iDEA: Drexel E-repository and Archives

Greening of Drexel Libraries: Supporting Drexel Green Initiative

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:24:44 GMT

Title: Greening of Drexel Libraries: Supporting Drexel Green Initiative

Authors: Bhatt, Jay; Dominy, Margaret; Lynch, Katherine

Abstract: Drexel Libraries has begun efforts to make our libraries more environmentally-friendly. In addition to improving workflow based on greening techniques such as energy conservation and paperless offices, we are starting a physical archive of vegetable and flower seeds, auditing all departments within the libraries for ways to go green, and following waste disposal and recycling efforts. In addition to the physical efforts taking place in the libraries, the Libraries Greening committee is also spreading the word about our efforts and the efforts of Drexel Green, both to the campus and the world at large through the use of a "Greening" blog to track our progress, broadcast local environmental news and events, and provide regular tips for greener living. As a result, our patrons and staff are becoming more environmentally-conscious. At Drexel, students are encouraged to work on projects related to Drexel Green Initiative through Freshman Design, Senior Design or assignments through various courses. Through library instruction, virtual consultations from the Library’s web site, and by developing collections in related areas, Drexel libraries aim to impart crucial information skills that students need to successfully complete these projects and assignments. This poster highlights some of these initiatives and in the process help support the University’s overall mission of "Drexel Green."

High glucose and glycated substrates alter endothelial cell shape change response to shear stress

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:43:22 GMT

Title: High glucose and glycated substrates alter endothelial cell shape change response to shear stress

Authors: Kemeny, Steven Frank

Abstract: Endothelial cells line the walls of all blood vessels, where they maintain homeostasis through control of vascular tone, permeability, inflammation, and growth and regression of blood vessels. Endothelial cells are mechanosensitive to fluid shear stress, and hyperglycemia, a hallmark of diabetes, affects endothelial cell function. Clinical evidence suggests interaction between mechanics and high glucose, since diabetic patients have accelerated atherosclerosis at locations of disturbed blood flow. The central hypothesis of this thesis is that high glucose conditions alter endothelial cell adhesion strength and response to fluid shear stress. Two systems were developed to study endothelial cells under shear stress: microfluidic channels and parallel plate system. These systems were successfully designed to apply constant laminar stress onto endothelial cells. However due to inconsistencies and challenges with access to cells inside microchannels, the parallel plate system was used for experimentation. Endothelial cell adhesion strength was tested and cells cultured in high glucose were found to have a response dependent with attachment time. The initial adhesion strength after 6 hours of attachment was higher than low glucose but after 48 hours high glucose adhesion strength was less than low glucose. Separately it was found that substrate glycation had no effect on endothelial cell adhesion strength after 48 hours of attachment. Endothelial cell elongation and alignment was reduced in high glucose and prevented when the cells were grown on glycated collagen substrates. The native collagen and low glucose condition showed the most actin fiber alignment. High glucose reduced alignment only slightly, whereas glycated collagen prevented alignment. This research furthers our understanding of the combine effects of hyperglycemia and shear stress on endothelial cells. Futures studies into the mechanisms of endothelial cell shape change will help elucidate the causes. By understanding the affected pathways, atherosclerosis treatments for people with diabetes can be directly tailored, which would increase efficacy and reduce side effects.

Toward a Participant and Photojournalistic Based Approach to Research in Art Therapy and Social Action: A Literature Based Study

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:46:30 GMT

Title: Toward a Participant and Photojournalistic Based Approach to Research in Art Therapy and Social Action: A Literature Based Study

Authors: Stiltner, Bethany

Abstract: This is a literature-based study, which explores, identifies and categorizes the aspects of participatory action research (PAR) and community art program initiatives with traditional art therapy and phototherapy. The purpose of this study is to analyze and review the literature. Results of the examination are presented according the matrix method (Garrard, 2007). Several themes were identified that seem consistent within the major categories of literature such as empowerment, advocacy, power levels, serving underrepresented populations, special ethical considerations in PAR, the use of photographs, and the intra-psychic and collective transformative value of PAR based research and programs. Discussion of the literature includes a proposal for a program aimed at social change through photojournalistic narrative techniques in an underrepresented community. The program, named RISE, was chosen by the researcher of this study, and based on the work of Pablo Freire‟s (2003) pedagogy of the oppressed. RISE stands for: Reflecting on areas for chang; Investigating the community; Speculating about findings; and Establishing and executing an action plan. The program aims to facilitate photographic image making through cyclical exploration and dialogue for the purpose of advocating a social action plan created by participants in the program.

The Effect of Social Support on Functional Recovery and Well-Being in Post Joint Arthroplasty Older Adults

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:44:57 GMT

Title: The Effect of Social Support on Functional Recovery and Well-Being in Post Joint Arthroplasty Older Adults

Authors: Kiefer, Ruth Ann

Abstract: Projections by the United States Census Bureau indicate a continual rise in the population of older adults. As the number of older Americans increases at an unprecedented rate, there is concern that the proportion of those who are disabled may also be increasing. Increased dependency from chronic illness and aging may bring with it social and personal concerns in the areas of health care, community health services, and quality of life. For example, osteoarthritis is one of the most prevalent diseases in the United States today and its prevalence is expected to increase as the population ages. Direct and indirect costs of osteoarthritis are 120 billion dollars per year in medical treatment and lost wages secondary to functional disability. Surgical intervention for this disease process, such as joint replacement or arthroplasty, is rapidly becoming the treatment of choice for degenerative joint disease. Today, over 300,000 knee replacements and 120,000 hip replacements are performed annually in the United States. Additionally, managed health care criteria and changes in Medicare and private insurance reimbursement have greatly affected the way care is delivered to the older adult population following joint arthroplasty. A large percentage of joint replacement patients have now assumed responsibility for their recovery process. A shortened hospital stay with discharge to home requires a social support system in place to provide both the personal and professional assistance that these patients will require in the early stages of their recovery. This subjective, exploratory study assessed and measured social support and evaluated its impact on functional recovery and well-being in older adults post joint arthroplasty. The central hypothesis of this study is that the presence of social support will positively impact functional recovery and well-being of older adults after joint arthroplasty. While social support, associated with the covariates of “living arrangements” and “age”, demonstrated a positive relationship with perceived well-being, no relationship was demonstrated with high or low levels of social support and functional recovery.

An Art Therapy Intervention with African-American Male Adolescents Assessed with a Depressive Diagnosis

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:46:13 GMT

Title: An Art Therapy Intervention with African-American Male Adolescents Assessed with a Depressive Diagnosis

Authors: Larkin, Deborah A

Abstract: This study examined the impact of art therapy intervention over the course of eight individual sessions with one adolescent African-American male at an Approved Private School. This research was conducted after having found little research and resources pertaining to art therapy interventions with African-American male adolescents assessed with a depressive diagnosis such as Major Depression, Bipolar I Disorder or Dysthymic Disorder. The design of this study was conducted through a single subject design in ABA format. The participant was given a pre and post-test measure in sessions one and eight, using the Children’s Depression Inventory scale to assess his level of depressive symptomatology. Sessions two through seven included individualized art therapy and goal-oriented art therapy directives. The subject who participated in this study was a 16-year-old African-American male diagnosed with Bipolar I disorder. The results of the pre and post-test Children’s Depression Inventory were recorded, the individual art therapy session notes were presented and the artwork created in each session was analyzed. Even though he scored low and not within statistically significant ranges in both the pre and post-test, the findings suggest that there was an increase in depressive symptomatology suggesting that art therapy aided this participant in self-exploration and less regression in his responses. Despite his increase in depressive symptomatology, the results of this study suggest that individual art therapy had some positive effects on his understanding of his persona, self-esteem, coping skills and depressive affect. With increased number of sessions, this and other areas may increase his understanding of these aspects.

Postural Learning during Practice of a Sequential Reaching Task

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:42:27 GMT

Title: Postural Learning during Practice of a Sequential Reaching Task

Authors: Galgon, Anne K

Abstract: This research used a motor learning paradigm to examine postural control during practice of a sequential reaching task. Fourteen young healthy adults practiced a sequential (serial) reaching task 300 times over three sessions and returned after a two-day rest interval for retention and transfer testing. Postural control was examined at three levels of skill acquisition: the action, the movement and the neuromotor processing levels. The levels were measured as 1) relative postural stability (action-goal level) with Time to Boundary (TtB) from center of pressure data, 2) postural movement strategies with Mean Absolute Relative Phase (MARP) and Deviation Phase (DP) of joint kinematic relationships, and 3) postural neuromotor strategies with percent of time activation in posterior postural muscles (%BFMG activation). The focal action-goal of the task (hand accuracy and consistency) was also examined to detect differences in explicit versus implicit learning processes. The results showed within and between session differences in hand accuracy and consistency, anterior TtB, and % BFMG activation. Both explicit and implicit learning processes were implicated while acquiring the focal action-goal and more gradual implicit learning processes were used when acquiring the postural action-goal and neuromotor processing level of postural control skill. After the retention interval, hand consistency, relative postural stability and percent of posterior muscle activation was maintained in two recall conditions. However, hand accuracy was retained only in the cued recall condition and not in the free recall condition. Hand accuracy, hand consistency and relative postural stability generalized to two transfer tasks where an alternative arm configuration of the practiced task was performed, however, transfer performance partially degraded in a generalizability test with a novel sequence. Percent of muscle activation was similar in all of the transfer tasks. No significant effects were found for postural movement strategies across practice, which limited the interpretation of the retention and transfer results. This research supports the concept that the postural system is learning to adjust to task specific constraints within the serial reaching task. The findings may have implications for understanding postural learning in individuals with balance deficits and for designing interventions to improve postural control during the performance of functional activities.

The Effect of Dance/Movement Therapy on Incidences of Aggression and Levels of Empathy in a Private School for Children with Emotional and Behavioral Problems

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:30:27 GMT

Title: The Effect of Dance/Movement Therapy on Incidences of Aggression and Levels of Empathy in a Private School for Children with Emotional and Behavioral Problems

Authors: Lanzillo, Alexis Anne

Abstract: The hypothesis for this thesis is: The Dance/Movement Therapy program “Disarming the Playground, Violence Prevention through Movement and ProSocial Skills” will reduce aggression and increase empathy in children ages 8-12 years among children enrolled at an approved private school for children with emotional and behavioral problems. The effectiveness of this curriculum had not previously been examined in a school for children with emotional and behavioral disturbances. The research design was a quasi-experimental single subject design with 2 children, with an ABA design (Mertens, 2004). Both children were African American males, ages 8 and 9, diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder. Child 1 carried a co-morbid diagnosis of Learning Disorder NOS, and Child 2, with Oppositional Defiant Disorder. This study included a two week initial baseline, four week intervention phase, and two one week post-intervention baselines. Quantitative data were collected six times using the Teacher Forms of the Child Behavior Checklist and the Social Skills Rating System. Qualitative data were collected through Green Tree Lower School progress notes. Major quantitative findings showed a decrease in Total Problem Behaviors for both children on both assessments. Total Social Skills scores on the SSRS decreased in both children. Common themes in qualitative data included engaging in positive, trusting relationships, self-awareness, and group cohesion. Disarming the Playground is a curriculum designed for “normal” and “at-risk” children in public schools, as a preventative measure for violence and aggression. The participants were not able to appropriately function in a public school. As the Disarming the Playground curriculum is designed to be used in total, and sequential order, choosing only specific activities to utilize proved to be a challenge for the participants. If the entire curriculum was to be implemented, there may have been an increase in social skills and empathy levels, and a lasting impact on both variables of aggression and empathy.

Retrospective Reflection through Movement: The Young Adult Female's Perspective on the Adolescent Experience of Living with a Mother's Breast Cancer Illness

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:53:51 GMT

Title: Retrospective Reflection through Movement: The Young Adult Female's Perspective on the Adolescent Experience of Living with a Mother's Breast Cancer Illness

Authors: Verbanc, Jessica Marie

Abstract: The limited research looking at parental cancer and it’s affects on adolescent females has shown that adolescent females whose mothers have breast cancer may be especially vulnerable to depression, anxiety, and body image disruptions (Brown et al., 2007; Compas et al., 1994). This thesis uses a phenomenological research design to understand the adolescent female’s experience of a mother’s breast cancer and how she perceives its impact on her own development. The study investigates this experience through the reflections of adult women who were adolescents at the time of their mother’s breast cancer illness. The study facilitates the participants’ access to and reflection on their experiences through a dance/ movement workshop. The researcher followed the workshop with individual in-depth interviews, in which participants were asked to recall their adolescent experience as well as their current lived movement understanding of this experience. Results showed that participants shared common ground in the arenas in which the essence of their experiences of mother’s breast cancer occurred. However, the essence of each participant’s experience involved its own unique dimension. Communication between mother and daughter, body image, family dynamics, and control were important components to the participants’ experience. The researcher was interested in applying this understanding to the development of a dance/ movement therapy (DMT) support group model for adolescents whose mothers have breast cancer.

The Experience of Younger Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer Involved in Dance/Movement Therapy with Regards to Body Image and Sexuality

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:50:51 GMT

Title: The Experience of Younger Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer Involved in Dance/Movement Therapy with Regards to Body Image and Sexuality

Authors: Pilarski, Diana Jean

Abstract: This mixed method, multiple case study, explored the experience of younger women diagnosed with breast cancer involved in dance/movement therapy (DMT) regarding body image and sexuality. A breast cancer diagnosis and its treatment side effects have a significant impact on an individuals’ view of body image and sexuality, especially among younger women. Prior research in the field of DMT, has studied psychological and physical effects the therapy may provide for the breast cancer population. Currently, there are no published studies examining a woman’s experience of DMT, or how her experience relates to emotional, cognitive and physical functioning. Nor has prior research used objective, subjective and observational measures to study specifically, the experience of body image and/or sexuality in younger women per se. The present study attempts to fill a gap in research, by including both objective and subjective data, as well as cross correlating movement data with other measures. Using a mixed methods design is important because it allows the researcher to gather more information to create an overall, deeper understanding of the phenomena being studied. Two 42-year-old women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer participated in a two-day, DMT workshop. Each workshop day was four hours long and included body image and sexuality-specific interventions. A pre and post workshop self-report and observation using the Serlin Kinaesthetic Imagery Profile (SKIP) Part I and Part II scale were used to gather information concerning body image. Journaling and field notes were used to gather information about both individual’s experience of DMT, body image and sexuality. The two individual cases were analyzed for similarities and contrasts between the SKIP Part I, the SKIP Part II, journal entries and field notes. Cross case comparison showed that both participants shared similar as well as unique experiences related to body image, sexuality, DMT and related constructs.

The Multicultural Education of Art Therapists and How They Develop A Multicultural Identity: A Literature Based Study

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:48:16 GMT

Title: The Multicultural Education of Art Therapists and How They Develop A Multicultural Identity: A Literature Based Study

Authors: Ellis, Elizabeth Vail

Abstract: The objective of this study was to understand the current status of counselor, creative arts therapist and art therapist multicultural education—specifically student development of personal multicultural identity; and to propose an educational intervention tool to aid in the advancement of art therapy student multicultural identity development. Information that was analyzed describing the population of the United States, racism, societal oppression, race and counseling, multicultural counseling education and creative arts therapy education informed a presentation of literature about art therapy education as it relates to self-education and specific methods of instruction in counseling and art therapy education. The investigation helped develop the experiential art task proposed in the discussion chapter. The major findings of this literature-based study include a collection of criticism about multicultural education of counselors within the context of a pluralistic society. Current literature suggests that more multicultural education leads to more developed multicultural counseling competency. Literature emphasizes multicultural identity development and its critical role in the ability of a professional to competently practice multicultural counseling. This study encountered several limitations bound by the type and amount of research available involving counseling, creative arts therapy and art therapy multicultural education. The scope of this thesis limits the depth of exploration of other forms of social identity, and has investigated racism and counseling in detail. Also, possible inadvertent omission of some pertinent literature by the researcher must be included. No one has an objective point of view when talking about race So the literature reviewed and opinions presented in this study are shaped by inherent bias because this is a society and world where everyone is racially situated (Miller & Garran, 2008).