bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endothelial cell structure changes on native compared to glycated collagen in response to substrates of different stiffness
Authors:   , Padrino Aniel , Clyne Alisa Morss
Published: July 2021

Many diseases alter both the stiffness and composition of the extracellular matrix. Of particular interest to us is that diabetic hyperglycemia leads to collagen glycation, which both stiffens the extracellular matrix and alters cell-matrix interactions. Endothelial cells attach to matrix proteins via integrins clustered at focal adhesions. Cells transmit forces to integrins and extracellular matrix through the cytoskeleton, which deform substrates that are within a physiological stiffness range but not rigid substrates. As a consequence, cell morphology and function depend on substrate stiffness. We hypothesized that collagen glycation affects endothelial response to substrates of different stiffness by altering cell-matrix interactions. To investigate this hypothesis, we seeded porcine aortic endothelial cells for 24 hours on native and glycated collagencoated polyacrylamide gels with varying shear moduli (0.3 kPa - 30 kPa), as well as coated glass cover slips as a rigid control. Cells were labeled with rhodamine phalloidin and a vinculin antibody to visualize the actin cytoskeleton and focal adhesions, respectively. Cell morphology, including area, aspect ratio, and focal adhesion size and number were measured. Cell area and focal adhesion number and size increased with substrate stiffness on both native and glycated collagen. However, cell area on native collagen increased 625% as gel stiffness increased from 0.3 kPa to 30 kPa, while cell area on glycated collagen coated gels increased only 139%. In contrast, cells on gels coated with glycated collagen increased focal adhesion number by 32% and size by nearly 439%, whereas cells on native collagen increased focal adhesion number by over 100% and size by 1140% as gel stiffness increased from 5 kPa to 30 kPa. No focal adhesion sites were observed on cells seeded on 0.3 kPa gels coated with either native or glycated collagen. Cells on glass had the largest cell area, with no difference in area or focal adhesion size and number between native and glycated collagen coatings. Preliminary results from cell traction force studies revealed that on a 5 kPa gel, the average cell traction stress was 78% higher on native compared to glycated collagen and on the 10 kPa gel, the average cell traction stress was 33% higher on native compared to glycated collagen. These data suggest that endothelial cell response to substrate stiffness is altered in disease conditions as cells are unable to properly spread, form focal adhesions and exert traction forces on glycated compared to native collagen coated substrates. These findings shed new light on how endothelial cell mechanotransduction can be impaired by disease conditions.
Safe Set Maneuverability, Restoration, and Protection for Aircraft
Authors:   , Allen Robert C. , Kwatny Harry G.
Published: July 2021

The safe set is the largest controlled invariant set within a prescribed region of the state space. Safe set theory has the potential to be a basis for the design of an envelope protection system but this idea is far from fully developed and there are many open areas for further research. This research will address some issues that can naturally arise in working with higher dimensional safe sets which are inherently difficult to visualize and manage. It is of interest to characterize the maneuverability within the safe set. Maneuverability performance is usually assessed by evaluating an aircraft's capability to regulate around and smoothly transition between desired steady state conditions. This research will employ a bifurcation approach to characterize the control properties of the attainable trim points within the safe set. This research will show how impairments, in the form of control constraints, can dramatically alter both the safe and trim sets and affect the manner in which the aircraft can be safely maneuvered. Maneuverability can also be assessed by studying reachability within the safe set. It will be shown by simulation that all points in the safe set are not always reachable from other points within the safe set, but that all trim points can be reached from all points within the safe set. This research also considers strategies to restore an aircraft to a desired trim point within the safe set should it find itself outside the safe set - the safe set restoration problem - and strategies to prevent the aircraft from departing the safe set - the safe set protection problem.
Species transport mechanisms governing crossover and capacity loss in vanadium redox flow batteries
Authors:   , Agar Ertan , Kumbur Emin C.
Published: July 2021

Vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) are an emerging energy storage technology that offers unique advantages for grid-scale energy storage due to their flexible design and decoupled power/energy feature. Despite their popularity, a series of technical challenges hinder their widespread implementation. Among these, capacity loss (i.e., loss of energy storage capability) due to the undesired species crossover across the membrane has been identified as the key issue limiting the longevity of these systems. This issue is primarily governed by the properties of the membrane and can be mitigated by using proper membrane architectures with desired features. Presently, identifying proper membrane architectures for VRFB systems is hampered by the lack of a fundamental understanding of the nature of species transport mechanisms and how they are related to the membrane properties and key operating conditions. This Ph. D. study seeks to address this critical challenge by exploring the fundamental mechanisms responsible for species transport within the membrane. The overall objective of this dissertation study is to establish a fundamental understanding of the multi-ionic transport in VRFB membranes by investigating the ionic transport mechanisms responsible for crossover, and utilize this understanding to reveal the role of membrane properties and operating conditions on the capacity loss. To achieve these goals, a combined experimental and computational study was designed. An experimentally validated, 2-D, transient VRFB model that can track the vanadium crossover and capture the related capacity loss was developed. In addition to the model, several electrochemical techniques were used to characterize different types of membrane and study the effects of various operating conditions on the species crossover. Using these computational and experimental tools, an in-depth understanding of the species transport mechanisms within the membrane and how they are related to membrane properties and operating conditions of VRFBs has been obtained. Finally, this understanding was utilized to identify effective mitigation strategies to minimize the capacity fade and improve the long-term performance of these systems.
Dropping out of computer science
Authors:   , Gilbert-Valencia Daniel H. , Geller Kathy Dee
Published: July 2021

California community colleges contribute alarmingly few computer science degree or certificate earners. While the literature shows clear K-12 impediments to CS matriculation in higher education, very little is known about the experiences of those who overcome initial impediments to CS yet do not persist through to program completion. This phenomenological study explores insights into that specific experience by interviewing underrepresented, low income, first-generation college students who began community college intending to transfer to 4-year institutions majoring in CS but switched to another field and remain enrolled or graduated. This study explores the lived experiences of students facing barriers, their avenues for developing interest in CS, and the persistence support systems they encountered, specifically looking at how students constructed their academic choice from these experiences. The growing diversity within California's population necessitates that experiences specific to underrepresented students be considered as part of this exploration. Ten semi-structured interviews and observations were conducted, transcribed and coded. Artifacts supporting student experiences were also collected. Data was analyzed through a social-constructivist lens to provide insight into experiences and how they can be navigated to create actionable strategies for community college computer science departments wishing to increase student success. Three major themes emerged from this research: (1) students shared pre-college characteristics; (2) faced similar challenges in college CS courses; and (3) shared similar reactions to the "work" of computer science. Results of the study included (1) CS interest development hinged on computer ownership in the home; (2) participants shared characteristics that were ideal for college success but not CS success; and (3) encounters in CS departments produced unique challenges for participants. Though CS interest was and remains abundant, opportunities for learning programming skills before college were non-existent and there were few opportunities in college to build skills or establish a peer support networks. Recommendations for institutional leaders and further research are also provided.
Assessing the effects of LXR agonists in cholesterol handling
Authors:   , Aravindhan Karpagam , Jucker Beat M. , DiNardo Nicholas John
Published: July 2021

The liver X receptors [alpha] and [beta] (LXR) are responsible for transcriptional regulation of a number of genes involved in cholesterol efflux from cells and therefore may be molecular target for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. However, the effects of LXR ligands on cholesterol turnover in cells and in animals have not been examined comprehensively. Here we examined the effects of LXR agonists on cholesterol handling in both in-vitro (HepG2 cells) and in-vivo (Golden Syrian hamsters) models using stable isotope probes and corresponding multi-compartmental mathematical modeling. A two compartmental analysis of 1-13C sodium acetate tracer in combination with Mass Isotopomer Distribution Analysis (MIDA) revealed varying responses to cholesterol handling (e.g. synthesis, catabolism, influx and efflux) in cultured HepG2 cells following treatment with synthetic non-steroidal LXR agonists (GW3965, T0901317, SB742881) and steroidal LXR agonists (22(R)-hydroxycholesterol, 24(S),25-epoxycholesterol, Dimethyl-3[beta]-hydroxy-cholenamide). Unlike the steroidal LXR agonists, non-steroidal LXR agonists increased cholesterol synthesis by 5 fold, decreased cholesterol influx by 70-80% and increased cholesterol efflux by 2 fold. For experiments assessing LXR effects on cholesterol handling in hamsters, six compartmental model was created to define free cholesterol and esterified cholesterol flux in three separate pools (plasma, liver, extrahepatic tissue). The six compartmental analysis of 3,4-13C cholesterol tracer in hamsters resulted in a slight, but non-significant increase in free cholesterol efflux from liver (60%) following treatment with LXR agonist: GW3965, consistent with in vitro observations. In summary, comprehensive mathematical models were developed in order to assess cholesterol handling in cells and in animals. For the first time, LXR perturbation of cholesterol handling in these in vivo systems was assessed.
Millennials & Nonprofits
Authors:   , Dueño Rafael A. , Goodman Julie
Published: July 2021

Millennials pose a threat to the way nonprofit organizations operate. As the next generation of potential supporters to come of age, the specific circumstances they have faced during their formative years have made them into highly socially conscious but financially insecure adults. This means their philanthropic passions have not translated into financial support of nonprofit organizations. This study explores the first steps for organizations to forge meaningful relationships with young individuals, using social media as a platform for engagement. Being the first generation born after the Digital Revolution, Millennials are digital natives, quick to adapt and embrace the latest trends in technology and communications. This study compiles a series of social media best practices, as identified by various experts in the field, that can help organizations open the lines of communications with Millennials. It then applies these guidelines to the social media activities of three Philadelphia-based organizations to illustrate how these can be used to generate successful engagement. Ultimately, this study finds that social media and other tools of the Digital Age play a vital role in engaging Millennials as the next generation of supporters.
The Influence of Self-disclosure, Religion, and Race on the Art Therapy Intern's Identity
Authors:   , Shim Daae , Awais Yasmine J.
Published: July 2021

An arts-based heuristic study was designed to explore the researcher response to how self-disclosure of her racial and religious background affected her identity at clinical internship. The study consisted of the researcher making response art and daily journaling on the days of internship regarding experiences that dealt with self-disclosure, religion, and race. A total of 18 artworks and 87 journal entries were collected. The art responses were grouped into four major themes: flag, representational, circles, and scattered. Journal entries were divided into the language used: English only, Korean only, both, and no response and themes: race, religion, or irrelevant. From this exploration and reflection, the researcher gained a deeper understanding about her identity and how different components that make up her identity influence each other.
In vitro and ex vivo substrate stiffness effects on endothelial monolayer permeability in response to TNF-[alpha]
Authors:   , Furia Christina Maria , Clyne Alisa Morss
Published: July 2021

Hypertension affects 67 million American adults and is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis. While hypertension was once thought to lead to adaptive vascular stiffening, recent studies suggest that reversible vascular stiffening precedes hypertension development. In addition, increased inflammation, such as elevated inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-[alpha] (TNF-[alpha]), is associated with hypertension. Both stiff substrates and TNF-[alpha] increase endothelial cell permeability, which contributes to atherosclerotic plaque development; however, the impact of substrate stiffness on endothelial cell permeability with TNF-[alpha] has not previously been investigated. In this project, we developed an assay to measured endothelial cell permeability with TNF-[alpha] on different stiffness polyacrylamide (PA) gels. We also created an ex vivo tissue chamber to enable en face fluorescent imaging of live mouse aortae for real time quantification of endothelial cell permeability in intact vessels exposed to flow. Our data confirms the increase in permeability with TNF-[alpha] treatment and substrate stiffness and suggests an interaction between inflammation and stiffness on endothelial cell permeability. This research enhanced our understanding of the integrated impact of substrate stiffness and inflammatory molecules on endothelial barrier loss. This can lead to a greater understanding of how hypertension contributes to atherosclerosis. By improving our knowledge of the interactions between biomechanical and biochemical stimuli, we can develop targeted hypertension therapies.
Discharge readiness in heart failure
Authors:   , Celia Linda M. , Rundio Al
Published: July 2021

Patients with heart failure (HF) face the challenge of living with a chronic condition. The transition from the hospital environment to home requires diligent attention to ensure that the patient is ready for discharge. Being ready to go home or "discharge readiness" is vital to the successful transition of HF patients. Discharge readiness is related to the discharge outcomes for the hospital and is an indicator of the need for additional discharge transition support interventions in the home setting. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of readiness for discharge in the HF patient and examine if further patient education prevents readmission within thirty days. Readiness for discharge encompasses personal status, coping, knowledge, and expected support prior to the hospital discharge. A descriptive comparative study was conducted with patients divided into two groups, one receiving the Readiness for Hospital Discharge Scale (RHDS) and additional education on HF and the other group standard nursing care with no intervention. The RHDS captured the patient's perception of discharge readiness. The study was conducted in an urban academic medical center. Patients (N=50) with a diagnosis of HF were recruited. Six patients from both study groups were readmitted to the hospital within the thirty day period post discharge. Over sixty percent of the patients had income levels below $20,000 and had a previous hospital stay within the last six months. Arthritis and respiratory problems were the most frequently reported co-morbid conditions. With the emphasis on reducing HF readmissions, it is imperative that nurses are cognizant of the patient's discharge readiness prior to discharge. Nurses need to examine approaches in preparing the patient for a successful transition to the home environment that takes into consideration recent hospitalizations, income levels and co-morbid conditions.
Preventive Care Program on Asian Americans in a Senior Care Center
Authors:   , Martinez Ma. Kristina , Zuzelo Patti Rager
Published: July 2021

Background: Preventive care practices among Asian Americans continue to be low despite the fact that most insurance companies including Medicare and Medicaid cover the cost for these services. Current evidence suggests that community-based interventions are effective in improving the uptake of clinical preventive services. The role of senior care centers in improving preventive care practices among older adults needs to be explored. Purpose: This doctoral project sought to improve compliance on current preventive care practices among older Chinese and Korean Americans through health education, overcoming barriers and use of nurse navigators in a local senior care center. Methods: A cluster randomized controlled trial was utilized to recruit volunteer participants in a local senior care center. Seniors were able to participate if they are either Chinese or Korean and do not have a history of dementia. Subjects assigned to the intervention group (n = 31) received a private, individualized 20-minute screening and education session. Those assigned to the control (n = 30) were educated and screened as a group via a 20-minute session. After completion of preventive screening and education, participants were scheduled for a follow up appointment with their PCP for the recommended disease screening and immunizations. Results: The program identified several barriers in completing shingles and tetanus booster immunizations. Aside from a culturally tailored, language concordant navigator program, an immunization clinic was held to augment the barriers. The program improved the tetanus and shingles completion rates. Among those who has not had shingles vaccine, group education provided the most impact in completion of the recommended vaccine (p=0.00). There was no statistical difference between group and individualized education among the participants who has not had the tetanus booster vaccine (p=0.09). Conclusion: Compliance of preventive screening practices can be improved by utilizing nurse navigators and culturally tailored program that are specifically designed to overcome personal and system barriers.
Nurse Led Smoking Cessation Intervention To Reduce Postoperative Complications
Authors:   , Lilley Cynthia , Rundio Al
Published: July 2021

Background: Research studies show smokers are more likely to suffer from complications after surgery. These preventable events cost the nation approximately $17 billion a year and impact both the health of the community and the finances of healthcare systems. Purpose: To determine the effect of a nurse-led smoking cessation intervention in the preoperative setting on reducing both postoperative complications and healthcare costs due to smoking. Method: This was a prospective cohort study to include smokers undergoing a surgical procedure. The participants received a brief smoking cessation education intervention in a preoperative clinic given by a nurse, describing the benefits of smoking cessation and the risks smoking presents for surgical recovery. Evaluation: All data was cleaned and coded. Patients lost to follow up or with missing data elements were not included. The intervention cohort postoperative complication data results were compared to postoperative complication rates in a historical cohort before implementation of the smoking cessation intervention. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the baseline characteristics of the cohorts. The chi-square test was calculated to analyze the association between the categorical data. Results: The sample size of 100 participants meeting the inclusion criteria was reached. 22% of participants quit smoking and 47% reduced the number of cigarettes they smoked preoperatively. Chi-square results comparing postoperative complication rates between the interventional and historical cohorts was not statistically significant with a p-value of 0.08 and resulted in a null hypothesis. The comparison between combined quit/reduced smoking participants with those continuing to smoke within the interventional group was statistically significant for reduced postoperative complications with a p-value<0.05. Conclusion: The results concluded a smoking cessation intervention before surgery reduced postoperative complications and healthcare costs for this hospital in the intervention group. Preoperative patient education should reinforce smoking cessation to optimize postoperative outcomes.
Follow-up Telephone Call Quality Initiative
Authors:   , Worgan Barbara , DiMaria Ghalili Rose Ann
Published: July 2021

Background: Outcomes of nursing interventions following discharge for recipients of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) are scarce. Purpose: This quality improvement project was a retrospective cohort design to evaluate the effectiveness of a follow-up telephone call on reducing 30-day hospital readmission for patients recovering from the TAVR procedure. Methods and Results: A convenience sample of 50 patients was used, 25 who received the follow up phone calls and 25 who did not. Twenty-five patients were selected from those TAVR patients who did received a follow-up telephone call between January 20 - May 20, 2017 and 25 TAVR patients from those who were not exposed to the intervention between January 20 - May 20, 2016. The cohorts were matched based on sex and NYHA CHF classification at time of the hospital admission. Both hospital length of stay and postoperative length of stay were shorter in the intervention group than the control group. Patients who received the follow-up telephone call post discharge spent on average 2.20 days less in the hospital than those who did not receive the follow up telephone call, 3.92 ± 1.9 days vs 6.12 ± 3.95 days respectively, t = 2.53 (34), p = 0.01. Patients who received the follow-up telephone call post-discharge spent on average 1.28 days less in the hospital after their procedure than those who did not receive the follow-up telephone call, 2.84 ± 1.7 days vs 4.12 ± 2.57 days respectively, t = 2.07 (48), p = 0.01. However, there was no significant difference in readmissions within 30 days of discharge in those received the follow-up phone call post-discharge (n=4, 8%) and those who did not receive the follow-up phone call post-discharge (n=4, 8%). Conclusions: The quality improvement follow-up telephone call initiative did not reduce the rate of hospital readmission. Although, this program did not evaluate patient reported outcomes, future projects should not only consider hospital readmissions but other quality measures as well.
Audience engagement in New York State
Authors:   , Swenson Kari , Brody Jean
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this paper is to discover what audience engagement practices are being utilized by orchestras in Western and Central New York. In the constantly changing field of orchestral audiences, orchestras need to find innovative ways to build relationships with current and potential audiences. While the large majority of classical music audiences are white and middle to upper class, that audience group is aging, causing orchestras to focus on newer audiences, particularly younger ones. This study also discusses activities that can attract the millennial age group. The conclusions reached in the study are the result of interviews with staff members that are responsible for creating marketing plans, including engagement activities and strategies. The results found were then analyzed and considered against current suggested practices. The findings from this paper will hopefully be useful to other orchestras, across the nation, in finding and developing audience engagement activities for their constituents, including in-depth musical programming, social events before and after concerts, and interactive community outreach programs.
Dancing Is Care
Authors:   , Shen Jiao , Gates Gayle
Published: July 2021

This capstone project was a community engagement program that introduced movement-based activity to the community and established a support group for Chinese/Chinese immigrant mothers in the West Philadelphia area. This population had limited access to mental health care and postnatal care, have language barriers and culture differences, lack of family and social support, and experienced high stress due to the role adjustment of becoming a new immigrant, homemakers, and mother. The author used dance movement as a medium to create a nonclinical but therapeutic support group in the community. This program focused on using movements to provide self-care and social interactions to release stress, explore self-strength/self-worth, and self-expression. In the long term, the project aimed to empower the mothers to use their own resources and autonomously initiate support for each other in the community. This program includes a pre-program which had twenty weekly meetings, a main program which had four weekly closed-group meetings, and post-main program which had weekly meetings. After the four-weekly closed-group meetings, the author reflected on the experience of the program developing and group meetings and summarized some suggestions for those who would like to work with a Chinese community. Moreover, she highlighted important themes and connections that the community project was conducted.
Interference between competing pathways in the interaction of three-level atoms and radiation
Authors:   , Abi-Salloum Tony Y. , Narducci Lorenzo M.
Published: July 2021

The appearance of quantum interference in the microscopic world is one of the deepest mysteries at the very root of quantum mechanics. When light interacts with atoms, it can induce transitions by way of distinct but indistinguishable pathways and yield unexpected and often counter-intuitive results. Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT), Coherent Population Trapping (CPT), and Lasing Without Inversion (LWI) are modern examples of phenomena where the traditional rules that govern absorption and dispersion undergo major revisions. Spectacular consequences of this new state of affairs include the ability of a light beam to propagate through a normally absorbing medium with little or no absorption, or to undergo amplification even if the active medium is not prepared in a state of population inversion. Light signals have been shown to travel with strongly subluminal group velocities of only a handful of meters per second and, even, to propagate at speed greater than the ordinary speed of light, but without violation of causality or of the established rules that control the transfer of optical information through space. Three-level atoms can interact with two coherent electromagnetic fields according to three different systems, known as Cascade, Lambda and Vee systems. The propagation of a weak probe field can be deeply affected by the presence of a second stronger beam, the so-called coupling field. Transparency windows, splitting of emission and absorption lines and enormously enhanced dispersion have been documented in numerous experiments. In this thesis we explore the physical origin of the transparency induced in these systems by the simultaneous interplay of the coupling and probe fields. We focus our attention on the Cascade system and study its two configurations, Cascade-EIT and Cascade-AT. We develop a variety of complementary approaches for the description of these two configurations, some semiclassical and others fully quantum mechanical. We prove the existence of quantum interference in Electromagnetically Induced Transparency and also the surprising absence of interference in a closely related phenomenon, known as the Autler-Townes effect. Finally we complement the traditional machinery of theoretical quantum optics with techniques borrowed from quantum scattering theory, and offer what we believe is the most convincing physical evidence for the appearance, or for the absence, of quantum interference effects.
Encapsulation of organophosphorus acid anhydrolase (OPAA) in nanostructured materials for the detection and decontamination of chemical warfare agents
Authors:   , Ong Kate K. , Wei Yen
Published: July 2021

Organophosphorus acid anhydrolase (OPAA) was successfully encapsulated in situ into silica and organically-modified silica materials using the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis and co-condensation of tetramethylorthosilicate and organosiloxanes via the non-surfactant templated sol-gel process. To begin, studies with guanidinium hydrochloride and urea indicated the enzyme was susceptible to denaturation (i.e., unfolding) and renaturation. The urea study followed the simple two-stage folding model with an estimated Gibbs free energy value of 1.5 kcal/mol. A systematic approach was developed to prepare the mesoporous materials to encapsulate enzymes. The enzyme was found to be damaged by methanol that was generated as a by-product of sol-gel reactions. This setback was alleviated by a simple low volume-shrinkage sol-gel approach where methanol was evacuated before addition of enzyme. Various samples were prepared using either D-fructose or poly(ethylene glycol) as the pore forming template and characterized in the presence of various amounts of OPAA. By varying the template concentration or the concentration of the starting materials, the pore parameters can be tuned to have high surface area of 500-800 m2/g, large pore volume ranging from 0.2-0.8 cm3/g, and designable pore diameter ranging from 2-6 nm. As a result, the enzyme remained active in the encapsulated form in both aqueous and mixed aqueousorganic solvents. The immobilization of OPAA in mesoporous materials significantly increased the stability of OPAA against the denaturation by organic solvents. The organically-modified gel sample in 20 % acetone showed a significant retainment of enzyme activity up to approximately 90 % in comparison with aqueous solution. By employing a simple regeneration procedure involving buffer wash, the encapsulated samples retained activity after several reuses with little or no indications of enzyme leakage. Gold-doped mesoporous materials were also prepared for the detection of cyanide using surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The materials were SERS active and out-performed the detection limit of conventional colloidal gold. Though the materials were not optimized, the detection limit of cyanide was 1 ppm. These results clearly indicated that biomolecules, such as OPAA, can be entrapped into mesoporous materials via the nonsurfactant templated pathway. Unlike many other encapsulation methods, this pathway is simple to perform, easily modified (hence the introduction of the low volume shrinkage approach), and produces a material that remains active and reusable.
Critical Theory, Conflict Transformation and Community Music Therapy
Authors:   , Hassanein Zein A. , Myers-Coffman Katherine , Junkin Janelle S. , Ierardi Florence
Published: July 2021

The following capstone literature review explores music therapy (and allied creative arts therapies) and their impact within the realm of conflict zones and conflict transformation. It defines the traditional approaches music therapy has taken with conflict survivors as well as makes a case for a movement towards community music therapy frameworks rather than consensus model individual therapy models. Delving into the history of critical theory and the impact of critical psychology and liberation psychology, the literature review advocates for incorporation of critical theory into more music therapy education programs. This is identified as a means to facilitate more culturally reflexive anti-oppressive practices by Western music therapists working with non-Western clients.
Navigating the Hallways
Authors:   , Solazzo Alexandra Marie , Morningstar Dawn , Carl Mandy
Published: July 2021

This thesis will describe the development of a dance/movement therapy method catered towards adolescents in a school setting that experience anxiety and chaos while in the classroom. The literature review addresses adolescent development, adolescents "at-risk", anxiety, identity development, and applications for dance/movement therapists working with adolescents. The method itself is a multi-step, somatic experience to help mitigate the symptoms of anxiety. Often, chaos occurs in the classroom. For adolescents with added exposure to violence, aggression, and abuse, classrooms become undesirable environments and increase levels of student's anxiety. The method, "Navigating the Hallways" begins with body awareness to identify triggers that lead to anxiety. It is followed by four pathways, co-created with the therapist, to support the student's ability to emotionally regulate, and to calm down enough to return to the classroom. This author looks at ways to provide students with body-based techniques to reduce anxiety that can then be utilized more independently or in coordination with other students in need. This author reflects on the process of developing this method and how relationships with the students aided in her growth as a dance/movement therapist.
Female Veteran Advocacy through Public Art Exhibits
Authors:   , Osteen Brittany Joy , Awais Yasmine J. , Dow Trina
Published: July 2021

Stigma towards posttraumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma, mental health, and physical health needs have hindered female veterans from receiving the proper help they need. Art therapy has been a growing form of advocating for veteran mental health needs and has been used to help veterans process traumatic memories and other prevalent mental illnesses in a nonverbal way. By using art materials as a therapeutic tool, art therapy aids in self-expression and exploration. This project explores the use of art therapy at an all-female veteran community center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Masks and artwork created by the veterans were exhibited in two different art shows. These public art exhibits brought the needs of female veterans to the public and further expressed the need for veteran advocacy while self-advocating for themselves.
From Optical to Tactile-Extruding Photography
Authors:   , Sutkowski Rosalind Ann , Nicholas Diana S. , Colburn Lewis R
Published: July 2021

Since the invention of photography, the medium has gone through many stages; it originated as a highly technical scientific process with the practice limited to those with extensive expertise and access to expensive equipment and materials. As the technology progressed, the field rapidly expanded and the medium has spawned extensive research, experimentation and artistic exploration. This work investigates multi-sensory methods to expand the experiential potentials within the medium of photography. While 3D scanning and photogrammetry have been utilized in archeology, mapping and other practical applications, the new technology, while highly procedural, is aesthetically in its primitive form. Current technology outcomes include 3D printed replicas of artifacts, bones and small plastic sculptures made from full body scans. The work presented here explores this new technology and pushes the medium forward. Beginning with a process of extruding two-dimensional photographic imagery to three-dimensional bas relief, incorporating microprocessors with imagery and experimenting with different materials to bring aesthetic value, tactility and sound to the photographic image. Possible outcomes could be to enable the visually impaired to feel an image or for someone to experience an image through multiple senses.
The creation of a tool to aid in health material selection for interior designers
Authors:   , Rable Sarah , Nicholas Diana S.
Published: July 2021

There has been an increasing number of humans diagnosed with medical conditions such as asthma, obesity, depression, and attention disorders and many of these conditions can be attributed to exposure to materials installed in interior environments that contain ingredients harmful to humans. Despite designers having general knowledge about a products dangerous tendencies, these products are still being specified in projects such as hospitals, schools, and offices. These spaces are often intended to help humans heal, while the materials that surround them are making them sick. After initially focusing my studies on biophilic design, I began to focus on the materials being used in interior spaces before continuing onto nature-based design. These spaces cannot be biophilic if they contain copious amounts of chemicals to achieve the biophilic "aesthetic". I plan to investigate interior materials further to understand their core ingredients and what effects they have, as well as find suitable replacements for them.
Omnibus Law on Job Creation: State Capture?
Authors: Ambarwati Siska
Published: July 2021

The study aims to analyze whether there is a state capture in making the Job Creation Law. Since the Job Creation Law was raised, many parties have criticized the existence of the Law because in the making of the Job Creation Law it is believed that it is more beneficial to employers, giving rise to an indication of state capture in its making. The research method used is a form of normative research with a statutory approach. The result shows that there is a state capture carried out by the authorities and employers in the making of the Job Creation Law. About 262 or 45.5 percent of the 575 House of Representatives members are affiliated with the company and therefore the regulations to be made more favorable for employers or investors while the welfare of workers is at stake. The rushed legislative process causes the values and aspirations of the people to be unable to be proportionally aggregated and accommodated, and this is certainly contrary to the principle of participation and the principle of openness as stipulated in the provisions of laws and regulations.
Exergoeconomic Analyses of a Cement Plant Waste Heat Recovery in a Novel Combined Power and Refrigeration Cycle
Authors: Tashtoush Bourhan , Megdouli Karima , Gholizadeh Towhid , Dekam Elhadi
Published: July 2021

To reduce fossil fuel consumption and its polluted environmental impact, a new enhanced waste heat recovery system operated by hot chimney flue gases from a cement plant is designed, analyzed, and evaluated. The configuration of the system is competitive and innovative. It is designed to be capable of producing space air cooling and electricity generation, simultaneously. Three temperature levels in the proposed cycle are considered, and a detailed mathematical model is developed with energy, exergy, and economic aspects are considered to achieve the best performance of the system. Computer FORTRAN subroutines are developed and run for simulation of several scenarios. A comprehensive parametric investigation and thermo-economic analysis are conducted and presented. It was found that the optimistic recovery system can achieve a refrigeration load coverage of 300 kW, while the energy and exergy efficiencies are 36.23% and 29.41%, respectively. The anticipated system seems to be optimistic knowing the cost of the product is estimated to be $45.97 per GJ.
Defining Sustainability in Afghanistan’s Built Environment: A Case Study of World Bank Building in Kabul and Comparative Analysis of Prominent Literature
Authors: Khatibi Mahsa , Khaidzir Khairul Anwar Mohamed , Rashid Aiman Mohd
Published: July 2021

The built environment is one of the critical areas of intervention for sustainable development. This study aims to investigate the sustainable and appropriate ways of designing Afghanistan’s built environment. To put forward a reliable mechanism of research, the study develops and uses three approaches. The first is to review the sustainable strategies applied in the design of the country’s first LEED-certified building, the World Bank Building in Kabul (WBBK). Secondly to understand the main concepts involved in the practice of designing for sustainability by analyzing five of the most influential books in the realm of design and sustainability. Finally, the findings from the review of the five books are reinforced with more literature associated with design and sustainability to analyze and evaluate the sustainable strategies of the WBBK. The study posits that although the building can promote the idea of a sustainable built environment in the country but there are several issues. Among the issues are, (1) Its high dependence on eco-technologies to reduce environmental impact rather than designing in relation to social and ecological systems, (2) Its insufficiency in providing a resilient design that is self-sufficient, flexible, and adaptive, and (3) Its lack of creating aesthetic experiences and cultural meaning for its occupants which are required for future designs and development. Furthermore, based on the findings and upon inquiring into the sustainable design of WBBK, the paper concluded with a set of recommendations to contribute towards the design of a sustainable built environment in Afghanistan.
The Nutritional Value Enhancement of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches as Animal Feed Using the Fungus Coprinus Comatus, with Different Numbers of Inoculums and Incubation Times
Authors: Sabariyah Sitti , Rusdi  , Damry  , Hasanuddin Asriani
Published: July 2021

This study aimed to increase the nutritional value of oil palm empty bunches (EFB) as ruminant animal feed by using biological treatment. To achieve this, five fungi species were used, including Trametes Versicolor, Lentinula edodes, Coprinus comatus, Pleurotus sajor-caju, and Trichoderma sp, which were inoculated for 20 days. Furthermore, the study consisted of 2 stages, in the first, the five species were tested for their degradability to lignin. In the second, the results were analyzed for their degradation ability by treating several numbers of inoculums (0.5 ml, 0.75 ml, and 1.0 ml) at different incubation times (20, 30, and 40 days). The results showed that the fungi treatment gave different lignin levels of oil palm empty fruit bunches compared to others. Furthermore, treatment with Coprinus comatus fungi produced the lowest lignin and the highest cellulose levels than others. This species works well compared to other fungi in the delignification of oil palm empty fruit bunches. With the use of Coprinus comatus, the lowest lignin and highest cellulose levels were obtained in a 0.5 ml inoculum treatment and at 30 days incubation time, however, there was no interaction. Conclusively, this study indicated that the application of Coprinus comatus to oil palm empty fruit bunches reduces lignin levels and increases cellulose by 22.04% and 20%, respectively. Consequently, there is an improved nutritional value of oil palm empty fruit bunches.
Study of the Quality of Barley Cleaning with Indented Cylinder from Grain Impurities
Authors: Tishaninov Nikolay Petrovich , Anashkin Alexander Vitalyevich , Alshinayyin Haider Jameel , Tishaninov Konstantin Nikolayevich
Published: July 2021

Results of the study on the separation of crushed barley grains from the grain mixture along the length of the cell surface of indented cylinder, depending on the initial impurity concentration (Zi), the speed mode of the indented cylinder (n) and the lifting angle of the upper edge of the front wall of the output tray (γn) relative to the horizon, are presented. The theoretical steadily decreasing trend in the intensity of the impurity component separation has been experimentally confirmed. The fact that crushed barley grains are a difficult-to-separate impurity has been established. When n increases, the intensity of impurity separation increases dramatically. The γn angle increases the dependence of the process dynamics on the speed mode. At γn =55°, the increase of n from 40 to 50 rpm increases the intensity of impurity separation from the grain mixture by 6.44 times. A decrease in the value of γn and an increase in the speed mode of operation lead to an increase in process losses. An increase in the initial contamination of the grain mixture under other equal operating conditions of the indented cylinder leads to a proportional increase in its residual contamination.
Rzeczywista liczba dzieci i młodzieży przebywających w instytucjonalnych formach opieki całkowitej w Polsce a wyzwania procesu deinstytucjonalizacji
Authors: Błaszczyk Magdalena
Published: July 2021

Celem artykułu jest zaspokojenie zapotrzebowania na dane dotyczące liczby dzieci i młodzieży przebywających w instytucjonalnych formach opieki całkowitej w Polsce. Dane te są konieczne do ustalenia skali niezbędnych do podjęcia działań, aby możliwe stało się przejście od opieki instytucjonalnej do opieki rodzinnej, świadczonej w środowisku lokalnym. Głównym problemem związanym z analizowaniem uwarunkowań deinstytucjonalizacji w zakresie wspierania dzieci i młodzieży oraz z planowaniem tego procesu jest całkowite pomijanie – zarówno w profesjonalnym dyskursie, jak i w statystykach – osób przebywających w instytucjach długoterminowej opieki całkowitej nienależących do systemu pieczy zastępczej. W artykule przedstawiono konsekwencje takiego podejścia oraz zaprezentowano wyniki oszacowania liczby osób w wieku 0–24 lat przebywających w instytucjach świadczących długoterminową opiekę w systemach pomocy społecznej, edukacji i zdrowia. Z przeprowadzonych badań wynika, że skala instytucjonalizacji dzieci i młodzieży w Polsce jest znacznie niedoszacowana, gdyż w 2019 r. w zależności od przyjętych kryteriów kwalifikacji instytucji, co do typu świadczonej opieki, znajdujące się w nich dzieci i młodzież stanowiły 20–35% wszystkich osób umieszczonych poza rodzinami pochodzenia. Dolną granicę tego oszacowania wyznacza udział dzieci i młodzieży umieszczonych w placówkach systemu pieczy zastępczej (blisko 17 tys. osób), a górną – suma wszystkich osób w wieku 0–24 lat przebywających w instytucjach opieki całkowitej, w tym m.in. w domach pomocy społecznej czy instytucjach opiekuńczo-leczniczych (niemal 30 tys.).