bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PSİKOLOJİK SERMAYE ÖLÇEĞİ: GEÇERLİK VE GÜVENİRLİK ÇALIŞMASI
Authors: Keçeci Şenay , Ugur Oncel
Published: July 2021

Yürütülen çalışmanın amacı, iş güvenliği uzmanlarının psikolojik sermaye düzeylerini ölçebilecek, geçerliği ve güvenirliği saptanmış bir ölçme aracı elde etmektir. İstanbul ilinde çalışmakta olan 155 iş güvenliği uzmanı katılımcı, çalışmanın örneklem grubunu teşkil etmektedir. Yürütülen çalışmada, veri toplama aracı olarak kullanılan Psikolojik Sermaye Ölçeği ile katılımcılardan elde edilen veriler, SPSS ve AMOS programları ile analiz edilmiştir. Psikolojik Sermaye Ölçeği yapı geçerliği bakımından faktör analizi ile incelenmiş olup, yapılan açımlayıcı faktör analizi neticesinde, ölçeğin 4 boyutlu orijinal yapısının korunmadığı öz yeterlilik, dayanıklılık ve iyimserlik boyutlarının dahil olup umut boyutunun dahil olmadığı 3 boyutlu yapı ile geçerlik bakımından uyum iyiliği değerlerini sağladığı görülmüştür.
Skin lymphomas (photogallery)
Authors: Olisova Olga Yu. , Grekova Ekaterina V. , Chernova Natalya G.
Published: July 2021

Skin lymphomas are a heterogeneous group of lymphoproliferative diseases characterized by clonal proliferation and primary accumulation of tumor lymphocytes in the skin with the possibility of secondary extracutaneous spread (lymph nodes, blood, spleen, lungs, liver). 65% of all skin lymphomas originate from mature T-cells, 25% from mature B-cells, 10% originate from natural killer cells (NK).
Value of psychological adaptation of labor-intensive underground workers in formation of arterial hypertension regarding age aspect
Authors: Malyutina N. N. , Paramonova S. V. , Sedinina N. S. , Ustinova O. Yu. , Vlasova E. M.
Published: July 2021

Objective. To study the prerequisites for the development of hypertension based on the manifestation of psychovegetative dysfunction and some changes in the biochemical and functional parameters of CVS in the age aspect. Psychological adaptation of a group of underground miners in conditions of intensive labor was analyzed on the basis of indicators of psycho-vegetative status taking into account the influence of professional and psychosocial factors. In connection with the established diagnosis i.e. arterial hypertension (AH) syndrome, especially in middle-aged persons, it is of interest to study the indicators of psycho-vegetative status in the age aspect and to compare them with some changes in biochemical and functional state of cardiovascular system (CVS) in this contingent of patients.

Materials and methods. The results of the study of psycho-vegetative status of 60 underground miners with AH syndrome (age 46.8 2.0 years, experience 22.0 2.4 years) using the method of psychophysiological testing as well as analysis of some clinical, functional and laboratory parameters are presented.

Results. The adaptive psycho-vegetative phenotypes in a group of underground workers with AH syndrome in the age aspect were identified.

Conclusions. With an increase in the length of service among labor-intensive workers, the characteristics of psycho-vegetative status change qualitatively in the form of elevated anxiety and neuro-psychical stress with a decrease in the function of attention combined with a negative relationship of these parameters with increasing age, that is accompanied by dysfunction of CVS; studying of this aspect allows identifying the prerequisites for the development of hypertension so as to form a risk group in time.
Tobacco Cessation
Authors:   , Thompson Tara , Lorman William J
Published: July 2021

Background: Cigarette smoking use remains the leading cause of preventable death, disease, and disability in the United States. Approximately one in five American adults smoke accounting for 480,000 deaths yearly. Individuals with mental illness are two to three times more likely to smoke cigarettes than individuals without mental illness yet have less access to tobacco dependence treatment within the healthcare continuum. Project Aim: This quality improvement project aimed to improve the frequency at which tobacco cessation interventions were provided to individuals with mental illness who smoke by using the 5 As of tobacco cessation. Widely viewed as the gold standard in addressing tobacco cessation, the 5 A's are ask, advise, assess, assist, and arrange. Methods: The project was implemented at a community based outpatient behavioral health clinic. A vital signs data form that included a checklist aligned with the 5 As was used for each patient treated by the clinicians. A pre- and post-implementation chart review was conducted to measure the effectiveness of the checklist. Results: Pre-implementation data showed 17% of the patients who smoked and expressed a desire to quit received smoking cessation intervention. Post-implementation showed 100% of this group received an intervention. Compared with the pre-intervention, the post-intervention had a significantly (p < .001) greater number of individuals receiving cessation intervention after the implementation of the 5 As checklist. Conclusion: Implementing tobacco screening utilizing a 5 As checklist increased the number of patients who were screened and provided with smoking cessation interventions.
Self-Efficacy and Pain Management
Authors:   , Luo YingJian , Ierardi Florence M
Published: July 2021

Pain and pain-related issues present significant challenges throughout a person's lifetime and through all aspects of their lives. Pain is an extremely unpleasant sensory experience that often triggers negative emotions and negative life attitudes; for example, anxiety, tenseness, sadness, depression, mania, pessimism, and hopelessness. They may engage in unhealthy lifestyles such as substance abuse. Thus, it is essential to address pain management. Generally, acute pain has the significant potential to become chronic pain when approached with ignorance and indifference. Meanwhile, chronic pain can cause severe consequences to the human body, including sleep quality, brain function, mood/mental health, and overall quality of life. Music therapy provides a new and healthier approach to pain management when one considers the severe consequences of the overuse of medicines and drugs. Music therapy's advantages in pain management are that music therapy is non-invasive and without any physical side effects. This writer created a music therapy consultant model in pain management to be used healthcare professionals and patients, with music therapist consultation, in order to cope with pain, whether for oneself or others. This music therapy consultant model is informed by existing literature and includes the rationale for music therapy in pain management, music therapy methods, and choices of musical experiences, such as music listening, live music-making, and music-assisted relaxation. The project includes a plan for independent use of music-assisted relaxation.
Music Therapy Application in Dental Procedures to Support the Reduction of Dental Anxiety
Authors:   , Smith Sharvis Marques , Horowitz Scott A
Published: July 2021

As music therapy begins to expand into new clinical and non-clinical settings, there still exists a need for a method connecting the therapeutic use of music in a dental setting. This paper describes the development and implementation of a method involving the use of music therapy during dental procedures to support the reduction of dental anxiety. This method was developed by the author and carried out during a two-month period at the author's internship site. It consists of four steps, though, due to time constraints, not all steps were consistently carried out in the clinical setting. Clinical vignettes will be presented to help illustrate the method. The goals this method is intended to address as exemplified in the vignettes are a.) to create a positive dental environment, b.) increased endurance of dental procedures, and c.) decreased avoidant behaviors exhibited by patients with dental anxiety. Through a discussion of outcomes, limitations, and benefits, the author suggests implications for future practice.
A Grain of Rice Among Sand and Earth
Authors:   , Chan Arisa , Carlton Natalie Rae
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this culminating project was to expand on the current literature on the topic of ethnoracial labels and unconscious bias, to provide another perspective to the ongoing conversation on systemic racism, and to create a call to action for present and future clinicians, supervisors, and educators to make changes that better reflect the cultural shifts in the society. It is important for all mental health providers to fully engage in the work of knowing themselves and their multigenerational history that has informed their worldview in order to humbly meet clients where they are at. Through this project I hoped to reflect and better understand my own experiences being in racialized spaces throughout my graduate program, ultimately building upon my racial identity development and exploring the impact on my emerging professional identity.
Mirror Neurons, Interoception, and Empathy
Authors:   , Di Iorio Lydia Rose , Jones Cynthia
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this culminating project was to write a journal article manuscript with the intention of submission for publication to the American Journal of Psychotherapy. The presented article discusses the connection between mirror neurons, empathy, and interoception. This connection is made through research that identifies activation of the limbic system and insula from both interoception and mirror neuron systems. The resulting hypothesis presented is that mirror neurons are part of the interoceptive process that is responsible for translating interoceptive sensory information into associated/corresponding emotions, including empathy. The author's intention is to show how the understanding of these connected topics can influence and initiate future collaborative research with dance/movement therapy and interpersonal neurobiology, with the intention of providing empirical evidence to further legitimize and support dance/movement therapy theory and practice, such as kinesthetic empathy and the mirroring intervention. Ultimately making dance/movement therapy a mainstream modality for mental health.
Cell Surface Envelope Protein Transformation and Membrane Disruption by HIV-1 Entry Inhibitors
Authors:   , Ang Charles Gotuaco , Ang Charles Gotuaco , Barbee Kenneth A , Chaiken Irwin M
Published: July 2021

This work examined transformations of the HIV-1 fusion protein Env and its anchoring membrane that can be subverted by lytic entry inhibitors to inactivate Env on viruses and cells. Two entry inhibitors were investigated: KR13 and M*DAVEI. KR13 is a chemically synthesized peptide triazole thiol (PTT) comprised of a CD4 binding site pharmacophore linked to a disulfide-targeting thiol, while M*DAVEI is a chimeric recombinant protein containing a gp120-glycan-binding lectin linked to Trp3, a gp41-binding fragment of Env's membrane proximal external region (MPER). Both inhibitors have previously been shown to cause virus lysis, indicating that they can trigger membrane disruption. Env-presenting cells were selected for these experiments to facilitate mechanistic studies and provide preliminary data for further cell-based studies.
A Phenomenological Investigation into the Utility of Online Professional Development to Promote Inclusive Opportunities for Young Children with Disabilities in Community-Based Early Childhood Programs
Authors:   , Uhlik Mauria Elizabeth , Sloand Janet Marie
Published: July 2021

Preschool children deemed eligible for special education and related services pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) must receive a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE). Access to publicly funded early childhood general education settings is limited for young children with disabilities. Educators in such programs often lack formal training in special education and meaningful professional development required to meet the needs of young children with disabilities in their classrooms. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to examine how access to online professional development, targeting community-based early childhood educators, promotes inclusive environments for young children with disabilities. The following research questions were developed as part of this research inquiry: 1) what are perceptions of early childhood educators on the use of online PD to promote inclusion of young children with disabilities? and 2) how do early childhood educators perceive that their practice will change as a result of participating in online PD and how outcomes for young children with disabilities will improve through their participation in PD? Research was conducted to determine how online professional development could optimize inclusive opportunities for young children and expand the IDEA-mandated continuum of services offered by school districts. Study participants completed an online survey and asynchronous, one-on-one interviews designed to answer the research questions. Findings from the study revealed that participants support the use of online professional development to promote inclusive classrooms, increased retention of, and better outcomes for young children with disabilities.
Direct Detection Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy
Authors:   , Hart James Low , Taheri Mitra
Published: July 2021

Electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) is a powerful characterization technique which provides an unparalleled combination of nanoscale spatial resolution along with elemental and chemical sensitivity. Unfortunately, EELS measurements often suffer from low signal to noise ratio (SNR) and poor energy resolution, preventing the analysis of many materials. In large part, these limitations are due to the electron detection process, which is conventionally achieved with an indirect detection method. In this thesis, we adopt a new generation of electron detection - a direct detection (DD) sensor operated in electron counting mode - for EELS. We perform a quantitative comparison between conventional and DD EELS, and we find that DD offers significant improvements in SNR and energy resolution (at a given field of view). We then apply DD to several EELS applications that are impractical or impossible with conventional equipment: low-dose mapping of beam sensitive polymer nanomaterials; time-resolved in situ measurements of surface chemistry in a 2D material; and extended energy loss fine structure analysis of high energy (>5 keV) edges. This thesis establishes DD EELS as a state-of-the-art technique for core-loss EELS when SNR and resolution must be maximized.
Grain Boundary Influence on Radiation Induced Defect Evolution in Nanocrystalline Metals
Authors:   , Nathaniel James Edward , Taheri Mitra
Published: July 2021

The development of materials that can better withstand the operating environment within nuclear reactors is of critical importance for the longevity of existing and the robustness of future nuclear energy systems. It is conjectured that nanocrystalline materials should exhibit significant reductions in radiation damage, however despite extensive studies, fundamental questions remain regarding defect evolution and migration to grain boundaries. Specifically, the role of grain size and grain boundary properties must be understood to develop insights into how to create new material microstructures that have enhanced radiation tolerance. The work presented makes use of in situ and ex situ experimental approaches to examine the role of grain size and grain boundary character in response to radiation damage in model FCC metals. Heavy ion irradiation experiments were carried out on metal foils under varying experimental conditions followed by post-irradiation analysis of grains ranging from 10 nm to 200 nm in size. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and related techniques were used to evaluate defect densities (dislocations and cavities) and defect cluster size as a function of grain size and grain boundary misorientation. Phenomena related to grain boundary response to damage absorption and sink efficiency are examined as well. The goal of this work is to contribute to building a fundamental framework for microstructural design to fabricate more radiation tolerant materials.
Experiences of Non-Traditional Students in a Self-Paced, Computer-Based Developmental Mathematics Course at a Community College
Authors:   , Agar Rebekah , Hill Deanna
Published: July 2021

Prior research has shown that adult learners who are non-traditional (NT) college students come to college with different needs, desires, and goals than traditional college students. The problem is that community college educators need to better understand the needs of the changing population of the student body to equitably and effectively serve them. One effect of the problem is that NT student retention and degree attainment rates are lower than those of traditional students. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore the experiences of NT community college students taking self-paced computer-based developmental mathematics classes. The following research questions guided the study: (1) What does it mean to NT students to be placed into the developmental mathematics population of community college students? (2) What are NT students' perceptions of their engagement with the developmental mathematics course learning software? (3) What are the NT students' perceptions of their engagement with their community college developmental mathematics instructors? The researcher analyzed data from 66 student survey responses and 10 semi-structured interviews with students and identified three themes: (a) NT identity; (b) the need for human support; and (c) software as tool. The researcher concluded that: (a) NT students are negatively affected by their time spent away from high school and mathematics content; (b) NT students perceived that timely access to their instructor was important to their success; and (c) NT students liked using the computer software and found it to be user-friendly. The researcher offered recommendations for instructional design, for community college administrators, and for developmental mathematics instructors.
Modulation of Cognitive Restraint Mediated Effects on the Prefrontal Cortex Response During Eating of Preferred High Fat/High Sugar Foods in Women as Measured by fNIR
Authors:   , Albajri Eram , Nasser Jennifer A
Published: July 2021

Problem: Excessive food intake is one of the leading causes of weight gain and obesity, a major public health problem. Food consumption is an essential behavior that is critical in meeting our physiological needs. However, this behavior can shift from meeting our energy requirements to providing energy beyond our body's daily need, which is known as hedonic hyperphagia (overeating). Many factors can promote overeating including the abundance of palatable foods in the environment, impaired activity in areas of the brain responsible for promoting inhibition of behavior, or increased activity in areas of the brain that promote stimulation of behavior toward the abundantly available palatable food. Cognitive restraint is a psychological construct that involves the monitoring of food intake in order to prevent weight gain. It is proposed to have a moderating effect on food intake which may result in lower food intake. There are different proposed methods for understanding the intake limiting effect of cognitive restraint. However, little information is known about the mechanism of cognitive restraint interaction with brain activity in response to food intake. The primary aim of this study was to assess the effect of shifting attention away from food being eaten toward another food-related stimulus on relative changes from baseline in oxygenated hemoglobin activity within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) in women who are cognitively restrained (CR), vs. non-cognitively restrained (NCR). The study also examined the relationship between changes in prefrontal cortex activity and food consumption under the same conditions in CR and NCR.
Health Care Access and Receipt of Family Centered Care Among Latino Youth
Authors:   , Alberto Cinthya K. , Alberto Cinthya K. , Stimpson James P
Published: July 2021

This dissertation examined the roles of maternal characteristics and state-level immigrant policies on youth uninsurance and receipt of family centered care (FCC) among US-born Latino youth. For the analyses of this dissertation, we relied on three nationally representative databases (National Health Interview Survey, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, and American Community Survey). The first aim examined the direct effect of maternal citizenship and health insurance coverage status on Latino youth health care access. Using generalized structural equation modeling, compared to citizen Latina mothers, noncitizen Latina mothers had higher odds of being uninsured (aOR, 4.75). Maternal uninsurance was associated with youth uninsurance and there was an indirect pathway in the association between maternal citizenship and youth uninsurance that operates via maternal uninsurance. The second aim assessed the association between Latina maternal-provider ethnic concordance and youth receipt of FCC. Relying on a series of multivariable logistic regressions, maternal-provider ethnic concordance was positively associated with reports of the medical care provider listening carefully to the parent (aOR, 1.71), explaining things in a way the parent could understand (aOR, 1.75), showing respect for what the parent had to say (aOR, 1.98), and spending enough time with the patient (aOR, 1.45). Lastly, the third aim studied the association of maternal citizenship and state-level integration and criminalization immigrant policies on uninsurance for US-born Latino youth. We performed average marginal effects methods and found that youth uninsurance for youth with noncitizen mothers is 3.3% higher than youth with citizen mothers within states with few inclusive immigrant policies. For youth who have noncitizen mothers, the difference in the predicted probability in uninsurance between those who resided in states with few inclusive versus high level of inclusive immigrant policies is 2.1%. Youth with noncitizen mothers who resided in states with a high level of criminalizing immigrant policies had a 2.6% higher probability of being uninsured compared to youth with citizen mothers. The difference in the predicted probability in uninsurance among youth with noncitizen mothers between those who resided in states with a low level versus a high level of criminalizing immigrant policies is 1.7%.
Circular Design for Consumers of a Linear Economy
Authors:   , Abreu Thelmelis , Nicholas Diana S.
Published: July 2021

A circular economy is based on the principles of designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2015). A transition to a circular economy entails, in part, decoupling the manufacture of goods or provisioning of services from the depletion of natural resources. As such, value creation in a circular economy, specifically about technical materials, is based on products being returned after use. The solution lies, in part, in a transition towards Walter Stahel's functional service economy, where the value lies in providing access to services rather than in the transfer of ownership of products. Thus, making people users of goods than consumers of them. Also, an access model allows the service provider to retain ownership of products, allowing control of its lifecycle and ensuring the ability to close the loop on technical materials. Such a transition requires a shift in consumer behavior to ensure adoption of access model services where transactional models prevail, presenting two determinants for successful implementation: user adoption and utilization. An understanding of what consumers value in the services they purchase (Almquist, Senior, & Bloch, 2016) and designing for behavior change (Bridgeable, 2017), would allow for access model services that are designed to ensure user adoption and utilization, thus maintaining the integrity of circular cycles.
Reimagining the Role of Network-on-Chip Resources Toward Improving Chip Multiprocessor Performance
Authors:   , Sangaiah Karthik Ramu , Taskin Baris
Published: July 2021

The design of on-chip communication networks is paramount to sustaining and improving the computation throughput of many-core chip multiprocessors (CMP). As advances in packaging technologies, such as multi-die systems (MDS), have enabled scaling up of CMPs to host hundreds of CPU cores within a package, Network-on-Chips (NoC) are critical for scalably moving data between cores and memory. However, as a growing component in many-core CMPs, scrutiny needs to be applied on how NoCs are modeled, how tradeoffs are made with the rest of the CMP uncore, and how NoC provisioning can impact system performance. Using the tools and design space exploration methodologies detailed in this dissertation, contemporary NoCs are found to frequently experience long periods of idle time, with less than 10% network link and router utilization in High Performance Computing (HPC) applications. The combination of this design slack and the available resources of modern packaging technologies present opportunities to have a fundamental shift in the utility of network routers, toward NoCs embedded with computation functionality.
Exploring the Role of Divalent Metal Transporter 1 in Morphine-Mediated Upregulation of Neuronal Ferritin Heavy Chain
Authors:   , Eralp Ipek Gozen , Ajit Seena K , Meucci Olimpia
Published: July 2021

Clinical studies indicate that HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) are exacerbated by opioid use, but the underlying mechanisms are controversial. Our previous work demonstrated that morphine triggers iron release from endolysosomes and upregulates the iron storage protein ferritin heavy chain in cortical neurons, thus reducing dendritic spine density. Given the role of dendritic spines in cognitive processes and the reported spine loss in HAND, this pathway could be involved in HIV/opioid-induced neuropathology. Here, we hypothesized that morphine elicits endolysosomal iron efflux through the common endolysosomal iron transporter divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1). To start testing this hypothesis, the first aim of this study was to examine expression of DMT1 and its isoforms in cultured cells, including cortical neurons. Since DMT1 bands were not clearly evident using standard western blot protocols/reagents, we tested different sample preparation methods using cells overexpressing DMT1. We found that endogenous DMT1±IRE isoforms were visible in unboiled cell lysates. We also optimized conditions to recognize DMT1 isoforms by immunocytochemistry, and most neurons showed staining in the soma. Next, we performed a dual stain for DMT1 and the endolysosomal marker LAMP1, which suggested that DMT1 was present in neuronal endolysosomes. Our second aim was to test DMT1's involvement in the induction of FHC by morphine, and we found that pretreatment of cortical neurons with the DMT1 inhibitor ebselen prevented morphine- mediated FHC upregulation. Overall, these studies have provided a foundation to further investigate the role of DMT1 and intracellular iron changes in morphine-mediated FHC regulation in cortical neurons.
Relationships Between Paternal Attachment, Fathers' Participation in Family Therapy, and Adolescent Depression and Suicide Risk
Authors:   , Adedokun Elizabeth T. , Krauthamer Ewing Ellen Stephanie
Published: July 2021

Adolescent attachment relationships with parents are salient predictors of psychological well-being. Insecure attachment in adolescence is associated with heightened likelihood of experiencing emotional difficulties, including higher risk for depression and suicidality. Most studies have focused on maternal attachment; less attention has been given to the role of paternal attachment. Only a few studies have examined the role of fathers' participation in adolescent treatment studies. The current study examined relationships between adolescents' paternal attachment and 1) pre-treatment symptoms of depression and suicide ideation; and 2) symptom change trajectories over the course of 16-weeks of treatment with Attachment based family therapy (ABFT) and Nondirective Supportive Therapy (NST). The study examined whether father participation in ABFT with adolescents predicted improvements in paternal attachment and relationship quality, and whether father participation predicted depression and suicide symptom change trajectories. Significant pre-treatment correlations were found between paternal attachment anxiety and adolescent suicide ideation. While father participation in treatment did not predict changes in adolescent symptoms or self-reported attachment style with fathers, it did predict significant improvements from pre to post treatment in reports of retrospectively recalled relationship quality with their fathers using the Adult Attachment Inferred Experience subscales. Possible clinical implications and future research directions are discussed.
Nanoscale Applications of Red Phosphorus Allotropes and Polyphosphides
Authors:   , Martins Amaral Pedro Edson , Ji Haifeng
Published: July 2021

Phosphorus nanomaterials have been gaining increasing interest due to their versatility, which includes tunable band gaps, abundance, cost, and the possibility of creating a variety of different compounds due to phosphorus' chemistry. Elemental phosphorus exists in three different allotropic forms: white, red, and black phosphorus. White phosphorus (WP) is not used as a nanomaterial because of its reactivity and black phosphorus (BP) has been investigated thoroughly. Red phosphorus (RP) has properties comparable to BP, however, there is little to no information about applications of this material in practical devices in the nanoscale. Herein, I discuss the structures and applications of two different RP allotropes, as well as a study about a polyphosphide compound. Chapter 2 focuses on the fabrication of thin film field-effect transistors (FET) of amorphous RP. The films are semiconductors with a high hole mobility of 387 cm2 V-1 s-1 and a current switching ratio of ~103. The oxidation of the films was also studied, which shows poor resistance to environmental conditions, for that reason, a technique which consists of doping the films with metal oxides was employed, showing that the films remain stable in air for long periods of time. Chapter 3 introduces fibrous phosphorus quantum dots (FPQDs), the dots were synthesized via sonication of bulk FP with average size and height of 3.8 ± 0.9 nm and 2.7 ± 1.3 nm, respectively. The QDs were employed in the bioimaging of human adenocarcinoma cells because their fluorescence excitation/emission fall in the same range of common fluorescent microscopes DAPI filters. Lastly, chapter 4 discusses the synthesis and applications as photodetectors of the polyphosphide Cu2P3I2.
Tip60 protects against amyloid-[beta]-induced transcriptomic alterations via different modes of action in early versus late stages of neurodegeneration
Authors:   , Zhang Haolin , Elefant Felice
Published: July 2021

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder characterized by amyloid-[beta] (A[beta]) plaque accumulation, neurofibrillary tangles, neuronal apoptosis, and cognitive decline that worsens during disease progression. The development of AD is a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors, in which epigenetic mechanisms play a crucial role. Histone acetylation dysregulation, caused by an imbalance between reduced histone acetyltransferase (HAT) Tip60 and increased histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) levels, can directly contribute to AD pathology. However, whether such AD-associated neuroepigenetic alterations occur in response to A[beta] peptide production, are constant or dynamic, and can be protected against by increasing Tip60 levels throughout neurodegenerative progression remains unknown. In this study, we profile Tip60 HAT/HDAC2 dynamics and transcriptome-wide changes across early and late stages of AD pathology in the Drosophila melanogaster brain produced solely by human A[beta]42. We show that early A[beta]42 induction leads to disruption of Tip60 HAT/HDAC2 balance during early neurodegenerative stages preceding A[beta] plaque accumulation that persists into late AD stages. Correlative transcriptome-wide studies reveal alterations in biological processes we classified as transient (early-stage only), late-onset (late-stage only), and constant (both). Specifically, transient gene expression changes feature gene expression regulation, contributing to the direct and precise cellular responses to early A[beta] toxicity. In contrast, late gene expression changes feature a non-specific cellular metabolic defect. Neuroinflammation and metabolic inhibition gene changes are consistently present throughout disease development. Increasing Tip60 HAT levels in the A[beta]42 fly brain protects against AD functional pathologies, including A[beta] plaque accumulation, neural cell death, cognitive deficits, and shorter life-span. Strikingly, Tip60 protects against A[beta]42-induced transcriptomic alterations via distinct mechanisms during early and late stages of neurodegeneration. In the early stage, restoring Tip60 HAT/HDAC2 balance can specifically protect against the same gene ontology processes that are altered by A[beta]42 at the transcriptional level, staving off AD progression. Although Tip60 restoration can recover many neural functions in the late stage, it loses specificity against A[beta]42-misregulated gene sets due to increasingly strengthened proteopathic stress to the cells. Our findings reveal different modes of neuroepigenetic gene changes and Tip60 neuroprotection in early versus late stages in AD that can serve as early biomarkers for AD and support the therapeutic potential of Tip60 over the course of AD progression.
A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study
Authors:   , Maklary Sherry A. , Phillips Joy C.
Published: July 2021

Business decision making becomes more complex when focused on strategic corporate transformational initiatives. Although the existing scholarly research was important, it lacked the deep exploration into decision-making experiences, especially of corporate senior leaders making decisions on transformational initiatives. Various studies conducted showed decision making related to transformational initiatives has had a negative impact on corporate performance improvement. This study explored what meanings senior executives managing transformational initiatives ascribed to their experience of decision making, especially as it related to impacting corporate performance improvement. This hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to understand the phenomenon of decision making and provided the opportunity to guide corporate leaders and senior sponsors to interact in ways that may differ from executives who lack the knowledge of this lived experience. Identification of insights across the seven leaders studied provided understanding of individual perspectives, and new insights across, leading the researcher to discover the essence of humanistic leaderness. Through the humanistic leaderness of those interviewed various feelings were described, some that the leaders believed led to failures of transformations and/or did not meet predicted results on performance improvement. They attributed such failures to lack of senior sponsorship support, overly aggressive decisions on targets, inability to use forward focused assumptions, lack of understanding of each employees' contributions, and over estimation of labor arbitrage compared to internal capability loss. The researcher concluded from this study that using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to surface transformation leaders' voices could prove to reduce transformation failures. These intersubjective shared meanings on their lived experiences of decision making would enable leaders and their senior sponsors to form a new social reality, one where new insight would improve corporate performance for future transformational initiatives. Based on the leader's experiences, the researcher developed multiple recommendations and opportunities for future research that could augment the results of this study to further explore her conclusions beyond this limited population.
Forging Bureaucratic Autonomy
Authors:   , Oleksak Joseph A. , Dilworth Richardson
Published: July 2021

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board ("PLCB") was founded in 1933 in response to the ratification of the Twenty-First Amendment which repealed Prohibition. With the sale and manufacture of alcohol legal once again, the PLCB was conceived of as a tool to control alcohol consumption in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Governor Gifford Pinchot's design for the PLCB followed the bureaucratic design of many other Progressive Era agencies which led to independence from political actors over agency affairs. This paper examines how the PLCB utilized this independence to cultivate a high-level bureaucratic autonomy via its statutory discretion over the Pennsylvania Liquor Code. Over time, the developed a propensity for using this discretion not to restrict the sale of alcohol, but rather to facilitate the expansion of retail opportunities through its licensing authority. This discussion is compared alongside two more salient features of the Pennsylvania liquor control system, the state-run liquor monopoly managed by the PLCB and liquor enforcement. It also explores how challenges to the PLCB's role - e.g., attempts to privatize the state store system or the relegation of enforcement authority to the Pennsylvania State Police - have done little to diminish the PLCB's autonomy over licensing and regulatory functions.
An Examination of the Relations between Fine Motor Abilities and Executive Functioning in Children with Down Syndrome
Authors:   , Maiman Moshe Baruch , Lee Nancy Raitano
Published: July 2021

Fine motor (FM) and executive development were once thought to be independent of one another. More recent research suggests that these constructs are inter-connected. Understanding relations between FM abilities, which are readily assessed in early childhood, and executive functioning (EF) may inform research trying to identify early markers of later EF impairments in children with Down syndrome (DS). Studies have also rarely examined FM abilities in DS relative to their MA-matched TD peers. This study further characterizes FM abilities in children with DS relative to their MA-matched TD peers and their relationship to EF abilities. Thirty-one children with DS (Male = 42%; Mage=11.54 years) completed the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test 2nd Edition, Bruininks-Oseretsky Test 2nd Edition (BOT-2), Missing Scan Task (MST), NIH Toolbox Flanker Task, and NIH Toolbox Dimensional Change Card Sort Task (DCCS). Twenty-three children with typical development (Male = 57%; Mage= 5.09 years), matched on mental age and sex, also completed these measures. A series of independent sample t-tests were conducted to examine group differences on the BOT-2 FM subtests. Correlational analyses were calculated to examine relations between BOT-2 FM subtests and EF measures (MST, Flanker, DCCS). Children with DS performed worse than MA-matched TD controls on the BOT-2 manual dexterity subtest (t(44)=-2.76; p<.01, d=.81). Conversely, groups did not differ significantly on either the BOT-2 FM Precision subtest or BOT-2 FM Integration subtest (ps>.05). Correlational analyses revealed that BOT-2 FM integration (r=.42) and BOT-2 manual dexterity (r=.46) were both significantly (p<.05) positively correlated with the NIH Flanker task. Additionally, FM precision was significantly (p<.05) positively correlated with the NIH DCCS task (r=.40). No other FM-EF correlations were significant (ps >.05). Our findings highlight the extent to which manual dexterity abilities are impaired in children with DS. They also provide preliminary support that FM abilities are related to specific EF skills in children with DS. Thus, future studies should examine these relations longitudinally to evaluate the predictive validity of FM skills for later EF impairment in children with DS.
Queering Our Education
Authors:   , Ledden Emma M. , Awais Yasmine J.
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this capstone thesis was to write a call-to-action manuscript that will be submitted for publication to the American Art Therapy Association Journal. The manuscript calls upon the American Art Therapy Association as the national organization of the profession to create LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual) guidelines for art therapy, including the importance of integrating LGBTQIA history in graduate school curricula. Reviewing recommendations from scholars in the counseling, psychology, and art therapy fields, as well as reviewing the LGBTQIA guidelines created for the counseling and psychology, this capstone also suggests ways in which LGBTQIA guidelines for art therapy that focus specifically on LGBTQIA culture and history can help to queer multicultural courses in graduate art therapy programs as well as assist professionals outside of the educational setting.
Never Give Up
Authors:   , Hamm Diana , Awais Yasmine J. , Morningstar Dawn
Published: July 2021

Adolescents experiencing homelessness are a vulnerable population that lack resources and support. They may benefit from the development of a community and the opportunity to voice their concerns and stories. Some of the goals of art-therapy and art-based community projects are to create connections, empowerment, and reduce stigma. A community engagement project was implemented with adolescents residing in a residential treatment facility where a ceramic tile mural was created. This project aimed to explore connection and community with adolescents experiencing homelessness and provide a platform to be heard through art making. Recommendations are made for art therapists interested in smaller arts-based community projects based on the literature and my own experiences.
Development of an Oral Formulation to Increase Adenosine 5'-Triphosphate Levels in Erythrocytes for Protection from Ionizing Radiation
Authors:   , Arora Anmol Rajesh , Polyak Boris
Published: July 2021

Adequate protection of healthy tissues against ionizing radiation (IR) from sources such as radiation therapy or nuclear devices is a significant unmet clinical need. Studies have shown that adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a crucial signaling molecule mediating radiation-induced biological effects triggered to mitigate the deleterious consequences of [gamma] radiation on the human body. Oral delivery of unprotected ATP is not efficient as it highly likely to degrade prior to reaching the red blood cells (RBCs) due to the harsh digesting environment of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Moreover, the high electrostatic charge of the ATP makes it impermeable through the cellular barriers in the GI system and prevents it from efficient absorption and accumulation in the red blood cells (erythrocytes) - the primary source of stable ATP in the systemic circulation. In this project, we explored a method to encapsulate ATP in the form of liposomal (LPs) particles to protect the ATP from enzymatic degradation and enable it to pass through the GI system and efficiently accumulate in the erythrocytes. We encapsulated the ATP within liposome particles using a modified lipid thin-film hydration method with five rounds of freeze-thaw cycles and short sonications. We optimized the formulation in terms of the ATP encapsulation efficiency, liposome size distribution, and scale-up procedure. In vivo studies with daily oral ATP-LPs administration for seven days resulted in a significant 1.5-fold (p < 0.003 by paired t-test) increase in the ATP content in the red blood cells versus animals that received empty liposomes. Both ATP-containing and control formulations did not evoke measurable adverse effects in the tested animals based on behavioral and weight (less than 7.5% change) assessments. Our results indicate that oral administration of the ATP-LPs facilitates the absorption of ATP from the GI tract and leads to increased levels of ATP within red blood cells. Future studies will evaluate whether increased levels of ATP in the red blood cells afford protection from ionizing radiation in mice.
Hand Off Communication Tool Between Nursing Staff and Provider for Reducing 30 Day Hospital Readmission in an Assisted Living Facility
Authors:   , Tewarson Romelynn Kirsten , Rundio Al , Pruchnicki Alec
Published: July 2021

Background: Ineffective or inadequate communication is a leading cause of poor health outcomes as well as quality of health care when dealing with complex chronic conditions in older adults (Jones, et al, 2015). This is usually the result of substandard communication of important health information between provider and their patients. This , is turn, leads to poor care coordination, thereby leading to avoidable hospital readmission from skilled nursing facility.
Impact of Please ASK on ESL Student Comprehension of the English Article System Before Proper Nouns
Authors:   , Scott Renaldo A. , Phillips Joy C.
Published: July 2021

As English language grew as a primary means of communication, pedagogical approaches have emerged to meet this need. Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) has fulfilled this need. English grammar has been universally accepted in the field of pedagogy as essential for communication in the language, albeit, debate still exists regarding the degree to which grammar should be expressly taught. The CLT approach expressly acknowledges the need for grammar to promote fluency in learners; however, a conundrum exists. Some grammar in the language seemingly adheres to a logical framework, and thus can be explained easily. On the other hand, other grammar facets prove difficult or impossible to clearly explain via traditional means. One such facet is mental grammar. A salient illustration of mental grammar in English involves when to use the definite and null (the absence of) articles in front of proper nouns. Current literature in the field yields no viable explanation for learners beyond simple guesswork and memorization. As such, research in the field has explicitly called for a need to clearly explain this grammar convention. To address this problem, the researcher used creative efforts to foster a solution. The result was a researcher-developed heuristic. This heuristic offers an alternative explanation for the use of articles before proper nouns, which appears to abate the difficulties in learner comprehension of this grammar point. The heuristic itself represents a mnemonic device containing letters denoting proper noun categories. These specific categories denote when no articles before proper nouns are used. This phenomenological study sought to capture student participants' lived experiences while engaging with the Please ASK heuristic, as developed by the researcher, as they attempted to make sense of the English language article system before proper nouns. Interviews and focus groups were used to ultimately find emergent themes and the essence that could describe what the participants saw and felt as they employed Please ASK-a buffer between proper noun article grammar and student comprehension of that grammar. In this way, Husserlian Transcendentalism played a key role in this study. The study results supported student participants' perception of Please ASK as a viable means to understanding the obscure proper noun article grammar. Participants noted a change in understanding of the grammar and perceived increases in confidence in using English.