Digital Commons Network^™

A History Of Peer-Led Team Learning, 1990-2012, A.E. Dreyfuss

Publications and Research

From Workshop Chemistry in 1991 at the City College of New York, CUNY, to implementation in other disciplines and development of Peer-Led Team Learning and its Six Critical Components, this paper reviews the contributions of faculty at a variety of higher education institutions to the dissemination and growth of PLTL as a successful model of student engagement with the position of the student Peer Leader.

The Course Development For Microcomputer Systems Technology: Preliminary Study, Yu Wang, Alex Wong, Aparicio Carranza

Publications and Research

The course of Microcomputer Systems Technology has been one of the core courses in the Computer Engineering Technology curriculum (Bachelor of Technology in CET) at the New York City College of Technology of the City University of New York. The Intel microprocessor in PC based computer was the chosen hardware in this course. The assembly and C++ languages were crucial tools in the study of microprocessor organization. We currently focused mainly on the topic of PC computer parallel interface technology. However, we did not pay particular attention to the integration of current programmable peripheral components, such as USB (universal serial …

Greece In Crisis: An Interview With Despina Lalaki, Despina Lalaki

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Finding Room For Everyone: Libraries Confront Social Exclusion, Jen Hoyer

Publications and Research

Communities that are working to combat exclusion have greater potential for success if they enlist the support of public libraries, which are in many ways ideally situated to welcome marginalized populations and provide programs and services that combat social exclusion. This chapter explains how this adaptability in response to social problems fits with the mandate of public libraries; examines why and how libraries should confront social exclusion; and looks at the Atwater Library and Computer Centre (ALCC) in Westmount, Québec, as an illustration of how this has been successfully accomplished.

Status Configurations, Military Service And Higher Education, Lin Wang, Glen H. Elder, Naomi J. Spence

Publications and Research

The U.S. Armed Forces offer educational and training benefits as incentives for service. This study investigates the influence of status configurations on military enlistment and their link to greater educational opportunity. Three statuses (socioeconomic status of origin, cognitive ability and academic performance) have particular relevance for life course options. We hypothesize that young men with inconsistent statuses are more likely to enlist than men with consistent status profiles, and that military service improves access to college for certain configurations. Analyses of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) show (1. that several status configurations markedly increased the likelihood …

Circularized Synthetic Oligodeoxynucleotides Serve As Promoterless Rna Polymerase Iii Templates For Small Rna Generation In Human Cells, Christine I. Seidl, Lodoe Lama, Kevin Ryan

Publications and Research

Synthetic RNA formulations and viral vectors are the two main approaches for delivering small therapeutic RNA to human cells. Here we report findings supporting an alternative strategy in which an endogenous human RNA polymerase (RNAP) is harnessed to make RNA hairpin-containing small RNA from synthetic single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides. We report that circularizing a DNA template strand encoding a pre-microRNA hairpin mimic can trigger its circumtranscription by human RNAP III in vitro and in human cells. Sequence and secondary structure preferences that appear to promote productive transcription are described. The circular topology of the template is required for productive transcription, at …

Src Activation By Β-Adrenoreceptors Is A Key Switch For Tumor Metastasis, Guillermo N. Armaiz-Pena, Julie K. Allen, Anthony Cruz, Rebecca L. Stone, Alpa M. Nick, Yvonne G. Lin, Liz Y. Han, Lingegowda S. Mangala, Gabriel J. Villares, Pablo Vivas-Mejia, Cristian Rodriguez-Aquayo, Archana S. Nagaraja, Kshipra M. Gharpure, Zheng Wu, Robert D. English, Kizhake V. Soman, Mian M. K. Shazhad, Maya Zigler, Michael T. Deavers, Alexander Zien, Tom Young

Publications and Research

Norepinephrine (NE) can modulate multiple cellular functions important for cancer progression; however, how this single extracellular signal regulates such a broad array of cellular processes is unknown. Here, we identify Src as a key regulator of phosphoproteomic signaling networks activated in response to beta-adrenergic signaling in cancer cells. These results also identify a new mechanism of Src phosphorylation that mediates beta-adrenergic/PKA regulation of downstream networks, thereby enhancing tumor cell migration, invasion and growth. In human ovarian cancer samples, high tumoral NE levels were correlated with high pSrcY419 levels. Moreover, among cancer patients, the use of beta blockers was significantly associated …

The Role Of Dairy Products And Milk In Adolescent Obesity: Evidence From Hong Kong’S ‘‘Children Of 1997’’ Birth Cohort, Shi Lin Lin, Marie Tarrant, Lai Ling Hui, Man Ki Kwok, Tai Hing Lam, Gabriel M. Leung, Mary Schooling

Publications and Research

Background
Observational studies, mainly from Western populations, suggest dairy consumption is inversely associated with adiposity. However, in these populations the intake range is limited and both diet and obesity may share social patterning. Evidence from non-Western developed settings with different social patterning, is valuable in distinguishing whether observed associations are biologically mediated or socially confounded.

Objective
To examine the associations of milk or other dairy product consumption with adolescent obesity.

Methods
We used multivariable linear regression models to examine the associations of milk or other dairy product consumption, obtained from a food frequency questionnaire, at 11 years with body mass …

Information Content Of Seasonal Forecasts In A Changing Climate, Nir Krakauer, Michael D. Grossberg, Irina Gladkova, Hannah Aizenman

Publications and Research

We study the potential value to stakeholders of probabilistic long-term forecasts, as quantified by the mean information gain of the forecast compared to climatology. We use as a case study the USA Climate Prediction Center (CPC) forecasts of 3-month temperature and precipitation anomalies made at 0.5-month lead time since 1995. Mean information gain was positive but low (about 2% and 0.5% of the maximum possible for temperature and precipitation forecasts, resp.) and has not increased over time. Information-based skill scores showed similar patterns to other, non-information-based, skill scores commonly used for evaluating seasonal forecasts but tended to be smaller, suggesting …

Module-Based Subnetwork Alignments Reveal Novel Transcriptional Regulators In Malaria Parasite Plasmodium Falciparum, Hong Cai, Changjin Hong, Jianying Gu, Timothy G. Lilburn, Rui Kuang, Yufeng Wang

Publications and Research

Background Malaria causes over one million deaths annually, posing an enormous health and economic burden in endemic regions. The completion of genome sequencing of the causative agents, a group of parasites in the genus Plasmodium, revealed potential drug and vaccine candidates. However, genomics-driven target discovery has been significantly hampered by our limited knowledge of the cellular networks associated with parasite development and pathogenesis. In this paper, we propose an approach based on aligning neighborhood PPI subnetworks across species to identify network components in the malaria parasite P. falciparum. Results Instead of only relying on sequence similarities to detect functional orthologs, …

A Building Energy Efficiency Optimization Method By Evaluating The Effective Thermal Zones Occupancy, Anna Laura Pisello, Michael Bobker, Franco Cotana

Publications and Research

Building energy efficiency is strongly linked to the operations and control systems, together with the integrated performance of passive and active systems. In new high quality buildings in particular, where these two latter aspects have been already implemented at the design stage, users’ perspective, obtained through post-occupancy assessment, has to be considered to reduce whole energy requirement during service life. This research presents an innovative and low-cost methodology to reduce buildings’ energy requirements through post-occupancy assessment and optimization of energy operations using effective users’ attitudes and requirements as feedback. As a meaningful example, the proposed method is applied to a …

Lithium Storage Mechanisms In Purpurin Based Organic Lithium Ion Battery Electrodes, Arava Leela Mohana Reddy, Subbiah Nagarajan, Porramate Chumyim, Sanketh R. Gowda, Padmanava Pradhan, Swapnil R. Jadhav, Madan Dubey, George John, Pulickel M. Ajayan

Publications and Research

Current lithium batteries operate on inorganic insertion compounds to power a diverse range of applications, but recently there is a surging demand to develop environmentally friendly green electrode materials. To develop sustainable and eco-friendly lithium ion batteries, we report reversible lithium ion storage properties of a naturally occurring and abundant organic compound purpurin, which is non-toxic and derived from the plant madder. The carbonyl/hydroxyl groups present in purpurin molecules act as redox centers and reacts electrochemically with Li-ions during the charge/discharge process. The mechanism of lithiation of purpurin is fully elucidated using NMR, UV and FTIR spectral studies. The formation …

We Are Also What We Eat With: A Review Of Consider The Fork: A History Of How We Cook And Eat By Bee Wilson, Claire Stewart

Publications and Research

Consider the Fork: A History of How we Cook and Eat, by Bee Wilson discusses how kitchen tools and utensils are not mere inanimate objects. Rather, kitchen tools have shaped the way we cook, and fashioned the manner in which we eat and shaped our civilization in unexpected ways. A book review by Claire Stewart.

Gender Relations Of Space: Impact On Women’S Leadership In Nigeria [Pilot Study], Oluremi Alapo

Publications and Research

This qualitative phenomenological research study examines women in Nigeria and how they continue to face enormous set-backs regarding development and leadership capabilities. The socio and economic roles that many women occupy in Nigerian society affects leadership roles, especially in the context of sexual division of labor and in decision-making. The national and family culture present prevents women to fully adapt to innovative 21st century leadership. Culture is socialized in a person through the shared values of social groups that in turn play key roles in a person’s cognitive, emotional, and social functioning. The national and family culture is one in …

Teaming Up For Safer Cities: A Report From The Implementation Assessment Of The National Forum On Youth Violence Prevention (2012), Jeffrey A. Butts, Caterina Gouvis Roman, Kathleen A. Tomberg

Publications and Research

The efforts inspired by the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention will take time to develop, but survey results from the first 15 months of implementation suggest that the initiative may be generating some important changes. In five communities, survey respondents report a number of potentially valuable improvements. The results imply that the cities involved in the National Forum may be increasing opportunities for youth and improving the extent to which violence prevention approaches draw upon the perspectives and expertise of a broad range of community members. There are also indications that some cities are developing better overall capacity to …

A Yeast Gsk-3 Kinase Mck1 Promotes Cdc6 Degradation To Inhibit Dna Re-Replication, Amy E. Ikui, Valentina Rossio, Lea Schroeder, Satoshi Yoshida

Publications and Research

Cdc6p is an essential component of the pre-replicative complex (pre-RC), which binds to DNA replication origins to promote initiation of DNA replication. Only once per cell cycle does DNA replication take place. After initiation, the pre-RC components are disassembled in order to prevent re-replication. It has been shown that the N-terminal region of Cdc6p is targeted for degradation after phosphorylation by Cyclin Dependent Kinase (CDK). Here we show that Mck1p, a yeast homologue of GSK-3 kinase, is also required for Cdc6 degradation through a distinct mechanism. Cdc6 is an unstable protein and is accumulated in the nucleus only during G1 …

The Value Of Removing Daily Obstacles Via Everyday Problem-Solving Theory: Developing An Applied Novel Procedure To Increase Self-Efficacy For Exercise, Daniele Artistico, Angela Marinilli Pinto, Jill Douek, Justin Black, Lina Pezzuti

Publications and Research

The objective of the study was to develop a novel procedure to increase self-efficacy for exercise. Gains in one’s ability to resolve day-to-day obstacles for entering an exercise routine were expected to cause an increase in self-efficacy for exercise. Fifty-five sedentary participants (did not exercise regularly for at least 4 months prior to the study) who expressed an intention to exercise in the near future were selected for the study. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) an Experimental Group in which they received a problem-solving training session to learn new strategies for solving day-to-day obstacles that …

A Study Of The Effect Of Heat-Treatment On The Morphology Of Nafion Ionomer Dispersion For Use In The Passive Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (Dmfc), Ting Yuan, Haifeng Zhang, Zhiqing Zou, Sufia Khatun, Daniel Akins, Yara Adam, Sophia Suarez

Publications and Research

Aggregation in heat-treated Nafion ionomer dispersion and 117 membrane are investigated by 1H and 19F Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectra, spin-lattice relaxation time, and self-diffusion coefficient measurements. Results demonstrate that heat-treatment affects the average Nafion particle size in aqueous dispersions. Measurements on heat-treated Nafion 117 membrane show changes in the 1H isotropic chemical shift and no significant changes in ionic conductivity. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis of prepared cathode catalyst layer containing the heat-treated dispersions reveals that the surface of the electrode with the catalyst ink that has been pretreated at ca. 80 °C exhibits a compact and uniform morphology. …

Role Of Epidermal Growth Factor-Triggered Pi3k/Akt Signaling In The Migration Of Medulloblastoma-Derived Cells, Veronica Dudu, Richard A. Able, Jr., Veronica Rotari, Qingjun Kong, Maribel Vazquez

Publications and Research

Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common brain cancer diagnosed among children. The cellular pathways that regulate MB invasion in response to environmental cues remain incompletely understood. Herein, we examine the migratory response of human MB-derived Daoy cells to different concentration profiles of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) using a microfluidic system. Our findings provide the first quantitative evidence that EGF concentration gradients modulate the chemotaxis of MB-derived cells in a dose-dependent manner via the EGF receptor (EGF-R). Data illustrates that higher concentration gradients caused increased number of cells to migrate. In addition, our results show that EGF-induced receptor phosphorylation triggered the …

James Baldwin, Flannery O’Connor, And The Ethics Of Anguish, Carole K. Harris

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Species Shout-Outs From Abdul To Zebra: Encouraging Nonmajors To Communicate In The Biology Classroom, Christina P. Colon

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

On The Social Construction Of Hellenism Cold War Narratives Of Modernity, Development And Democracy For Greece, Despina Lalaki

Publications and Research

Hellenism is one of those overarching, ever-changing narratives always subject to historical circumstances, intellectual fashions and political needs. Conversely, it is fraught with meaning and conditioning powers, enabling and constraining imagination and practical life. In this essay I tease out the hold that the idea of Hellas has had on post-war Greece and I explore the ways in which the American anti-communist rhetoric and discussions about political and economic stabilization appropriated and rearticulated Hellenism. Central to this history of transformations are the archaeologists; the archaeologists as intellectuals, as producers of culture who, while stepping in and out of their disciplinary …

The Effect Of Weight Loss On Changes In Health-Related Quality Of Life Among Overweight And Obese Women With Urinary Incontinence, Angela Marinilli Pinto, Leslee L. Subak, Sanae Nakagawa, Eric Vittinghoff, Rena R. Wing, John W. Kusek, William H. Herman, Delia Smith West, Miriam Kuppermann

Publications and Research

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the effect of change in weight and change in urinary incontinence (UI) frequency on changes in preference-based measures of health-related quality of life (HRQL) among overweight and obese women with UI participating in a weight loss trial.

METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal cohort analysis of 338 overweight and obese women with UI enrolled in a randomized clinical trial comparing a behavioral weight loss intervention to an educational control condition. At baseline, 6, and 18 months, health utilities were estimated using the Health Utilities Index Mark 3 (HUI3), a transformation of the SF-36 to the preference-based SF-6D, and …

Attack Rates Assessment Of The 2009 Pandemic H1n1 Influenza A In Children And Their Contacts: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Aharona Glatman-Freedman, Ian Portelli, Susan K. Jacobs, Justin I. Mathew, Jonathan E. Slutzman, Lewis R. Goldfrank, Silas W. Smith

Publications and Research

Background The recent H1N1 influenza A pandemic was marked by multiple reports of illness and hospitalization in children, suggesting that children may have played a major role in the propagation of the virus. A comprehensive detailed analysis of the attack rates among children as compared with their contacts in various settings is of great importance for understanding their unique role in influenza pandemics. Methodology/Principal Findings We searched MEDLINE (PubMed) and Embase for published studies reporting outbreak investigations with direct measurements of attack rates of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza A among children, and quantified how these compare with those of …

Mobile First Web And Content Strategy, Stefanie Havelka, David Stevens

Publications and Research

The paradigm shift from the traditional desktop to the mobile web experience is fast approaching, and providing relevant date, location and time-sensitive content to users via mobile devices becomes an essential piece of the overall web strategy. This presentation demonstrates the concepts, techniques and technologies used to develop both the overall mobile content strategy and user experience, as well as the aggregation and delivery of content to both the desktop and mobile form factors from a single content source.

Reporting Financial Performance: The Key To Resolving Many Vexatious Accounting Standard Setting Issues?, Thomas J. Linsmeier

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Financial Services Consolidation And Performance In New York State Savings And Loan Associations, 2000-2011, Mine Aysen Doyran

Publications and Research

The market structure-performance relationship has been tested for US banking in industrial organization studies. Two divergent hypotheses with regard to this relationship are the Structure-Conduct-Performance (SCP) Paradigm and Efficient Structure Hypothesis (ESH). This paper presents the test results of both hypotheses with respect to the New York State S&L associations using the time-series and cross sectional (firm-level) data for the most recent period 2000-2010. The results of PEGLS regression indicate that performances of S&Ls vary with respect to operating cost, credit risk and capitalization. Neither market share nor concentration, however, plays a significant role in explaining profitability. The results partially …

Effects Of Motivation On Reward And Attentional Networks: An Fmri Study, Iliyan Ivanov, Xun Liu, Suzanne Clerkin, Kurt Schulz, Karl Friston, Jeffrey H. Newcorn, Jin Fan

Publications and Research

Existing evidence suggests that reward and attentional networks function in concert and that activation in one system influences the other in a reciprocal fashion; however, the nature of these influences remains poorly understood. We therefore developed a three-component task to assess the interaction effects of reward anticipation and conflict resolution on the behavioral performance and the activation of brain reward and attentional systems. Sixteen healthy adult volunteers aged 21–45 years were scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while performing the task. A two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with cue (reward vs. non-reward) and target (congruent vs. incongruent) …

Effects Of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome On Adaptation Of Multi-Digit Forces To Object Mass Distribution For Whole-Hand Manipulation, Wei Zhang, Jamie A. Johnston, Mark A. Ross, Brandon J. Coakley, Elizabeth A. Gleason, Amylou C. Dueck, Marco Santello

Publications and Research

Background Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a compression neuropathy of the median nerve that results in sensorimotor deficits in the hand. Until recently, the effects of CTS on hand function have been studied using mostly two-digit grip tasks. The purpose of this study was to investigate the coordination of multi-digit forces as a function of object center of mass (CM) during whole-hand grasping. Methods Fourteen CTS patients and age- and gender-matched controls were instructed to grasp, lift, hold, and release a grip device with five digits for seven consecutive lifts while maintaining its vertical orientation. The object CM was changed …

Gene Flow On Ice: The Role Of Sea Ice And Whaling In Shaping Holarctic Genetic Diversity And Population Differentiation In Bowhead Whales (Balaena Mysticetus), S Elizabeth Alter, Howard C. Rosenbaum, Lianne D. Postma, Peter Whitridge, Cork Gaines, Diana Weber, Mary G. Egan, Melissa Lindsay, George Amato, Larry Dueck, Robert L. Brownell, Mads-Peter Heide-Jørgensen, Kristin L. Laidre, Gisella Caccone, Brittany L. Hancock

Publications and Research

Sea ice is believed to be a major factor shaping gene flow for polar marine organisms, but it remains unclear to what extent it represents a true barrier to dispersal for arctic cetaceans. Bowhead whales are highly adapted to polar sea ice and were targeted by commercial whalers throughout Arctic and subarctic seas for at least four centuries, resulting in severe reductions in most areas. Both changing ice conditions and reductions due to whaling may have affected geographic distribution and genetic diversity throughout their range, but little is known about range-wide genetic structure or whether it differed in the past. …