Digital Commons Network^™

A Solitary Solidarity: Conditions For Attunement In The "Migration Crisis" In Greece, Katherine Sheese

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this dissertation I draw on ethnographic field work and qualitative interviews with activist volunteers in Greece in 2016 to explore the conditions for ethical and affective attunement in the face of crisis and complicity. I offer a thick description of the multiple injuries to one’s senses and sensemaking capacities and the contradictions, tensions, dilemmas that undermine the capacity for attunement, a term I use to refer to the overlapping abilities to feel, to be moved, and to locate oneself and to connect to others. I begin by developing a contextual analysis of the complex and contradictory machinery of …

The Global Implementation Of Dolutegravir For Hiv Treatment, Matthew L. Romo

Dissertations and Theses

Background
Dolutegravir, an integrase strand transfer inhibitor, is now recommended by international guidelines as part of preferred antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens for people living with HIV. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), HIV treatment programs are transitioning from non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) to dolutegravir because of its superior efficacy and tolerability, and high genetic barrier to HIV drug resistance. Along with the optimism surrounding widespread dolutegravir use, key questions regarding its implementation have emerged. In this dissertation, I sought to achieve the following specific aims: Aim 1: Characterize dolutegravir uptake in LMICs and identify potential disparities related to sex …

Assessing Psychosocial Factors That Influence Water, Sanitation, And Hygiene Behavior In The Amhara Region Of Ethiopia, Kimberly Kamara

Dissertations and Theses

Background: The absence of potable drinking water from an improved source combined with inadequate sanitation and hygiene contributed to an estimated 1.9% of the global burden of disease in 2016. The estimated number of diarrheal deaths in 2016 was 1.4 million, of which 829,000 could have been prevented through improved drinking water and sanitation services, and hand-washing with soap. Despite the clear link between poor water and sanitation access and hygiene practices, 785 million people do not have access to water and two million do not have access to basic sanitation services. However, access does not automatically result in increased …

Increase In Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (Pots) After Covid-19 Infection, Nana Dufie Akowuah

Student Theses

A new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), popularly known as COVID-19 has been associated with new-onsets of neurological and cardiovascular symptoms after infecting people. Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), a form of dysautonomia, can occur after a viral or bacterial infection. Some symptoms of POTS include dizziness, postural tachycardia, presyncope and orthostatic intolerance. There has been some evidence that has identified POT following COVID-19 in some patients. Commonly affected are female long haulers of child-bearing age sharing a strikingly similar demographic to most autoimmune disorders. The most dominant symptom of long haul POTS at this point may be palpitations/ …

Large-Herbivore Nemabiomes: Patterns Of Parasite Diversity And Sharing, Georgia C. Titcomb, Johan Pansu, Matthew C. Hutchinson, Kaia J. Tombak, Christina B. Hansen, Christopher C. M. Baker, Tyler R. Kartzinel, Robert M. Pringle

Publications and Research

Amidst global shifts in the distribution and abundance of wildlife and livestock, we have only a rudimentary understanding of ungulate parasite communities and parasite-sharing patterns. We used qPCR and DNA metabarcoding of fecal samples to characterize gastrointestinal nematode (Strongylida) community composition and sharing among 17 sympatric species of wild and domestic large mammalian herbivore in central Kenya. We tested a suite of hypothesis-driven predictions about the role of host traits and phylogenetic relatedness in describing parasite infections. Host species identity explained 27 – 53% of individual variation in parasite prevalence, richness, community composition and phylogenetic diversity. Host and parasite phylogenies …

Using Geospatial Analysis To Evaluate Relationships Between Cancer Incidence And Social Factors In Brooklyn, Ny, Sheena Philogene

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the spatial distribution of cancer incidence in Brooklyn, NY. Using publicly available data, the relationships between cancer incidence and factors linked to cancer were investigated. Furthermore, the study explored the value of using large amounts of data with GIS techniques to quickly analyze geographic trends for cancer.

Lessons To Build An Educational Model For Higher Education Institutions Defined As Anchor Institutions To Tackle Public Health Crises: A Pilot Study On Covid-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Among Faculty And Students In Herbert L. College In The Bronx, Ny, Maria-Isabel Roldos, Katherine Burt, Jacob Eubank

Publications and Research

Coronavirus disease 2019 exacerbated health inequities in Bronx Communities. This study explored vaccine hesitancy among a random sample of faculty and students from Herbert Lehman College. Findings suggest faculty are largely vaccinated (87%), while 59% of students are unvaccinated. Significant gaps in information were found related to safety and complications. This suggests universities need to adopt an educational model with a multipronged social support strategy to gain students’ trust and a greater sense of belonging.

Who Taught You To Hate Yourself: Disentangling My Black Identity From White Christian Doctrine, Patrice Lorna Lebron

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

How does white Christian doctrine fragment Black existence? When African slaves bound in chains landed on the shores of the Americas, they brought their religious and cultural traditions into that oppressive environment. They were dehumanized and compelled to embrace white Christian doctrine enforced on them by white theologians and white enslavers. Slaves were branded as inhuman and inferior beings. Biblical scriptures became a vessel for their prayers, dreams and sacred ceremonies. They transformed their deities into biblical prophets. Their African identity, religious and cultural beliefs were demolished and shrouded with biblical mis-interpretations to promote white supremacy.

This capstone project WHO …

Attitudes Towards Wearing Masks Among Young Adults, Diana Saiki, Alyssa Dana Adomaitis, Jay Kandiah

Publications and Research

The purpose of this study was to investigate attitudes about mask characteristics among young adults. Research questions included the following: (1) How do attitudes about: Do practical characteristics of masks influence mask-wearing? and (2) Does mask style and extrinsic characteristics influence mask-wearing? A mixed-methods approach was used. In December 2020, a survey was distributed online to fashion classes in the Midwest(rural) and Northeast (urban). The questionnaire contained a demographics section, open-ended questions about participants’ attitudes about masks, questions on mask-wearing behaviour, and a list of garment characteristics. The open-ended questions were analyzed for themes. The Likert scale questions were analyzed …

Hematologic Involvement As A Predictor Of Mortality In Covid-19 Patients In A Safety Net Hospital, Luis F. Gonzalez-Mosquera, Sandra Gomez-Paz, Eric Lam, Diana Cardenas-Maldonado, Joshua Fogel, Vishnu Adi, Sofia Rubinstein

Publications and Research

Introduction: COVID-19 affects the hematologic system. This article evaluated the impact of hematologic involvement of different blood cell line parameters of white blood cells including absolute neutrophil count (ANC), hemoglobin, and platelets in COVID-19 patients and their association with hospital mortality and length of stay (LOS).

Methods: This was a retrospective study of 475 patients with con- firmed positive COVID-19 infection and hematologic abnormalities in the metropolitan New York City area.

Results: Elevated absolute neutrophil count (OR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.02-1.42; p < 0.05) increased days of hematologic involvement (OR: 4.44; 95% CI: 1.42-13.90; p < 0.05), and persistence of hematologic involvement at discharge (OR: 2.87; 95% CI: 1.20-6.90; p < 0.05) was associated with higher mortality. Higher hemoglobin at admission (OR: 0.77; 95% CI:0.60-0.98; p < 0.001) and platelets peak (OR: 0.995; 95% CI: 0.992-0.997; p < 0.001) were associated with decreased mor- tality. Patients with higher white blood cell peak (B = 0.46; SE = 0.07; p < 0.001) and higher hemoglobin at admission (B = 0.05; SE = 0.01; p < 0.001) were associated with higher LOS. Those with higher hemo- globin nadir (B = -0.06; SE = 0.01; p < 0.001), higher platelets nadir (B = -0.001; SE = < 0.001; p < 0.001), and hematologic involvement at discharge or death (B = -0.06; SE = 0.03; p < 0.05) were associated with lower LOS.

Conclusions: These findings can be used by clinicians to better risk- stratify patients with hematologic involvement in COVID-19 …

Thrombospondin-1 Expression And Modulation Of Wnt And Hippo Signaling Pathways During The Early Phase Of Trypanosoma Cruzi Infection Of Heart Endothelial Cells, Ashutosh Arun, Kayla J. Rayford, Ayorinde Cooley, Tanu Rana, Girish Rachakonda, Fernando Villalta, Siddharth Pratap, Maria F. Lima, Nader Sheibani, Pius N. Nde

Publications and Research

The protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, causes severe morbidity and mortality in afflicted individuals. Approximately 30% of T. cruzi infected individuals present with cardiac pathology. The invasive forms of the parasite are carried in the vascular system to infect other cells of the body. During transportation, the molecular mechanisms by which the parasite signals and interact with host endothelial cells (EC) especially heart endothelium is currently unknown. The parasite increases host thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) expression and activates the Wnt/β-catenin and hippo signaling pathways during the early phase of infection. The links between TSP1 and activation of the signaling pathways and …

Understanding Covid-19 Among People Of Dominican Descent In The U.S.: A Comparison Of New York, New Jersey, Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island And Connecticut, Ramona Hernandez, Pedro Ortega, Nancy Sohler, Sarah Marrara

Publications and Research

The present study “Understanding COVID-19 Among People of Dominican Descent in the U.S.: A Comparison of New York, New Jersey, Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Connecticut” is the first research study to examine the experience of people of Dominican origins residing in the United States (U.S.) amidst the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The current study is based on a probabilistic and representative sample of Dominicans across the seven states in which the majority—85%—of Dominicans living in the U.S. reside. The Dominican Studies Institute (CUNY-DSI) at City College and the School of Medicine, both of the City University …

The Urban Maroons Of Afro-Dominican Music, Paul Austerlitz

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

“It's (Not) Like The Flu”: Expert Narratives And The Covid-19 Pandemic In Mainland China, Hong Kong, And The United States, Larry Au, Zheng Fu, Chuncheng Liu

Publications and Research

We trace the crafting of expert narratives during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and the United States. By expert narratives, we refer to how experts drew different lessons from past disease experiences to guide policymakers and the public amidst uncertainty. These expert narratives were mobilized in different sociopolitical contexts, resulting in varying configurations of expertise networks and allies that helped contain and mitigate COVID-19. In Mainland China, experts carefully advanced a managed narrative, emphasizing the new pandemic akin to the 2003 SARS outbreak can be managed while destressing the similar mistakes the government …

Botanicals As Prospective Agents Against Sars-Cov-2 Virus, Vyacheslav Dushenkov, Anna Dushenkov

Publications and Research

The COVID-19 high morbidity and mortality resulted in a worldwide healthcare emergency that triggered accelerated and amplified efforts in the relevant areas of health sciences research and practice. Purpose: To assess the potential role of botanicals as therapeutic agents against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Methods: This narrative review examined the potential role of botanicals as therapeutic agents against the SARS-CoV-2 virus based on the references limited to the English language and published up to February 2022 and retrieved from common academic search engines using multiple keywords and their combinations. The scientific names of plant species were confirmed using World Flora Online …

Elderly, Detained, And Justice-Involved: The Most Incarcerated Generation, Rachael Bedard, Joshua Vaughn, Angela Silletti Murolo

City University of New York Law Review

The “graying” of the United States prison system is a well-documented phenomenon that describes the aging of the population currently held in U.S. state and federal prisons. This is generally attributed to the large number of individuals who are aging in place in prisons around the country due to long sentences and restrictive parole practices. Less well-known or well-characterized is the fact that the U.S.’s justice-involved population outside of prisons is also “graying”—that the demographics of people who are being arrested, jail detained, transferred to prisons on new criminal convictions, and monitored under community surveillance programs are also changing to …

Humidity Reduces Rapid And Distant Airborne Dispersal Of Viable Viral Particles In Classroom Settings, Antun Skanata, Fabrizio Spagnolo, Molly Metz, Davida S. Smyth, John J. Dennehy

Publications and Research

The transmission of airborne pathogens is considered to be the main route through which a number of known and emerging respiratory diseases infect their hosts. While physical distancing and mask wearing may help mitigate short-range transmission, the extent of long-range transmission in closed spaces where a pathogen remains suspended in the air remains unknown. We have developed a method to detect viable virus particles by using an aerosolized bacteriophage Phi6 in combination with its host Pseudomonas phaseolicola, which when seeded on agar plates acts as a virus detector that can be placed at a range of distances away from an …

Covid-19 Vaccine Related Anxiety Partially Mediates The Association Between Covid-19 Related Anxiety And Student Adjustment To College During The Pandemic, Hanh Nguyen

Dissertations and Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic caused severe disruptions to the education of millions of college students, who were forced to adapt to sudden changes in living and learning environments. In this study, we sought to investigate two different dimensions of anxiety that were specific to the pandemic – COVID-19 related anxiety and COVID-19 vaccine anxiety – hoping to pinpoint the relationship between these two variables and students’ ability to adapt to college. Specifically, using cross sectional survey data during three semester waves (Spring 2021, Fall 2021, and Spring 2022) we hypothesized (1) a decreasing trend across time in both COVID-19 related anxiety …

The Enduring Role Of Conflict In The Perpetuation Of Famine: Advancing 'The Right To Adequate Food' For Sustainable Peace, Robert M. Bane

Dissertations and Theses

The present thesis evaluates developments and trends in global conflict dynamics, global systems of governance, and global hunger. Together, the thesis investigates and upholds the notion that famine is a ‘man-made’ phenomenon and explains how famine persists in a world abundant with food. Through analysis and research the following is found: the occurrence of global conflict is accelerating alongside an increase in the severity of organized violence dynamics; global authoritarianism is expanding presenting a threat to global freedoms and liberal democracy; as these trends are occurring, world hunger is steadily on the rise reflecting a significant backsliding of progress achieved …

Promoting Stem Learning Through A Multidisciplinary Sencer Framework At A Minority-Serving Institution, Diana Samaroo, Sandie Han, Liana Tsenova, Urmi Ghosh-Dastidar

Publications and Research

The Prospect Park Biodiversity Project was a SENCER collaboration project between the Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, and Mathematics at the New York City College of Technology. The goal of this project was to enhance students' participation and learning in STEM disciplines through a civically engaged framework. The project utilized the eco-complexity of Prospect Park Lake in Brooklyn, New York for an interdisciplinary study on the water quality. The project, which involved ten students and four faculty mentors, integrated microbiology, chemistry, and mathematics perspectives using active-learning pedagogies, including hands-on exploration and collaborative learning.

Long Covid And Medical Gaslighting: Dismissal, Delayed Diagnosis, And Deferred Treatment, Larry Au, Cristian Capotescu, Gil Eyal, Gabrielle Finestone

Publications and Research

While we know a lot more about Long Covid today, patients who were infected with Covid-19 early on in the pandemic and developed Long Covid had to contend with medical professionals who lacked awareness of the potential for extended complications from Covid-19. Long Covid patients have responded by labeling their contentious interactions with medical professionals, organizations, and the broader medical system as “gaslighting.” We argue that the charge of medical gaslighting can be understood as a form of ontological politics. Not only do patients demand that their version of reality be recognized, but they also blame the experts who hold …

Unpacking The Influence Of Islamic Religious Culture And Individual Religious Affiliation On Testing Hiv-Positive, Brittany Hayes, Amy Adamczyk

Publications and Research

The distribution of HIV cases varies cross-nationally. We separate the influences of Islam at the macro-and micro-levels to understand the role of religion in shaping the spread of HIV. Drawing on biomarker data from the Demographic and Health Surveys, we construct a multilevel database (Individual N= 568,476; Country N= 30). We examine a series of national-and individual-level predictors that may mediate the relationship between Islam and testing HIV-positive. Individual religious affiliation and proportion Muslim retained their risk-reducing effects even when accounting for a range of mediators and suppressors. Islam has a sui generis effect on testing HIV-positive.

Factors Associated With Mask Use In New York City Neighborhood Parks During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Field Audit Study, Lisa Hitch, Marie A. Sillice, Hanish Kodali, Katarzyna E. Wyka, Javier Otero Peña, Terry Tk Huang

Publications and Research

Background: Mask use is a cost-effective measure to decrease COVID-19 transmission. Mask mandates intend to increase mask compliance but are often ambiguous when it comes to public outdoor spaces.

Methods: We used a field audit study to examine mask use in New York City neighborhood parks during COVID-19. 1453 park visitors were observed in 13 parks during July–August 2020 using a modified and validated park use audit tool (System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities) that included items on general and proper mask use (i.e., mask covering both nose and mouth). Generalized estimating equation regression was used to determine …

Vaccine Communication During The Covid-19 Pandemic As Displayed By Nyc Health, Rebecca L. Jensen

Student Theses and Dissertations

The 2020 Covid-19 pandemic underscored the importance of vaccination in our governmental- health bodies. As a result, effective vaccine communication is more necessary than ever. The goal of this paper is to better understand frames, strategies and themes used by NYC Health as it pertains to video media related artifacts in their Covid-19 vaccination campaign. This research is important because it informs overall health and vaccine discourse. In analyzing data several key themes were discovered. These themes were established through a synthesis of literary strategies meant to activate certain theoretical frameworks. Further research into the effectiveness of these frames on …

Cryptococcus Neoformans Melanization Incorporates Multiple Catecholamines To Produce Polytypic Melanin, Rosanna P. Baker, Christine Chrissian, Ruth E. Stark, Arturo Casadevall

Publications and Research

Melanin is a major virulence factor in pathogenic fungi that enhances the ability of fungal cells to resist immune clearance. Cryptococcus neoformans is an important human pathogenic fungus that synthesizes melanin from exogenous tissue catecholamine precursors during infection, but the type of melanin made in cryptococcal meningoencephalitis is unknown. We analyzed the efficacy of various catecholamines found in brain tissue in supporting melanization using animal brain tissue and synthetic catecholamine mixtures reflecting brain tissue proportions. Solid-state NMR spectra of the melanin pigment produced from such mixtures yielded more melanin than expected if only the preferred constituent dopamine had been incorporated, …

The Covid-19 Pandemic's Impact On Sports Public Relations, Joseph Derosa

Student Theses and Dissertations

This study defines the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on sports public relations at a professional level. Determining how the COVID-19 pandemic changed sports public relations by challenging the industry to think more creatively and in what ways organizations would affect the sports community. This research paper aims to explore how sports publicists and their organizations reacted to the stoppage of their events during the COVID-19 pandemic, the eventual return to play without fans, and how this would alter the future of the industry. Analyzing sports public relations during this time gives new insight into the successes and failures of …

Genomic Epidemiology Of Clostridium Difficile Colonization And Transmission In An Intensive Care Unit Cohort, Brianne Ciferri

Dissertations and Theses

Abstract

Genomic epidemiology of Clostridium difficile colonization and transmission in an intensive care unit cohort

by Brianne Ciferri, MPH

Advisor: C. Mary Schooling, PhD

Introduction: Clostridiodes difficile (C. difficile) is a leading cause of healthcare associated infections (HAI) in the United States and responsible for an estimated incidence of 223,900 cases and 12,800 deaths per year^1,2. C. difficile can cause gastrointestinal illness with symptoms ranging from mild diarrheal illness to a life-threatening condition. C. difficile is an opportunistic pathogen in which spores can live in an undisturbed dormant state within the intestinal tract and become …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On The Thai Probation Department, Thanaphon Nunphong

Student Theses

The COVID-19 pandemic had a crucial impact on the Thai criminal justice system. While it may be true that the Department of Probation has proposed preventive and responsive measures in response to COVID-19, relatively little is known about the practical applications of these measures as well as the impact of COVID-19 on probation personnel, probationers, and parolees. The goal of this study is to explore the policies and practices of Thai probation agencies as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study surveyed probation officers in Thailand (N = 534; 60.6% Female) in March to April 2021, focusing on …

Guidance For Management Of Free-Roaming Community Cats: A Bioeconomic Analysis, Valeria A. Benka, John D. Boone, Philip S. Miller, Joyce R. Briggs, Aaron M. Anderson, Christopher Slootmaker, Margaret Slater, Julie K. Levy, Felicia B. Nutter, Stephen Zawistowski

Publications and Research

Objectives This study used computer simulation modeling to estimate and compare costs of different free-roaming cat (FRC) management options (lethal and non-lethal removal, trap–neuter–return, combinations of these options and no action) and their ability to reduce FRC population abundance in open demographic settings. The findings provide a resource for selecting management approaches that are well matched for specific communities, goals and timelines, and they represent use of best available science to address FRC issues.

Methods Multiple FRC management approaches were simulated at varying intensities using a stochastic individual- based model in the software package Vortex. Itemized costs were obtained from …

How Can I Get Covid?: Understanding Diferences In American Heterosexual And Sexual Minority Men’S Risk Perception, Devon M. Price, Amanda N. Gesselman, Rachel A. Fikslin, Alison J. Goldberg, Omaima Pervez, Mora A. Reinka, Elissia Franklin

Publications and Research

Men are more vulnerable to COVID-19 infections compared to women, but their risk perceptions around COVID-19 are persis - tently lower. Further, men often engage in less health promotion behavior because self-care in this capacity is seen as weak or less masculine. This combination has consequences for mortality; thus, a better understanding of men’s COVID-19 cognitions and individual diference factors is critical. In a web-based survey conducted during the beginning stages of the pandemic in the U.S., we collected risk perceptions of various sexual and non-sexual behaviors from heterosexual ( n = 137) and gay/bisexual men ( n = 108). …