Digital Commons Network^™

Mechanically Driven In Vivo Osteocyte Ca2+ Signaling: Aging And Pharmacologic Effects, James Padgett

Dissertations and Theses

Bone’s ability to respond and adapt to mechanical loading declines significantly with age which is a major contributor to bone fragility. It is widely accepted that osteocytes are the key cells responsible for orchestrating the development of the “ideal” skeleton. This ability is attributed to osteocyte’s role as the primary mechanosensing cell that is responsible for maintaining the skeleton’s integrity throughout life. Recent work from our laboratory has shed light into how osteocytes respond to mechanical loading in vivo. The breakthrough approaches that enabled these discoveries were development of: (1) the first ever reporter mouse model with a genetically encoded …

Interventions That Move: Characterizing The Language Of Therapist Responses To High Patient Arousal, Karen Tocatly

Dissertations and Theses

The Referential Process (RP) is defined as a set of functions (Arousal, Symbolizing, and Reflecting/Reorganizing) that describe the rendering of subsymbolic experience into verbal, symbolized form (Bucci, 2021). Movement through the RP — beginning with the subsymbolically-dominated Arousal function — has been tied to multiple theoretical and clinical understandings of therapeutic progress and personality change (Bucci, 2013; Mariani et al., 2013). The present exploratory study seeks to identify whether certain therapist language features are linked to the facilitation of patients’ movement from Arousal to Symbolizing. Using treatment transcripts from the RP Group Data Base, cases of high patient Arousal were …

People Are Curious About Immoral And Morally Ambiguous Others, Jordan Wylie, Ana Gantman

Publications and Research

Looking to the popularity of superheroes, true crime stories, and anti-heroic characters like Tony Soprano, we investigated whether moral extremity, especially moral badness, piques curiosity. Across five experiments (N = 2429), we examine moral curiosity, testing under what conditions the moral minds of others spark explanation-seeking behavior. In Experiment 1, we find that among the most widely watched Netflix shows in the US over a five-month period, the more immoral the protagonist, the more hours people spent watching. In Experiments 2a and 2b, we find that when given a choice to learn more about morally good, bad, ambiguous, or …

Molecular Mechanism Behind The Safe Immunostimulatory Effect Of Withania Somnifera, Kriti Kalpana, Shen Yap, Moriya Tsuji, Akira Kawamura

Publications and Research

Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (family Solanaceae) is a medicinal plant known for, among many pharmacological properties, an immune boosting effect. Our recent study revealed that its key immunostimulatory factor is lipopolysaccharide of plant-associated bacteria. This is peculiar, because, although LPS can elicit protective immunity, it is an extremely potent pro-inflammatory toxin (endotoxin). However, W. somnifera is not associated with such toxicity. In fact, despite the presence of LPS, it does not trigger massive inflammatory responses in macrophages. To gain insights into the safe immunostimulatory effect of W. somnifera, we conducted a mechanistic study on its major phytochemical constituent, …

Chemical, Microbial And Safety Profiling Of A Standardized Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha) Extract And Withaferin A, A Potent Novel Phytotherapeutic Of The Millennium, Pawan Kumar, Samudra P. Banik, Apurva Goe, Sanjoy Chakraborty, Manashi Bagchi, Debasis Bagchi

Publications and Research

Background:Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, popularly known as Ashwagandha, is an ethnomedicinal plant with multiple pharmacotherapeutic applications. The diverse medicinal properties of the plant are largely due to the presence of withanolides, a group of C28 ergostane based steroidal lactones, with several sites of unsaturation and oxygenation. Withaferin A, a major with anolide present in Ashwagandha plant accounts for its emerging new roles to treat cancer, arthritis, inflammatory responses, immunomodulatory properties, and neuronal disorders. The root and leaf extracts are specifically important constituent materials for the development of phytotherapeutics, mostly intended for oral consumption. Several studies have been carried out …

Pulling It All Together: Teaching Genre, Disciplinary And Career Literacies, And The Framework For Information Literacy In An Associate Degree Capstone Course, Linda Miles, Elisabeth Tappeiner

Publications and Research

We team teach a semester-long credit-bearing information literacy course for urban community college students in New York City’s South Bronx. It is a capstone course, designed to support students at the end of their first two years of college as they consider the next stage in their own development, be that transferring to a four-year institution or entering the workforce. For this course, we have constructed an approach to critical reading that combines explicit exploration of academic and disciplinary genres with an investigation into the processes of knowledge production and communication shared by the individuals who produce them. This chapter …

Lookism, Social Media, Beauty Prejudice, Diana Saiki, Alyssa Dana Adomaitis

Publications and Research

"Lookism” is a term to describe appearance discriminationor “the practice of discrimination on the basis of physical appearance in the workplace” (Ghodrati, Joorabchi, & Muati, 2015, p.1). In popular literature, it has been called “beauty prejudice” (Etcoff, 1999, p. 1). The notion that a pleasing appearance results in favorable outcomes (e.g., higherwages, promotions) from others is not necessarily new, as literature on physical attractiveness is rather extensive. The Washington Post Magazine first used the term “lookism” in 1978 (e.g., Ayto, 1999), however, the term “lookism” was first recognized as a form of discrimination by authors of the Oxford English Dictionary …

Teaching The Past To Protect The Future: Degenerate Art As A Modern-Day Cultural Warning, Cheryl Hogue Smith

Publications and Research

This chapter outlines how students who previously weren’t paying attention to the rampant antisemitism and racism embedded within American culture and systems see how the 20th century Degenerate Art Exhibition acts as a lesson against a racial nationalism that is attempting to take over the country.

Evaluating Growth Rates Of The Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea Virginica) And Water Quality For Oyster Restoration Sites At City Island, Bronx, Ny, Cody L. Jernigan

Theses and Dissertations

Oyster growth and water quality were monitored at four sites at City Island, Bronx, NY, to determine suitability for oyster reef restoration. Significant growth occurred at two sites and water quality was not indicated as a contributing factor. Oyster growth at all sites indicate appropriate conditions for oyster reef restoration.

Methods For Drone Trajectory Analysis Of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus), Jillian D. Bliss

Theses and Dissertations

With the increase in the use of UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) for marine mammal research, there is a need for the development of methods of analysis to transform UAS high resolution video into quantitative data. This study sought to develop a preliminary method of analysis that would quantify and present a way to visualize the dynamics and relative spatial distribution and changes in distribution of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the waters of Turneffe Atoll, Belize. This approach employs a previously developed video tracking program ‘Keypoint Tracking’ that enables manual tracking of individual dolphins and the creation of …

Grendel's Mother, Zoe M. Lasden-Lyman

Theses and Dissertations

She helps all the humans and animals in her building. Then why won't she answer this strange, new knocking at her apartment door? A bizarre thriller about the world right now... and about cats.

The Feminization Of Mexico City In The Late Twentieth Century: Polvo De Gallina Negra, Pola Weiss, And Lourdes Grobet, Alexis N. Corral

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis centers on select artworks in public intervention, photography and video as an exploration of female's relationship to Mexico City's social landscape and urban space during the late 1970s into the early 1990s. In three case studies, I explore historical urban planning, gender relations, and the effects of modernization.

Exploring Relationships Between Dog Training Approaches And Aggression, Fear, And Dog-Owner Relationship, Janee Wise

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

The current study examined relationships between operant conditioning derived dog training techniques and aggression, fear, and dog-owner relationship. Participants (N = 326) completed two online surveys; 1) a survey created for this study measuring the frequency of use of 14 common dog training techniques, which were grouped into four categories based upon operant conditioning: positive reinforcement, negative punishment, positive punishment, and negative reinforcement and 2) the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ), which measured several factors related to dog behavior. There were no statistically significant results related to the use of positive reinforcement or positive punishment. However, dog …

Nikki S. Lee’S Self-Stereotyping And Refiguring Cultural Stereotypes, Somi Lee

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines a Korean Conceptual photographer, Nikki S. Lee’s performative photographs and film in the series of Projects (1998-2001) and Parts (2002-2005). Through a theoretical analysis of her self-representation in disguise, my research explores established Western stereotypes as well as the artist’s fluid identity in relation to other cultures.

Accuracy, Precision, And Efficiency: Comparing Mapping Techniques In Nixtun-Ch’Ich’, Petén, Guatemala, Gabriela Zygadlo

Theses and Dissertations

New archaeological survey technologies have transformed the way in which sites are mapped. Nixtun-Ch’ich’ in Petén, Guatemala has been surveyed in a variety of ways including a theodolite with an electronic distance measurement (EDM), total station (TS), laser imaging, detection and ranging (LiDAR), and photogrammetry. This paper aims to compare various mapping techniques and their accuracy, precision, and efficiency when pertaining specifically to mapping in Nixtun-Ch’ich’, Petén, Guatemala. The goal is to evaluate which technique is most efficient when mapping in the site by considering the variables of cost, time, and environment of the site. The paper also considers the …

Crafting A Presence: How Muslim Designers Are Making Their Mark, Imani S. White

Capstones

Muslim designers and models, specifically those who wear hijab, or the Islamic headcovering, are changing the focus of mainstream fashion. They're challenging norms, subverting ideology, and redefining what fashion can mean and who it can include. A handful of Muslim designers sat down with me to discuss how their religious beliefs influced their craft — if it does at all. We also delve into the challenges faced by hijabi designers in an industry that sometimes tokenizes them, emphasizing the importance of individuality and agency. Furthermore, the article touches upon the intersection of fashion, Islam, and sustainability, with new designers like …

Human Composting Is Changing The Landscape Of Death Care (Literally) — And It Could Be Legal In New York State As Soon As Next Year, Rachael Robertson

Capstones

Soon New Yorkers might have a new option for end of life care: Natural Organic Reduction, or human composting. Rather than being buried or cremated, New Yorkres might have the option of having their body composted and turned into soil as an environmentally friendly burial alternative. A bill legalizing Natural Organic Reduction in NYS and setting regulations similar to cremation is sitting on Governor Hochul's desk. Death, remembrance, and disposition are especially difficult in New York City, where there is not enough cemetery space for the number of people who die annually. Through audio, data, and print, I explore how …

Flying Hope: Bringing Pets To Safety In Nyc, Jose D. Santiago-Morales

Capstones

The animal overcrowding issue is impacting stray pets in Puerto Rico. Various not-for-profit organizations in NYC (The Sato Project and Wings of Rescue) are working to bring these animals from the island to states across the Northeast of the United States and helping by finding them their forever homes. One pet at a time.

https://dansantiagojournalist.wordpress.com/2023/10/01/flying-hope-bringing-pets-to-safety-in-nyc/

Coming Together: The Street Vendors Of Corona Plaza, Hannah Bottum

Capstones

Of New York City’s 20,000 street vendors, nearly all of them are immigrants, and most are unlicensed. This makes them vulnerable to harassment, fines, and even arrest. In Corona Plaza in Queens, vendors are coming together to push for change. This is their story.

De los 20,000 vendedores ambulantes de la ciudad de Nueva York, casi todos son inmigrantes y la mayoría no tienen licencia ni permiso. Esto los hace vulnerables al acoso, multas e incluso la detención. En Corona Plaza, en Queens, los vendedores se están organizando para impulsar el cambio. Esta es su historia.

The Science And Practice Of Coping With Pet Loss, Michayla Savitt

Capstones

Losing a pet can have a huge impact on a household - including humans and pets alike. This mixed multimedia project works to capture this multimedia project exploring how loss manifests in the home after a pet’s passing — and how we remember our pets after they’re gone. It’s done through short non-narrative documentaries from multiple pet owners, along with insight from a mental health expert, and animal behaviorists. I’ve incorporated research around pets having grief-like reactions to a companion animal, in addition to why grieving a pet is so painful, and how pet grief often doesn’t fit in with …

Eavesdropping On Animals: Can Bioacoustics Help Save Species?, Zoe Grueskin

Capstones

Around the world, scientists are using sound to study the natural world in a growing field called bioacoustics. Researchers are eavesdropping on frogs and fish, elephants and earthworms, and many hope what they hear can inform and inspire conservation action around the world. From the field’s auspicious beginning with accidentally-recorded whales, to researchers today listening to locations as diverse as the Arctic seafloor and India’s Western Ghats mountain range, this capstone project explores the potential — and limitations — of conservation bioacoustics. Read the story, see photos and listen to audio pieces featuring three bioacousticians and their field recordings here: …

Secondhand Shopping Is Now The Coolest Way To Get Your Clothes, Camryn Quick

Capstones

Shopping secondhand has experienced an uptick in popularity in the past few years. There are a few reasons for this, all of which are examined in the project. One reason for the increase in secondhand shoppers is the daunting news about the state of our environment. Another reason, perhaps even more powerful than the fear of environmental collapse, is that thrifting has become a fashion phenomenon showcased and distributed throughout social media apps like TikTok. Essentially, shopping secondhand has become cool. This project explores these driving forces behind the thrifting boom, as well as the possible impacts, including "thrift store …

Death Spaces And Distant Skies (Every Day We Say Goodbye), Renee Estee

Theses and Dissertations

Linking ideas and imagery of the Australian Outback, Hauntology and Orphism, my practice highlights myth-making and rituals surrounding mourning, celebration and commemoration. Operating as visual love letters and epitaphs, my paintings coalesce figuration and abstraction to conjure spaces where I can commune with the deceased and contend with future loss.

What An Interesting Video To Put On The Internet (An Amusing Economic Indicator), Dahlia S. Bloomstone

Theses and Dissertations

My exhibition reconciles representations of domesticity, labor, and morality through the lens of sex-work (SW). It consists of video work, a video game, and free-to-take objects, where donation, the strip club, and the fish tank converge. My work concludes that SW is a timeless construct that will always exist even after reimagining multiple worlds.

Music In The Holocaust: The Roles Of Music In Nazi Concentration Camps, Jennifer L. Lefleur

Theses and Dissertations

The atrocities and horrors of the Holocaust are well-known and well-documented. Hitler’s “Final Solution” was to eradicate all Jews from Europe, and to implement this, the Nazis built six extermination camps in Poland. These camps, and others throughout Europe, mass-killed millions of humans between 1933 and 1945. Prisoners in these camps were consumed by torture, terror, and murder on a daily basis. Although most survivor accounts detail the role music played in these camps, it had been in the last twenty to thirty years that musicologists and historians have really delved into this subject.

While there were different types of …

Back To The Roots: Black Veganism, Kiara R. Thomas

Capstones

Only 3% of Americans in general, but 8% of Black Americans are strict vegan or vegetarian. Whether it’s to reduce animal cruelty, manage a chronic illness, or connect with their heritage and build a social movement, Black people are embracing plant-based diets. https://kiarathomas429.github.io/portfolio/

Black Cosplayers Push For Proper Dark-Skinned Character Representation In Media, Taylor K. Johnson

Capstones

As cosplay continues to rise in popularity at comic conventions, anime conventions and on social media, Black cosplayers push for media companies to invest in adding more dark-skinned characters in their shows and games.

Scientists And Activists Work To Save The Planet, Myriam G. Vidal Valero

Capstones

Climate change and human intervention in nature are affecting people, ecosystems and ways of living all over the world. This portfolio of environmental pieces showcases the dire consequences of not addressing these issues, how solutions can be reached and the challenges facing those who try to change things.

Representation In Animation — Bringing Diversity Behind The Screen, Elizabeth Short

Capstones

Animation is an extremely popular form of media, particularly for children who grow up with the influence of cartoon television shows and films. As long-standing discussions on representation in media expand, the evolution of diversity in animated characters grows as well. Examining the history of animation as an art form and its changes over the years is important, but it is also essential to ask — does representation on-screen match representation behind the scenes? If not, how does that change?

https://medium.com/@liz.short31/representation-in-animation-bringing-diversity-behind-the-screen-3033f06632b6

An Event-Without-Witness: A Nietzschean Theory Of The Digital Will To Power As The Will To Temporalize, Talha Issevenler

Publications and Research

This article offers a Nietzschean theory of digital will to power to conceptualize the temporality of social media feeds run by algorithms. Stylistic and methodological temporalities of Nietzsche are discussed as well as their influence in subsequent social theory of political technologies. The paradox of heavy investment in both subjective expression and nonhuman temporalization in social media milieus is addressed with the concept of an event-without-witness drawn from Nietzsche’s account of himself as the solitary thinker of catastrophe of nihilism and psychoanalytical and deconstructive literatures on the catastrophes of the 20th century. Nietzsche’s fundamental resistance to and fascination with the …