Exel: Drexel University's Research Magazine

_John A. Fry

A message from the President.

_Body of Research: Digging into Data

A massive digitization project by the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University continues to put data about its 18 million natural specimens at the fingertips of scientists and the public worldwide _by Mary Alice Hartsock

_Culture / Society: A Budding Idea

In Drexel’s Product Design program, great ideas begin with the end in mind.; The Science of Co-op

Drexel is leading a group of higher-educational institutions to study how experiential learning affects educational outcomes.; Don’t Waste That Food

Products made from surplus ingredients that would otherwise contribute to the nation’s food waste can be transformed into recipes that are appealing to consumers.; Sidelines Bias

A new study helps illuminate why fewer women are coaching college sport teams than in years past.; Seeing Green

The common perception that CEOs always sacrifice shareholder profits for their own in a merger may be flawed.; Insta-Support

Instagram has become a destination for some people making sensitive and stigmatized self-disclosures.; What's in a Name (Brand)?

The relationship between internet search results and a brand’s success is more complex than common wisdom suggests.; Making Space for All

School “makerspaces” have enormous potential to foster learning and engagement, but need to be inclusive of all learners.; Can Data Have an Agenda?

If we’re not careful in how big data is collected, the samples we use to improve public policy will only reinforce existing problems.; Adjudicating Genocide

A study of the way nations confront the aftermath of genocide reveals new ideas about the best path to peace.; Gym Vig

Now there's proof you can't even pay people to go workout.

_Examine: Atomic Art

The beauty of science at the nanoscale is revealed by images from a new scientific images art contest established at Drexel. _Sonja Sherwood

_Feature: Body by Design

A Drexel education has always been about solutions. Every day inside classrooms and labs, students and faculty work alongside each other in search of a better procedure, a stronger material, a smarter gadget — a continual collaboration in innovation. Perhaps no school within the University epitomizes this more than the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems (BioMED). _by Ben Seal / _illlustrations by Katie Scott; The Last Mile

The road to early breast cancer detection is particularly rough in developing countries, where scarce medical resources, poverty and cultural taboos are obstacles to women learning their diagnoses before it’s too late. But an ingenious new hand-held medical device pioneered at Drexel is covering the distance between diagnosis and survival. _by Adam Stone _photos by Tommy Leonardi; Alone in the Dark

Can the power of music help people with dementia reconnect with the world around them? College of Nursing and Health Professions recent doctoral graduate Kendra Ray and her colleagues know that it can, because they see it every day. _by Carolyn Sayre _illustration by Samuel Hoskins; A Cure for Cancer's Spread?

A drug compound in development at Drexel would give breast cancer patients the gift of precious time, by keeping metastatic cells from seeding deadly new tumors. _by Lauren Ingeno _illustrations by Leandro Castelao _photo by Jeff Fusco; In the Kid Seat

Researchers are gathering data never before available on pediatric subjects that will help vehicle restraint manufacturers build safer seats and belts for children. _by Lini S. Kadaba _photo by Tommy Leonardi; The Chemicals They Carry

Thousands of U.S. soldiers returned from the 1991 Persian Gulf War with a mysterious, incurable illness. To find answers, College of Medicine researchers are reprogramming veterans’ cells. _by Lauren Ingeno; An Interview With Modernity

The materials and technologies that put modernity in motion are exhilarating, but they have consequences that must be managed, warns Drexel sociologist and mobility theorist Mimi Sheller. _by Ben Seal with Mimi Sheller _photos by David Arky

_Medicine: Healing Sound Waves

A battery-powered applicator — as small and light as a watch — is the first portable device to heal chronic wounds with low-frequency ultrasound.; Bug Zapper

Two new antimalarial drugs increase cholesterol in a malaria parasite’s plasma membrane, making it too stiff to pass through the bloodstream.; Double Duty

The discovery that a particular protein doesn’t just give cells jobs but also sticks around to teach them to perform their new assignments could provide insight into schizophrenia.; Youth Movement

Drexel researchers believe youth coaches should teach young athletes better movement techniques that will reduce lower-body injuries.; Final Destination

A new study reveals a key facilitator that helps neurons arrive safely as they travel through the human brain — and could provide insight into how disorders develop.; Movement Matters

Drexel researchers are seeking a better understanding of how cancer cells move so their spread can ultimately be slowed.; Theory of Evolution

Researchers have made progress in understanding how a common pathogen causes the chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients.; Baby's Breath

Drexel researchers have successfully triggered a process in which cells engulf their own insides in mice subjects, which could be used to prevent chronic lung disease in premature infants.; Joint Resolution

Where do you go to learn how not to build a medical implant? In Drexel’s Implant Research Center, failed joint implants collected from across the country are studied for clues to design improvements that could benefit patients.

_Nature / Environment: Fishing for Fossils in Antarctica

An expedition to one of the most inhospitable climates on the planet brought home a treasure trove of 390-million-year-old fossils for researchers at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.; Moss and Hidden Pollution

A sampling of naturally growing Orthotrichum lyelli moss from Portland, Oregon, exposed previously undetected sources of industrial pollution.; Something's in the Water

Researchers have developed a new way to measure freshwater quality using microscopic algae called diatoms.; Plant Power

The regulation of emissions from the power sector could have a positive impact on plants, in addition to humans, according to new research.; Museums? There’s an App for That

A new project offers patrons a chance to discover museums in their area and museum leaders a chance to better understand their communities — all in the form of a website and mobile app.; Tiny Catfish

An elusive eyeless catfish measuring less than an inch has finally been given a name by researchers from the Academy of Natural Science of Drexel University.; Common Core

An excavated Belgian quarry provides some of the earliest evidence of schools of different fish species using a common nursery to raise their young.; Young Urban Scientists

A new project has young students in West Philadelphia participating in next-generation science activities to identify plants and animals living in their community and to provide solutions to city planners to increase the urban biodiversity in the city.; An Unexpected Guest

Researchers at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University found a foot-tall, dinosaur-era alga that had never previously been discovered in North America.

_Public Health: The Book on Coloring

Adult coloring books can have positive effects on a person’s stress levels, but they’re no substitute for actual art therapy.; Unequal Force

In response to a study that gained widespread attention, a Drexel researcher looked closer at population-level data and found that white males are significantly less likely to be killed by police than males of color.; Fighting Fire—and Tight Budgets

When fire departments better understand the costs of specific injuries to their personnel, they can use their budgets more wisely and save hundreds of thousands of dollars.; Call Your Senators

Party identification plays a significant role in determining how U.S. senators vote on legislation that impacts public health.; PCBs in the Womb

A class of chemical compounds banned more than 40 years ago is still increasing the likelihood of children born with neurodevelopment disorders.; Well Center Opens

A new research center aims to untangle Americans’ often problematic relationship with food.; $11M Grant

A new grant will allow researchers in the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute to explore the connection between early detection of autism spectrum disorder and improved outcomes.; Unnatural Methane Gas

Despite a dip in the number of new wells being drilled in the Marcellus Shale, the amount of methane in the air in rural parts of Pennsylvania is on the rise.

_Tech / Science: A Factory for Future Fabrics

A regional manufacturing lab established by Drexel in collaboration with the federally funded Advanced Functional Fabrics of America will work with public-private partners to develop new “textile devices” and foster an American edge in fabric manufacturing.; Just Add Salt

In the search for a better recipe to produce thin sheets of metal oxide fit for energy storage, a little salt can go a long way.; Aging Secret

A study of sleeping human cells suggests that the body is hardwired to respond to aging with the same pro-survival tactics it uses to fight off infections.; The Breaking Point

A new finding expands scientists' understanding of how layered materials handle pressure.; Cell Skin

Drexel researchers have discovered a new strategy for squeezing drugs into dense tumors. All it takes is a good disguise.; Dust Might

Materials scientists at Drexel have invented a new approach to make dust-repellant properties of certain surfaces even stronger, opening up exciting possibilities for extending the life of medical devices.; Building a Better Boride

Oxidization can cripple even the most durable metals, but Drexel researchers have found a way to keep the elements from breaking down their borides.; Bullet Blocker

A group of Drexel engineering students invented a bulletproof curtain that can be instantly deployed to public spaces to protect people from a mass shooter.; Material Witnesses

Researchers around the world are examining a material invented in Drexel’s labs for clues about its potential use in batteries, wearable technology, mobile devices and so much more.

_John A. Fry

Digging into Data

A massive digitization project by the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University continues to put data about its 18 million natural specimens at the fingertips of scientists and the public worldwide _by Mary Alice Hartsock

A Budding Idea

In Drexel’s Product Design program, great ideas begin with the end in mind.

The Science of Co-op

Drexel is leading a group of higher-educational institutions to study how experiential learning affects educational outcomes.

Don’t Waste That Food

Products made from surplus ingredients that would otherwise contribute to the nation’s food waste can be transformed into recipes that are appealing to consumers.

Sidelines Bias

A new study helps illuminate why fewer women are coaching college sport teams than in years past.

Seeing Green

The common perception that CEOs always sacrifice shareholder profits for their own in a merger may be flawed.

Insta-Support

Instagram has become a destination for some people making sensitive and stigmatized self-disclosures.

What's in a Name (Brand)?

The relationship between internet search results and a brand’s success is more complex than common wisdom suggests.

Making Space for All

School “makerspaces” have enormous potential to foster learning and engagement, but need to be inclusive of all learners.

Can Data Have an Agenda?

If we’re not careful in how big data is collected, the samples we use to improve public policy will only reinforce existing problems.

Adjudicating Genocide

A study of the way nations confront the aftermath of genocide reveals new ideas about the best path to peace.

Gym Vig

Now there's proof you can't even pay people to go workout.

Atomic Art

The beauty of science at the nanoscale is revealed by images from a new scientific images art contest established at Drexel. _Sonja Sherwood

Body by Design

The Last Mile

Alone in the Dark

Can the power of music help people with dementia reconnect with the world around them? College of Nursing and Health Professions recent doctoral graduate Kendra Ray and her colleagues know that it can, because they see it every day. _by Carolyn Sayre _illustration by Samuel Hoskins

A Cure for Cancer's Spread?

A drug compound in development at Drexel would give breast cancer patients the gift of precious time, by keeping metastatic cells from seeding deadly new tumors. _by Lauren Ingeno _illustrations by Leandro Castelao _photo by Jeff Fusco

In the Kid Seat

Researchers are gathering data never before available on pediatric subjects that will help vehicle restraint manufacturers build safer seats and belts for children. _by Lini S. Kadaba _photo by Tommy Leonardi

The Chemicals They Carry

Thousands of U.S. soldiers returned from the 1991 Persian Gulf War with a mysterious, incurable illness. To find answers, College of Medicine researchers are reprogramming veterans’ cells. _by Lauren Ingeno

An Interview With Modernity

The materials and technologies that put modernity in motion are exhilarating, but they have consequences that must be managed, warns Drexel sociologist and mobility theorist Mimi Sheller. _by Ben Seal with Mimi Sheller _photos by David Arky

Healing Sound Waves

A battery-powered applicator — as small and light as a watch — is the first portable device to heal chronic wounds with low-frequency ultrasound.

Bug Zapper

Two new antimalarial drugs increase cholesterol in a malaria parasite’s plasma membrane, making it too stiff to pass through the bloodstream.

Double Duty

The discovery that a particular protein doesn’t just give cells jobs but also sticks around to teach them to perform their new assignments could provide insight into schizophrenia.

Youth Movement

Drexel researchers believe youth coaches should teach young athletes better movement techniques that will reduce lower-body injuries.

Final Destination

A new study reveals a key facilitator that helps neurons arrive safely as they travel through the human brain — and could provide insight into how disorders develop.

Movement Matters

Drexel researchers are seeking a better understanding of how cancer cells move so their spread can ultimately be slowed.

Theory of Evolution

Researchers have made progress in understanding how a common pathogen causes the chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients.

Baby's Breath

Drexel researchers have successfully triggered a process in which cells engulf their own insides in mice subjects, which could be used to prevent chronic lung disease in premature infants.

Joint Resolution

Where do you go to learn how not to build a medical implant? In Drexel’s Implant Research Center, failed joint implants collected from across the country are studied for clues to design improvements that could benefit patients.

Fishing for Fossils in Antarctica

An expedition to one of the most inhospitable climates on the planet brought home a treasure trove of 390-million-year-old fossils for researchers at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.

Moss and Hidden Pollution

A sampling of naturally growing Orthotrichum lyelli moss from Portland, Oregon, exposed previously undetected sources of industrial pollution.

Something's in the Water

Researchers have developed a new way to measure freshwater quality using microscopic algae called diatoms.

Plant Power

The regulation of emissions from the power sector could have a positive impact on plants, in addition to humans, according to new research.

Museums? There’s an App for That

A new project offers patrons a chance to discover museums in their area and museum leaders a chance to better understand their communities — all in the form of a website and mobile app.

Tiny Catfish

An elusive eyeless catfish measuring less than an inch has finally been given a name by researchers from the Academy of Natural Science of Drexel University.

Common Core

An excavated Belgian quarry provides some of the earliest evidence of schools of different fish species using a common nursery to raise their young.

Young Urban Scientists

A new project has young students in West Philadelphia participating in next-generation science activities to identify plants and animals living in their community and to provide solutions to city planners to increase the urban biodiversity in the city.

An Unexpected Guest

Researchers at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University found a foot-tall, dinosaur-era alga that had never previously been discovered in North America.

The Book on Coloring

Adult coloring books can have positive effects on a person’s stress levels, but they’re no substitute for actual art therapy.

Unequal Force

In response to a study that gained widespread attention, a Drexel researcher looked closer at population-level data and found that white males are significantly less likely to be killed by police than males of color.

Fighting Fire—and Tight Budgets