Digital Commons Network^™

Concurrent Parasympathetic Synchrony In Romantic Couples Exposed To Childhood Maltreatment Subtypes, Kate L. Senich

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Early responsive caregiving hones children’s physiological systems and subsequently supports social interactions (Feldman, 2007; Porges 2001; Steelman et al, 2002). Conversely, mis-attuned interactions with caregivers, such as exposure to maltreatment subtypes, might hinder social engagement capacities at both behavioral and biological levels (Kim & Cicchetti, 2004; Sheridan & McLaughlin et al., 2014). These early adverse influences endure across development and can affect behavioral and physiological interactions with romantic partners (Mayo et al., 2021; River et al., 2020; Zamir, 2022). Specifically, temporally coordinated patterns of physiological responses between partners (i.e., synchrony) are linked with important relationship behaviors, including conflict behaviors …

Impact Of The New York State Gender Recognition Act On Mental Health Outcomes Among Non-Binary Adults Served By The New York Public Mental Health System, Sahil Chaudhry

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation explores the impact of the 2021 New York State Gender Recognition Act (GRA) on mental health outcomes and service utilization among non-binary adults in the public mental health system. The GRA introduced pivotal legal reforms—including the option for an “X” gender marker and self-attestation for gender identity changes on state-issued documents—designed to affirm gender diversity and reduce structural barriers for transgender and non-binary populations. Guided by gender affirmation theory and minority stress frameworks, this study investigates how these legal shifts relate to changes in mental health service engagement and psychological well-being among non-binary individuals.

Using a difference-in-differences (DD) …

Large Landlords, Code Violations, And Eviction Filing: Evidence From Albany, Ny, Andy Kaier

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Eviction is a major contributor to cycles of urban poverty, and a growing body of research has documented eviction’s harmful effects. This study finds that landlord size and the number of code violations associated with the landlord’s portfolio both predict higher numbers of eviction filings. Using eviction filing data and newly available code violation data from Albany, NY in 2023 and 2024, this study examines landlord characteristics and their association with eviction filing. This study also examines public housing, finding that the Albany Housing Authority is the largest eviction filer in Albany in the study period. These findings are concerning …

Molecular Epidemiologic Studies Of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Me/Cfs), Anil Kumar

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Background: Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)/chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a disabling multisystem complex disorder with no known etiology or approved treatment. Our studies aimed to assess the link between ME/CFS and autoimmune disease (AID) and cancer, and to identify potential biomarkers and biological mechanisms to further explore pathophysiology of this diseases.

Methods: All analyses were done using data from a case-control study of ME/CFS conducted by Dr. Roxana Moslehi and her collaborators. In our first study we estimated the cumulative incidences of AID and cancer among first degree relatives of 60 cases and 61 controls and compared cumulative …

Emergent Sites Of Language Contact: Lexical Borrowing By Mexican Bilingual Speakers In Live-Streamed Tabletop Games, Ethan Sims

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The field of contact linguistics has investigated numerous sites of contact between languages and the resulting phenomena (Poplack et al.; 1988, for example); however, there remain many contact sites that have yet to be analyzed. The present dissertation views the lexical evidence of language contact between English and Spanish via the medium of live-streamed tabletop role-playing games. These games, often lacking accessible translations in languages other than English, have become a popular pastime over the last decade, which has increased the amount of contact between the two languages. Dungeons and Dragons, a roleplaying game which typically deals with fantasy elements, …

"Can We See How It Works?" The Interactions Among Teacher, Student, And Content At A Living History Museum, Stacy E. Ward

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Today’s students need to be critical consumers of information. To that end, a thoughtful social studies curriculum provides students an opportunity to gain content knowledge and to practice thinking skills. However, elementary teachers, especially primary grade (K-2) teachers, often do not possess the skills and content knowledge to teach rich historical content and thinking skills. Teachers can partner with museum professionals and access museum content in this endeavor. Living history museums, immersive museums that interpret multiple buildings, trades, and heritage breed animals, hold the potential to be a strong partner for primary grade students, who are only 5-, 6- and, …

Demonstration And Assessment Of Dark Field And Phase X-Ray Computed Tomography, Wadiah Hamed Allahyani

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Conventional computed tomography produces a 2D slice or 3D image from multiple conventional images to avoid overlapping structures and increase visualization of the internal features of the object. A set up, macro controls and processing for computed tomography was created for the Center for X-ray Optics for the first time, and demonstrated in this work. Adding differential phase contrast to conventional x-ray images highlights edges. Two more channels of information, dark field and integrated phase, improve the contrast and increase the signal-to-noise ratios of the image. Combining these channels with computed tomography is an important development. This work is the …

Large Scale Machine Learning Over Knowledge Graphs, Bedirhan Gergin

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Knowledge graphs (KGs) have become popular across various fields, providing convenient access to web-based knowledge while storing and formalizing domain-specific information. By analyzing KGs, patterns, connections, and dependencies can be identified across different data sources, enabling the inference of new knowledge from given facts. As the use of KGs expands, the size of modern KGs has grown significantly, making them impossible to process within the main memory of a single computer. Distributed computing offers a viable solution to this challenge by leveraging the combined capabilities of multiple servers within a cluster. This thesis explores how distributed computing can be effectively …

Student And Teacher Perceptions Of Student Capabilities And Their Relationships To Learning Experiences In A High-Poverty Rural School, Amanda J. Zullo

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Background and Purpose. This study was designed to identify, delineate, and explain the significant factors contributing to high school students’ relatively better graduation outcomes in a high-poverty rural region in New York State. Emphasis was placed on identifying key characteristics of the relationships between students’ and teachers’ perceptions of student capabilities and the qualities of student learning experiences. This study drew upon secondary data from a two-phase study of positive outlier schools identified as having significantly better graduation rates than other schools with similar demographic profiles. Informed by Mindset Theory and Authentic Learning Theory, the study examined how personal, social, …

Modeling Feature And Instance Interactions In Longitudinal Data For Improved Performance, Khandker Sadia Rahman

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Tabular data has been a core representation format in machine learning, widely used in high-stakes domains such as healthcare, finance, and social services. In many of these domains, data is collected longitudinally, capturing sequences of events and evolving feature values for the same entities over time. Despite its prevalence, most machine learning approaches assume mutual independence between features and independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) instances. However, these assumptions limit effectiveness in settings where features and entities exhibit complex interdependencies. Moreover, existing approaches frequently overlook a critical dimension: the real-world impact of the decisions informed by model predictions. This thesis addresses …

Exploring Rna Dynamics: Insights Into Structural Modifications, Splicing Regulation, And Biological Function, Zohreh Nowzari

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The post-transcriptional regulation of RNA, particularly through alternative splicing (AS) and chemical modifications, plays a critical role in gene expression and is linked to many human diseases. This thesis investigates three interconnected aspects of RNA and DNA dynamics and their regulation, providing new insights into cellular function.

First, we examine how RNA modifications influence the structural stability of transfer RNA Phenylalanine (tRNA^Phe) in S. cerevisiae. Using temperature replica exchange molecular dynamics (T-REMD) simulations, we show that specific modifications create a network of interactions essential for maintaining tRNA’s tertiary structure. Interestingly, magnesium ions (Mg2+) can compensate for the …

Can Deliberate Practice For Inner Skills Enhance Therapist Trainees’ Mindfulness And Presence When Working With Clients?, Edmund W. Orlowski Iii

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

A replicated single-case design was used to assess the effectiveness of therapist trainees’ engagement in deliberate practice for inner psychotherapy skills (Rousmaniere, 2019). Deliberate practice (DP) is a structured approach to therapist skill development that involves repeatedly observing and responding to real or simulated clients (Rousmaniere, 2016). It was reasoned that by attending to their inner experience while repeatedly being exposed to challenging clinical material (e.g., a client’s suicidal ideation) outside of therapy, trainees may reduce their experiential avoidance and thus be more mindful and present in sessions with actual clients.

During the five-week baseline phase of the study, four …

Paraconsistency In Legal Systems: Why Not To Evaluate The Law With Classical Logic, Sydney Coddington

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The following paper puts forth an argument for the analysis of legal systems via paraconsistent logics instead of classical logic due to the existence of legal dialetheia - true contradictions born from the law. Given that contradictions lead to absurdity in classical logic, a paraconsistent perspective becomes the clear choice once the existence of legal dialetheia is established. The first half of this argument, therefore, aims to support the work of Graham Priest in establishing legal dialetheia by explaining his view and combatting his opponent, J.C. Beall, who finds such dialetheia to fail beyond the limited scope of a legal …

Issues And Challenges In Silicon Based Quantum Computing, Rafia Ayub

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Silicon-based quantum computing has emerged as a promising platform for scalable and fault-tolerant quantum information processing. This thesis investigates the use of silicon quantum dots as qubits, addressing a key limitation in their implementation—charge noise and decoherence. We explore the physical and electronic properties of silicon quantum dots, focusing on their coherence times, tunability, and compatibility with existing semiconductor fabrication technologies. Through theoretical analysis and numerical simulations, we examine the impact of material imperfections and propose strategies to mitigate decoherence effects, thereby enhancing qubit stability. Additionally, we discuss potential pathways for integrating silicon quantum dots into large-scale quantum architectures. Our …

Managing Artificial Intelligence In The Public Sector: Adoption, Implementation, And Results, Tzuhao Chen

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), governments around the world are increasingly exploring how AI can enhance decision-making and improve public service delivery. A growing body of research has examined governmental use of AI, offering insights into several key areas: (1) domains of application, (2) potential benefits and risks of AI initiatives, and (3) adoption and implementation processes, including critical determinants and results. However, two significant gaps remain in the literature. First, there is limited understanding of how the unique characteristics of AI may transform government service delivery and internal operations. Second, while many studies on AI-related managerial …

Integrable Deformations, T-Dualities And Higher Order Corrections In String Theory, Parita Shah

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This thesis explores the interplay of hidden symmetries and dualities in string theory, with a particular emphasis on the role of T-duality. As a fundamental symmetry of string theory, T-duality offers a powerful lens through which one can study integrability, solution-generating techniques, and quantum corrections, all essential aspects of modern string theoretic frameworks.

A central focus of this work is the application of the duality covariant formalism of Double Field Theory (DFT) to address problems involving integrable deformations and higher-order quantum corrections. We examine how generalized integrable models can be embedded into DFT and how the formalism captures hidden symmetries …

Essays On Health Economics, Quan Qi

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The first chapter examines whether Medicare Part D---the largest expansion of Medicare in recent decades---had a lasting impact on retirement behavior by providing subsidized prescription drug coverage to older adults. We employ a difference-in-difference-in-differences framework that compares changes in labor supply among individuals aged 65–68 versus 55–64 in a treatment group with employer-sponsored retiree health insurance (RHI) only until age 65, relative to a control group with lifetime RHI, before and after the 2006 implementation of Part D. Using data from Health and Retirement Study (2000-2018), we find that Part D reduces full-time employment by 6.52 percentage points among the …

Development Of Dna Nanoswitches With Aptamer Based Detection For Thrombin, Camryn A. Beckles

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Bio-transducers are devices capable of converting the binding signals from molecular recognition events into readable signals for analytical detection. There is a need for modular bio-transducers that can specifically detect a wide range of analytes using a unified readout technique, as this approach could dramatically reduce costs of healthcare diagnostics and environmental monitoring.

To create such a modular transducer, the molecular recognition properties of aptamers will be used and integrated with the already established biosensing capabilities of DNA nanoswitches that reconfigure their shape in the presence of their target molecule. In this design, the detector strands of the nanoswitch will …

Immersive Extended Reality For Lower Limb Rehabilitation: Design, Deployment, And Pilot Study, Jeremy Varghese

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This thesis presents the design, deployment, and pilot study of an immersive extended-reality (XR) rehabilitation system integrated with a ceiling-mounted dynamic body-weight support device (Vector Gait and Safety System), aimed at improving lower-limb rehabilitation out- comes. The implemented system combined immersive virtual tasks—such as Touch Wall, Ball Launcher, Obstacle Dodge, and Stepping Stones—with real-time movement tracking, enabling detailed kinematic analysis and personalized therapy. A pilot study conducted at Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital involved seven patients with various mobility impairments, providing quantitative performance metrics and quali- tative user feedback. Results demonstrated consistent patient engagement, measurable im- provements in gait speed and task …

Dynamics Of Mesoscale Offshore Wind Flows From An Observational And Modeling Perspective: Implications For Offshore Wind Energy, Elizabeth J. Mccabe

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Mid-latitude coastal regions of the United States, such as the New York Bight (NYB), are playing a major role in the development of offshore wind energy. However, mesoscale dynamics of local and regional circulations in these offshore waters are poorly understood. The sea breeze, especially in the NYB, will play a key role in the development of offshore wind energy, given the favorable wind speeds and high capacity factors during periods of peak demand. With limited vertical wind profile observations available offshore, the ability to accurately forecast and understand the spatiotemporal extent of the sea breeze and often associated low-level …

Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis Of Single-Case Experimental Design Data: A Comparison Of Bayesian And Restricted Maximum Likelihood Estimation, Yukang Xue

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Two-stage individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis can be used to synthesize intervention effects from single-case experimental design (SCED) studies with multilevel modeling. However, various challenges exist at both stages, including standardizing the intervention effect size, accounting for autocorrelation, and estimating the between-study and between-case variances. While both restricted maximum likelihood estimation (REML) and Bayesian estimation can be used to estimate model parameters, REML has been more commonly applied despite the potential advantages offered by Bayesian methods. Moreover, no methodological studies have focused on Bayesian estimation in the context of meta-analysis of SCED studies, let alone when IPD meta-analysis (often recommended …

The Role Of The Nasal Migratory Mass In Olfactory Bulb Formation And Fertility, Charisse Martin

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The olfactory migratory mass plays an essential role in the development of the olfactory bulb by facilitating the migration of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons from the olfactory placode to the pre-optic hypothalamic area in the brain. In mammals, the migration of GnRH neurons is critical for establishing the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG axis), which regulates reproductive function through the production and secretion of gonadotropins. Luteinizing hormone (LH) and Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) instruct the gonads to function appropriately, ensuring sexual maturation and fertility. Disruptions in this migratory pathway have been linked with Kallmann syndrome, a condition characterized by low levels of GnRH, …

Street Outreach And Reentry: The Role Of Community Violence Intervention In The Reintegration Of Returning Citizens, Hilary Jackl

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Amidst ongoing efforts to reduce the nation’s prison population, as well as calls to defund the police and invest in civilianized public safety strategies following the murder of George Floyd, community-based violence intervention (CVI) strategies have been increasingly recognized as a critical means by which to ameliorate the United States’ enduring gun violence problem without exacerbating the harms of overpolicing and mass incarceration. However, most contemporary CVI research has assessed program impacts on neighborhood rates of gun violence and has produced conflicting findings, leading scholars to call for the need to examine a wider range of program-related functions and outcomes. …

Author-Centered Approaches In Ela Instruction: A Multiple Case Study Of Secondary English Teachers, Jennifer M. Lockhart Mchugh

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Literary authors are often neglected in secondary ELA (English Language Arts) literary instruction. Teachers are unsure how to teach about the author and how much time to spend on establishing the context for the text when the goal is to “cover” a variety of literary texts as part of a planned curriculum during the school year. Acknowledging the role of authors’ intentions as well as their experiences and aesthetic decisions in the production of literature may provide new entry points into literary texts for students. This multiple-case study of secondary English teachers and their high school students in a “bounded …

Analysis Of Cytokine Data In A Case-Control Study Of Me/Cfs, Navya Amaratunga

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This study investigated the role of cytokines in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), a debilitating multi-system disease with unknown etiology. Using data from a case-control study (60 cases, 61 controls) previously collected by Dr. Roxana Moslehi’s lab, serum levels of 48 cytokines were analyzed. Statistical analyses, including T-tests, Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests, and logistic regression (unadjusted and adjusted for medication use), were performed to identify differences between cases and controls.

Results revealed a statistically significant difference in mean Fractalkine levels between cases and controls (p=0.031). Borderline significant differences were also observed for IL-6 (p=0.046) and MIP-1α (p=0.046). Unadjusted logistic regression …

The Effects Of Mindfulness On Chronic Pain In Children And Adolescents: A Systematic Review, Sophie Parks

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Mindfulness and mindfulness-based interventions have become increasingly popular in recent years. Typically, mindfulness-based interventions and their effects on mental health and/or adult populations have been explored in the literature. Limited research has been completed looking at mindfulness’ impacts on other facets, including chronic pain symptoms. Additionally, some research has been conducted to analyze mindfulness and its effects on school aged children and their day-to-day functioning with promising results. In this systematic literature review, mindfulness interventions and their effects on children and adolescents who experience chronic pain were explored. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework was …

Effects Of Actualized Language Policy On Ukrainian Stability, 1989-2022, Dawn Hersey

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation seeks to generate a new perspective of the complicated relationship between actualized policy and stability through looking at Ukraine’s language policies and stability in a mixed manner approach that includes both primary and secondary sources. Russia justified its irridentist activities through claiming to protect Russian nationals within Ukraine’s borders: language policies within Ukraine appear to be a trigger for Russian antagonism. Neither Russian irridentism nor Ukrainian nationalism are being considered as right or wrong in this dissertation: the intent is to highlight trends, patterns, and perceptions in alignment with Ukrainian language policy. This dissertation does not present a …

The Dynamics Of Mystical Experiences: Interaction Effects And Distinct Contributions Of Meq-30 Factors, Genevieve Falabella

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Many participants in clinical trials of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) report mystical experiences. Researchers often use the 30-item Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ-30) to measure mystical experiences. Several studies have validated a four-factor structure of the MEQ-30, but only as a subset of items within broader versions of the scale (e.g., MEQ-43). As such, the factor structure of the standalone MEQ-30 remains unvalidated in English. Additionally, some data suggest that certain factors might be more strongly associated with psychedelic-associated outcomes than others, which could provide insight to enhance the therapeutic potential of PAT. The aim of this study was to examine the …

On The Application Of The Diaconis-Holmes-Neal Sampler To Unimodal Underlying Probabilities, Christopher J. Lange

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Upon the introduction of the Metropolis et. al (1953) [6] algorithm, the question of how many steps in the Markov chain were needed to achieve convergence to stationarity became apparent. Eventually it was found that the convergence was rather slow, i.e. for a process on n states the number of steps needed to achieve convergence to stationarity was found to be on the order of n². [8]

The obvious problem with Metropolis et. al (1953) is that the Markov chain is reversible. [6] In other words, for any state j we can move from j to j + …

Epitaxial Quantum Dot Scintillators With Monolithic Photodetector Integration: Physics, Fabrication And Characterization Of Materials And Devices, Allan Oreave Minns

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation discloses the physics, fabrication, and characterization of high-performance scintillator detectors based on epitaxial InAs quantum dots (QDs) in GaAs. The detector crystals grown include monolithically integrated In_0.35GaAs photodetectors with Al_0.92-0.6In_0.03-0.35Ga_0.05As metamorphic buffer layers (MBL). A device fabrication process was developed for the lithographic patterning, chemical etching, contact metallization and readout integration of materials grown by means of molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on 3-inch GaAs (001) wafers. Low capacitance integration with readout electronics was achieved through wire bonds to custom printed circuit boards (PCBs) with commercial components.

The relationship between device …