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Summertime marine boundary layer clouds over eastern north Atlantic: morphological transitions, mesoscale organization, and physical mechanisms
No full textMarine stratocumulus clouds are the predominant cloud type in the mid-latitudes and have significant impact on the Earth’s radiation budget. The transition of marine boundary layer clouds from single-layer stratocumulus to broken cloud structures frequently occurs in response to increasing sea surface temperature and involves three stages: the deepening of the stratocumulus deck, the formation of cumulus beneath the stratocumulus, and the dissipation of stratocumulus layer. In this dissertation, the characteristics of each transition stage, including microphysical properties, thermodynamics, drizzle, and dynamics are investigated using observational data collected at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurements (ARM) ENA facility during the summers between 2016 and 2019. The relationships between biogenic gas dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and cloud radiative properties are studied using aircraft measurements in Chapter 2. Weak correlations are found between DMS concentration and cloud effective radius in well-mixed boundary layer conditions. Furthermore, boundary layer clouds over ENA are classified based on cloud morphology and reflectivity properties, which are compared with ERA5 reanalysis products in Chapter 3. ERA5 shows great agreement with ENA observations during single layer stratocumulus occurrences but underperforms when cumulus-coupled stratocumulus clouds are present. Marine boundary layer convective complexes (MBLCC), clusters of organized cumulus-coupled stratocumulus structures that occur during the transition process, are identified and classified into different meso-scales in Chapter 4. Larger scales are associated with heavier drizzle and stronger wind and wind shear, suggesting that drizzle and wind shear are two of the factors that drive the organization of MBLCC structures.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical reference
Designing active commuting corridors to school: investigating the walkshed landscapes within safe routes for students
No full textDesigning Active Commuting Corridors to School: Investigating the Walkshed Landscapes within Safe Routes for Students by Katharine Schumacher under the Direction of Dr. David Tulloch is an examination of the landscape of walking to school for students in Lawrence Township, New Jersey in Mercer County. Through observation research and employing walking as a method, the hazards and strengths are evaluated to the interconnectedness of our communities, and the potential for strategic interventions to foster connectivity is discussed. While the infrastructure safety upgrades are essential, the broader guiding vision of the design concepts presented are to enhance the landscape of walking to school with an expanded approach that aims to create designs for sustainable and resilient walking environments that prioritize the wellbeing of students and foster community engagement. We can transcend boundaries and create a cohesive network that facilitates active transportation and community engagement by reimagining public spaces as conduits for interaction and collaboration. Therefore, the design exploration is based on the ecological (sub)urban landscape which emphasizes the importance of recognizing the ecological landscape in the urban form and highlights the significance of third spaces for students. This research proposes utilizing local waterways as crucial intersections for active transportation, civic education and environmental enhancement through multi-disciplinary design opportunities and agency involvement.M.L.A.Includes bibliographical reference
Investigating the health and wellness of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families
No full textThe prevalence rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among children in the US have tripled since 2000. Interventions to support these children and their families often aim to reduce symptoms that interfere with their daily living. Understanding how children with ASD and their families fare in terms of their health and wellness compared to children without ASD may identify where policy initiatives may be needed to improve these outcomes and create a more equitable healthcare system. Additionally, identifying confounding factors in the relationships between ASD and health and wellness outcomes may identify potential targets for policy interventions to improve these outcomes in children with ASD. Finally, identifying characteristics of children with ASD and their families that predict poorer outcomes in these children may identify subgroups of children with ASD that are disproportionately impacted.
Chapter 1 outlines the prevalence, presentation, and diagnosis of ASD. Chapter 2 describes the variables employed in this dissertation and describes a bivariate analysis comparing children with ASD and children without ASD. Children with ASD appear to be at a disadvantage related to having a medical home, the highest level of education attained by their caregivers, the physical health status of their mothers and fathers, the amount of time their caregivers dedicate to providing and coordinating their health care, the family income level, the resilience of their families, and whether they live in a supportive neighborhood compared to children without ASD.
Chapter 3 shows that, compared to children without ASD, children with ASD are 6.1 percentage points less likely to have caregiver-reported excellent/very good/good health, 41.5 percentage points less likely to be reported as flourishing by their caregivers, 8.6 percentage points more likely to be experiencing caregiver-reported chronic pain, and 4.8 percentage points less likely to be reported as safe in their neighborhoods by their caregivers. Chapter 4 shows that when compared to children without ASD, children with ASD were 7.5 percentage points more likely to have any caregiver-reported emergency department visits, 10.7 percentage points more likely to have out-of-pocket medical costs of $500 or more, and 12.1 percentage points more likely to have caregiver-reported medical hardship. Chapter 5 shows that when compared to children without ASD, children with ASD are 5.8 percentage points less likely to live with a caregiver who is employed full-time, and 9.0 percentage points less likely to live in a middle- or high-income household.
Overall, the health and wellness outcomes of girls with ASD, children of color with ASD, and children with severe ASD appear to be most significantly impacted. The findings of this study also support the family-based approach to interventions for children with ASD, as factors like the positive physical health status of caregivers and family resilience appear to reduce the effects of ASD found in some of the examined outcomes.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical reference
Flat
No full textMetaphysicians aim to describe the world. When metaphysicians disagree, sometimes they disagree about what the world is like, but sometimes they merely seem to disagree about how the world should be described, given that it is the way it is. I defend a framework for thinking about metaphysics that isolates the distorting effects of language to clarify what is at stake in the central debates of metaphysics. My framework is flat in the sense that it rejects the fundamental/non-fundamental distinction, along with any structure that would privilege a certain way of carving up the world. I apply the framework to dissolve the central questions of metaphysics and defend a novel physicalist picture of reality.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical reference
Information processing, social influence and learning among investors: insight from corporate misconduct, technical trading and online forum
No full textThis dissertation consists of three essays. It connects the overarching theme of the Adaptive Market Hypothesis and Market Microstructure in term of information diffusion and decision making related to stock market dynamics. By scrutinizing the behavioral emergent phenomena, this dissertation offers novel insights on how the information gets disseminated into the market, and how heterogeneous and bounded rational agents extract information and make trading decisions in a dynamic and uncertain environment, along with a nuanced understanding of how behavioral heuristics, cognitive and emotional biases, learning, and social interactions affect the dynamics and efficiency of financial markets.
•Essay 1: Does The Stock Market Punish Corporate Malfeasance? A Case Study of Citigroup·
This paper examines how well the market anticipates regulatory sanction. We look at key dates of SEC, NASD, FTC, Congressional and foreign investigations and their subsequent resolution. Our event study confirms that the settlements provide little new information to the market. In six major case groupings, we find highly accurate predictions from market capitalization changes of settlements and associated private litigation.
•Essay 2: Experts Online: An Analysis of Trading Activity in a Public Internet Chat Room
·We analyze the trading activity in an Internet chat room over a four-year period. The dataset contains nearly 9,000 trades from 676 traders. We found these traders are more skilled than retail investors analyzed in other studies. 55% make profits after transaction costs, and they have statistically significant α’s of 0.17% per day after controlling for the Fama-French factors and momentum. Traders hold their winners 25% longer than their losers. 42% trade both long and short, with equal success rates, and almost double the profit per trade when short. The estimates show a strong influence from other traders, with a buy (sell) order 40.7% more likely to be of the same sign if there has been a recent post. Traders improve their skill over time, earning an extra 46 per trade.
•Essay 3: Highs and Lows: A Behavioral and Technical Analysis
The paper investigates the relationship between trading volume (turnover) and n-day highs and lows in stock prices to understand traders' reliance on these signals. We find that turnover rises on n-day highs and lows and is an increasing function of n. We offer several explanations from the technical and behavioral finance literature for why traders might use these signals. Turnover is persistent following these events, and new lows provide abnormal returns for up to 6 trading days.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical reference
Effects of combined FGF15 overexpression and PPARα activation on mash development in mice
No full textNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease now known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a progressive disease that is increasing worldwide along with the obesity epidemic. Approximately 25% of the U.S. population have MASLD with up to 30% of that MASLD population developing metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). As a multifactorial disease, MASH is characterized by excess fat accumulation in hepatocytes leading to their ballooning plus inflammation and eventually fibrosis. Currently, there is no FDA approved treatment for MASH. One emerging therapeutic target for MASH is fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19, mouse ortholog FGF15). This hormone is expressed in enterocytes of the small intestine and induced by the nuclear receptor Farnesoid X receptor (FXR) once activated by the bile acids (BAs) that are reabsorbed into the ileum. FGF15/19 then acts on the liver to repress bile acid synthesis, lipogenesis, and gluconeogenesis while promoting glycogen synthesis. Additionally, activation of the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARα) increases fatty acid (FA) oxidation in hepatocytes, increases plasma high density lipoprotein (HDL), and decreases triglycerides (TG). Therefore, the overexpression of FGF15 in conjunction with a PPARα agonist is hypothesized to reduce steatosis and inflammation in an additive manner. To investigate, wild-type (WT; C57BL/6J) and Transgenic Fgf15 (Fgf15 Tg) mice were maintained on a control chow diet or high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 to 6 months. After MASH was induced at 4 months, PPARα agonist WY-14,643 was administered to HFD groups for 6 weeks. The results showed that Fgf15 Tg mice resisted weight gain and activation of PPARα at 4 months promoted weight loss. Fgf15 Tg mice were more glucose tolerant, suggesting they are more insulin sensitive, while HFD decreased glucose tolerance in both genotypes. Fgf15 overexpression alone and together with PPARα activation reduced steatosis. Fgf15 overexpression alone reduced classical serum markers of liver injury and total BAs. Genes involved in BA homeostasis, inflammation, and fibrosis were favorably reduced by Fgf15 overexpression. Conversely, combined Fgf15 overexpression and PPARα activation resulted in increased liver injury markers, and gene expression of lipid metabolism, inflammation, and fibrosis were all elevated. Although combination treatment had an excellent effect on reduction of steatosis, combined Fgf15 overexpression and PPARα activation seems to be counteractive rather than complementary in suppressing inflammation and fibrosis.M.S.Includes bibliographical reference
Revealing Structural Similarity Among Problems Through Pascal’s Triangle
No full textThis is Analytic 4 (of 4) of "Last steps to the ’Aha!’ - Recognizing the Isomorphism: A Series of Four Analytics"
This Analytic represents the culmination of the students’ exploration into combinatorial reasoning, where they uncover and articulate the structural similarities between and among the various counting problems whose solutions were structurally equivalent. This Analytic centers on the students’ synthesis of their understanding of Pascal’s Triangle with their experiences in solving the pizza and tower problems, demonstrating the kind of isomorphic reasoning and recognition described by Uptegrove and Maher (2004).
The session highlights a reflective dialogue where students draw on their past mathematical explorations to reinforce and extend their current understanding. By revisiting the configurations within Pascal’s Triangle and linking them to the physical models they explored in earlier years, the group articulates how the addition of elements in a particular row - whether pizza toppings or blocks in towers - corresponds to another element in the next row, supporting the expansion from one row to the next of Pascal’s Triangle, revealing a consistent pattern of growth. This process aligns with the development of mathematical proof ideas observed in longitudinal studies (Maher & Martino, 1996).
Through their discussions, the students develop a shared realization that the Tower Problems and the corresponding Pizza Problems are not only similar but rather fundamentally the same in terms of their structural essence. This insight is a leap forward in their cognitive understanding as they transition from recognizing patterns to interpreting their meaning in various contexts, demonstrating the kind of abstract and generic thinking in advanced mathematics described by Harel and Tall (1991). Their success in visually representing these ideas plays a crucial role in their understanding, as the particular cases provide a foundation for the more abstract representation of Pascal’s Triangle.
Problem Statement:
“A local pizza shop has asked us to help design a form to keep track of certain pizza choices. They offer a plain pizza that is cheese and tomato sauce. A customer can then select from the following toppings: pepper, sausage, mushrooms, and pepperoni. How many different choices for pizza does a customer have? List all the choices. Find a way to convince each other that you have accounted for all possible choices. Suppose a fifth topping, anchovies, were available. How many different choices for pizza does a customer now have? Why?”
Uptegrove, E., & Maher, C. A. (2004). Students building isomorphisms. In Proceedings of the 28th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (Vol. 4, pp. 353-360).
Krupnik, V. (2020). Early development and application of proof-like reasoning: Longitudinal case studies. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. PhD dissertation.
Teehan, K. (2019). A longitudinal case study tracing growth in mathematical understanding through the lens of the Pirie-Kieren theory. Rutgers University. Dissertation.
Harel, G., & Tall, D. (1991). The general, the abstract, and the generic in advanced mathematics. For the learning of mathematics, 11(1), 38-42.
Maher, C. A., & Martino, A. M. (1996). The development of the idea of mathematical proof: A 5-year case study. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 27(2), 194-214
I don’t feel no ways tired: racial battle fatigue among Black female higher education faculty and administrators
No full textHistorically, Black women in America have been treated as exotic creatures, used as “work horses,” have been forced to reproduce more and future workers, and continue to be relegated to the lowest levels of existence. While these experiences occur in all sectors of society, little research has been conducted that explores the lived experiences of Black females in higher education leadership, as told by them. Using Critical Race Theory, Racial Battle Fatigue (RBF), and Intersectionality as theoretical frameworks, this qualitative study explores the ways, if any, in which Black female higher education faculty and administrators experience RBF in the academy. This research also seeks to understand how RBF influences their career trajectories and how they protect themselves against gendered racism. Based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews and utilizing thematic and narrative analyses, several themes and findings emerged. They indicate that Black women suffer both overt and subtle, race and gender specific issues, including inter- and intra-racial power dynamics, invisibility and hyper-visibility among many other acts of bias and discrimination, which align with the results of extant research. Synthesis of participant interviews, findings, and themes provided recommendations for public administration and higher education, and future research.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical reference
Intercitizenship: how contemporary women writers create literary environmentalism across the U.S.-Canada border
No full textThis dissertation is a study of four contemporary, white women writers who have lived on both sides of the northern North American border: Annie Proulx, Elizabeth Hay, Lydia Millet, and Emily St. John Mandel. Its key intervention is the establishment and modelling of “intercitizenship,” which is both a literary category of analysis and a way of seeing and being in place. Drawing on borderlands scholarship, citizenship studies, critical place inquiry, Indigenous epistemologies, feminist theory, and ecocriticism, I argue that these writers—whom I term “intercitizens”—embody in their lives and imagine in their work a worldview that is relational, decolonial, and liberated from boundaries of nationality, space, species, and so on. Intercitizens are identifiable by their affective use of solastalgia (the homesickness one feels at home as the environs are despoiled), and by three literary themes: homes in disrepair, protagonists in motion, ecosystems in danger. Together these themes produce a feminist un-homing. The literary environmentalism of the writers featured here is funneled through deep-landscape and uncanny writing. As an assemblage, intercitizens are aware of and share settler histories, subjugated Indigenous knowledges, and the ongoing colonial apparatuses embedded in capitalistic, nationalistic, heteropatriarchal society—and they are critical of the powers sublimating that history and knowledge. In re-envisioning community, intercitizenship is at once disruptive and productive—a tool wielded toward a cultural reset in which our common values include decoloniality, interrelationality, and cross-border care for the Earth and every constituent (human and more-than-human) of its varied and threatened ecosystems.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical reference
Where you once belonged
No full textGeorge Harrison (“Harry”) Daley was a student at a prestigious music school, living the life he’d dreamed of and practiced for since childhood, until the sudden onset of hearing loss. Now, back home in Colorado, and having undergone radical changes in his sense of self and purpose, he is desperate to make meaning of his new circumstances. And so, he begins transcribing the final entries of the audio journal that he kept for nearly a decade, leading up to both his deafness, and his friend Jojo’s suicide attempt.
The entries take him back to the end of his sophomore year, when he starts to experience the early signs of the genetic condition that left his father with profound deafness. After a failed performance, Harry decides to drop out and return to his hometown to follow his grandfather’s footsteps, seeking a spiritual life rather than one of music and ambition.
Soon after he arrives, he meets Jojo Thomas, a fellow musician and seeker, and together, they travel across the western United States, growing close as they help each other navigate their own experiences with identity loss. Along their travels, they encounter fringe religious groups, off-grid communities, and a high-control cult, and the entries ultimately lead to the mysterious events surrounding Jojo’s suicide attempt.
In the transcriptions of the past, Harry sets out to prove if it’s possible to reinvent himself before losing his hearing. Meanwhile, in the present, he navigates rebuilding a relationship with his father and the Deaf community in which he was raised, while learning how to support Jojo as he attempts to reinvent himself in the aftermath of his suicide attempt.
Where You Once Belonged is a portrait of a brief and intimate friendship between two young men as they grapple with the questions: What happens when we lose parts of ourselves that we once thought essential to our identities? And, what happens when the stories we construct our identities around come into conflict with each other?M.F.A.Includes bibliographical reference