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Game Shows and Late-Night Talk Shows: Keeping Audiences Engaged in a World of Ever-changing Technology
No full textThe purpose of this study is to show how game shows and late-night talk shows have evolved with advancing and changing technology. Both game shows and talk shows had to incorporate new technology into their development in order to stay relevant and successful. Most shows are now using social media heavily to further engage their viewers. Some also are taking advantage of live streaming, blogging and podcasting. The study presents an analysis that may be useful in guiding television industry leaders to a strategy that maximizes the yield from resources they will invest to reach the most desirable target demographics.M.S., Television Management -- Drexel University, 201
Charge Recovery Circuits
No full textModern VLSI systems are under strict power and performance constraints, and the trade-offs between these two aspects drive industry and academic research alike. Static CMOS has been the leading logic family used in commercial VLSI systems for over a decade, but many alternatives exists and are currently being investigated. For example, some approaches propose to replace the kind of transistor devices used (e.g. TFET instead of MOSFET), or to use different materials (e.g. carbon nanotubes instead of silicon). At a higher level in the circuit design taxonomy, different logic families have been investigated (Dynamic circuits, Pass-transistor circuits, et cetera). A promising logic family, targeted at low-power consumption, is Charge Recovery Logic, or CRL, also known as adiabatic logic. CRL is a logic style aimed at reducing power consumption by recycling energy, and has been a growing topic of academic research for the past two decades. On one hand, CRL requires a paradigm shift in logic synthesis and design automation, and to this day no Electronic Design Automation tools exist that can take advantage of CRL's unique characteristics: The creation of such a tool needs methods and algorithms tailored to CRL. On the other hand, CRL energy-saving principles can be extended to mixed-signal circuits, e.g. comparators: this creates the new category of Charge Recovery Circuits. The union of the aforementioned fields of inquiry paves the road to fully adiabatic System-on-Chip (SOCs). This PhD dissertation presents results and methods that support the development of charge recovery SOCs. In the first part, CRL-specific algorithms are used to synthesize and compile large combinational logic circuits. Transistor-level simulations show that charge recovery logic is a feasible candidate to replace static CMOS for low-energy applications. In addition to these results, an EDA tool has been developed to provide the academic community with unprecedented access to system-level research. In the second part, an adiabatic analog comparator and a fully-adiabatic analog-to-digital-converter (ADC) are presented. Results show that the adiabatic principles can be successfully used to decrease the energy of mixed-signal circuits as well, with low impact on performance.Ph.D., Electrical Engineering -- Drexel University, 201
Ultrafast Carrier Dynamics within Photovoltaic Absorbers
No full textPh.D., Chemical Engineering -- Drexel University, 201
Hedonic Hunger, Disinhibited Eating, and the Physiological Impact of Palatable Food: A Study of Heart Rate Variability
No full textHedonic hunger and disinhibited eating behaviors, such as loss of control eating and eating in the absence of hunger, represent increased motivation for food and susceptibility towards overeating and are associated with a range of adverse physical and psychological outcomes. The persisting prevalence of these symptoms suggests limited efficacy of current prevention efforts and establishes the need for the identification of additional risk and maintenance factors. Heart rate variability (HRV) has been established as a measure of biological responsiveness and psychological well-being and may function as a physiological marker of food responsivity. Preliminary evidence has identified associations between reduced HRV and eating disorder symptoms, suggesting that eating pathology may be associated with different physiological responses to food. The current study sought to replicate and extend previous findings by employing HRV as a measure of arousal in response to food presentation across different hunger conditions in healthy adults. We examined relationships between multiple indices of HRV (HF, LF, LF/HF) and measures of hedonic hunger, loss of control eating, and eating in the absence of hunger. Results found similar patterns of HRV in response to food exposure and intake as previous research in nonclinical samples, with reduced HF HRV during food exposure and food intake and increased HF HRV following food intake. Although there was a marginally significant interaction between hedonic hunger and PFS, subsequent analyses found no relationship between HRV and PFS, LOC or EAH. Limitations and implications of the study are discussed.Ph.D., Psychology -- Drexel University, 201
Implementation of an Incident-based Nurse Peer Review Program
No full textNurse peer review has long been recognized as a method of ensuring competence, safety, and quality patient care. There are currently no guidelines as to how to conduct nurse peer review and many hospitals struggle to implement an effective nurse peer review program. Many parallel quality review methods exist, including Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and Serious Event Review (SER), but these mechanisms allow other disciplines to review and evaluate nursing practice, something they are not trained in nor competent to do. Nurses need their own venue for reviewing and evaluating nursing practice. The literature supports the use of nurse peer review, reporting positive benefits for nurses, patients, and organizations. This quality improvement project used a pilot study and Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) model to develop an incident-based nurse peer review program. The pilot study occurred over a three-week period during which clinical nurses attended three peer review sessions to evaluate nine cases of near misses and adverse events. Evaluation and feedback were sought at the end of each session. The resulting feedback was overwhelming positive, with clinical nurses reporting increased satisfaction with the peer review process and believing that the program would lead to improved nursing practice. The pilot study also resulted in the identification of several educational opportunities which were referred to the appropriate committees and departments. Minor revisions were made over the three sessions, resulting in a program to be implemented at the organizational level.D.N.P., Nursing Practice -- Drexel University, 201
Finding Community: A Community-Based Project Utilizing Movement to Strengthen Interpersonal and Spiritual Relationships
No full textEstablishing a sense of community within a spiritual community of young African American women requires the establishment of trust, emotional safety, shared values, and support. This community engagement project sought to examine the role movement plays in the development of interpersonal relationships and deepen an individual’s own spiritual connection. The community engagement project was held on one evening and young women from a local church attended. There were seven community members, including the author, present for the exploration of movement within the community and the exploration lasted for 3.5 hours. Themes that arose from the movement together included themes of membership, acceptance, connection, and empowerment. These themes were supported by the literature that discussed the necessary tenets for the establishment of sense of community. Suggestion for futures research included the establishment of community movement meetings that would allow for community members to come together and establish strong social connections.M.A., Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling -- Drexel University, 201
Factors Contributing to the Success of the Chinese Documentary Industry
No full textAlthough Chinese documentary has established a solid foundation and formed a relatively stable situation after decades of development, it still occupies a small market share in the Chinese television and online media industry. Also, the overall revenues of the Chinese documentary industry are not yet able to cover the costs of production. This thesis explored and examined the characteristics, distribution methods, and revenue streams that are helpful in increasing the viewership and revenue of Chinese documentaries. A survey focused on Chinese documentary viewers was conducted for this thesis, investigating the audiences' viewing preferences and habits, as well as their related consuming behaviors. Complementary data were collected from published reports of Chinese documentary, related statistical reports, and related database. The results showed that the characteristics of a documentary that primarily attract Chinese viewers are the combination of traditional culture and humanistic spirit present in the work, the capability to provoke meditation on reality and human nature, and well-scripted and compatible narration. With the increasing number of Chinese Internet users and the change of audiences' viewing habits from TV to digital media, digital distribution has played an increasingly important role in the distribution of Chinese documentary and the increase of its viewership. Developing documentary derivatives, on the other hand, is a practical strategy to extend the lifeline of Chinese documentary and bring more long-term revenue to the industry.M.S., Television Management -- Drexel University, 201
Examining patient’s use of, intention to use, and perceived helpfulness of emotion regulation strategies in an acceptance based behavioral treatment for bulimia nervosa as predictors of treatment outcome
No full textHigher rates of emotion dysregulation appear to be cross sectionally related to more severe bulimia nervosa (BN) symptoms and predict worse outcomes from treatment. As such, Mindfulness and Acceptance-based Treatments (MABTs) may be particularly helpful for individuals with BN because they directly address emotion regulation difficulties. MABTs have been shown to improve emotion regulation in individuals with EDs, however, little is known about which emotion regulation skills are the most acceptable and effective for individuals with BN. As such, the current study examined if the total number of skills a patient was using, perceived helpfulness, and intended future use of multiple skills was related to treatment outcomes. We also characterized which skills were most frequently identified by patients as helpful. Lastly, we examined if use of any specific skill was associated with better outcomes from a 20 session, outpatient Acceptance Based Behavioral Treatment (ABBT) for BN. Patients (N=14) were all females, ages 20 to 57 (M=31.57 SD=11.23) with an average BMI of 24.99 (SD=5.65) and a full threshold BN diagnosis. Observers watched video recordings of therapy sessions 18 and 19 where the therapist and patient jointly reviewed the emotion regulation strategies taught during treatment. Observers rated patient’s expressions of skill use, perceived helpfulness and intended future use of each skill. We examined the relationship between skill use and changes in behavioral (ie. frequency of binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviors) and cognitive (ie. Eating Disorder Examination global scores) outcomes at post-treatment and six-month follow-up. Due to the small sample, we conducted spearman rank correlations and reported relations of at least medium strength (r ≥ .3). Unexpectedly, total number of skills a patient reported using, perceiving as helpful, and intending to use skills during future moments of need were related to improvements in cognitive symptoms, but not bulimic behaviors at end of treatment and 6 month follow-up. Consistent with hypotheses, reporting using a larger number of skill during session 18 and 19 appeared to be related to larger improvements in outcomes from end of treatment to follow up. Further, use of values appeared to be the skill most commonly associated with larger improvements from pre-treatment to end of treatment and follow up. While using experiential acceptance and self-soothing appeared to be related to larger improvements in outcomes from end of treatment to follow-up. Future treatments for BN might maximize their effectiveness by fostering patient’s use of specific emotion regulation skills (eg. committing and clarifying to values and experiential acceptance). Further, studies should measure skill use across the entire course treatment to establish whether skill use precedes changes in BN symptoms and if continued skill use is necessary for maintaining improvements long term.M.S., Psychology -- Drexel University, 201
Development of Models for Predicting the Properties of Switchable Mechanically Interlocked Molecular Architectures
No full textMechanically interlocked molecular architectures (MIMAs) are supramolecular assemblies that are made up of non-bonded (mechanically linked) molecular components. Switchable rotaxanes and catenanes are a subclass of MIMAs with the unique property that they can switch their favored co-conformation (collective conformation of all non-bonded molecular units within the MIMA) in response to an external stimulus. These environmentally responsive systems are of interest because their switchable nature makes them promising candidates for the building blocks of nanoscale devices. The efficient development of nanoscale devices hinges on 'iterative design engineering', a process that involves using modeling to fine-tune the properties of switchable MIMAs for tailored applications by 'testing' the effects of proposed modifications without recourse to synthesis and fabrication. Theoretical methods play this role of testing the proposed design modifications and are therefore essential for developing and refining MIMA-based devices. Presented in this thesis are novel theoretical approaches for modeling the mechanical and charge transport properties of switchable rotaxanes and catenanes. Four approaches are reported: 1) prediction of the force generated by a rotaxane molecular muscle by means of semi-empirical electronic structure calculations, 2) development of a simulation tool to investigate the kinetics and net unidirectional motion of a catenane molecular motor, 3) characterization of the timescales of proton and electron transit in molecular systems in terms of statistical confidence by analyzing the time evolution of a particle's non-stationary wavefunction, 4) investigation of electron transit in the co-conformations of a rotaxane molecular switch by analyzing the time evolution of the system's non-stationary multi-electron wavefunction. These theoretical approaches produce results that are in agreement with experiment for the systems considered, and may serve as design tools for nanoscale devices based on switchable rotaxanes and catenanes.Ph.D., Chemistry -- Drexel University, 201
Sex differences in ethanol reward seeking under conflict in mice
No full textBackground: Inflexible alcohol seeking and drinking despite negative consequences -- like depressed emotional state, health problems and economic burden -- is a hallmark of alcohol use disorder in humans. This can be modeled in rodents using a task assessing alcohol seeking despite aversion. Males and females show different sensitivity to ethanol reward and to the development of inflexible alcohol seeking, but whether sex is a factor in reward-aversion conflict in ethanol seeking is unclear. It also has been shown that a history of ethanol dependence may result in excessive ethanol drinking behavior and might enhance compulsive ethanol seeking that persists under conflict. Here, we investigate whether male and female mice respond differently when ethanol seeking occurs under conflict, and whether a history of ethanol dependence alters this behavior in males and females. Methods: To investigate sex differences in ethanol reward seeking under conflict, adult male and female C57BL/6J mice were matched to undergo four cycles of chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure by vapor inhalation or serve as air-exposed controls. After ethanol exposure, mice were conditioned in a modified ethanol conditioned place preference paradigm that incorporated a single 0.8mA footshock in the ethanol-paired chamber. Time spent in and latency to enter the ethanol reward-paired chamber were assessed before and after the aversive experience. Results: The control and CIE-exposed males reduced time spent in the reward-paired chamber following an aversive experience. Control females did not reduce time spent in the ethanol-paired chamber following footshock. In contrast, CIE-exposed females exhibited increased time spent in the ethanol-paired chamber before footshock, but also showed greater reductions in time spent in the ethanol-paired chamber after shock. The change in time spent in and latency to enter reward-paired chamber were not observed in absence of footshock in both males and females. Neither sex nor CIE impacted sensitivity to in a one-paw retraction footshock threshold test. Conclusions: Our current study indicates that non-dependent female mice did not attenuate ethanol seeking following negative consequence and exhibited greater compulsive-like ethanol seeking behavior than males. Non-dependent males showed higher sensitivity to aversion-induced reduction of alcohol seeking than females, who exhibited compulsive-like ethanol reward seeking. CIE exposure did not affect ethanol seeking behavior in male mice in this model. Exposure to CIE increased the sensitivity to ethanol reward in dependent female as they showed increased ethanol seeking in the absence of conflict. However, CIE-exposed females reduced EtOH seeking in the presence of reward-aversion conflict, indicative of less compulsive-like ethanol seeking than nondependent females. We demonstrated that these behavioral differences were neither due to sex or CIE effects on extinction learning effect nor sensitivity to footshock. Together, our studies provide evidence that chronic ethanol exposure impacts compulsive-like ethanol seeking under conflict in a sex-specific manner and reveal the importance of the inclusion of females in studying neurobiological factors driving the development and expression of compulsive-like inflexible ethanol seeking.M.S., Drug Discovery and Development -- Drexel University, 201