across clades. While regions can function independently, they also interact extensively. These characteristics make it difficult to predict whether regions can change in size independently from other regions in response to selection (mosaic evolution hypothesis), or whether the brain evolves as a single concerted organ (concerted evolution hypothesis). Further, many traits such as cognition, behavioral flexibility, and …

Biological And Behavioral Mechanisms Underlying Childhood Physical Abuse And Age-Related Disease: Borderline Personality Pathology And Inflammation, Christina Rae Di Iorio

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Background: The frequent comorbidity of psychiatric and physical health conditions may be partially attributable to early life stress-related changes in inflammatory signaling and behavior (e.g., borderline personality pathology, health behaviors) that reciprocally maintain and enhance their effects on overall health.Methods: Using data from older adults (n=1,630) who participated in the ongoing longitudinal St Louis Personality and Aging Network (SPAN) study, we examined associations between childhood physical abuse, borderline pathology, inflammation markers (i.e., interleukin 6, c-reactive protein), health behaviors, and physical health. Morning fasting serum IL-6 and CRP were assayed from a subset of participants (n=791). Borderline pathology factor scores were …