Digital Commons Network^™

Communication, Labor, And Communicative Labor, Rachel Mckinney

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This project looks at the work we do to understand, to be understood, and to act on the basis of such understanding. Communicative labor is an important and under-theorized aspect of communication, and one that significantly impacts our epistemic, social and political lives. In this dissertation I take such labor as my object of analysis, and show how it bears on speakers and contexts.

First I provide an analysis of labor suitable for characterizing unwaged, immaterial and reproductive labor, and argue that such an analysis helps make sense of language systems ' the common pool resource systems that allow speakers …

The 'In-Group Advantage' For Perceiving Emotion Across Demographic Groups And Communication Channels, Thomas Myers

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The ability to perceive emotions in others is critical to successful social interaction. While much research has been conducted on some of the factors affecting emotion perception, other areas have received relatively little attention and, thus, are not well understood. There is growing evidence to suggest that various demographic factors, as well as their interactions, impact the accuracy of emotion perception. The impact of these factors seems to vary as a function of the particular channel (e.g., facial, prosodic, and lexical) through which emotions are perceived and may even be influenced by the presence of an 'in-group advantage' (IGA; Elfenbein …

Music In Poetry And Poetry In Music: Tumanian's Anush, Beata Asmik Navratil

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The poem Anush by the Armenian poet Hovhannes Tumanian (1869-1923) is rooted in traditional Armenian music. Tumanian's poem reflects a number of manifestations thereof: (1) It borrows in its style from Armenian lyrical songs (such as lalik and khagh), from the parerg style (the traditional dance-song), and from the voghb style (laments such as funeral laments, bayati, and tragic odes). (2) Ashug style of storytelling/singing as a main form of conveying the storyline and emotions of protagonists are present. (3) Dancing and music making during Armenian traditional rituals -- in particular, the Hambarsum celebration (Feast of Christ's Ascension), …

Explorations In Advancing Microalgae Productivity, Peter Neofotis

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis is part of an effort to advance microalgae cultivation for biofuel and high value products. The first chapters describe a large scale screening effort in which novel strains that hold great promise in large outdoor cultivation systems were isolated. Among these are strains of Scenedesmus obliquus, Borodinellopsis texensis, Chlorella sorokiniana, Ankistrodesmus, Coelastrella, and a previously uncharacterized species in the Chlamydomonadales. These species are characterized in terms of their phylogenetic relationship, biomass productivity, and, for some, lipid and carotenoid profiles under growth and stress conditions. Also discussed in regards to growth metabolism and oil …

The Role Of Posterior Parietal Cortex In Episodic Memory Retrieval: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Studies (Tdcs), Denise Pergolizzi

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Neuroimaging studies of recognition memory have shown that greater activity in the lateral posterior parietal cortex (PPC) correlates with successful recognition in a variety of paradigms, but experimental techniques that manipulate brain activity are necessary to determine the specific contribution of the PPC in episodic memory retrieval. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive technique that can be used to manipulate cortical excitability. The collection of experiments that comprise this dissertation use tDCS to determine: 1) whether or not the lateral PPC is causally involved in episodic retrieval, and 2) whether the lateral PPC has a direct role in …

The Architecture Of Nineteenth-Century Cuban Sugar Mills: Creole Power And African Resistance In Late Colonial Cuba, Lorena Tezanos Toral

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

By the mid-nineteenth century, Cuba had become the world's leading sugar producer, providing about a third of the world's supply. As a result, sugar mills dominated the Cuban countryside, each one growing into a micro-town, with housing complexes (mansions for owners and slave barracks or bohios for workers), industrial facilities (mills and boiler houses), and adjoining buildings (kitchens, infirmaries, etc.), all organized around a central, open space, known as a batey. Owned by the Creole elite (New World offspring of Spanish settlers) and worked by African slaves, sugar mills became places of enslavement and subjugation as well as contact, …

The Effect Of Retention Interval On Temporal Control Of Responding In Rats On The Peak Interval Procedure, Catherine Tsiris

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

A considerable body of literature on time perception has investigated the effects of short intratrial retention intervals (RI) in the seconds range, on temporal performance, however there is a dearth of research examining the effects of long, intersession RIs (hours to days range) on timing. The present study examined the effect of two different RI durations (2 days and 70 days) on time estimates in subjects on the peak interval procedure. Twenty-four rats, eight per group, were exposed to one of three conditions. The experimental group was trained at 5 months and tested after a 70-day RI. One control group …

Senescent Changes In Orientation, Frequency, And 3-D Slant And Shape Perception, Danny Tam

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The ability to perceive the 3-Dimensional world is effortless despite the fact that the input to the visual system is 2-Dimensional. Attempts to derive biologically plausible models of shape from texture have focused on how changes in orientation and spatial frequency information are processed based on the response properties of primary visual cortex (V1) neurons. However, the relative contributions of orientation and spatial frequency information in detecting slant and shape from 3-D surfaces are not well understood. Additionally, in senescence, changes in optical components of the eye result in reduced frequency sensitivity, but whether concurrent neurophysiological changes affect the ability …

The Importance Of Bioacoustics For Dolphin Welfare: Soundscape Characterization With Implications For Management, Heather Ruth Spence

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Sound is the primary sensory modality for dolphins, yet policies mitigating anthropogenic sound exposure are limited in wild populations and even fewer noise policies or guidelines have been developed for governing dolphin welfare under human care. Concerns have been raised that dolphins under human care live in facilities that are too noisy, or are too acoustically sterile. However, these claims have not been evaluated to characterize facility soundscapes, and further, how they compare to wild soundscapes. The soundscape of a wild dolphin habitat off the coast of Quintana, Roo, Mexico was characterized based on Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) recordings over …

Matrix Stiffness Regulates Glial Cell Morphology And Differentiation, Mateusz M. Urbanski

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Studies from our laboratory have shown that inhibition of non-muscle myosin II (NMII) activity has opposite effects on the formation of myelin by oligodendrocytes (OL), the myelinating glia of the central nervous system (CNS) and Schwann cells (SC), which perform the same function in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The decrease of NMII activity in SC impairs their ability to establish polarity and myelinate, while its inhibition in OL enhances process branching and increases the amount of myelin formed in vitro an in vivo. A growing number of studies have shown that NMII also plays a role in the ability …

Characterizing Migratory Signaling Pathways Of Transplantable Retinal Progenitor Cells And Photoreceptor Precursor Cells Toward Restoration Of Degenerative Retina ' A Systems Biology Approach, Uchenna John Unachukwu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

A common feature of several heterogeneous diseases that result in retinal degeneration (RD) is photoreceptor loss, leading to an irreversible decline in visual function [15-17]. There are no cell replacement treatments available for RD diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Although many RD cases are of a genetic origin, a promising strategy to treat diseased phenotypes is by replacing lost photoreceptor cells, for synaptic integration and restoration of visual function. To advance photoreceptor-replacement strategies as a practical therapy, in light of highly restricted integration rates reported across studies, this body of research focused on defining …

Molecular-Genetic And Behavioral Analysis Of The Functionality Of Patterning In The Trigeminal Neuraxis, Dana Bakalar

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

A striking feature of the vibrissal representation in rodents is the presence; at brainstem (barrellettes), thalamic (barrelloids) and cortical levels (barrels) of a somatotopically organized pattern of neurons which is isomorphic, both morphologically and physiologically, to the pattern of vibrissae on the snout. The vibrissal system is required for several classes of behavior, including feeding and active vibrissal sensing, but the functional role of the patterning in these behaviors is unknown. We used two mutant animals lacking patterning in two areas of the vibrissal neuraxis to examine the functional role of patterning. We examined feeding behavior using a knockout of …

Mechanisms Of Vocal Coordination In Zebra Finches, Jonathan I. Benichov

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Social animals frequently emit communication calls. Although these calls are often innate in their acoustic structure, they can be used adaptably to coordinate behavior with other individuals. It is not known, however, what each animal needs to learn in order to achieve and maintain synchronized call patterns with others. To study this process, we have developed a vocal robot that can be programed to generate call patterns or to sense a bird's contact (short) calls and respond with precisely timed call answers. By varying the robot's vocal behavior, including call timing and rhythm, we tested how interacting zebra finches adapt …

The Audiometric Profile Of Young Adults Who Report Difficulty With Speech Perception In Noise, Michael R. Higgins

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study examined speech perception abilities in young adults (18-24 years) who reported having difficulty perceiving speech in the presence of background noise despite clinically-normal hearing. The purpose of this study was to compare the audiometric profile of young adults with and without perceived difficulty with speech perception in noise. The Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ) was administered to obtain a measure of how participants rate their speech perception in noise under different listening conditions. Audiometric tests included standard audiometric thresholds (250-8000 Hz), high frequency pure tone thresholds (9000-12,500 Hz), QuickSIN, distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs), and …

Maternal Dissociation, Emotional Acceptance And Child Emotion Regulation: A Study Of Residents In A Family Homeless Shelter For Victims Of Domestic Violence, Brian S. Mueller

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The present study examined the relationships between maternal dissociation, mothers' self-described parenting behaviors in child emotion regulation, and the emotion regulatory capacity of their children. These relationships were investigated in a sample of predominately low-income African-American and Latino mothers and children residing in a domestic violence shelter. In this study, I investigated a mediational model relating maternal dissociation, mother's acceptance of child emotions, and child difficulties in emotion regulation and behavior. I predicted that mothers who reported more dissociative experiences would demonstrate less awareness and acceptance of emotions when they responded to children's sadness, fear, happiness, and anger. I also …

Dna Methylation Dynamics Of Germinal Center B Cells Are Mediated By Aid, Pilar M. Dominguez, Matt Teater, Nyasha Chambwe, Matthias Kormaksson, David Redmon, Jennifer Ishii, Bao Vuong, Jayanta Chaudhuri, Ari Melnick, Aparna Vasanthakumar, Lucy A. Godley, F. Nina Papavasiliou, Oliver Elemento, Rita Shaknovich

Publications and Research

Changes in DNA methylation are required for the formation of germinal centers (GCs), but the mechanisms of such changes are poorly understood. Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) has been recently implicated in DNA demethylation through its deaminase activity coupled with DNA repair. We investigated the epigenetic function of AID in vivo in germinal center B cells (GCBs) isolated from wild-type (WT) and AID-deficient (Aicda^−/−) mice. We determined that the transit of B cells through the GC is associated with marked locus-specific loss of methylation and increased methylation diversity, both of which are lost in Aicda^−/− animals. Differentially …

The Nutrition And Dietetics Workforce Needs Skills And Expertise In The New York Metropolitan Area, Ann Gaba, Apoorva Srivastava, Chioma Amadi, Ashish Joshi

Publications and Research

Background: There is an increased demand in the Nutrition and Dietetics field which has fostered credentialing to ensure competent graduates. The objective of this study is to conduct an exploratory analysis to identify nutrition/dietetics workforce needs, skills and expertise in the New York metropolitan area as exemplified in position announcements over a 4 year period.

Methods: We recorded position announcements for jobs in nutrition and dietetics from the New York State Registered Dietitian Yahoo group, and the Hunter College Nutrition and Food Sciences student and alumni listserv (NFS-L) over a 4 year period. Keywords were identified using job categories defined …

Modulation Of Locomotion And Reproduction By Flp Neuropeptides In The Nematode Caenorhabditis Elegans, Yan-Jung Chang, Tina Burton, Lawrence Ha, Zi Huang, Adewale Olajubelo, Chris Li

Publications and Research

Neuropeptides function in animals to modulate most, if not all, complex behaviors. In invertebrates, neuropeptides can function as the primary neurotransmitter of a neuron, but more generally they co-localize with a small molecule neurotransmitter, as is commonly seen in vertebrates. Because a single neuron can express multiple neuropeptides and because neuropeptides can bind to multiple G protein-coupled receptors, neuropeptide actions increase the complexity by which the neural connectome can be activated or inhibited. Humans are estimated to have 90 plus neuropeptide genes; by contrast, nematodes, a relatively simple organism, have a slightly larger complement of neuropeptide genes. For instance, the …

Practice Changes Beta Power At Rest And Its Modulation During Movement In Healthy Subjects But Not In Patients With Parkinson's Disease, Clara Moisello, Daniella Blanco, Jing Lin, Priya Panday, Simon P. Kelly, Angelo Quartarone, Alessandro Di Rocco, Chiara Cirelli, Giulio Tononi, M. Felice Ghilardi

Publications and Research

Abstract Background PD (Parkinson's disease) is characterized by impairments in cortical plasticity, in beta frequency at rest and in beta power modulation during movement (i.e., event‐related ERS [synchronization] and ERD [desynchronization]). Recent results with experimental protocols inducing long‐term potentiation in healthy subjects suggest that cortical plasticity phenomena might be reflected by changes of beta power recorded with EEG during rest. Here, we determined whether motor practice produces changes in beta power at rest and during movements in both healthy subjects and patients with PD. We hypothesized that such changes would be reduced in PD. Methods We thus recorded EEG in …

4th International Symposium On Sensor Science (I3s2015): Conference Report, Peter Seitz, Debbie G. Senesky, Michael J. Schöning, Peter C. Hauser, Roland Moser, Hans Peter Herzig, Assefa M. Melesse, Patricia A. Broderick, Patrick Thomas Eugster

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Comparative Population Genomics Of African Montane Forest Mammals Support Population Persistence Across A Climatic Gradient And Quaternary Climatic Cycles, Terrence C. Demos, Julian C. Kerbis Peterhans, Tyler A. Joseph, John D. Robinson, Bernard Agwanda, Michael J. Hickerson

Publications and Research

The Eastern Afromontane biodiversity hotspot (EABH) has the highest concentration of biodiversity in tropical Africa, yet few studies have investigated recent historical diversification processes in EABH lineages. Herein, we analyze restriction-site associated DNA-sequences (RAD-Seq) to study recent historical processes in co-distributed mouse (Hylomyscus) and shrew (Sylvisorex) species complexes, with an aim to better determine how historical paleoenvironmental processes might have contributed to the EABH’s high diversity. We analyzed complete SNP matrices of > 50,000 RAD loci to delineate populations, reconstruct the history of isolation and admixture, and discover geographic patterns of genetic partitioning. These analyses demonstrate that persistently unsuitable habitat may …

Hpv.Edu Study Protocol: A Cluster Randomised Controlled Evaluation Of Education, Decisional Support And Logistical Strategies In School-Based Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Vaccination Of Adolescents, S. Rachel Skinner, Cristyn Davies, Spring Cooper, Tanya Stoney, Helen Marshall, Jane Jones, Joanne Collins, Heidi Hutton, Adriana Parrella, Gregory Zimet, David G. Regan, Patti Whyte, Julia M. L. Brotherton, Peter Richmond, Kirsten Mccaffrey, Suzanne M. Garland, Julie Leask, Melissa Kang, Annette Braunack-Mayer, John Kaldor

Publications and Research

Background The National Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Program in Australia commenced in 2007 for females and in 2013 for males, using the quadrivalent HPV vaccine (HPV 6,11,16,18). Thus far, we have demonstrated very substantial reductions in genital warts and in the prevalence of HPV among young Australian women, providing early evidence for the success of this public health initiative. Australia has a long history of school-based vaccination programs for adolescents, with comparatively high coverage. However, it is not clear what factors promote success in a school vaccination program. The HPV.edu study aims to examine: 1) student knowledge about HPV vaccination; …

(-)-Oleocanthal Rapidly And Selectively Induces Cancer Cell Death Via Lysosomal Membrane Permeabilization, Onica Legendre, Paul A. S. Breslin, David A. Foster

Publications and Research

(-)-Oleocanthal (OC), a phenolic compound present in extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), has been implicated in the health benefits associated with diets rich in EVOO. We investigated the effect of OC on human cancer cell lines in culture and found that OC induced cell death in all cancer cells examined as rapidly as 30 minutes after treatment in the absence of serum. OC treatment of non-transformed cells suppressed their proliferation but did not cause cell death. OC induced both primary necrotic and apoptotic cell death via induction of lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP). We provide evidence that OC promotes LMP by inhibiting …

Aldehyde Recognition And Discrimination By Mammalian Odorant Receptors Via Functional Group-Specific Hydration Chemistry, Yadi Li, Zita Peterlin, Jianghai Ho, Tali Yarnitzky, Min Ting Liu, Merav Fichman, Masha Y. Niv, Hiroaki Matsunami, Stuart Firestein, Kevin Ryan

Publications and Research

The mammalian odorant receptors (ORs) form a chemical-detecting interface between the atmosphere and the nervous system. This large gene family is composed of hundreds of membrane proteins predicted to form as many unique small molecule binding niches within their G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) framework, but very little is known about the molecular recognition strategies they use to bind and discriminate between small molecule odorants. Using rationally designed synthetic analogs of a typical aliphatic aldehyde, we report evidence that among the ORs showing specificity for the aldehyde functional group, a significant percentage detect the aldehyde through its ability to react with …

A Generalist Brood Parasite Modifies Use Of A Host In Response To Reproductive Success, Matthew I M Louder, Wendy M. Schelsky, Amber N. Albores, Jeffrey P. Hoover

Publications and Research

Avian obligate brood parasites, which rely solely on hosts to raise their young, should choose the highest quality hosts to maximize reproductive output. Brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) are extreme host generalists, yet female cowbirds could use information based on past reproductive outcomes to make egg-laying decisions thus minimizing fitness costs associated with parasitizing low quality hosts. We use a long-term (21 years) nest box study of a single host, the prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea), to show that local cowbird reproductive success, but not host reproductive success, was positively correlated with the probability of parasitism the following …

Catalog 2015-2016, Kingsborough Community College

Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Technology-Based Behavioral Vaccine To Prevent Adolescent Depression: A Health System Integration Model, Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, Tracy Gladstone, Stephanie Cordel, Monika Marko-Holguin, William Beardslee, Sachiko Kuwabara, Mark Allan Kaplan, Joshua Fogel, Anne Diehl, Chris Hansen, Carl Bell

Publications and Research

Efforts to prevent depression have become a key health system priority. Currently, there is a high prevalence of depression among adolescents, and treatment has become costly due to the recurrence patterns of the illness, impairment among patients, and the complex factors needed for a treatment to be effective. Primary care may be the optimal location to identify those at risk by offering an Internet-based preventive intervention to reduce costs and improve outcomes. Few practical interventions have been developed. The models for Internet intervention development that have been put forward focus primarily on the Internet component rather than how the program …

The Last Denton Conference, Barbara R. Walters

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Turning To Culture In Times Of Crisis: Global Toolkits And Urban Reinvestment In Buenos Aires, Jacob H. Lederman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

As cities transition from industrial to post-industrial forms of development, new activities based on leisure and entertainment have come to comprise a greater share of urban economic growth. Drawing upon 10 months of qualitative fieldwork, this research examines the emergence of new urban policies, increasingly reliant on cultural and touristic production, which gained importance in Buenos Aires after Argentina's devastating 2001-2002 economic crisis. Through interviews and fieldwork with policymakers, everyday cultural producers, and the urban poor situated at the margins of these changes, the dissertation seeks to illuminate how local officials reconceived of culture as a form of economic development …

Iberian Theater And Performance, Christopher B. Swift

Publications and Research

Medieval Iberian theater and performance maintains a peculiar status within, and between, performance and medieval disciplines. In theater studies, medieval Iberia has received minimal scholarly attention, and standard theater history textbooks contain only traces of Iberian material, if any at all. Despite the existence of Catalonian and Castilian archival materials that indicate performance traditions unique to the peninsula, scholars of Spanish literature (outside of the notable exceptions below) generally view Iberian medieval theater as an anomaly. One of the main reasons for this situation is that Iberian theater has yet to emerge fully from traditional historiographic parameters predicated upon the …