Digital Commons Network^™

Meanings Of Old Age: A Story In Three Voices, Rivka Tenenbaum-Precel

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

As the population of the Western world grows older, the need to understand the meaning of this stage in life grows in importance. Psychological research into the meaning of old age is posing questions on diverse levels, from that of individual ontogenesis to those of the family, community and society at large. Traditionally, developmental psychology has investigated different aspects of aging using measures of cognition, emotion, self-concept and well- being. Other approaches have examined the meaning of old age as embedded in cultural and social relations.

The present study uses a narrative approach to elicit the particular voices and interpretations …

Stem Cell Replacement Therapy For The Mammalian Inner Ear: A Systematic Literature Review, Robin Warwick

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Objective: The purpose of this investigation is to review current possible regeneration techniques for damaged hair cells of the inner ear in mammals. The avian has the ability to spontaneously regenerate damaged hair cells, and thus provides an animal model to simulate a similar response in the mammalian inner ear.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted using a PubMed database search to address the following question What are the current investigations pertaining to regenerating hair cells using stem cell-based research? The articles were analyzed and rated at Level Ia, Ib, IIa, IIb, or III level of evidence. …

Identity And Behavior: Exploring An Understanding Of “Being” And “Doing” For Catholic Priests Accused Of The Sexual Abuse Of Minors In The United States, Brenda K. Vollman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The problem of the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests in the United States has been problematized as a phenomenon that is, in part, a distinction of the priesthood. Although it is known that there are sex offenders in the world who are not, nor were they ever, priests, this study sets forth to uncover whether or not the priests in the sample are, in fact, different on typical psychological risk factors than the at-large sex offender. More importantly, in the absence of notable differences on risk factor characteristics, this study explores the ways in which narrative structures are …

Mother Country: Reproductive Tourism In The Age Of Globalization, Lauren Jade Martin

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Mother Country is a multi-sited, qualitative study of the United States fertility industry. I analyze the industry in two dimensions: as a particularly American institution and nascent profession, and as a destination for "reproductive tourism." The United States fertility industry, buttressed by lax federal regulation, free market principles, and high technology resources, is organized to benefit certain classes of American citizens and foreign nationals in their quest to have children. As such, the United States has become a prime destination for people seeking assisted fertility services such as commercial surrogacy, egg donation, and sex selection, which are unavailable, inaccessible, or …

Call Of Duty: A Question Of Police Integrity, Albert O. Gamarra

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Policing is a profession linked to ideals of integrity and honor. In spite of this, the profession has not been immune to corruption within its ranks. Most research in policing has concentrated on police corruption rather than police integrity. Research studies have examined the issue of corruption but they have encountered a multitude of measurement issues, making the direct study of corruption difficult.

The goal of this research study was to replicate the seminal Klockars, Ivkovich, Harver & Haberfeld (2000) study examining police integrity within the United States. There has been a lack of research dedicated to the study of …

The Role Of Mdm2 In Estrogen-Mediated Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation, Angelika Brekman

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Estrogen signaling is important in breast cancer development and progression. Mdm2, a negative regulator of the p53 tumor suppressor, is often over-expressed in estrogen receptor positive breast cancers. To study the role of Mdm2 in the estrogen-mediated breast cancer cell proliferation, we examined the effect of estrogen on the p53-Mdm2 pathway in estrogen receptor positive and p53 wild-type MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Estrogen-mediated increase in cell proliferation correlated with increased Mdm2, but no concomitant decrease in the p53 protein level. Blocking Mdm2 expression with inducible shRNA inhibited estrogen-mediated cell proliferation and colony formation in soft agar. Mdm2 knockdown in the …

Personal Narratives Of Women's Leadership And Community Activism In Cherkasy Oblast, Martha Kichorowska Kebalo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Ukraine's women's movement is part of a complex social field characteristic of formerly Soviet countries, but it also emerges from its own specific political history. Post-Soviet period, (neo-) nationalism, feminism and (neo-) socialism are significant forces shaping women's collective behavior. Their activism resonates with the pre-Soviet liberation struggle while it is shaped also by practices from the recent Soviet past. It also is sensitive to external pressures, including the agendas of Western aid and the Ukrainian diaspora.

This study accepts the emergence of non-state women's organizations as indicative of an incipient movement and examines this field of social activism in …

The Interpersonal Foundations Of Anti-Atheist Prejudice, Michael W. Magee

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Anti-atheist prejudice in the U.S. is socially accepted and rife—and not just because most Americans are religious. This research suggests that hostility toward atheists is related in part to protecting parental relationships. To the extent that they are established within parental relationships, shared reality theory implies that religious beliefs and associated attitudes will be psychologically defended to the extent that the parental relationships engaged are strong, healthy, and vital (Magee & Hardin, 2010; see also Hardin & Higgins, 1996). Three experiments examined the regulation of anti-atheist prejudice in the defense and protection of religious shared realities with parents, as implied …

"... Rivalry, Hostility, And Romanita." An Ethnographic Study Of As Roma's Ultras, Mark Wayne Dyal

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This is an ethnographic study of Italian Ultras, the organized and ritualized fan organizations associated with professional soccer in Italy. It examines the relationship between their belief and behaviors, paying particular attention to their political behaviors. The study follows 15 months of anthropological fieldwork undertaken in Rome, Italy. Its goal is to assess the role that the Ultras' particular critical understanding of modernity plays in organizing and actualizing their behaviors inside and outside of sporting contexts. Part of my effort in this study is to examine local reactions to national and international issues of globalization and liberalization. In following this …

Education Policy And The Mathematics Curriculum In New York City Middle Schools, 1958 To 2002, Joseph Valley

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study investigates how mathematics education policy and curriculum in New York City changed over the period from 1958 through 2002. It looks at the events leading up to the "new math" era, the "back to basics" movement, and the Standards movement initiated by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) in 1989. Since this period is bounded by two important pieces of legislation, the National Defense Education Act (NDEA), 1958, and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) 2001 an assessment of the arguments for and against the federal intervention in education is essential.

The research methodology used …

Governance And Merger Activity In Banking, Thomas J. Piskula

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

One method of evaluating the success of management decisions regarding acquisitions is to examine equity price movements as the news of the merger is made public. The price movement of the acquiring firm's equity around the announcement of the acquisition indicates if shareholders believe management has acted in their interest. In the banking industry, researchers have found that on average equity values of the acquiring bank do not display abnormal positive returns upon announcement, and often display statistically significant negative returns. Another line of research has documented that CEOs are better compensated for managing larger organizations, particularly when involved in …

Law Reform And Transformative Change: A Panel At Cuny Law, Rikke Mananzala, Soniya Munshi, Nadia Qurashi, Elana Redfield, Dean Spade

City University of New York Law Review

A panel discussion with Rickke Mananzala, Soniya Munshi, Nadia Qurashi, Elana Redfield, and Dean Spade. April 1, 2010

Suspect Fits Description: Responses To Racial Profiling In New York City, Darius Charney, Jesus Gonzalez, David M. Kennedy, Noel Leader, Robert Perry

City University of New York Law Review

A panel discussion with Darius Charney, Jesus Gonzalez, David Kennedy, Noel Leader, and Robert Perry. September 29, 2010

A Multifactorial Mechanism In The Superior Antimalarial Activity Of Α-C-Galcer, John Schmieg, Guangli Yang, Richard W. Franck, Moriya Tsuji

Publications and Research

We have previously shown that the C-glycoside analog of α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer), α-C-GalCer, displays a superior inhibitory activity against the liver stages of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii than its parental glycolipid, α-GalCer. In this study, we demonstrate that NK cells, as well as IL-12, are a key contributor for the superior activity displayed by α-C-GalCer. Surprisingly, the diminished production of Th2 cytokines, including IL-4, by α-C-GalCer has no affect on its superior therapeutic activity relative to α-GalCer. Finally, we show that the in vivo administration of α-C-GalCer induces prolonged maturation of dendritic cells (DCs), as well as an enhanced …

Future Is Now: Introducing Ereaders To Cuny Libraries, Stefanie Havelka, Jennifer King, Rebecca Arzola, Alevtina Verbovetskaya

Publications and Research

Amazon.com’s announcement in July 2010 that eBooks out sold print books for the previous three months indicates that eBooks are here to stay. What effect will this have on teaching and learning? Will ease of access and portability facilitate cheating and plagiarism? How will eBooks and eReaders work in an urban academic environment? Are eReaders and eBooks the new digital divide?

Faculty from the Leonard Lief Library at Lehman College will share their experience with Sony eReaders and downloadable eBooks via OverDrive. Following this presentation there will be a guided discussion on eReader and eBook issues, such as:

• How do …

Hybrid Micro-/Nanogels For Optical Sensing And Intracellular Imaging, Weitai Wu, Shuiqin Zhou

Publications and Research

Hybrid micro-/nanogels are playing an increasing important part in a diverse range of applications, due to their tunable dimensions, large surface area, stable interior network structure, and a very short response time. We review recent advances and challenges in the developments of hybrid micro-/nanogels toward applications for optical sensing of pH, temperature, glucose, ions, and other species as well as for intracellular imaging. Due to their unique advantages, hybrid micro-/nanogels as optical probes are attracting substantial interests for continuous monitoring of chemical parameters in complex samples such as blood and bioreactor fluids, in chemical research and industry, and in food …

The Communicator, December 8, 2010, Bronx Community College

The Communicator

The Communicator newspaper published on December 8, 2010.

Optimizing In Vitro Propagation Of Rosa Persica, Maryam Jafarkhani-Kermani, Pegah Khosravi, Somayeh Kavand

Publications and Research

Rosa persica with a distinctive red eye is a good candidate for addition to the breeding pool of roses. In order to optimize micropropagation of R. persica, three culture media (MS, QL and VS) were compared. The maximum growth rate was observed in the VS medium. Addition of FeEDTA (Fe: 65.4 mg/l), calcium gluconate (Cg: 2.7 g/l) and Gamborg vitamins (B5) instead of VS vitamins, alone or in combinationwith VS medium were compared. The maximum growth rate was obtained in the medium containing VS + Cg + B5 (VSCgB5). Various concentrations of BAP (0, 2, 4 and 8 μM ) …

The Origin Of Love: Love Songs As Represented In The Cinema Of Rock Operas, Benjamin Franz

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

The Communicator, November 8, 2010, Bronx Community College

The Communicator

The Communicator newspaper published on November 8, 2010.

Conserved Genes Act As Modifiers Of Invertebrate Smn Loss Of Function Defects, Maria Dimitriadi, James N. Sleigh, Amy Walker, Howard C. Chang, Anindya Sen, Geetika Kalloo, Jevede Harris, Tom Barsby, Melissa B. Walsh, John S. Satterlee, Chris Li, David Van Vactor, Spyros Artavanis-Tsakonas, Anne C. Hart

Publications and Research

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is caused by diminished function of the Survival of Motor Neuron (SMN) protein, but the molecular pathways critical for SMA pathology remain elusive. We have used genetic approaches in invertebrate models to identify conserved SMN loss of function modifier genes. Drosophila melanogaster and Caenorhabditis elegans each have a single gene encoding a protein orthologous to human SMN; diminished function of these invertebrate genes causes lethality and neuromuscular defects. To find genes that modulate SMN function defects across species, two approaches were used. First, a genome-wide RNAi screen for C. elegans SMN modifier genes was undertaken, yielding …

The Role Of Accounting In The Financial Crisis: Lessons For The Future, S.P. Kothari

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

The Communicator, October 8, 2010, Bronx Community College

The Communicator

The Communicator newspaper published on October 8, 2010.

Wow Cafe Theater Unveils 30th Anniversary Festival After Three Decades, Fierce Performers Prove The Show Will Go On, Esther Zinn

Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS)

WOW Cafe Theater, a collective for female and and trans performance artists, strutted its stuff during its Pearl festival in May by celebrating thirty years of producing risk-taking, genre-defying theatre during the entire month of May 2010. Featuring more than twenty performances and fifty artists spanning a broad spectrum of music, dance, and multi-media, the Pearl festival was arguably the biggest and longest running theatrical event for women in New York during this summer, made possible by a generous grant from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.

Lesbians In The 1970s, Sarah Chinn

Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS)

The 1970s was a period of intense excitement, change, activism, and activity for lesbians. As lesbian feminism redefined what qualified as a "political issue" and challenged every assumption about gender, race, class, ability, sexuality, and any number of other social categories, lesbians of all kinds created cultural, social, political, economic, and regional organizations and networks.

The Robert Giard Fellowship, Sarah Chinn

Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS)

For several years we at CLAGS had wanted to work with the Robert Giard Foundation on a project for LGBT artists, but couldn't come up with the right vehicle. Eventually we hit on a perfect project: a fellowship for photographers and video artists working on queer and trans themes that would honor Robert Giard's legacy while directly supporting emerging and mid-career artists.

The Robert Giard Foundation Fellows Enlighten Our World, Carl Sylvestre

Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS)

This spring, the Robert Giard Foundation's partnership with CLAGS completed the first of what is anticipated to be an annual event in both organizations' calendars.

Director's Letter, Sarah Chinn

Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS)

Dear Friends: CLAGS's mission to nurture LGBT scholarship means that we're often looking into the past and into the future at the same time, remembering the queer past as we encourage cutting-edge scholarship. This feels especially true right now, since we're preparing for our 20th anniversary and putting the finishing touches on our historic (in all senses of the word) conference, "In Amerika They Call Us Dykes: Lesbian Lives in the 1970s."

Black Lesbians In The 70s, Shawn(Ta) Smith-Cruz

Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS)

During the initial planning session for In Amerika They Call Us Dykes: Lesbian Lives in the 70s Spring Series, there was lack of clarity about the activity of Black Lesbians in the early part of the 1970s. The aim for Black Lesbian Herstory in the 70s: An At Home Tour and Guide to the Black Lesbian Herstory of the Collection was to present information to the lesbian community and increase Black Lesbian invisibility.

"I Am", Sonali Gulati

Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS)

It was the summer of 1999 in Toronto at my very first public screening of my film titled "sum total" that someone asked me what my next film project was. And I had barely formalized my ideas in my head but I spoke from my heart and spoke of this film about parents of gay and lesbian youth living in India. It had only been a year and a half since my mother had passed away and that feeling of regret of not having come out to her before she died was on my mind.