Digital Commons Network^™

Using Otoacoustic Emissions To Evaluate Efferent Auditory Function In Humans, Simon Henin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The auditory system continually adapts to changes in the acoustic environment over short periods of time. This fine-tuning of its dynamics is mediated in part by the medial olivocochlear (MOC) bundle, a neural feedback loop which aids in the regulation of cochlear micro-mechanics. The ability to measure the response of the MOC system in humans may provide significant insight into unique cochlear functions, such as its sharp frequency selectivity and wide dynamic range. In humans the efferent system can be investigated non-invasively using otoacoustic emissions (OAEs). However, how OAEs can best be used to evaluate efferent function, the pitfalls associated …

Identification And Characterization Of Protein Phopshatases Regulating The Sma/Mab Pathway In C. Elegans, Sheng Xiong

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

TGF-beta signaling is a conserved signaling pathway among eukaryotes, which controls various normal cellular responses from cell proliferation to cell death. The mutations in its components are found in developmental disorders and cancer. Therefore, this signaling pathway is extensively investigated so that new therapeutic targets could be discovered and novel drugs could be developed. Previous studies suggested the involvement of phosphatases in regulation of TGF-beta signaling, but these studies were performed in cell culture rather than intact organisms. C. elegans is a tractable organism in which to study signaling in vivo. In C. elegans, growth is controled by a conserved …

Cadê O Mico? Where Is The Tamarin?: Locating Monkeys In The Politics Of Land And Conservation In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Analía Villagra

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The golden lion tamarin is a small, endangered monkey found in only a few municipalities in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This dissertation explores the project to conserve this rare primate, a project that links together agrarian reform, forest restoration, agroforestry, and conservation biology. Informed by Brazil's social and political history, and drawing from 12 months of fieldwork conducted in 2008 and 2010, this dissertation argues that by looking carefully at and for the tamarin, we discover the interrelated political, social, and animal relationships that weave together to produce conservation in southeastern Brazil.

Teaching In The Shadow Of Sekou: Reflective Practice, Culturally Relevant And Student-Centered Pedagogy And The Research To Performance Method, Brian Gregory Lewis

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Teaching in the Shadow of Sekou: Reflective Practice, Culturally Relevant and Student-Centered Pedagogy and the Research to Performance Method

By

Brian Lewis

Adviser: Bethany Rogers

I seek to bring the literature of critical pedagogues, reflective practitioners in education and student-centered teachers to bear on a critical examination of my own teaching methods. I reflect on and analyze my past professional teaching and educational experiences, focusing primarily on utilizing Sekou Sundiata's Research to Performance Method to teach a course on Sekou Sundiata and the Black Arts Movement at the New School in New York City. Through my teacher self-study, I attempt …

A Kinder, Gentler Dopamine. . . Highlighting Dopamine's Role In Behavioral Flexibility, Jeff A. Beeler, Roshan Cools, Monica Luciana, Sean B. Ostlund, Giselle Petzinger

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Peptide Detection Of Fungal Functional Amyloids In Infected Tissue, Melissa C. Garcia-Sherman, Nataliya Lysak, Alexandra Filonenko, Hazel Richards, Richard E. Sobonya, Stephen A. Klotz, Peter N. Lipke

Publications and Research

Many fungal cell adhesion proteins form functional amyloid patches on the surface of adhering cells. The Candida albicans Agglutinin-like sequence (Als) adhesins are exemplars for this phenomenon, and have amyloid forming sequences that are conserved between family members. The Als5p amyloid sequence mediates amyloid fibril formation and is critical for cell adhesion and biofilm formation, and is also present in the related adhesins Als1p and Als3p. We have developed a fluorescent peptide probe containing the conserved Als amyloid-forming sequence. This peptide bound specifically to yeast expressing Als5p, but not to cells lacking the adhesin. The probe bound to both yeast …

Inhibition Of Extracellular Hmgb1 Attenuates Hyperoxia-Induced Inflammatory Acute Lung Injury, Maria Entezari, Mohammad Javdan, Daniel J. Antoine, Dympna M.P. Morrow, Ravikumar A. Sitapara, Vivek Patel, Mao Wang, Lokesh Sharma, Samir Gorasiya, Michelle Zur, Wenjun Wu, Jianhua Li, Huan Yang, Charles R. Ashby, Douglas Thomas, Haichao Wang, Lin L. Mantell

Publications and Research

Prolonged exposure to hyperoxia results in acute lung injury (ALI), accompanied by a significant elevation in the levels of proinflammatory cytokines and leukocyte infiltration in the lungs. However, the mechanisms underlying hyperoxia-induced proinflammatory ALI remain to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the role of the proinflammatory cytokine high mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) in hyperoxic inflammatory lung injury, using an adult mouse model. The exposure of C57BL/6 mice to ≥99% O2 (hyperoxia) significantly increased the accumulation of HMGB1 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) prior to the onset of severe inflammatory lung injury. In the airways of …

Seasonal Mesophotic Coral Bleaching Of Stylophora Pistillata In The Northern Red Sea, Orit Nir, David F. Gruber, Eli Shemesh, Eliezra Glasser, Dan Tchernov

Publications and Research

Coral bleaching occurs when environmental stress induces breakdown of the coral-algae symbiosis and the host initiates algae expulsion. Two types of coral bleaching had been thoroughly discussed in the scientific literature; the first is primarily associated with mass coral bleaching events; the second is a seasonal loss of algae and/or pigments. Here, we describe a phenomenon that has been witnessed for repeated summers in the mesophotic zone (40–63 m) in the northern Red Sea: seasonal bleaching and recovery of several hermatypic coral species. In this study, we followed the recurring bleaching process of the common coral Stylophora pistillata. Bleaching occurred …

The Covert World Of Fish Biofluorescence: A Phylogenetically Widespread And Phenotypically Variable Phenomenon, John S. Sparks, Robert C. Schelly, W. Leo Smith, Matthew P. Davis, Dan Tchernov, Vincent A. Pieribone, David F. Gruber

Publications and Research

The discovery of fluorescent proteins has revolutionized experimental biology. Whereas the majority of fluorescent proteins have been identified from cnidarians, recently several fluorescent proteins have been isolated across the animal tree of life. Here we show that biofluorescence is not only phylogenetically widespread, but is also phenotypically variable across both cartilaginous and bony fishes, highlighting its evolutionary history and the possibility for discovery of numerous novel fluorescent proteins. Fish biofluorescence is especially common and morphologically variable in cryptically patterned coral-reef lineages. We identified 16 orders, 50 families, 105 genera, and more than 180 species of biofluorescent fishes. We have also …

Milk Consumption And Cardiovascular Risk Factors In Older Chinese: The Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study, Yangbo Sun, Chaoqiang Jiang, Kar Keung Cheng, Weisen Zhang, Gabriel M. Leung, Tai Hing Lam, Mary Schooling

Publications and Research

Background
Dairy products consumption is increasingly common globally. Most of the evidence concerning dairy products comes from observational studies in western populations which are inevitably open to confounding. To triangulate the evidence concerning dairy products, we examined the associations of whole cow’s milk consumption with cardiovascular risk factors in a non-Western setting with a different pattern of milk consumption and cardiovascular diseases from Western populations.

Methods
We used multivariable censored linear or logistic regression to examine cross-sectionally the adjusted associations of whole cow’s milk consumption (none (n = 14892), 1–3/week (n = 2689) and 3+/week (n = 2754)) with cardiovascular …

Hair It Is: Examining The Experiences Of Black Women With Natural Hair, Tabora A. Johnson, Teiahsha Bankhead

Publications and Research

Who am I and how do I feel about who I am, are essential questions that help define and construct identity. For Black women and girls, identity is inextricably linked to their relationship to and presentation of their hair. Our research presents findings from an Internet based survey con- ducted with 529 Black women exploring their experiences when wearing their hair in its natural state (not thermally or chemically straightened). These are preliminary findings from the study with reference to the composition of the study participants and how they responded to key ques- tions related to how they perceived when …

Bmcc Borough Of Manhattan Community College 2014-2016 Bulletin, Borough Of Manhattan Community College

Archives

This is the official college catalog for 2014-2016. It contains course descriptions as well as information on degree programs, college resources and services, admissions, tuition and fees, financial aid, a profile of the college, and rules and regulations.

Lessons For New York: Comparative Urban Governance And The Challenge Of Climate Change, Andrea L. Mcardle

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Sunshine For Sale: Environmental Contractors And The Freedom Of Information Act, Sarah Lamdan

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Scholar Asks How Mesopotamians Lived, Felt, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Complement Expression In The Retina Is Not Influenced By Short-Term Pressure Elevation, Konstantin Astafurov, Cecilia Q. Dong, Lampros Panagis, Gautam Kamtham, Lizhen Ren, Anna Rozenboym, Tarique D. Perera, Jeremy D. Coplan, John Danias

Publications and Research

Purpose: To determine whether short-term pressure elevation affects complement gene expression in the retina in vitro and in vivo.

Methods: Muller cell (TR-MUL5) cultures and organotypic retinal cultures from adult mice and monkeys were sub- jected to either 24-h or 72-h of pressure at 0, 15, 30, and 45 mmHg above ambient. C57BL/6 mice were subjected to microbead-induced intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation for 7 days. RNA and protein were extracted and used for analysis of expression levels of complement component genes and complement component 1, q subcomponent (C1q) and comple- ment factor H (CFH) immunoblotting. …

A Simple Treatment Of The Liquidity Trap For Intermediate Macroeconomics Courses, Sebastien Buttet, Udayan Roy

Publications and Research

Several leading undergraduate intermediate macroeconomics textbooks now include a simple reduced-form New Keynesian model of short-run dynamics (alongside the IS-LM model). Unfortunately, there is no accompanying description of how the zero lower bound on nominal interest rates affects the model. In this article, the authors show how the aforementioned model can easily be modified to teach undergraduate students about the significance of the zero lower bound for economic performance and policy. This acquires additional significance because economies such as the United States and Japan have been close to the zero lower bound since 2008 and 1995, respectively. The authors show …

Standing-Up To The Politics Of Comedy, Don Waisanen

Publications and Research

This study examines the discourses of the U.S.'s 10 top-earning comedians in 2009 and 2010 through systematic textual analyses. Building from two prior case studies and working toward a communicative worldview for comedy as a pervasive mode of public communication, the results indicate that there are several generic clusters emerging across these acts involving rhetorics of optimism, uncertainty, individualism, and others. Many distinctive characteristics in the comedians' messages are also noted. Through such practices, humorists advance a language with political significance-so this essay draws several connections and implications regarding comic discourses in public culture

Geography More Than Just Maps And Capitals, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Music Education Is A Key To Student Success, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Self-Proclaimed Hippie Inspired By Existentialist, Aldemaro Romero Jr.

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Natural And Lesion-Induced Decrease In Cell Proliferation In The Medial Nucleus Of The Trapezoid Body During Hearing Development, Aminat Saliu, Shana Adise, Sandy Xian, Kamila Kudelska, Adrián Rodríguez-Contreras

Publications and Research

The functional interactions between neurons and glial cells that are important for nervous system function are presumably established during development from the activity of progenitor cells. In this study we examined proliferation of progenitor cells in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) located in the rat auditory brainstem. We performed DNA synthesis labeling experiments to demonstrate changes in cell proliferation activity during postnatal stages of development. An increase in cell proliferation correlated with MNTB growth and the presence of S100β-positive astrocytes among MNTB neurons. In additional experiments we analyzed the fate of newly born cells. At perinatal ages, …

Distribution Of Intravascular And Extravascular Extracellular Volume Fractions By Total Area Under Curve For Neovascularization Assessment By Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Yi Sun

Publications and Research

In this paper, we propose and investigate distribution of intravascular and extravascular extracellular volume fractions (DIEEF) as a noninvasive biomarker for neovascularization assessment by dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). A generalized two-compartment exchange model (G2CXM) that uniformly includes the Patlak model, Tofts model, extended Tofts model, and recent two-compartment exchange model as special instances is first presented. Based on the total area under curve of the G2CXM a method of DIEEF estimation without knowing the artery input function is proposed. The mean square error of DIEEF estimate in the presence of noise and with incomplete DCE-MRI data is analyzed. …

Hostos Community College Academic Bulletin 2012-2014, Hostos Community College

College Bulletins

This is the official college catalog for 2012-2014. It contains course descriptions as well as information on degree programs, college resources and services, financial aid, admissions, and the academic calendar.

The Appeal Of Narrative In Research, Colette Daiute

Publications and Research

"I saw the bird flattened on the ground outside my door . One of the kindergarten child walked toward me slowly, crying. That's when I knew it was time to act."

The very brief narrative above occurs amid myriad spheres of social relations. These relations are not all apparent, but understanding narrative meaning requires understanding narrating as an interactive process. As researchers we enhance our Methods if we know how to read narratives as complex social processes. This openi11g narrative expresses a sequence of two past events.1 The narrative involves action ("walked," "act") and consciousness ("saw," "crying," "knew"). From the …

American Indians In Feature Films: Beyond The Big Screen, Daisy V. Domínguez

Publications and Research

This article examines whether library collections represent the breadth of portrayals of American Indians in feature film and provides collection development resources for developing and strengthening feature film collections by and about American Indians.

Razing The Bar: Developmental Students Shattering Expectations In A First-Year Learning Community, Cheryl Hogue Smith, Maya Jimenez

Publications and Research

This article examines why basic writing students outperform first-year composition students in the art history survey course in an art history/composition learning community.

Osteoarthritis And Articular Cartilage: Biomechanics And Novel Treatment Paradigms, Ray Marks

Publications and Research

Background: Osteoarthritis is a widespread highly painful disabling age-related disease with no known cure. Although novel strategies for ameliorating osteoarthritic damage abound, it is likely that none will be successful over time if the entire spectrum of the disease and the effects of joint biomechanics on joint tissues are not carefully considered.

Objectives: 1) To detail the structure of healthy articular cartilage, the key tissue affected by osteoarthritis. 2) To detail what aspects of cartilage damage best characterize osteoarthritis. 3) To consider the role of biomechanical factors in developing solutions to treat osteoarthritic joint damage. Methods: Literature sources from 1980 …

Stages Of Instruction: Theater, Pedagogy And Information Literacy, Julia M. Furay

Publications and Research

The author uses personal observations as inspiration to examine what has been written in scholarly literature about various theatrical practices in instruction, applying the conversation to the library instruction context. Additionally, research from business and professional literature is also incorporated into the discussion. This literature review focuses on three general areas. First, a review on how to use tools and perspectives from the theater to help librarians prepare their lessons; second, an examination of the librarian as performer; and third, a discussion on how theater might help librarians deal with repetition and burnout.

Embodiment Of The Halaf: Sixth Millennium Figurines From Northern Mesopotamia, Ellen H. Belcher

Publications and Research

This dissertation answers the question, "What are Halaf figurines?" In response to that question, this study examines a corpus of anthropomorphic figurines from archaeological sites dating to the Halaf period (Sixth Millennium cal BCE) known from excavations in Turkey and Syria. Included in this dissertation is a detailed catalog of 197 figurine examples, both whole and fragmented, and analysis of their excavated contexts from seven Halaf sites in Turkey and nine sites in Syria. The study also reviews and discusses existing literature on Halaf and figurine studies and examines and critiques modern biases, assumptions, and influences, especially as related to …