Shedding Light upon the Shadows: An Examination of the Use of Voice as Resistance and Reclamation of the Black Woman from Enslavement to Freedom.

My research examines the enslaved black woman\u27s reclamation of self through the use of voice and resistance from enslavement into freedom. I argue that the enslaved black woman\u27s voice was one that grew stronger and louder, in an effort to have her story heard, through her attempts of reclamation of self and transition from slave to a free woman. I begin with an introduction to the purpose of my research. Chapter one describes my approach to my research. Chapter two describes the conditions of slavery for black women. Chapter three describes enslaved black women\u27s mechanisms of resistance. Chapter four examinations the reclamation of self in slavemade quilts and the controversial Underground Railroad Quilt Code. Chapter five examines the reclamation of voice in Harriet Jacobs\u27 narrative, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, written under a pseudonym, Linda Brent, after she escaped from slavery. Chapter six examines the reclamation of womanhood is Dr. Anna Julia Cooper\u27s text, A Voice from the South. My conclusion describes how these historical events are still relevant to present-day society

Implementation Of Electronic Medical Records: How Healthcare Providers Are Managing The Challenges Of Going Digital

Electronic medical records (EMRs) are the newest form of documenting a patient’s medical record.  An EMR is a system that contains a patient’s personal medical history, test results, dictations, and other medical and financial information.  EMRs will improve healthcare by enhancing patient care, preventative health, and provider convenience and is an extreme improvement to an already highly technological healthcare corporation.  The implementation ‘wave’ is not happening just because it is an improvement to healthcare, but it is also moving forward because it is required by the U.S. government.  President Obama recently employed a stimulus package that will assist healthcare establishments with startup of electronic medical records.  Along with the great improvements and advantages come inconveniences, challenges, and high costs.  For large hospitals, EMR deployments can cost the organization millions of dollars; hospitals can spend from $25,000 to$60,000 per physician to deploy a system.  EMR deployment is a public policy challenge with the federal government possibly spending more than $20 billion in stimulus funds to reimburse providers for EMR implementations.  EMR system implementations are like any business process reengineering project because they cause many challenges.  Employees are not always accepting of change and managing change effectively is critical to successful implementation of any new technology.  Additionally, new electronic technologies increase privacy issues while at the same time healthcare facilities are becoming stricter with confidentiality.  Electronic medical record implementation is complex, but the benefits of organization and improved healthcare outweigh the minor setbacks.  In this study, data was gathered from two healthcare facilities through interviews of the leaders of the EMR implementation process at each facility.  Trade journals and EMR vendor information was also explored.  The goal was to explore the phenomenon of the EMR implementation in this short term research project

A Comparative Content Analysis of News Stories and Press Releases During the 2015 Blue Bell Ice Cream Recall

In 2015, Blue Bell Creameries had its first recall in the company’s history. Blue Bell issued a voluntary recall of all of its ice cream products after Listeria was detected and was linked to 10 illnesses that resulted in three deaths. With the theoretical framework of framing and Situational Crisis Communication Theory, the purpose of this study was to explore how this recall was presented in company press releases and news media coverage to determine what crisis communication strategies Blue Bell implemented and how the media presented that information. This study was a content analysis of 23 press releases from Blue Bell and 68 articles from newspapers. The four crisis response strategies, or postures, used as frames were deny, diminish, rebuild, and bolster. This study also examined sources identified in the articles and the topic areas they discussed. The results indicated Blue Bell’s communication efforts were properly and effectively disseminated through the news media to the public. Blue Bell used accommodative crisis communication postures to restore its reputation. Blue Bell was also commonly found as a source in the news stories, which benefitted the company when communicating about the recall to the public. This study provided an examination of crisis communication strategies and reputation management for organizations related to one specific food recall, which should encourage additional studies of these strategies in food and agricultural industries

Athletic Trainers and Psychological Disorders Among Athletes: An Examination of Their Abilities to Recognize, Diagnose and Intervene.

Utilizing an analogue research design conducted via the Internet, this study assessed athletic trainers' abilities to recognize, diagnose, and intervene with a hypothetical athlete experiencing depression, and examined the impact of their gender, athlete gender, and athlete's presenting problem on their decisions. Athletic trainers' perceived competency in using psychosocial interventions with athletes, history of referring athletes to psychology professionals, and training backgrounds in psychology also were examined. Participants (270 male and 370 female certified athletic trainers) were randomly assigned to one of six conditions (Athlete Gender X Presenting Problem). After reading the appropriate vignette, they completed questions related to the athlete's psychological symptoms and diagnosis, referral recommendations, and use of psychosocial interventions if working with the athlete. The vignettes were identical except for the athlete's gender and problem. Overall, athletic trainers accurately identified the athlete's depressive symptoms/diagnosis and need for psychological referral. They rated the athlete significantly higher in Depressive Symptoms than in Anger/Agitation Symptoms and Compulsive Behavioral Symptoms, and as more likely to be experiencing a depressive disorder compared to an adjustment disorder, anxiety disorder, sleep disorder, or substance abuse disorder. Female athletic trainers provided significantly higher ratings of Depressive Symptoms than males and the injured athlete was rated significantly higher in Anger/Agitation than the performance problem athlete. Diagnosis ratings were not influenced by athlete gender, athletic trainer gender, or type of problem. Athletic trainers were most likely to refer the athlete to a psychology professional compared to an allied health professional, treating the athlete themselves, or doing nothing. Presenting problem significantly impacted referral recommendations. If treating the athlete themselves, athletic trainers were significantly more likely to use supportive interventions than cognitive-behavioral techniques; they felt significantly more competent in providing supportive interventions. Competency in both interventions was significantly enhanced if athletic trainers completed psychology coursework. Findings suggest that athletic trainers are able to accurately identify and intervene with athletes experiencing psychological problems

Investigating microenvironmental regulation of human chordoma cell behaviour

The tumour microenvironment is complex and composed of many different constituents, including matricellular proteins such as connective tissue growth factor (CCN2), and is characterized by gradients in oxygen levels. In various cancers, hypoxia and CCN2 promote stem and progenitor cell properties, and regulate the proliferation, migration and phenotype of cancer cells. Our study was aimed at investigating the effects of hypoxia and CCN2 on chordoma cells, using the human U-CH1 cell line. We demonstrate that under basal conditions, U-CH1 cells express multiple CCN family members including CCN1, CCN2, CCN3 and CCN5. Culture of U-CH1 cells in either hypoxia or in the presence of recombinant CCN2 peptide promoted progenitor cell-like characteristics specific to the notochordal tissue of origin. Specifically, hypoxia induced the most robust increase in progenitor-like characteristics in U-CH1 cells, including increased expression of the notochord-associated markers T, CD24, FOXA1, ACAN and CA12, increased cell growth and tumour-sphere formation, and a decrease in the percentage of vacuolated cells present in the heterogeneous population. Interestingly, the effects of recombinant CCN2 peptide on U-CH1 cells were more pronounced under normoxia than hypoxia, promoting increased expression of CCN1, CCN2, CCN3 and CCN5, the notochord-associated markers SOX5, SOX6, T, CD24, and FOXA1 as well as increased tumour-sphere formation. Overall, this study highlights the importance of multiple factors within the tumour microenvironment and how hypoxia and CCN2 may regulate human chordoma cell behaviour

Prevalence Rates of Arthritis Among US Older Adults with Varying Degrees of Depression: Findings from the 2011 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Arthritis and depressive symptoms often interact and negatively influence one another to worsen mental and physical health outcomes. Better characterization of arthritis rates among older adults with different levels of depressive symptoms is an important step toward informing mental health professionals of the need to detect and respond to arthritis and related mental health complications. The primary objective is to determine arthritis rates among US older adults with varying degrees of depression. Using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011 to 2014 data (N = 4792), we first identified participants aged ≥50 years. Measures screened for depressive symptoms and self‐reported doctor‐diagnosed arthritis. Weighted logistic regression models were conducted. Prevalence of arthritis was 55.0%, 62.9%, and 67.8% in participants with minor, moderate, and severe depression, respectively. In both unadjusted and adjusted regression models, a significant association between moderate depression and arthritis persisted. There were also significant associations between minor and severe depression with arthritis. Arthritis is commonly reported in participants with varying degrees of depression. This study highlights the importance of screening for and treating arthritis‐related pain in older adults with depressive symptoms and the need for future geriatric psychiatry research on developing integrated biopsychosocial interventions for these common conditions

Prevalence Rates of Arthritis Among US Older Adults with Varying Degrees of Depression: Findings from the 2011 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Arthritis and depressive symptoms often interact and negatively influence one another to worsen mental and physical health outcomes. Better characterization of arthritis rates among older adults with different levels of depressive symptoms is an important step toward informing mental health professionals of the need to detect and respond to arthritis and related mental health complications. The primary objective is to determine arthritis rates among US older adults with varying degrees of depression. Using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011 to 2014 data (N = 4792), we first identified participants aged ≥50 years. Measures screened for depressive symptoms and self‐reported doctor‐diagnosed arthritis. Weighted logistic regression models were conducted. Prevalence of arthritis was 55.0%, 62.9%, and 67.8% in participants with minor, moderate, and severe depression, respectively. In both unadjusted and adjusted regression models, a significant association between moderate depression and arthritis persisted. There were also significant associations between minor and severe depression with arthritis. Arthritis is commonly reported in participants with varying degrees of depression. This study highlights the importance of screening for and treating arthritis‐related pain in older adults with depressive symptoms and the need for future geriatric psychiatry research on developing integrated biopsychosocial interventions for these common conditions

The Grizzly, March 30, 2006

Dr. Edwards Presents Baden Lecture • Student Activism at Ursinus College: Can You Hear Us Now? WeCAN! • Drag Show at Ursinus Anything but a Drag • Circumcision Decision • Stereotypes and Self-Interest: Part Two • Living Off Campus More Trouble Than its Worth? • Brief Conversation with Of Montreal\u27s Kevin Barnes • Opinions: Reimert, a Place to Call Home; The Revolution Will be Printed; Tuition to Increase by $8,492 Next Year • Bears Sweep Eastern in Double Headerhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1710/thumbnail.jp

Geochemical evolution of the Critical Zone across variable time scales informs concentration-discharge relationships: Jemez River Basin Critical Zone Observatory

This study investigates the influence of water, carbon, and energy fluxes on solute production and transport through the Jemez Critical Zone (CZ) and impacts on C-Q relationships over variable spatial and temporal scales. Chemical depletion-enrichment profiles of soils, combined with regolith thickness and groundwater data indicate the importance to stream hydrochemistry of incongruent dissolution of silicate minerals during deep bedrock weathering, which is primarily limited by water fluxes, in this highly fractured, young volcanic terrain. Under high flow conditions (e.g., spring snowmelt), wetting of soil and regolith surfaces and presence of organic acids promote mineral dissolution and provide a constant supply of base cations, Si, and DIC to soil water and groundwater. Mixing of waters from different hydrochemical reservoirs in the near stream environment during “wet” periods leads to the chemostatic behavior of DIC, base cations, and Si in stream flow. Metals transported by organic matter complexation (i.e., Ge, Al) and/or colloids (i.e., Al) during periods of soil saturation and lateral connectivity to the stream display a positive relationship with Q. Variable Si-Q relationships, under all but the highest flow conditions, can be explained by nonconservative transport and precipitation of clay minerals, which influences long versus short-term Si weathering fluxes. By combining measurements of the CZ obtained across different spatial and temporal scales, we were able to constrain weathering processes in different hydrological reservoirs that may be flushed to the stream during hydrologic events, thereby informing C-Q relationships