Digital Commons Network^™

Algorithm Hardware Codesign For High Performance Neuromorphic Computing, Haowen Fang

Dissertations - ALL

Driven by the massive application of Internet of Things (IoT), embedded system and Cyber Physical System (CPS) etc., there is an increasing demand to apply machine intelligence on these power limited scenarios. Though deep learning has achieved impressive performance on various realistic and practical tasks such as anomaly detection, pattern recognition, machine vision etc., the ever-increasing computational complexity and model size of Deep Neural Networks (DNN) make it challenging to deploy them onto aforementioned scenarios where computation, memory and energy resource are all limited. Early studies show that biological systems' energy efficiency can be orders of magnitude higher than that …

A Graduatte Level Immersive-Simulattion Program For Teaching And Assessing Fundamental Skills In Entry Level Clinical Perfusionists., Bruce Searles

Dissertations - ALL

Background: The clinical perfusionist is a member of the open-heart-surgery team and responsible for operating the life support equipment that replaces the function of the patient's heart and lungs and arrests and restarts the patient's heart in the course of a Cardiopulmonary Bypass (CPB) procedure. In the perfusionists scope of practice, the consequence of unskilled actions, inaccurate understanding or delayed decision making may result in significant patient morbidity or even death. Historically, perfusion students have learned and practiced their skills within a clinical preceptorship program in which an experienced clinician allows the novice student to operate the life support equipment …

Realistic Additions To Matlab Simulation Of Active Particles In An Acoustic Field, Emily Ma

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

Acoustic microfluidics provides a contact-free method of manipulating active particles; however, versatile and quick performance quantification of these methods is needed to further apply acoustofluidic techniques in broader settings. Motile Chlamydomonas reinhardtii algae cells continuously swim and redistribute as they are subject to an acoustic field. For performance quantification, this eliminates the tedious procedure of resetting the experiment after each trial, which is necessary when using passive particles as probes. Thus, this method of calibration using active particles is more efficient than using passive particles. Utilizing an accurate simulation of physical active particle experiments is helpful in quickly predicting how …

Impact Of Medical Blog Reading And Information Presentation On Readers' Preventative Health Intentions: Mixed Methods, Multistudy Investigation, Kimberly A. Taylor Dnp, Rn, Nea-Bc, Cnor, William F. Humphrey

Publications

Background:

Medical blogs have become valuable information sources for patients and caregivers. Most research has focused on patients’ creation of blogs as therapy. But we know less about how these blogs affect their readers and what format of information influences readers to take preventative health actions.

Objective:

This study aimed to identify how reading patient medical blogs influences readers’ perceived health risk and their intentions to engage in preventative health actions. Further, we aimed to examine the format of the medical blog and the reader’s response.

Methods:

We surveyed 99 university participants and a general-population, online panel of 167 participants. …

Fine Scales, Broad Consequences: Drivers And Effects Of Microclimatic Variation In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Jordan Rebecca Stark

Theses - ALL

Climate is highly variable at scales that are not captured by most weather and climate models due to local effects of topography and living systems. This variation in microclimate has been noted for many decades but has been difficult to incorporate into quantitative understanding of ecological systems and processes due to the large amount of data and complex models required to adequately describe fine-scale patterns across complex landscapes. In recent years, models of thermal microclimate variation have been developed using low-cost temperature sensors, but few of these models have been used to predict the effects of microclimatic variation on ecological …

First-Generation College Student Baccalaureate Attainment: Investigation Of A Psychological Model Of College Student Retention, Timothy Wasserman

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation examined predictors of retention and graduation for first-generation (FG), first-year students at a selective, private, residential university in the northeastern United States. The theoretical framework was Bean and Eaton's (2000, 2001/2002) Psychological Model of College Student Retention. The purpose of the study was to test the Bean and Eaton model and ascertain how students' entry characteristics, experiences, psychological outcomes, attitudes, and intent to return impacted retention and graduation outcomes. Previous research shows that FG students face challenges in persisting (Cataldi et al., 2018; Choy, 2001; Ishitani, 2016); yet it is through graduating from a prestigious four-year institution that …

First Measurement Of B(Ξc0 → Π−Λ+C ), Michael Kent Wilkinson

Dissertations - ALL

The first measurement of the branching fraction of the Ξc0 baryon in its decay to π− and Λ+c hadrons, B(Ξc0 → π−Λ+c ), is presented. This measurement was conducted with the LHCb detector, located on the Large Hadron Collider, using 13 TeV proton-proton collisions. There have been a number of theoretical predictions for the size of this branching fraction, spanning more than an order of magnitude; this large difference is primarily due to differing assumptions about the internal interactions contributing to the decay. The branching fraction measured here provides the first experimental evidence for the nature of these interactions; it …

A Solid-State Phase Camera For Advanced Gravitational Wave Detectors, Erik Muniz

Dissertations - ALL

I present a novel way of wavefront sensing using a commercially available, continuouswavetime-of- ight camera with QVGA-resolution. This CMOS phase camera is capable of sensing externally modulated light sources with frequencies up to 100 MHz. The high-spatial-resolution of the sensor, combined with our integrated control electronics, allows the camera to image power modulation index as low as -62 dBc/second/pixel. The phase camera is applicable to problems where alignment and mode-mismatch sensing is needed and suited for diagnostic and control applications in gravitationalwave detectors. Specically, I explore the use of the phase camera in sensing the beat signals due to thermal …

Observation Of Ω Contribution In The C1(3872) → Π+Π−J/Ψ Decays, Baasansuren Batsukh

Dissertations - ALL

Resonant structure in the dipion mass spectrum produced via \decay{\Bu}{\X\Kp}, \decay{\X}{\jpsi \pip \pim}, with \decay{\jpsi}{\mu^+\mu^-} is analyzed using Run 1 and Run 2 data samples from the LHCb experiment. The spectrum is dominated by $\rhoz\to\pi^+\pi^-$, but cannot be described by this contribution alone. A significant $\omega\to\pi^+\pi^-$ contribution, interfering with $\rhoz$, is observed for the first time. This is a more significant observation ($>7.1\sigma$) of $\X\to\omega\jpsi$ decays, than previously achieved with $\omega\to\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0$ decays. The relative contribution of $\omega$ to the total $\X\to\pi^+\pi^-\jpsi$ rate is at the level expected from the measured $\X\to(\omega\to\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0)\jpsi$ rate, if the interference between the $\rho^0$ and …

Utilizing Parity Violating Electron Scattering As A Probe To Measure The Neutron Radius Of 208-Pb, David Eric King

Dissertations - ALL

The Lead Radius Experiment 2 (PREX-II) and Calcium Radius Experiment (CREX) carried out in Hall A of the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility were designed to measure the neutron skins of 208-Pb and 48-Ca nuclei by measuring the parity-violating asymmetry APV of the elastic scattering of polarized electrons on 208-Pb and 48-Ca targets. In order to achieve a precision measurement of the neutron skins of 208-Pb and 48-Ca it is imperative to maintain precise control over many experimental parameters–one of which is a precision measurement of the electron beam polarization (which is the largest contributor to experimental error making control …

Photochemistry Of Rna, Rna Monomers, And Plausible Prebiotic Precursors, Sean J. Hoehn, Naishka E. Caldero-Rodríguez, Carlos E. Crespo-Hernández

Faculty Scholarship

Sunlight is the primary source of energy to promote change on Earth. In this context, ultraviolet radiation can be thought as a catalyst of chemical change to refine chemical feedstocks and facilitate their transformations into the building blocks of life. To establish reasonable environmental constraints for the chemical origins of life, it is central to understand how the photochemical reactivity or photochemical resistance of prebiotic molecules might have supported the formation of the RNA monomers on the Earth's surface and particularly in aqueous solution. In this chapter, the photochemistry of the RNA monomers and several conceivably important prebiotic precursors are …

Atrial Fibrillation In Middle Eastern Arabs And South Asians: A Scoping Review, Amar M. Salam, Rasha Kaddoura, Vehid Salih, Sanjay Asopa

Peninsula Dental School

No abstract provided.

Platelet Micrornas Inhibit Primary Tumor Growth Via Broad Modulation Of Tumor Cell Mrna Expression In Ectopic Pancreatic Cancer In Mice, Jeremy G.T. Wurtzel, Sophia Lazar, Sonali Sikder, Kathy Q Cai, Igor Astsaturov, Andrew S Weyrich, Jesse W Rowley, Lawrence E. Goldfinger

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

We investigated the contributions of platelet microRNAs (miRNAs) to the rate of growth and regulation of gene expression in primary ectopic tumors using mouse models. We previously identified an inhibitory role for platelets in solid tumor growth, mediated by tumor infiltration of platelet microvesicles (microparticles) which are enriched in platelet-derived miRNAs. To investigate the specific roles of platelet miRNAs in tumor growth models, we implanted pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells as a bolus into mice with megakaryocyte-/platelet-specific depletion of mature miRNAs. We observed an ~50% increase in the rate of growth of ectopic primary tumors in these mice compared to controls …

Analysis Of Global Published Literature On Library And Information Science: An Empirical Study Through Big Data Approach (1920-2020), Subhajit Panda, Dr. Atasi Sinhababu, Prof. Rupak Chakravarty

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent of LIS (Library and Information Science) literature referring to and being referred by patents in the form of scholarly citations they attribute and/or receive. The analysis of the present study was done based on a total data-set of 237820 research publications of the LIS discipline ranging from April 1920 to April 2020 (100 years) as mined from the LENS database. LIS research corpus received 22.75 scholarly citations and 6.87 patent citations per paper while utilizing and citing 18667 patents and thus establishing the correlation between the citing-cited link in the …

Positive Leadership Theory For Online Dissertation Mentoring, Lee Stadtlander

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

A number of theoretical models have been suggested for how to mentor doctoral students. However, they tend to rely on hierarchical and authoritarian relationships between the faculty and students. Such models tend to create dependency and fear of the faculty, resulting in a reluctance in coming to the mentor for guidance. Such models do not tend to work well with online adult doctoral students with jobs and families. This paper proposes a model of positive leadership for online doctoral mentors, where mentors are accessible and create an environment where success is assumed and social support is provided by both the …

Penn State Extension Services And Plain People: An Inside Perspective On A Trust-Based Relationship, Phillip Martin

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

This perspective on Penn State Extension Services and plain people is based on my personal experiences as a plain person, in which I interacted with Extension Services first as a farmer, and then (while working on a doctorate) as a part of the Extension system. Penn State Extension started over a century ago and was deliberate in reaching out to plain (conservative Anabaptist) farmers since the beginning, which led to a history of trust-based cooperation. For all these successes there remain challenges to effective cooperation with certain plain individuals and subgroups. I suggest these challenges are broadly similar to those …

Methodological Considerations For Amish-Focused Opinion Research: Lessons From A Study Of Beliefs And Practices About Agriculture And The Environment, David Hockman-Wert

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

Certain aspects of Amish agriculture have been studied extensively but much is still unknown about Amish environmental attitudes and beliefs. This is due, in part, to the difficulty of directly soliciting responses from adherents. This article—part of a larger study of the Kishacoquillas Valley Amish settlement in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania—reflects on methodological challenges that arose during a study on Amish environmental attitudes and behaviors. Farmers from two Amish groups, as well as two non-Amish groups used for comparison, were interviewed about their environmental attitudes. Recruiting Amish participants for interviews was difficult due to the limited use of modern telecommunications technology, …

Farm Food Safety Training For Amish Produce Growers Covered Under The Food Safety Modernization Act (Fsma), Luke Laborde, Jeffrey Stoltzfus, Kaila Thorn

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

Commercial production of fruits and vegetables on Amish farms provides significant amounts of fresh produce that are regionally distributed through wholesale markets. In response to several multi-state foodborne disease outbreaks linked to contamination of fresh produce, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandated farm food safety standards that most commercial produce growers must implement. Although there have been no foodborne disease outbreaks attributed to fresh produce grown on Amish farms, this regulation poses regulatory challenges for those who sell produce at wholesale produce auctions, cooperatives, and distribution warehouses. This article describes recent farm food safety standards issued by the …

Caring For The Land And The Livestock: Anabaptist Agricultural Practices In Europe And Colonial Pennsylvania, Rebecca Shenton

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

Anabaptists have a strong history of agricultural innovation and care for the land. Their innovative spirit was forged out of persecution, migration, and the need to survive in challenging circumstances. This article examines the agricultural practices of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Swiss and South German Anabaptist farmers and those of eighteenth-century Anabaptist immigrants to Pennsylvania. European Anabaptist tenant farmers distinguished themselves by their family-centered mixed agriculture and their investment in both the land (using manure, lime, gypsum, and crop rotation to improve the soil) and livestock (improving natural meadows and planting pastures for fodder, maintaining clean barns, practicing confinement feeding, and …

Title Page And Table Of Contents 9(2), Japas Editors

Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies

No abstract provided.

The Relevance Of The Five New Laws Of Librarianship To The Development Of Mosque Libraries In Indonesia, Ahmad Amir Aziz

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

In today's world of information technology disruption, library science must adapt quickly and accurately. The true library will always play an important role as a center of knowledge, including the mosque library, which is a distinct type of library because the majority of its collections are religious in nature. This article intends to discuss the New Five Laws of Librarianship as proposed by Michael Gorman, who revised the Ranganathan concept. The concept will be tested to determine its applicability to the design of the mosque library development, which is tasked with providing services to the surrounding Muslim community. Gorman's principle …

F. S. V. Crestwood School District

2021 Decisions

USDC for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Assessment Of Virus-Induced Myocarditis In Human Heart Tissue Samples, Gabriel Galeotos

Honors Theses

The heart is a major organ whose function is to transport nutrients and waste throughout the body. This organ can become infected by pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, or parasites. Infection of the middle heart layer, or myocardium, is often caused by a viral agent. This disease has three stages: viral infiltration, adaptive immune system activation, and finally either viral clearance or cardiac cell remodeling. During this process the immune system will begin to secrete cytokines, which are signaling molecules that alert other members of the immune pathways, and also participate in cardiac remodeling. Evaluating the correlation between the cytokine …

Michelle Mcdonald-Witherspoon V. City Of Philadelphia

2021 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Kenth Rogers V. Director Internal Revenue Bure

2021 Decisions

USDC for the District Court of the Virgin Islands

Jorge Valarezo-Tirado V. Attorney General United States

2021 Decisions

Agency

Genetic Contributors Of Incident Stroke In 10,700 African Americans With Hypertension: A Meta-Analysis From The Genetics Of Hypertension Associated Treatments And Reasons For Geographic And Racial Differences In Stroke Studies, Nicole D. Armstrong, Vinodh Srinivasasainagendra, Amit Patki, Rikki M. Tanner, Bertha A. Hidalgo, Hemant K. Tiwari, Nita A. Limdi, Ethan M. Lange, Leslie A. Lange, Donna K. Arnett, Marguerite R. Irvin

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: African Americans (AAs) suffer a higher stroke burden due to hypertension. Identifying genetic contributors to stroke among AAs with hypertension is critical to understanding the genetic basis of the disease, as well as detecting at-risk individuals.

Methods: In a population comprising over 10,700 AAs treated for hypertension from the Genetics of Hypertension Associated Treatments (GenHAT) and Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) studies, we performed an inverse variance-weighted meta-analysis of incident stroke. Additionally, we tested the predictive accuracy of a polygenic risk score (PRS) derived from a European ancestral population in both GenHAT and REGARDS AAs …

A Global Ocean Oxygen Database And Atlas For Assessing And Predicting Deoxygenation And Ocean Health In The Open And Coastal Ocean, Marilaure Grégoire, Véronique Garçon, Hernan Garcia, Denise Breitburg, Kirsten Isensee, Andreas Oschlies, Maciej Telszewski, Alexander Barth, Henry C. Bittig, Jacob Carstensen, Thierry Carval, Fei Chai, Francisco Chavez, Daniel Conley, Laurent Coppola, Sean Crowe, Kim Currie, Minhan Dai, Bruno Deflandre, Boris Dewitte, Robert Diaz, Emilio Garcia-Robledo, Denis Gilbert, Alessandra Giorgetti, Ronnie Glud, Dimitri Gutierrez, Shigeki Hosoda, Masao Ishii, Gil Jacinto, Chris Langdon, Siv K. Lauvset, Lisa A. Levin, Karin E. Limburg

Faculty Publications

In this paper, we outline the need for a coordinated international effort toward the building of an open-access Global Ocean Oxygen Database and ATlas (GO2DAT) complying with the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable). GO2DAT will combine data from the coastal and open ocean, as measured by the chemical Winkler titration method or by sensors (e.g., optodes, electrodes) from Eulerian and Lagrangian platforms (e.g., ships, moorings, profiling floats, gliders, ships of opportunities, marine mammals, cabled observatories). GO2DAT will further adopt a community-agreed, fully documented metadata format and a consistent quality control (QC) procedure and quality flagging (QF) system. GO2DAT …

Nondestructive Detection Of Codling Moth Infestation In Apples Using Pixel-Based Nir Hyperspectral Imaging With Machine Learning And Feature Selection, Nader Ekramirad, Alfadhl Y. Khaled, Lauren E. Doyle, Julia R. Loeb, Kevin D. Donohue, Raul T. Villanueva, Akinbode A. Adedeji

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Codling moth (CM) (Cydia pomonella L.), a devastating pest, creates a serious issue for apple production and marketing in apple-producing countries. Therefore, effective nondestructive early detection of external and internal defects in CM-infested apples could remarkably prevent postharvest losses and improve the quality of the final product. In this study, near-infrared (NIR) hyperspectral reflectance imaging in the wavelength range of 900–1700 nm was applied to detect CM infestation at the pixel level for three organic apple cultivars, namely Gala, Fuji and Granny Smith. An effective region of interest (ROI) acquisition procedure along with different machine learning and data processing …

Scoring Measures Of Word Dictation Curriculum-Based Measurement In Writing: Effects Of Incremental Administration, Apryl L. Poch, Abigail A. Allen, Erica S. Lembke

Special Education and Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Spelling has been identified as a key transcription skill that emerges during the elementary years as students learn how to write and subsequently develop fluency with writing, making the assessment of spelling a critical component of evaluation systems within schools. This includes the use of curriculum-based measures of writing (CBM-W). This study examined the extent to which word dictation CBM-W administered during the Fall, Winter, and Spring of an academic year maintained technical adequacy across 1-min time intervals in grades 1–3. Results revealed moderate predictive and concurrent validity estimates with the Spelling subtest of the Weschler Individual Achievement Test-III. Statistically …