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Examining the Coach’s Perceptions of the Impact of a Process-Based Evaluation: Implications for Independent Schools
No full textThe teacher-coach dynamic lies at the heart of the independent school experience. In this model, faculty members are expected to teach and coach as part of their contract. Despite the prevalence of the teacher-coach phenomenon, research focused on effective coaching practice remains an under-studied area of inquiry, specifically at the independent school level. While independent schools have been researched in recent years, no research exists on the coaching at these institutions or the evaluation of the coaches. The purpose of this explanatory mixed-methods study was to analyze the receptiveness of varsity coaches and athletic directors in Inter-Academic (Inter-Ac) schools to a coaching evaluation system based on Charlotte Danielson's (2013) Framework for Teaching: Evaluation Instrument. Viewed through a grounded theory approach, the researcher used collected data to analyze the responses of coaches to a modified version of the Danielson framework. Surveys combined with interviews were given to the head varsity coaches and athletic directors of the nine Inter-Ac schools. These results were examined to construct a review of the modified Danielson framework and its place as a viable evaluation instrument for coaches at Inter-Ac schools. Results of this study can be applied to other independent schools to create an evaluation instrument that is good for the teacher-coach dynamic.Ed.D., Education -- Drexel University, 201
Textiles: A Catalyst for Transformational Social Change; Nonprofits Using textiles to Empower
No full textToday’s maker's space culture is a burgeoning phenomenon. At makers spaces, people come together with shared interests to be creative. Globally, diverse age and economic groups are creating magical crafted objects. Within this reemerging trend is a reemergence of textiles. This catalyst to empower and transform lives is not a new phenomenon. For this study, nonprofit organizations are creating programs to engage participants through the mutable characteristics of textiles. Millennium digital e-commerce websites such as Etsy, Bonanza, and ArtYah are dominating the chic, cool and pleasing aesthetics of textiles. This study on textiles as a catalyst for transformational change will show how diverse nonprofit organizations are using textiles to empower the lives of their participants. Thus, proving the mutability of using textiles as a catalyst to transform the lives of vulnerable populations. The study will also show the return of millennial maker spaces are, in essence, a return to traditions that intrinsically nurtures and empowers others. Through my research, I have found dozens of nonprofit organizations around the world who are using textiles to empower others. While the demographics and geography may change, the consistent denominator of using textiles has aided some of society’s most vulnerable populations. The Refugee Sewing Society is one of those unique organization. Participants from this organization are global refugees who consider themselves to be the fortunate ones. For example, they arrive daily from crowded refugee camps, communities riddled with war, persecution, and poverty. As a partner ministry for the Clarkston International Bible Church, The Friends of Refugees gives funding and guidance to the Refugee Sewing Society in Clarkston, Georgia. This organization uses textiles as a transformational tool to acclimate refugees during their resettlement process in the United States. For many of the refugees, English is their second language. The Society offers English language classes, sewing, knitting and crochet classes. Those who have experience in sewing share their sewing techniques. Through the organization’s onsite retail store and e-commerce Esty account, the Refugee Sewing Society gives participants the opportunity to earn a reasonable wage from their creations. My study will show that by creating their own product lines from textiles, these refugee women become increasingly empowered towards self-sufficiency. As they work with textile programs, the women achieve a sense of self-worth. Another organization, The Fabric Workshop and Museum’s High School Apprentice Training Program uses textiles as the foundation for their silk screening visual arts programs. In using textiles, this organization allows students to be creative and nurtured by the museum’s staff. Students learn to collaborate with multiple persons including the resident artists, designers, and staff. The structured discipline prepares students for any future endeavors in the arts and culture sector. At the Portside Arts Center textile program will also be discussed in this study. The program uses upholstery as their catalyst for transformative social change. This textile program trains military veterans on how to use, choose, manipulate and fasten upholstery textiles to bare-bones chairs. This study found that the use of textiles with this model program relieved stress and anxieties related to returning to civilian life. The Portside program consists of an expert upholstery instructor and an art therapist to support and guide the veterans through their tasks. The study will show that this program aids the veterans in a nurturing and comforting way. The study found that through the tasks of upholstering, the veterans were reintroduced to the mechanics of coping better with their frustrations. The study relays that during class sessions, the art therapist overheard conversations among the participants relating their familial memories of relatives using textiles. These sessions allowed the participants to find the universality of using textiles in its many forms.M.S., Arts Administration -- Drexel University, 201
Hypoxic Nitrite Reduction to Nitric Oxide: A Computational Modeling Approach
No full textNitric oxide (NO) is a powerful paracrine signaling molecule that plays a critical role in regulating blood vessel tone and vascular homeostasis. Deficiencies in endothelial NO production have been implicated in many cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Nitrite has been shown to act as a storage pool for NO that is relatively inactive in normoxia, but enzymatically reduced in hypoxia to restore lost NO. Recent experiments have identified a growing number of therapeutic applications of nitrite such as reduction of hypertension and cytoprotection against ischemia/reperfusion injury, but the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. We developed mathematical models to systematically analyze three major nitrite reduction pathways and characterize their NO elevation capabilities in microcirculatory vessel and tissue systems under various physiological, therapeutic, and pathological conditions. We also developed a microvascular network model to determine the effect of NO bioavailability on smooth muscle cell tone and the pressure-flow response. We examined how nitrite infused into the blood paradoxically induces vasodilation despite strong NO scavenging by hemoglobin. The model predicts that with hypoxia and moderate nitrite concentrations, a hypothesized N2O3 pathway can significantly preserve the NO produced by deoxyhemoglobin nitrite reductase in red blood cells and elevate NO reaching the smooth muscle cells. Microcirculatory vessel models were built to analyze tissue nitrite reductases deoxymyoglobin and aldehyde/xanthine oxidoreductase (AOR/XOR). This model predicts that cardiac myoglobin plays contrasting roles of scavenging NO during normoxia, but significantly elevating tissue and smooth muscle cell NO in acute ischemic, hypoxic, or acidotic conditions. Models of AOR and XOR in liver, kidney, and heart tissue predict that these nitrite reductases can produce a functionally significant increase in NO bioavailability with endogenous nitrite levels under extreme hypoxic conditions with acidic pH. Finally, we developed a dynamic computational model of a branching microcirculatory network with representative classes of resistance vessels to study the effect of endothelium-derived NO on the pressure-flow response. Our simulations predict the steady state and transient behavior of resistance vessels to perturbations in blood pressure, including effects of NO bioavailability on vascular tone. Together, these models contribute towards understanding the importance of nitrite reduction as a compensatory pathway for lost NO and the role of nitrite-NO interactions in microvascular flow regulation.Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering -- Drexel University, 201
The South Korean Deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Missile Defense Systems and its Effect on Chinese Television Shows
No full textChina believes that the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system in South Korea has threatened the security of mainland China. Therefore, the Chinese government banned South Korean entertainment industry content in response to THAAD. China has been a long-term importer of South Korean entertainment programs; the Korean ban policy will affect the entire Chinese entertainment industry. The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of South Korean variety shows in China’s entertainment industry and the influence that cultural sanctions will have on the popularity of Chinese variety shows that were built on the South Korean model. This study includes a survey of the opinions of the Chinese audience and their love of South Korean variety shows. The online quantitative data that was collected shows how South Korean variety programs affected China from 2012-2015.M.S., Television Management -- Drexel University, 201
Global mapping of transcription factor motifs in human aging
Get PDFBiological aging is a complex process dependent on the interplay of cell autonomous and tissue contextual changes which occur in response to cumulative molecular stress and manifest through adaptive transcriptional reprogramming. Here we describe a transcription factor (TF) meta-analysis of gene expression datasets accrued from 18 tissue sites collected at different biological ages and from 7 different in-vitro aging models. In-vitro aging platforms included replicative senescence and an energy restriction model in quiescence (ERiQ), in which ATP was transiently reduced. TF motifs in promoter regions of trimmed sets of target genes were scanned using JASPAR and TRANSFAC. TF signatures established a global mapping of agglomerating motifs with distinct clusters when ranked hierarchically. Remarkably, the ERiQ profile was shared with the majority of in-vivo aged tissues. Fitting motifs in a minimalistic protein-protein network allowed to probe for connectivity to distinct stress sensors. The DNA damage sensors ATM and ATR linked to the subnetwork associated with senescence. By contrast, the energy sensors PTEN and AMPK connected to the nodes in the ERiQ subnetwork. These data suggest that metabolic dysfunction may be linked to transcriptional patterns characteristic of many aged tissues and distinct from cumulative DNA damage associated with senescence.Alfego D, Rodeck U, Kriete A (2018) Global mapping of transcription factor motifs in human aging. PLoS ONE 13(1): e0190457. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.019045
The Neural Substrates of Expertise and Flow among Jazz Guitarists
No full textWhile the link between flow and creativity is often assumed, there is a dearth of evidence supporting this claim. Flow is the mental state one enters when fully immersed in an activity, accompanied by the loss of reflective self-consciousness and the merging of action and awareness. The neurocognitive mechanisms of flow are poorly understood; however, theories of flow suggest that it may be characterized by transient hypofrontality, an inhibition of executive systems as implicit, automatic, Type 1 processes are engaged. Similar processes and mechanisms have been proposed for creativity, particularly artistic creativity. We examine the neural basis of flow and its impact on the quality of creative products within the domain of jazz improvisation. Jazz guitarists (N = 32) improvised to novel chord sequences while 64-channel EEG was recorded. Jazz experts rated each improvisation. Behaviorally, musicians’ expertise, flow state scores, and genre preference predict the quality ratings of the improvisations. Additionally, genre, stimulus order and familiarity with the chord changes significantly predict musicians’ flow scores. We report electrophysiological signatures for novices and experts and high- and low-flow state performances, such that novices and low-flow are characterized by increased frontal brain activity, while experts and high-flow reveal increases of activity in posterior and central regions. These results offer the first quantitative evidence of flow enhancing individual creativity among professionals in an ecologically valid musical domain. We interpret our neural data as support for the transient hypofrontality hypothesis, whereby decreasing executive, top-down control and increasing recruitment of posterior, associative, bottom- up processes underlies enhanced levels of flow and domain-expertise in jazz improvisation.Ph.D., Psychology -- Drexel University, 201
Nonverbal Aspects of Early Childhood Development, the Caregiver/Infant Relationship, and the Therapist/Client Relationship: Implications for Early Intervention Dance/Movement Therapy
No full textThe purpose of this thesis is to explore how early human experience with a caregiver underlies and contributes to the therapeutic process between dance/movement therapists and their clients. It critically reviews relevant literature on aspects of nonverbal interaction, early movement and psychosocial development, the caregiver/infant relationship, and the therapist/client relationship. Interested in the targeted realm where these four bodies merge, ultimately it addresses implications for early intervention dance/movement therapy to promote child development and attachment in healthy caregiver/infant dyads. Upon synthesis of the literature, three themes emerged: 1. The body in relationship, including the importance of nonverbal observation and attunement, 2. Holding environment, and 3. Space--physical space, emotional space, and relational space--as it pertains to early developmental outcomes. The thesis also describes the unique, inherent qualities of DMT as comparable to other caregiver/infant interventions reviewed. It concludes with 20 suggestions for best practice and further research, as well as a reflection of how this work has impacted the author’s practice and theoretical orientation as an emerging dance/movement therapist.M.A., Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling -- Drexel University, 201
Dual loss of RGS2 and RGS5 decreases cardiomyocyte contractility and causes arrhythmia in adult mice
No full textCardiomyocyte contractility is essential to maintaining proper cardiac output and blood flow throughout the circulatory system. This action is dependent upon proper G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling. Previous studies showed G-protein dysregulation due to the loss of regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) 2 and 5, separately, impairs cardiac structure and function, including hypertrophy and arrhythmia. RGS2 and 5 are GTPase activating proteins (GAPs) that accelerate the hydrolysis of GTP by G proteins, resulting in a rapid signaling termination. We examined how the dual absence of Rgs2 and 5 (Rgs2/5 dbKO) affects cardiac function. We found that Rgs2/5 dbKO mice showed cardiac hypertrophy and a dilated left ventricle at baseline. Cardiac contractile response to a dobutamine stress test was sex-dependently reduced in male Rgs2/5 dbKO relative to WT mice. In addition, chronic systemic infusion of the [beta]-adrenergic receptor agonist, isoproterenol, led to marked exacerbation of cardiac hypertrophy in Rgs2/5 dbKO mice. When subjected to surgery-induced stress, male Rgs2/5 dbKO mice showed 80% mortality within 72 – 96 hours after surgery, accompanied by extreme hypertension and decreased cardiac contractile function. At the cellular level, cardiomyocytes from Rgs2/5 dbKO mice showed reduced contractile response to electrical pacing and exhibited irregular excitation-contraction coupling and death in response to increasing concentrations of different [beta]-adrenergic agonists. We conclude that RGS2 and 5 act synergistically within the heart to regulate signaling mechanisms that mediate cardiac structure and function. Thus, a thorough understanding of the G protein signaling regulation by multiple RGS proteins is key to identifying novel therapeutic targets for heart disease.M.S., Pharmacology and Physiology -- Drexel University, 201
Collins Writing Program: Examining Its Efficacy through Analysis of Performance Data on State mandated Tests and Secondary Teachers' Perceptions
No full textThis mixed method, non-equivalent, quasi-experimental research study investigated potential changes in the constructed responses and scaled scores earned on the Pennsylvania Keystone, end of course Language Arts exams due to the implementation of the Collins Writing Program. The key purpose of writing is to communicate clearly, and the measure of success is determined by the Keystone Literature Exam (Common Core State Standards, 2017). This study aimed to determine the efficacy of, and the teachers' perceived efficacy of, the first year implementation of the Collins Writing Program at the high school level. The research combined findings from the research site, state standards, and School Performance Profile (SPP) and investigated the Literature Keystone exam scores of matched cohorts before and after the implementation of the program. The predominately quantitative study with two semi-structured interviews of teachers surveyed provided insights to the richness of the experience or areas for improvement. These cohorts were matched by using nearly identical archived grade 8 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) scores, gender, and ethnicity. When needed, a condition of economically disadvantaged assisted with determining the most closely related match; however, it was not an excluding factor. The research questions explored the effect of the Collins Writing Program as measured by the Keystone Literature exam: To what extent did the Collins Writing Program effect the scaled scores of the grade 10 matched pairs on the state standardized and mandated end of course Keystone Language Arts Exam from testing year 2014-2015 to the testing year of 2015-2016? How did Grade 10 English teachers describe their perceptions about the Collins Writing Program's implementation and instructional changes to classroom practice?Ed.D., Educational Leadership and Management -- Drexel University, 201
Teachers' Perceptions of a Teaching and Learning Action Plan for the Development and Implementation of Problem-Solving Strategies in Middle School Mathematics
No full textDeclining standardized test scores due to the increased rigor of curricular standards is a problem for many school districts in the United States. To combat this issue, administrative teams develop plans to better meet the needs of teachers and students. The purpose of this case study is to identify teachers' perceptions of an action plan that addressed declining test scores through the development and implementation of problem-solving strategies in the classroom. The researcher interviewed six middle school teachers and two school administrators regarding their experiences and perceptions working with the math action plan. Open-ended interviews with all 8 participants informed answers to the following research questions: 1) How do middle school math teachers in a residential school perceive the impact of an action plan on their development and implementation of effective teaching strategies for problem-solving in a mathematics classroom? 2) What evidence is there that the action plan influenced teachers' instructional strategies related to teaching problem-solving in the mathematics classroom? 3) What supports, and constraints do teachers identify that benefit or impede their ability to implement components of the action plan? In addition to open-ended interviews, the researcher also analyzed the action plan, teacher lesson plans, and previously analyzed student achievement data. Based on the participants' shared experiences and the researcher's analysis, four themes emerged: shift in curriculum and instructional strategies, time as a negative and positive factor, the effectiveness of professional development, and collaboration. Teachers expressed a strong focus on professional development and the need to increase reading and writing in the math classroom. The researcher determined multiple recommendations to improve instruction through the findings of this study.Ed.D., Education -- Drexel University, 201