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Queering Our Education: A Call for LGBTQIA Guidelines
No full textThe purpose of this capstone thesis was to write a call-to-action manuscript that will be submitted for publication to the American Art Therapy Association Journal. The manuscript calls upon the American Art Therapy Association as the national organization of the profession to create LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual) guidelines for art therapy, including the importance of integrating LGBTQIA history in graduate school curricula. Reviewing recommendations from scholars in the counseling, psychology, and art therapy fields, as well as reviewing the LGBTQIA guidelines created for the counseling and psychology, this capstone also suggests ways in which LGBTQIA guidelines for art therapy that focus specifically on LGBTQIA culture and history can help to queer multicultural courses in graduate art therapy programs as well as assist professionals outside of the educational setting.M.A., Art Therapy and Counseling -- Drexel University, 201
Balancing walk-ins and scheduled appointments in a direct primary care setting
No full textIntroduction: Walk-in patients are a frequent problem that can be a significant barrier in providers staying on schedule. Although increasing access to care is a major focus in health care and offering walk-in appointments would help this balancing the two items is cumbersome task. Methods: Using the Rapid Cycle Improvement model, a quality improvement project implemented a new schedule method that factored in walk-in patients. The study was conducted at direct primary care (DPC) office and a total of 603 visits were evaluated. The dependent variable, wait times, was measured and analyzed based on baseline and post intervention, scheduled versus unscheduled, and day of the week. Results: Independent T-test comparing means showed a significant (p=0.001) reduction in wait time post intervention. Additional significant relationship was seen between wait time and day of the week (p=0.000). Conclusion: Adjusting schedule system to accommodate walk-in patients can reduce wait times and allow for increased access for same-day patient needs.D.N.P., Nursing Practice -- Drexel University, 201
A guide to the use of modal techniques in improvisational music therapy
No full textThis manual describes methods by which music therapists may incorporate modal techniques of improvisation into clinical work. Modal music is based upon structured sets of notes, known as modes, often identical to scales. Modal harmony differs from the harmonic system commonly used in the Euro-American musical canon, known as functional harmony, which uses chord progressions to develop the music. Modal harmony, on the other hand, is focused on melodic development posed in relation to a stable tonal center. These together imply a figure and ground relationship, a significant factor in the therapeutic process. Furthermore, a modal ground can act as a portal opening up to a wider arena of self-discovery and musical discovery. Modal features are common to a wide diversity of music traditions from around the world, and some of these are reviewed. Multicultural fluency and humility are emphasized as an important motivation to learn modal techniques. Improvising in this way may also be less daunting to a novice and may inspire greater creative expression. Flow and extended consciousness, represented by ideas of "modal ecstasy", are psychological states often associated with modal music that can a vital part of the therapeutic process. In light of such benefits, the reader is provided a guide to engage in modal improvisation, through familiarity with modes and their functions, the figure and ground dynamic, improvisational structure, and clinical vignettes describing practical uses.M.A., Music Therapy and Counseling -- Drexel University, 201
Hand Off Communication Tool Between Nursing Staff and Provider for Reducing 30 Day Hospital Readmission in an Assisted Living Facility
No full textBackground: Ineffective or inadequate communication is a leading cause of poor health outcomes as well as quality of health care when dealing with complex chronic conditions in older adults (Jones, et al, 2015). This is usually the result of substandard communication of important health information between provider and their patients. This , is turn, leads to poor care coordination, thereby leading to avoidable hospital readmission from skilled nursing facility.D.N.P., Nursing Practice -- Drexel University, 201
The Road to a Criminal Conviction--Does it Matter How Someone Gets There?: A Cross-Section of Public Attitudes
No full textIndividuals can be convicted of a criminal offense in one of two ways: via trial or via guilty plea. To convict an individual of a criminal offense via trial, a prosecutor must prove all elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. In contrast, criminal defendants who choose to take responsibility for their crime and avoid trial are convicted via a guilty plea. Guilty pleas typically result from the plea bargain process, in which a criminal defendant agrees to plead guilty in exchange for a less severe punishment. Research indicates discrepancy in judges’ sentences based on a defendant’s conviction pathway, with judges handing down less severe sentences for defendants convicted via plea versus those convicted via trial. This is referred to as a plea discount or a trial penalty. Though a common practice within the criminal justice system, it is unclear if the concept of plea discounts/trial penalties enjoys public support. This study investigated sentencing attitudes of the general public towards a mock defendant convicted of a felony robbery crime either at trial or via a guilty plea. Participants were asked their opinions regarding (1) length of sentence imposed; (2) a mock defendant’s culpability, criminal risk, and amenability to treatment; (3) common justifications for and criticisms of the plea bargain process; and (4) collateral consequences of a criminal conviction. There was a significant difference between study conditions regarding the perception that the mock defendant wished to take responsibility for his offense, but not for any other outcome variables--including length of sentence imposed. Implications regarding criminal justice practice and public policy are discussed.Ph.D., Psychology -- Drexel University, 201
In vitro neuroprotective properties of positive allosteric modulators and expression enhancers of EAAT2
No full textGlutamate excitotoxicity has been shown to be associated with several acute and chronic disorders of the CNS, including stroke, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and Alzheimer's disease. Excitatory amino acid transporter 2 (EAAT2) is responsible for rapid removal of most extracellular glutamate, thus maintaining glutamate homeostasis and preventing excitotoxicity. Therefore, compounds that enhance its expression or function could serve as valuable neuroprotective agents. Previous studies identified an allosteric site on EAAT2, allowing for virtual screening approaches to identify novel compounds that were characterized as positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of this transporter. Medicinal chemistry efforts generated several analogs with better drug-like properties. Previous studies in the lab further characterized the potency and selectivity of these compounds in glutamate uptake assays in transfected COS-7 cells and glial cultures. In this study, we investigated the potential neuroprotective properties of one of these compounds, NA-014, a selective EAAT2 PAM. We also investigated the potential neuroprotective properties of a natural compound, Parawixin10, that has previously been characterized as a PAM of EAAT1 and EAAT2, and clavulanic acid, a -lactam that has been identified as an enhancer of the expression of EAAT2. For these studies, mixed neuron-glia cultures were subjected to four different types of excitotoxic insults: exogenous glutamate application, exogenous application of H2O2 (an in vitro model of oxidative stress), oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD, an in vitro stroke model), and low magnesium buffer (an in vitro model of epilepsy). Neuronal survival and dendritic arborization were assessed 24 hours following the insults using immunocytochemistry against MAP-2 and GFAP (neuronal and glial markers, respectively). Our results indicate that NA-014 is neuroprotective in the glutamate, OGD, and low magnesium in vitro models and has a therapeutic time window of approximately 8 hours. However, the compound lacks effectiveness in the oxidative stress model, and we suggest that this insult damages the glial transporters. Our results also show that Parawixin10 and clavulanic acid are both neuroprotective in the glutamate and OGD in vitro models. Ongoing and future studies aim to determine the extracellular glutamate concentration following insults and treatments with NA-014. Preliminary in vivo studies in models of TBI and neuropathic pain demonstrate that this compound has neuroprotective and nociceptive properties. Future studies will address whether this compound can be developed for stroke therapy and will further investigate the potential additivity of combining treatments of allosteric modulator and expression enhancer. Finally, future studies will optimize the drug-like properties of NA-014 and Parawixin10 through medicinal chemistry. In summary, these studies indicate that EAAT2 PAMs and expression enhancers display neuroprotective properties in several in vitro models of excitotoxicity, and they may be developed for clinical use in treating disorders involving excitotoxicity, like stroke, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury (TBI).M.S., Pharmacology and Physiology -- Drexel University, 201
In Vivo Performance of the Femoral Head-Neck Taper Connection and Development of an Electrochemical Framework for Quantitative Corrosion Investigations
No full textCorrosion at the modular head-neck connection in total hip arthroplasty has been shown to have deleterious biological consequences, and recent clinical observations have postulated that it may compromise the integrity of the taper connection. This dissertation summarizes the patient demographics, clinical details, and design variables of hip implants that were examined to understand their impact on the in vivo performance of taper junctions. Furthermore, it describes electrochemical assessment methods that were developed to quantitatively evaluate the effects of corrosion phenomena. In vivo taper performance was assessed using femoral components retrieved from revision surgery and from cadaveric donors. Preliminary time-to-event analyses were conducted on a collection of 5,821 retrieved joint prostheses, identifying risks factors for infection consistent with the findings of administrative databases and implant registries. The role of an activated immune system on corrosion at the head-neck taper was then explored with a subset of these explants. The results did not indicate more severe corrosion for devices revised with infection, but suggested greater corrosion severity for devices that were implanted in male patients and during primary arthroplasty procedures. Multivariable analysis of clinical and design variables did not identify an association between corrosion and the size of the modular taper, but found increased corrosion for heavier patients, longer implantation times, greater femoral head offsets and tapers with a lower flexural rigidity. Mechanical assessment of taper connection strength demonstrated that more severely corroded stem trunnions were associated with stronger taper connections. Additionally, greater corrosion was observed on retrievals from revision surgery than on those from cadaveric donors. In consideration of the electrochemical nature of corrosion processes, a new framework was devised to overcome limitations of visual corrosion assessments. Analysis using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy identified decreased impedance and increased constant phase element (CPE) capacitance as the strongest predictors of increased corrosion severity. Additionally, lower values for impedance phase angle, CPE-exponent and polarization resistance were associated with increased corrosion. From microscopic and metallographic inspection, it was found that components with subsurface damage features had significantly higher capacitance and lower impedance values than those only exhibiting surface corrosion damage features. Given that the surface area of an electrode is inversely proportional to its impedance and directly proportional to its capacitance, electrochemical analyses may provide an opportunity to identify penetrative corrosion features without destructive metallographic evaluation.Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering -- Drexel University, 201
Conceptualizations of Learning in the Learning Sciences and STEM Education
No full textInvestigating the nature of our conceptualizations of learning is a crucial step towards reducing the research-to-practice gap and developing strategies toward adoption of powerful practices in teaching and learning based on educational and Learning Sciences research. The purpose of this study was to develop robust characterizations of the conceptualizations of learning among a group of learning scientists and a comparison group of professors in STEM fields. This study described differences between conceptualizations of learning and related beliefs regarding educational practices. Analysis using the Iceberg Framework for Conceptualization Analysis found two conceptualizations of learning. In the "Transfer/Acquisition" conceptualization of learning experiences, analogies, and surface metaphors interact over time leading to the emergence of an "Acquisition and Object Manipulation" conceptual metaphor and an "Object Possession" conceptual story, which interact with an "Individualist/Competition" worldview and a "Positivist/Post-Positivist" paradigm. Practices aligned with this conceptualization include exams, grading, student-teacher interaction, cooperative learning, textbooks, clickers, and lectures. The "Construction/Becoming" conceptualization of learning involves interactions between elements including a "Construction, Becoming, and Apprenticeship" conceptual metaphor, a "Situated Becoming" conceptual story, a "Collaborative/Cooperative" worldview, and an "Interpretivist/ Constructivist" paradigm from which practices emerge including interest-based learning, learner agency, real-world impact work, participation in a community of practice, collaboration, reflection, self-evaluation, making and design work. Comparative case study analysis found that the Construction/Becoming conceptualization of learning was dominant in the Learning Sciences group and the Transfer/Acquisition conceptualization was dominant in the STEM Professors group. The "high-impact" practices from the literature were more associated with the Construction/ Becoming conceptualization, and the practices the literature suggests should be minimized were most associated with the Transfer/Acquisition conceptualization.Ph.D., Educational Leadership Development and Learning Technologies -- Drexel University, 201
Understanding the Effects of Weight Suppression by Deconstructing Its Dimensions
No full textWeight suppression, or the difference between an individual’s highest past weight and current weight, is an increasingly studied construct that has been linked to future weight gain and eating disorder symptomatology. However, few studies have focused on the nature of weight suppression: neither the prevalence of weight suppression in the general population nor how the components of weight suppression might influence its effects has been adequately examined. This study therefore aimed (1) to clarify the nature of weight suppression in a more representative population than has been examined previously; (2) to examine how characteristics of weight history (i.e., highest past weight, duration of highest past weight, lowest past weight, duration of lowest past weight, weight rebound, current weight, and duration of current weight) relate to weight suppression itself; and (3) to determine whether these characteristics moderate the effects of weight suppression on relevant variables including loss-of-control (LOC) eating, exercise, restraint, and weight gain. Five hundred and two participants were recruited on Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and completed a set of questionnaires. The current study found that the prevalence of weight suppression is much higher than previously thought in the general population (60.6% had lost at least 5% of their body weight), and that highest past weight is highly correlated with weight suppression. In addition, weight suppression significantly predicted dietary restraint and one measure of LOC eating. Lowest past weight, duration of lowest past weight, weight rebound, and current weight each interacted with weight suppression to predict LOC eating, and highest past weight had a significant main effect independent of weight suppression on LOC eating. The current findings suggest the potential clinical impact of various weight-history characteristics on an individual’s proneness toward LOC eating. The current study also highlights the importance of researching multiple dimensions of weight history when studying eating pathology and the potential for eating pathology models to integrate these dimensions to improve treatment outcomes.Ph.D., Psychology -- Drexel University, 201
The Strategy of Fake News: A Polemic on Lies, the Attack on the Truth and the Mainstream Media’s Response
No full textFake news has found success in campaigns designed to attack the truth and reframe it to fit a specific agenda. As a result, combating fake news and standing up for the truth has become a staple of most mainstream television news outlets over the past three years (from 2016-2019). Fake news is not a new problem. It is modern-day propaganda made up of 21st-century media - tweets, headlines, and viral videos-created and distributed with the sole intent of causing disruption and confusion by selecting the points of interest deemed most favorable to the person or outlet making the claims. However, fake news and its offshoots, misinformation, and disinformation are symptoms of a bigger problem - the overall attack on science-backed truth. The mainstream media's responsibility is to stand up for factual truth, and they must take a more active role in defending the truth despite any notions of bias, politics or public outcry. This thesis will look at the media's role in defending the truth as the public is bombarded with too much information combined with the science of propaganda, which both manipulates the version of the truth the public sees as well as weakens their ability to be critical thinkers.M.S., Television Management -- Drexel University, 201