bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Night-mares On Screens
Authors:   , Grodsky Nicholas Cash , Luvaas Brent Adam
Published: July 2021

Beginning from the idea that if you are well adjusted to media you are sound asleep, this research extends a series of metaphors employed by Marshall McLuhan dealing with sleep, dreaming, and somnambulism. I evaluate sleep paralysis (SP), or the night-mare, as an addition to this series, focusing on McLuhan's take on the 1789 oil painting, The Nightmare. I completed two projects into SP on screens. One produced a collection of catalogued experiences from a popular internet message board (684 experiences across 573 posts from 523 users). The other, a collection of scenes and images from film and TV (81 scenes from 54 titles). Selections from my results form the basis of five chapters (4-8) concerned with variations of the night-mare on screens. In the process I connect McLuhan to other media studies philosophies: Richard Grusin's nonhuman turn, Jean Baudrillard and Graham Harman's takes on McLuhan, Eugene Thacker's concept of "dark media," and two psychoanalytic perspectives (Freud and Lacan, linked to McLuhan through Alice Rae). During a night-mare encounter one is neither sound asleep nor wide awake but enmeshed in a confusing and painful overlap. Compared with sleep or dreaming, this liminality more accurately conceptualizes nonhuman interpretations of McLuhan which complicate, collapse, and as I suggest, superimpose both sides of the following divisions: medium/message, reality/hyperreality, subject/object, natural/supernatural, real/unreal, conscious/unconscious, and figure/ground. Night-mare mediation summarizes and advances these interpretations while hoping to complicate things as ordinary as thin air.
Integration of Technology into Dance Performance and Its Effectiveness and Impact on Artistic Quality
Authors:   , Mettin Sarah Kaitlin , Brody Jean
Published: July 2021

Society and technological advancements are progressing at an accelerated pace and dance organizations follow that current through integration of technology into their creative endeavors. When dance companies are inspired to establish relationships with technology to heighten artistic concepts, they go through a creative process requiring distinctive, thought out approaches. This thesis explores how dance organizations effectively incorporate technology in their artistic undertakings and how that impacts the artistic quality of their dance productions. Through a review of literature and research into and interviews with dance companies who emphasize technology, this thesis examines historical and current uses of technology, processes while utilizing technological tools, potential restrictions and adjustments, and the overall influence of technology on those dance companies and their artistic productions. This research discovers that by employing technology into productions, dance companies heighten the senses for artists and audiences, transform the performance spaces and present all-encompassing art presentations. Dance companies must be fully dedicated to the process with which those presentations are formed, with proper reactions to inefficiencies and failures, and ultimately find confidence while utilizing the subject technologies. If dance organizations cannot accept the potential issues, whether it be a descent in artistic integrity or reworkings of concepts, they should not force technology into a piece if it will not heighten the artistic worth. Dance companies who do make this commitment typically employ technology professionals to contribute to these endeavors by collaborating through conceptual discussions, production estimates, and provide in-depth knowledge on how to instrument these ideas into feasible performances. To pursue creative innovation, dance companies enter processes with technology that can be precarious but are ultimately fascinating and rewarding.
Urban High School Educators' Perceptions of the Effects of Trauma on Students Identified with Disabilities that Require Learning Support
Authors:   , Desjardins Guy , Phillips Joy C.
Published: July 2021

The effects of complex trauma on students diagnosed with disabilities from low socioeconomic urban schools have become increasingly recognized as a serious issue involving students' academic and behavioral performance. Research is lacking at the educator level for what the perceived effects are on these students and how they may be better served with supports additional to special education learning supports. The specific purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore the perspectives of urban educators on the academic and behavioral challenges of students diagnosed with disabilities who receive learning support. Of particular interest was whether these deficits may indicate a prevalence of symptomology associated with complex trauma, and if the diagnosis of learning disability or related diagnosis provides these students with adequate supports to meet their academic and social-emotional needs. The ultimate study goal was to use grounded theory to generate a substantive theory from the data collected and analyzed. For this study, 14 urban special educators as well as the school psychologist, a counselor, the climate manager, and the school dean were interviewed and subsequent data were collected and analyzed. The key assertion derived from the data was that the majority of urban students diagnosed with disabilities requiring learning support are suffering from multiple traumatic experiences that require additional mental health supports. As reported by the educators in this study, these students have learning, attention, memory, and behavioral problems that are seriously impeding their academic progress and socioemotional development. All the educators interviewed in this study recommended additional, school-based mental health supports to help mitigate these problems.
Executive Function Professional Development
Authors:   , Thompson Danielle , Phillips Joy C.
Published: July 2021

This study explored to what extent teacher professional development on executive functions, a student's cognitive ability to regulate academic behavior (Dawson & Guare, 2010), is meeting the needs of teachers as adult learners. Primary and elementary school teachers are continually engaged in professional development to refine and advance their craft. The purpose of this instrumental case study was to explore the extent to which a school district's professional development on executive functions is providing teachers with the knowledge they need to support students' growth of execution functions and meeting the teachers' needs as an adult learner. The researcher investigated the design of an existing executive function professional development curriculum and reviewed teacher perception of the impact of the training on their understanding and practice. The study was guided by the following research questions: 1. How do teachers in a rural K-12 school district located in the northeastern United States perceive the impact of the existing curriculum on their understanding of executive functions and their classroom practices? 2. To what extent does the existing curriculum reflect current research in executive functions and brain development? 3. To what extent does the existing curriculum utilize elements of effective teacher professional development and adult learning? Conceptually the researcher framed the literature review around three topics: research on executive functions, adult learning theory, and teacher professional development. The researcher obtained the existing executive function curriculum used by the school district and conducted a review. Primary and elementary school teachers from the selected district were asked to participate in a Qualtrics survey to collect qualitative data about the perceived impact of the curriculum on their understanding of executive functions and their classroom practices. Based upon the data collected, analyzed, and interpreted, recommendations were made regarding the use of the existing executive function professional development curriculum to enhance skill development in students.
Models Addressing Sustainability and Risk Issues in Global Supply Chains
Authors:   , Ogunranti Gbemileke A. , Banerjee Avijit
Published: July 2021

Global supply chains have become increasingly complex, interconnected and interdependent, thus, managing this complexity and the associated supply chain risks is the key for a firm to gain and maintain competitive advantage. Nowadays, sustainability has introduced another layer to supply chain complexity, and addressing supply chain risks and sustainability issues together are the two greatest concerns for supply chain executives. Thus, this dissertation explores three important strategic issues in global supply chains. The first strategic issue deals with the design of contracts to mitigate the exchange rate volatility risk between a buyer and a supplier in global supply chains during outsourcing. Two types of currency exchange rate flexibility contracts are proposed to explore the characteristics of exchange rate risk mitigation policies for the buyer and the supplier. Furthermore, the effects of contract structures on the optimal order quantity, as well as the expected profits of both supply chain members are investigated. The second major issue addressed focuses on the trade-off between supply chain sustainability-related risks and cost in the supplier selection and order allocation problem, often encountered in outsourcing manufacturing. An integrated model that utilizes principal component analysis-based approach for evaluating supplier's sustainability performance and a bi-objective mixed integer programming model for supplier selection and order quantity allocation is developed. Then, an illustrative example of outsourcing contract manufacturers in the US apparel industry is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed framework in practice. The final strategic issue examined in this dissertation is the design of an integrated production-distribution network to reduce environmental risk, which focuses on the minimization of carbon emissions from transportation activities in the entire supply chain. A mixed integer linear programming model is developed for a three-echelon supply chain network design problem, in a deterministic, multi-period, multi-product environment with a finite planning horizon. This model minimizes the total supply chain cost and solves strategic, tactical, and operational decision-making problems which include: locating distribution centers, the quantity of each product to produce, frequency of flow of delivery vehicles, as well as the allocation of inventory to each echelon of the supply chain. A numerical study is conducted through illustrative examples in order to demonstrate the applicability of this model and gain some managerial insights.
Festival Sustainability
Authors:   , Matyas Susan , Brody Jean
Published: July 2021

This paper examines the 2011 inaugural Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA) in the context of comparable leading international arts festivals to understand: 1. How does an arts festival impact a city or region? 2. What key strategies are employed that help lead to a festival's success and sustainability? 3. What best practices and experiences can be learned from other festivals that could be employed by PIFA or other similar, emerging arts festivals? In addition to a thorough review of available literature on arts festivals, research was conducted on festivals of similar size, scope and intent to PIFA. Two comparable, successful urban arts festivals who have achieved international festival status were identified and reviewed in more depth: Glasgow West End Festival [and] Spoleto Festival USA. Manchester International Festival was also reviewed. This bi-annual festival, launched in 2007, is an emerging arts festival that is garnering international attention and acclaim. This research provides a benchmark in order to gauge the present status and future sustainability of PIFA. PIFA is analyzed based on festival best practices and sustainability strategies, in particular those identified for Edinburgh by AES Consulting (2006).
Selling and Buying Aspects of Used Products That Are Brand Anthropomorphized
Authors:   , Kim Junhee , Anderson Rolph Ely , Wang Chen
Published: July 2021

This dissertation establishes the impact of brand anthropomorphism on used product transactions from both buyers' and sellers' perspectives. That is, we show that brand anthropomorphism leads sellers to set higher selling prices for used products and buyers to set lower buying prices. We theorize that these outcomes occur because sellers develop stronger emotional connections toward their brands that persist even after they have decided to end (sell) their relationships with the brand, whereas buyers apply a relationship-dissolution stigma (a pervasive stereotype toward people who dissolved their relationships) toward anthropomorphized used products. We further demonstrate important boundary conditions for these core effects. That is, we show that a seller's favorable attitude toward the past enhances the positive impact of brand anthropomorphism on selling prices of used products, whereas a buyer's creative mindset attenuates the negative impact of brand anthropomorphism on buying prices of used products. Finally, we provide critical managerial implications of the impact of anthropomorphizing a brand in the refurbished marketplace.
Expanding Chemical Pre-Intercalation Synthesis Approach to New Tunable Layered Oxide Electrodes for Energy Storage Applications
Authors:   , Culbert Sarah L. , May Steven J.
Published: July 2021

Energy storage has become a more prevalent subject in recent years, as society in general makes a move toward a more fully connected network of life. As such, many veins of research have been investigated to fill this demand for materials and methods. One such vein is the work contained herein. Batteries make much of this advancement -- they store energy that electronic devices of all kinds require to function. But the materials that exist and are well known are limited by factors such as elemental abundance and toxicity among others. Investigation into other solutions is imperitive, therefore, in order to meet the growing demand for electrochemical devices, and especially batteries The goal of this research project, therefore, is to first understand of how the variation of a chemical synthesis process called chemical preintercalation, that was developed here at Drexel, in order to understand the structure, properties, and performance of bilayered vanadium oxide. [delta]-Mg_xV₂O₅ · nH₂O (x = 0.01 - 0.37) and [delta]-TM_xV₂O₅ · nH₂O (TM = Mn, Co) were investigated using the chemical preintercalation synthesis approach to improve the electrochemical behavior of bilayered vanadium oxide in both sodium-ion and lithium-ion cells.
Broad and Narrow Intrinsic Absorption in Quasars as it Relates to Outflows, Orientation, and Radio Properties
Authors:   , Stone Robert Bernard , Richards Gordon T.
Published: July 2021

This work provides evidence that a large fraction of narrow absorption lines (NALs) seen along the line of sight to distant quasars are due to accretion disk winds, while also seeking to understand the relationship between NALs and certain quasar-intrinsic properties. We extend the results from past work in the literature with velocity distributions (dN/d[beta]) of ~ 108,000 NALs from a sample of ~ 58,000 Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) quasars. The primary results of this work are summarized as follows: (1) the velocity distribution of NALs is independent of radio loudness (or even detection) once marginalized by optical/UV luminosity; (2) there are significant differences in the number and distribution of NALs as a function of both radio spectral index and optical/UV luminosity and these two findings are not entirely interdependent; (3) improvements in quasar systemic redshift measurements, analysis of NALs in broad absorption line quasars, and differences in the NAL distribution as a combined function of optical luminosity and radio spectral index--together provide evidence that a significant portion of NALs are due to quasar outflows; (4) the results are consistent with standard models of accretion disk winds governed by the L_UV-[alpha]_ox relationship and line-of-sight orientation indicated by radio spectral index; and (5) possibly supports the magnetically arrested disk model as an explanation for the semi-stochastic nature of strong radio emission in a fraction of quasars.
The Implementation of an Inter-professional Nutrition Care Algorithm for Obese Pregnant Women
Authors:   , Prescott Kia Nicole , Zuzelo Patti Rager
Published: July 2021

Background: Obese pregnant women living in underserved regions have limited access to nutrition education and healthy food. Obstetric health care providers, and the inter-professional team must follow a consistent process to ensure obese pregnant women receive nutrition care, as opposed to provider-driven referrals. Nutrition care management consist of specialized nutrition education by a registered dietician (RD) and nutritious foods through Healthy Start (HS) and Women, Infant and Children (WIC) nutritionists. Purpose: Design and implement a nutrition care algorithm to provide a pathway for consistent nutrition care and increase the number of referrals generated to the RD, HS and WIC services. Methods: A chart review was conducted for two months preceding the use of the nutrition care algorithm and two months after the nutrition care algorithm was introduced for the registered dietician, Healthy Start and WIC resource. The two groups of the pre and post-nutrition care algorithm were compared by identifying the frequency of referrals to each nutrition resource. Results: There was an increase in the number of referrals to the RD in the pre and post-nutrition care algorithm group. Conclusions: Collaboration with the inter-professional team, RD, HS and WIC nutritionist is necessary. Consistent use of the nutrition care algorithm may increase nutrition access for Healthy Start and WIC nutrition services.
Visual Art Journaling as a Mindful Practice with Patients and Professional Caregivers in Oncology Care
Authors:   , Smith Mary Kylee , Carlton Natalie , Dougherty Abby
Published: July 2021

This paper describes the development and implementations of a method that combines the use of a visual art journal as a mindful practice to combat the effects of cancer on patients diagnosed and professional care providers. The development of the method required adaptations specifically to group membership and the structure used. Implementation of this method explored ways of using mindfulness and Visual Art Journaling to uncover, document, and creatively express areas of wellness each week of a seven-session process. To do this, group members journaled with both words and images the areas of wellness in their lives and ways of improving their coping mechanisms while undergoing cancer treatment and/or caring for others in their lives. This capstone discussion aimed to highlight ways in which group members developed purposeful awareness of thoughts and emotions, and as they occurred in a non-judgmental way, through the utilization of mindfulness-based Visual Art Journaling explorations, to address stress and anxiety within oncology treatment and care.
The Road to a Criminal Conviction--Does it Matter How Someone Gets There?
Authors:   , Fairfax-Columbo Jaymes , DeMatteo David S.
Published: July 2021

Individuals 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.
Finding Community
Authors:   , Jackson Chante Monique , Devereaux Christina
Published: July 2021

Establishing 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.
Sex Differences in White Matter Development
Authors:   , Meredith-Duliba Tawny , Williams J. Michael
Published: July 2021

Cerebral growth and maturation in infancy through late adolescence is an important aspect of development. We sought to examine sex differences in brain development in a healthy population of children. This study sample consisted of normal, healthy male and female children, ranging from infancy (3 months) through adolescence (18 years). We employed a magnetic resonance method of Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), which analyzes the movement of water within the brain tissue. DTI measures such as Fractional Anisotropy (FA) are usually interpreted as an indication of the development and complexity of white matter tracts. Utilizing such techniques aids in the understanding of white matter development and change over time. Results of DTI analysis revealed a positive curvilinear trend early on in development when analyzing the corpus callosum. This pattern was notable in both sexes but presents a more pronounced slope in females across infancy into approximately 5 years of age. As development continues, this trend plateaus and similar white matter development patterns are present in both males and females. This unique acute trend in development observed so early on may be a useful tool in elucidating developmental differences across gender.
The Monarch Method
Authors:   , Davis Aubrey Rosie Monet , Morningstar Dawn
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this capstone thesis was to develop a method that looks at the ways in which Authentic Movement can be implemented into verbal therapy settings. Specifically, I looked at how the elements of "Noticing, Responding and Verbalizing" could help students deepen intrapersonal, interpersonal and unconscious processes within the therapeutic context. This is a collaboration that has never been previously done, but it is one that has the potential to increase the possibility for dance/movement therapy inclusion within verbal counseling settings. The literature review includes sources addressing trauma, the body and movement, college counseling, dance/movement therapy, and authentic movement. The Monarch method is intended to increase the potential for unconscious processing within verbal therapy by utilizing dance/movement therapy in the form of a modified Authentic Movement approach.
Ethical Decision-making
Authors:   , Vraim Amber Lynn , Phillips Joy C.
Published: July 2021

Throughout the course of their careers, teachers will encounter a variety of professional dilemmas that will demand their attention; how they choose to address these dilemmas can have a lasting impact on their students, their careers and their communities. In order for teachers to effectively address these ethical dilemmas, they need to enter the teaching profession with the appropriate skills and training. By using a social constructivist approach based in grounded theory, this study explored the experiences that teachers have had with ethical decision-making and how they have navigated the process of addressing such dilemmas. Findings from this study addressed six key themes (1) Demographic Information, (2) Disposition, Values, and Ethics, (3) Ethics Training, (4) Identifying Ethical Dilemmas, (5) Addressing Ethical Dilemmas, and (6) Training Need Areas. Analysis of these themes and the existing literature identified a significant link between the participants' professional dispositions and key philosophical approaches to ethics, the importance of cultural diversity awareness when making ethical decisions, common types of professional ethical dilemmas encountered by teachers and the existence of ethics training opportunities. The recommendations generated from this study are designed to help those who develop teacher preparation curricula to construct programs that provide teacher candidates with effective and comprehensive ethics training opportunities
Expansions of Catalan Functions
Authors:   , Summers Daniel , Blasiak Jonah
Published: July 2021

The k-Schur functions are objects which have been studied extensively by many authors. This thesis discusses a new method of studying these functions through a larger class of symmetric functions, the Catalan Functions. We discuss general techniques for working with Catalan Functions, which classes of symmetric functions are contained in the Catalan Functions, and new results pertaining expansions of these classes.
The Role of Dance/Movement Therapy in the Treatment of Negative Syndrome and Psychosocial Functioning of Patients with Schizophrenia
Authors:   , Bryl Karolina Lucja , Goodill Sherry W.
Published: July 2021

Optimizing psychosocial functioning and overall well-being by reducing the severity of negative symptoms are important outcomes for individuals with schizophrenia. Movement-based therapeutic approaches are uniquely capable of addressing the non-verbal nature of negative symptoms. Dance/movement therapy, a promising treatment for mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, has been found to reduce the occurrence and severity of negative symptoms and have a positive impact on psychosocial functioning. Although preliminary findings suggest dance/movement therapy as a treatment intervention, limited research and inconclusive findings preclude generalizations and more research is needed. This pilot's study overall goal was to determine if dance/movement therapy intervention is effective in the treatment of negative symptoms and psychosocial functioning in individuals with schizophrenia. Specific aims were: (1) to examine the effects of a 10-week group dance/movement treatment program on negative symptoms in schizophrenia, (2) to gain greater understanding of participants' perceptions of the intervention, (3) to use participants' feedback of the intervention to better understand its impact, and (4) to examine the feasibility of the treatment procedures and research protocol. This pilot study employed a mixed methods intervention design with explanatory intent, in which a randomized controlled trial was followed by semi-structured exit interviews. Participants, severely ill individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia (N = 31), were randomized to two conditions: Dance/Movement Therapy and Treatment as Usual groups using simple randomization method. Participants reported on negative symptoms and psychosocial functioning outcomes prior to and after the program. Qualitative semi-structured exit interviews were conducted with participants who attended at least 50% of the dance/movement therapy sessions (n = 15). The quantitative data showed no improvement of outcomes in the DMT condition. The qualitative data suggests that treatment resulted in enhanced interpersonal connectivity, self-integration, emotional support, symptoms management and had physical impact on participants. The study feasibility findings also suggest that study procedures were feasible at this setting and that treatment was well accepted by the participants. These findings suggest that manualized DMT treatment protocol specifically developed for this study was successfully implemented and could be easily implemented in a larger, multi-site, clinical trial allowing for study replication. The findings of this study contribute to knowledge about body-based interventions for schizophrenia. The current lack of clear evidence for the efficacy of dance/movement therapy in reduction of severity of negative symptoms and improvement of psychosocial functioning redirects thinking about methodological facets of both research and practice.
Electrochemical and Rheological Analysis of Flowable Conducting Suspension Electrodes for Scalable Energy Storage
Authors:   , Akuzum Bilen , Kumbur Emin Caglan , Gogotsi Yury
Published: July 2021

Following the advancements in materials development for electrochemical systems, flowable suspension-type (i.e. semi-solid) electrodes have gained much attraction in the last decade, offering scalability and flexible design for many conventional energy storage technologies. Flowable suspension electrodes are multi-phase mixtures of liquid electrolytes and electrochemically active solid particles that can offer fluidization of traditional electrode chemistries and allow adaptation of highly scalable flow-assisted system architectures for large-scale energy storage applications. In suspension electrodes, volume spanning networks of conducting particle clusters facilitate the transport of charges under dynamically changing conditions and the liquid electrolyte phase is responsible for the physical transport of ions and the solid particles. Due to their complex nature, experimental and theoretical approaches are required from a host of disciplines to fully investigate the governing properties of suspension electrodes. Despite its significance, optimizing the electrochemical and rheological parameters not only for efficient electrochemical performance but also for low-dissipation flow remains to be one of the least explored areas. This thesis aims to address the existing gap in rheological understanding of capacitive suspensions in relation to their electrochemical performance and focuses on establishing key structure-property relationships that can ultimately help us achieve low-dissipation flow, high electrochemical performance capacitive flowable systems. This is accomplished through systematic experimentation to establish a link between key rheological properties and the electrochemical performance. Multi-component carbon suspensions consisting of high-surface-area porous carbons and conducting carbon nanoparticles are used as model systems to investigate the effect of particle morphology on charge percolation and rheological behavior of flowable suspension electrodes. A systematic study focusing on different types of slurry preparation protocols is carried out to determine the impact of mixing on electrical conductivity and electrochemical performance of capacitive suspensions. Alternative electroactive materials with hydrophilic surface groups such as MXenes are explored, investigating the potential of clay-like conducting particles for low-dissipation flow FE applications. Lastly, focusing on minimizing rheology dependent losses (e.g. pumping) and improving the power output of low-viscosity suspensions, the emphasis is given to alternative approaches to flow cell design and an overview of porous electrode integration to slurry electrode systems is provided.
Systematic Review of Aortic Valve Preservation Versus Replacement for Insufficiency and Aortic Root Aneurysm
Authors:   , Freas Melanie , Zuzelo Patti Rager , Patton Carol M.
Published: July 2021

Objective: To examine the current published literature on the outcomes and durability of aortic valve preservation with repair or valve sparing procedures (AVS) when compared to aortic valve replacement (AVR) for aortic valve insufficiency in the setting of aortic root enlargement. Method: Following an extensive search of the literature, studies were selected using the established inclusion and exclusion criteria. Fourteen studies were selected to undergo systematic review. Population characteristics, and surgical procedures were examined. Residual aortic insufficiency and freedom from reoperation were examined within the first thirty-days of surgery. Durability of the valve was quantified by the amount of residual aortic insufficiency and freedom from reoperation at one year and five year follow ups. Conclusion: Based on the articles reviewed, when appropriate, AVS is an acceptable alternative for surgical intervention for aortic insufficiency and aortic root enlargement. Both AVS and AVR procedures showed less then +2-grade residual aortic insufficiency at the 30-day follow-up. However, within one year, AVS demonstrated a return to preoperative grade +3 and +4 aortic insuffiencey. To provide evidence-based information when discussing aortic valve surgeries, continued research is essential into the longevity and durability of the AVS procedure.
Training Latinos in Philadelphia to Increase Community Resilience
Authors:   , Lobban Krystal , Martínez-Donate Ana P.
Published: July 2021

For Latinos, increased risk for health disparities such as poverty, low education, and even discrimination lead to a potentially greater impact of poor health outcomes such as HIV/AIDS, violence, mental health disorders, and alcohol abuse. New strategies to promote resilience in the Latino community can be employed to offer a strengths-based approach that highlights adaptability among groups who experience adversity. This Community-Based Masters' Project paper explores the connection of Latino health improvement and community resilience by way of trainings conducted in Philadelphia. A qualitative study which incorporated semi-structured interviews with individuals who previously completed a Community Resilience training sought to demonstrate how Community Resilience training affected Latinos immigrants and to highlight specific suggestions from the CR training participants for future Latino-focused interventions in Philadelphia. The specific aims proposed were: 1. Understand how CR training transforms participants' self-perceptions and opinion of their own resilience; 2. Evaluate if and how CR participants have used the knowledge and skills gained from the training to effectively impact their communities; and 3. Provide recommendations for future interventions by addressing potential changes in CR training design and methods. The CR training was found to be impactful to both the individual and the community. Participants were able to define resilience as well as contribute recommendations for future implementation of CR trainings. Results suggest that there is a need in Philadelphia for safe and supportive spaces where community members can come together and continue to learn about resilience. Additionally, removing barriers such as costs and location can increase the effect of recruitment efforts on CR training for Latinos. In particular, essential to strengthening the resilience of Latino immigrants in Philadelphia, is making the CR training better known as the target population already has an interest in interventions that allow personal growth and interaction with the community. Finally, the data gathered from the qualitative analysis serves to provide additional strategies for implementation of future CR trainings for Latinos. Through the analysis of the data from the participant interviews, results were gathered that might help inform future initiatives for Latino health and propose recommendations for future CR trainings.
Development of lectins for cancer-specific fucosylation
Authors:   , Herrera Harmin , Mehta Anand S. , Artlett Carol
Published: July 2021

Changes in serum glycosylation have long been associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and these modifications are often detected with sugar-binding proteins called lectins. HCC is associated with increased serum fucosylation, and this sugar is often detected with the Aleuria aurantia lectin (AAL). However, this lectin binds fucose in several forms, one of which is associated with cancer ([alpha]1-6 linked fucosylation) and some of which are not. Thus, its use in clinical and tissue analysis is limited. We have created a recombinant AAL, which contains a single amino acid mutation: N224Q (rAALN224Q), within the binding site 5, and this lectin has increased sensitivity to the cancer-specific fucosylated glycan. Our analysis of rAALN224Q has shown that the mutation within one specific fucose binding pocket had a major impact upon the mutated site as well as on sites that were not mutated and led to a lectin with altered binding specificities. This lectin is currently part of a diagnostic test under evaluation for the early detection of HCC. We have further explored the changes in N-linked glycosylation associated directly with HCC tissue through a method of N-linked glycan matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI IMS). MALDI IMS of N-linked glycan revealed inter- and intra-tumor heterogeneity shown by expression and spatial localization of glycans in the tumor. Tumors were associated with alterations in mannosylation, fucosylation, branching, and complex glycan formation. Importantly, all tumors were associated with some change in glycosylation, but there was significant glycan heterogeneity.
Modelling and Development of a Radio Resource Control and Scheduling Algorithm for Long-Term Evolution (LTE) Uplink
Authors: Ogunrinola Olawale Oluwasegun , Olaniyi Isaiah Opeyemi , Afolabi Segun A. , Olaniyi Gbemiga Abraham , Ajeigbe Olushola Emmanuel
Published: July 2021

Modern radio communication services transmit signals from an earth station to a high-altitude station, space station or a space radio system via a feeder link while in Global Systems for Mobile Communication (GSM) and computer networks, the radio uplink transmit from cell phones to base station linking the network core to the communication interphase via an upstream facility. Hitherto, the Single-Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) has been adopted for uplink access in the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) scheme by the 3GPP. In this journal, the LTE uplink radio resource allocation is addressed as an optimization problem, where the desired solution is the mapping of the schedulable UE to schedulable Resource Blocks (RBs) that maximizes the proportional fairness metric. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) has been employed for this research. PSO is an algorithm that is very easy to implement to solve real time optimization problems and has fewer parameters to adjust when compared to other evolutionary algorithms. The proposed scheme was found to outperform the First Maximum Expansion (FME) and Recursive Maximum Expansion (RME) in terms of simulation time and fairness while maintaining the throughput.
Histone demethylase KDM5A enhances cell proliferation, induces EMT in lung adenocarcinoma cells, and have a strong causal association with paclitaxel resistance
Authors: Xu Lidong , Wu Hong , Hu Xun
Published: July 2021

Recent reports suggest that histone demethylase KDM5A emerges as a new player in the development of drug resistance and thus increases the challenges of chemotherapy. Here, we explore the role of KDM5A in cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)and its causal association with paclitaxel resistance in lung adenocarcinoma. Paclitaxel-resistant lung adenocarcinoma PTX-Calu-3 cells showed significantly higher IC50 value (7±0.176 µM) upon paclitaxel treatment than lung adenocarcinoma SK-LI-1 (3.6±0.005 nM), Calu-3 (4.3±0.015 nM), and A549 (4.5±0.106 nM) cells. We found that expression of KDM5A and P-glycoprotein (P-gp), which plays a critical role in the development of paclitaxel resistance, were significantly higher in PTX-Calu-3 cells compared to SK-LI-1, Calu-3, and A549 cells.. We observed a significant increase in the expression of mesenchymal markers N-cadherin and vimentin, and a concomitant decrease in expression of E-cadherin and α-catenin in PTX-Calu-3 compared to SK-LI-1, Calu-3, and A549 lung cancer cell lines. Transwell Boyden chamber and wound healing assays further demonstrated that a significantly higher number of PTX-Calu-3 cells were invasive and motile compared to SK-LI-1, Calu-3, and A549 cells, thus supporting the role of KDM5A in metastasis-associated processes. Additionally, a significantly higher expression of KDM5A was observed in lung adenocarcinoma patients’ samples compared with adjacent normal tissues as well as in PTX-Calu-3 cells compared toSK-LI-1, Calu-3, and A549 cells, as shown both with histochemistry and real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In summary, these results suggest that KDM5A plays a key role in lung adenocarcinoma by promoting proliferation, EMT, and drug resistance to paclitaxel treatment.
Reconstruction of Vulva and Perineal Defects After Gynecological Oncological Surgery and Effectiveness of Local Flaps
Authors: AKSAN Tolga , KARATEKE Ateş , UZUNEYÜPOĞLU Orkun , ÖZTÜRK Muhammed Beşir , KÜÇÜKBAŞ Mehmet
Published: July 2021

Aim: Although most defects can close by primary suturing after radical surgery of gynecological malignancies, different reconstruction options are available when large defects that require reconstruction occur. In this study, we present the treatment strategy and results for patients who underwent reconstruction after resection for gynecological cancer in the vulva and perineum.
Material and Methods: A total of 18 patients who underwent reconstruction between May 2018 and July 2020 were included in this retrospective study. Demographics and clinical data, the resection operation, characteristics of the defect, and the reconstruction methods applied were evaluated. Postoperative treatment strategy and complication rates were evaluated.
Results: The mean age was 62.3±13.2 (42-83) years. 88.9% of the patients had additional diseases. Pelvic exentration was performed in 5 (27.8%) patients, anterior resection in 2 (11.1%) patients and vulvectomy in 11 (61.1%) patients. The most common malignancy was squamous cell carcinoma, and mean defect size was 106±97 (12-476) cm2. Reconstruction was performed with a local fasciocutaneous flap in 16 (88.9%) patients, pedicled rectus myocutaneous flap in one (5.6%) patient, and skin graft in one (5.6%) patient. Wound complications occurred in 5 (27.8%) patients, partial flap necrosis in one (5.6%) patient, and recurrence in one (5.6%) patient in the long term.
Conclusion: It is possible to reconstruction most of the vulva and perineal defects with local flaps after oncological resections, Considering the characteristics of the area and patient comorbidities, it should be kept in mind that prolonged wound problems may be seen, especially in vulvectomy patients.
Pokolenie Z na rynku pracy – strukturalne uwarunkowania i oczekiwania
Authors: Messyasz Karolina
Published: July 2021

Głównym celem niniejszego artykułu jest wgląd w sytuację na rynku pracy oraz perspektywy zawodowe związane z wykształceniem i kwalifikacjami młodych Polaków, przedstawicieli tzw. pokolenia Z, czyli osób urodzonych po 1995 r. Przeglądu sytuacji dokonuję w oparciu o analizę danych zastanych oraz analizę rynku pracy i zatrudnienia osób młodych. Analiza ma na celu udzielenie odpowiedzi na pytania o to, jaką wartość dla młodych osób stanowi praca, jakie miejsce zajmuje w hierarchii wartości, jaki stosunek do pracy mają osoby młode, jak jest przez nie opisywana i ewaluowana, jakie warunki powinna spełniać. Drugim celem jest opis realiów pracy i zatrudnienia najmłodszego pokolenia. Analiza prowadzona jest przy zastosowaniu teorii ekologii politycznej oraz kategorii pokolenia, ale wyłącznie na poziomie wspólnoty położenia. W artykule staram się dokonać rekonstrukcji sposobu strukturalnego kształtowania życia i wyborów młodych ludzi, zakładając, że to kontekst społeczny w głównej mierze wpływa na postawy i poglądy młodych ludzi, stwarzając im określone możliwości strukturalne oraz wyposażając w konkretne zasoby.
El concierto social como fórmula alternativa (y no contractual) para la gestión indirecta de los servicios sociales públicos
Authors: Álvarez Fernández Mónica
Published: July 2021

Las Directivas de la Unión Europea en materia de contratación han habilitado la posibilidad de que los Estados miembros puedan gestionar los servicios sociales públicos a través de fórmulas no contractuales. En España, esa posibilidad se ha concretado en los denominados conciertos sociales, regulados a través de las leyes de Servicios Sociales de las Comunidades Autónomas. Se trata de acuerdos a celebrar entre la Administración titular o responsable de los servicios y entidades de carácter privado, normalmente, sin ánimo de lucro. La naturaleza y el régimen jurídico de estos conciertos sociales, tal y como deriva de la regulación vigente, plantea, no obstante, algunas dudas que deberán ir resolviéndose a medida que su uso generalizado evidencie las fortalezas y debilidades de esta figura y la jurisprudencia resuelva al respecto.
El Buen Gobierno en las Contrataciones del Estado: La metodología del Total Cost of Ownership como propuesta para mejorar la determinación y aplicación de los factores de evaluación de ofertas
Authors: Castro Barriga Carlos David Alberto , Villavicencio Benites Luis Fernando
Published: July 2021

Las normas que regulan el ciclo de la contratación pública otorgan un amplio margen de discrecionalidad para determinar los factores de evaluación, siendo el precio el único obligatorio entre otros de carácter facultativo. La aplicación de principios de buen gobierno puede contribuir a un adecuado ejercicio de la discrecionalidad conferida aplicando instrumentos, tales como la metodología denominada Total Cost of Ownership, que permitan justificar técnicamente la elección de determinados factores de evaluación con la finalidad de garantizar una adecuada relación calidad-precio.
Cláusulas sociales y contratación pública: la experiencia del Derecho de la Unión Europea
Authors: Gallego Córcoles Isabel
Published: July 2021

Aunque en la actualidad la norma de cabecera del Derecho de la Unión Europea proclama que uno de sus objetivos es permitir que los contratantes utilicen mejor la contratación pública en apoyo de objetivos sociales comunes, la realidad demuestra que el reconocimiento de cláusulas sociales en la contratación pública ha experimentado una evolución tortuosa. En las siguientes páginas se analiza dicha evolución, así como se señalan cuáles son las principales dificultades que siguen impidiendo que se haga un uso más social de la contratación pública.