Digital Commons Network^™

Diversity, Genomics And Antimicrobial Resistance Of Coagulase-Negative Staphylococcus: A Literature Review, Kathleen Okeefe

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Members of the gram-positive bacterial genus Staphylococcus have historically been classified into coagulase-positive Staphylococcus (CoPS) and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS). This classification is based on the ability of clotting of plasma by the coagulase enzyme, which converts fibrinogen to fibrin. CoNS species are ubiquitous commensals that frequently colonize the skin and mucosal surfaces. They are also opportunistic pathogens implicated in many human and animal infections. The evolutionary history of CoNS has generally been overlooked because of the historical lack of recognition for their clinical importance and poor taxonomic sampling. They are often perceived as being less or non-pathogenic, especially compared to …

Antibody-Induced Multicellular Behaviors Of Salmonella Typhimurium, Samantha K. Lindberg

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Salmonella enterica is a globally distributed bacterial pathogen that is commonly acquired through consumption of contaminated food and water. The enterica subspecies includes over 1500 unique subvariants, or serovars, that are classified by antigen presentation. Due to its global environmental prevalence, broad host range, and increasing pathogenicity, serovar Typhimurium is of particular concern for human and animal health, as well as food safety. Once in the gastrointestinal tract, Salmonella Typhimurium (STm) exploits host immune mechanisms, implements an arsenal of virulence factors, and outcompetes the microbiota to invade the intestinal epithelium. While STm infections are generally self-limiting and relatively mild, emerging …

Resources To Study The Isoforms Of The P53 Family Of Transcription Factors, Dana L. Woodstock

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The p53 family of transcription factors regulates diverse gene regulatory networks such as those involved in DNA damage repair, epidermal commitment, and neuronal development. As a result, dysfunction in these pathways lead to numerous human health conditions, including multiple types of cancer and craniofacial developmental disorders. Each family member regulates a distinct gene network leading to varied cellular and organismal phenotypes, but all are capable of regulating programmed cell death, likely due to considerable similarity between protein structure and binding sites in DNA. Analysis of these shared and distinct functions is complicated by each p53 family member gene (TP53, TP63, …

Weaving A Tapestry Of Community Based Child Trafficking Interventions In High-Trafficking Incidence Areas In Ghana, Crispin Mbamba

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Background: This dissertation addresses the urgent issue of child trafficking in high-incidence areas of Ghana, where sociocultural, economic, and structural factors sustain and exacerbate this complex social challenge. The rationale for the study is grounded in the need for a holistic understanding of child trafficking beyond traditional justice-based approaches. The research emphasizes the necessity of community-led interventions informed by local cultural norms and protective values that have been largely unexplored in the Ghanaian context. Specifically, this dissertation applies an integrative approach, rooted in the Ubuntu philosophy, to explore community interdependence as a central component of sustainable anti-trafficking interventions.

Methods: …

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 + …

Climate Change In The Local News: The Role Of Community Characteristics In Shaping Themes And Diversity, Hyerim Jo

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Despite widespread recognition of climate change and its localized impacts, research on how local media cover this topic remains limited. The first study of this dissertation analyzes 15,788 opinion articles published from 2013 to 2020 by 391 local newspapers in the United States to examine their volume, topics, and thematic emphases. Using automated text analysis methods, including Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) and Analysis of Topic Model Networks (ANTMN), the study identifies 11 topics and three overarching themes. Findings indicate that the volume, topics, and themes evolved over time, likely influenced by the severity of climate-induced hazards and political and socioeconomic …

The Response Of Tropopause Phenomena To Stratospheric Variability: Rossby Wave Breaking And Tropopause Polar Vortices, Cameron R. Paquette

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Variability in the high-latitude wintertime stratospheric flow, often referred to as the stratospheric polar vortex, can precede anomalous conditions in tropospheric flow on subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) timescales and impact surface weather. The range of stratospheric impacts on tropospheric conditions range from shifts in the North Atlantic storm tracks, formation of cold spells, and development of extreme precipitation. Impacts of stratospheric variability are known to persist for up to 60 days, providing ample windows of opportunity in forecasting on S2S timescales. This dissertation focuses on the stratospheric impacts on tropopause-level processes, such as Rossby wave breaking (RWB) events and tropopause polar vortices …

A Theoretical And Empirical Adaptation Of Signaling Theory For Digital Communication: Examining Organizational Brand Identity And Credibility, Victoria Barbeisch

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation adapts signaling theory for digital communication and tests its relevance in strategic communication, specifically concerning unobservable organizational traits like brand identity values. Signaling theory explains how parties with unequal information (senders/signalers and receivers) use signals to bridge knowledge gaps and influence decision-making. While rooted in biology and economics, its application in computer-mediated communication (CMC) remains limited. This research addresses this gap through two primary aims. Aim 1 presents the first comprehensive theoretical adaptation of signaling theory for digital communication, consolidating fragmented research across multiple disciplines. Aim 2 investigates the theory's relevance in strategic communication related to unobservable brand …

Intention-Setting Among Recreational Psychedelic Users: Associated Acute Effects And Changes In Well-Being, Zi Ling Fiona Low

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Psychedelic intentions play an important role in shaping acute psychedelic experiences and influencing long-term outcomes. Limited existing literature suggests that different types of intentions are linked to acute experiences and outcomes in varying ways. However, data on the types of intentions set by recreational users remain scarce, and their effects lack clarity. This study investigates intention-setting practices among recreational psychedelic users, aiming to establish a taxonomy of intentions in naturalistic use contexts and clarify user perspectives on the impact of intention-setting. We also examine how domain-specific intentions correlate with acute psychedelic effects and changes in well-being. Finally, we test a …

Integration Of Theoretical Frameworks For Problematic Exercise: Toward A Comprehensive Model Of Maladaptive And Adaptive Exercise, Christina M. Sanzari

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Exercise can promote health and well-being, and yet a proportion of individuals who exercise develop a maladaptive relationship with physical activity. Problematic exercise is often associated with significant impairment and psychological distress, yet a consensus has not been reached regarding how problematic exercise should be conceptualized. The literature distinguishes between primary exercise dependence, or excessive exercise driven by its intrinsic reinforcement, and secondary exercise dependence, or excessive exercise driven by compensatory motivations related to weight and shape concerns. However, to date, little is known about the prevalence and nature of exercise dependence in the absence of eating pathology. This incongruity …

Relational Mechanisms In Residential Eating Disorder Treatment: A Moderated Mediation Analysis, Bethany Ah Crawford

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Background. Eating Disorders (ED), previously described as a “disease of disconnection,” appear to have differing trajectories of treatment and behavior change based, in part, on feelings of connectedness to others during and outside of treatment. Patient experience of Relational Connectedness is not well-explored in ED treatment compared to other diagnoses but may be a valuable mechanism of change. Interpersonal problems are also known to impact outcome trajectories. Patients high in interpersonal and relational difficulties exhibit negative compensatory behaviors such as avoidance and hostility, which can deleteriously affect building a trusting relationship. Individual difference variables likely play a role in relationship-outcome …

A Structurationally Informed View Of Emergency Medical Services Professionals’ Work-Related Communication And Behaviors While Off Duty, Susan J. Burnett

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Work-life interrelationships and boundaries are common areas of study in communication research. While some scholars maintain that the domains of work and personal lives and their boundaries are static and exist in designated times and spaces, others argue that domains are constructed around situated contexts and through the performance of situated activities that not only produce a time and place for the domain but call upon enactment of an identity appropriate for managing the domain and the boundaries around it. The people who work in emergency medical services (EMS), emergency medical services professionals (EMSPs) face special challenges in managing work-life …

Risk Factors For Executive Functioning Development In Preschool Children With Type 1 Diabetes, Victoria L. Ledsham

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Links between Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and decreased cognitive functioning in children are well documented, but research on executive functioning (EF) in this population is more limited. Multiple T1D-related risk factors (e.g., hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, glycemic variability, diabetic ketoacidosis) for EF have been established throughout the literature, but their individual effects have been difficult to determine given their interrelated nature. In result, cumulative risk has been proposed as a more robust predictor of EF differences in children with T1D. Moreover, despite the importance of early T1D onset as a risk factor for EF impairment, no studies have previously investigated EF in …

Macroeconomics, State Action, Civic Trust, And Homicide: The Causes And Consequences Of Interpersonal Violence In Latin America, Guillermo Escano

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) represent 8 percent of the global population but about one-third of global homicides, yet interpersonal violence in the region receives limited attention in the English-language literature. This dissertation contains three distinct studies of the causes and consequences of crime and violence in LAC. The first study examines the predictive effects of inflation on robbery, burglary, and homicide rates in Argentina, which possesses one of the highest robbery rates worldwide and has endured high inflation – and, at times, hyperinflation – for years. I obtained annual crime data for 1973-2022 from the National Criminal Information …

Synthesis Of Small Molecules As Therapeutic Candidates, Savia Boyer

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

RNA plays a critical role in many biological functions, such as normal cellular functions or disease-related processes. Regulating biological processes through RNA-based therapeutics can be employed by the reversible photoregulation of oligonucleotides. Azobenzene, a light-responsive compound that changes conformation when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) or visible light, is attached to cytidine phosphoramidite to be incorporated in a series of RNA oligonucleotides. The reversibility of the nucleoside and oligonucleotide is verified through UV melting point experiments. The modified oligonucleotide can change conformation upon light irradiation to stop reverse transcription (RT) in the presence of many different reverse transcriptase enzymes. This technique …

Wide Band Gap Halide Perovskite, Miranda Bristol

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This thesis investigates the composition of alloyed materials required to stabilize cubic halide perovskites, aiming to offer a viable alternative to the commonly used oxides and lead-based perovskite wide band gap materials. This research aimed to identify materials that exhibit comparable or superior optoelectronic properties while minimizing geopolitical risks associated with critical materials. A wide band gap semiconductor, with a band gap larger than 2 eV, allows for more outstanding thermal and voltage stability and can absorb in the UV to the visible spectrum. The perovskite proposed in this study, CsSn_0.975Zn_0.025Cl₃, demonstrates promising potential …

First-Gen Latinx/Afro-Latinx And Complex: Keeping Resilient Responses On Shuffle, Tibisay I. Hernandez

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This qualitative study examined the racialized experiences of first-generation Latinx and Afro-Latinx students in higher education. Fourteen participants engaged in pláticas, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups to reflect on how their identities, race, and institutional dynamics shaped their collegiate journeys. The study examined how these students navigated both personal and institutional settings, revealing the emergence of tensions around belonging, authenticity, and cultural responsibility in everyday interactions. Using Latino Critical Race Theory (LatCrit) alongside Multidimensional Identity Negotiation Theory (MINT) and Co-Cultural Communication Theory (CCCT), this study developed an emergent framework—the Resilient Response Model—to better understand how students respond to complex identity …

Adaptive Evolution Shapes The Transmissibility Of West Nile Virus In New York State, Sean M. Bialosuknia

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), which are maintained in nature in complex transmission cycles involving hematophagic invertebrates and their vertebrate hosts, are the cause of a significant and expanding global health burden. Defining arbovirus-host interactions is necessary if we are to understand the adaptive and epidemiological potential of arboviruses. The results presented with West Nile virus (WNV Flaviviridae: Orthoflavivirus), are a compilation of such studies. WNV is the most prevalent arboviral pathogen in the U.S. and the most geographically distributed arbovirus in the world. Despite the evolutionary potential of these RNA viruses, WNV and other arboviruses have experienced only limited …

Divided By Fear: The Influence Of Political Beliefs On The Perception Of Extremist Groups, Hannah A. Scott

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Acts of violent extremism and support for political violence have increased in the United States over the past decade. Previous studies have primarily focused on the differences in risk perception between White Supremacists and Islamic Extremists/Jihadists, neglecting other ideological movements. This study utilizes data from the fifth wave of the Chapman Survey of American Fears and employs ordinal logistic regression to compare the fear of seven different extremist groups and movements: Islamic Extremists/Jihadists, the Militia/Patriot Movement, White Supremacists, Extreme Environmentalists, Extreme Animal Rightists, Anti-Immigration Groups, and ANTIFA. The findings reveal notable differences across political parties (Democrats, Republicans, and Independents) and …

From A Child's Perspective: A Qualitative Study Of Elementary School Student Engagement, Deanna J. Springstead-Gonzalez

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Abstract

Background and Purpose. This study sought to investigate child engagement from the children's perspective, aiming to understand better what they perceive as factors that facilitate or constrain their academic engagement in classrooms. By centering children's voices, this research challenges traditional views of students as passive recipients of education, instead recognizing them as active participants with valuable insights into their learning experiences. This work builds on the frameworks proposed by Shirley and Hargreaves (2021) and Lawson and Lawson (2013) that utilize socio-ecological theory to better understand those factors impacting children’s learning experiences.

Method. The study was conducted at an elementary …

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 …

Simulating A Multi-Tier Intervention For Refugee Mental Health Using Agent-Based Modeling, Bishan Huang

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Increasing numbers of people are fleeing political violence and becoming refugees who resettle all around the world.Compared to the general population in the countries where they resettle, refugees disproportionately suffer from depression and higher trauma-related mental health symptoms including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to the experiences that led to their refugee status, as well as post-migration stressors, disadvantages in multiple social determinants of health, and lack of social support. New York City has received refugees from over 50 countries and may require policy and infrastructure changes to meet refugee mental health needs, especially in face of the recent surge …

Embracing The Unmanageable: The Critique Of The Everyday And The Postwar Condition In Wallace Stevens’ And Robert Duncan’S Works Circa 1950, Kazuma Morita

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

My thesis is designed as an investigation of the ethical and political implications of the everyday in postwar American poetry. While recent scholarship of everyday life studies has clarified the centrality of the everyday or the ordinary to modernism and postwar literature, it does not elaborate enough on the impact of the political condition on literary expressions of everyday life in post-1945 period. Given U.S. military’s infiltration into everyday life of people living inside and outside the country after World War II, it is an important task to spotlight the way American postwar poets tackled U.S. war culture through their …

Postcolonial Notions Of Criminality In Jane Eyre And Wide Sargasso Sea, Hannah M. Karim

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This thesis will use Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre and Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea to gain a greater understanding of the postcolonial notions of criminality that are sustained and reproduced through racialized purity rhetoric and hierarchy. I argue that the restriction of the definition of the human, within scientific, religious, and legal realms, functioned towards the colonial end of sustaining racial hierarchy. In terms of its means of functioning, I argue that its need to function discretely is a direct response to the abolishment of slavery and with it, the shifting social demand for an appearance of reason, moral righteousness, …

“A ‘Normal’ Life”: Red Dwarf, Temporality, And The Neuroqueer Absurd, Gretchen B. Graf

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The science fiction series Red Dwarf, beginning in 1988 and broadcasting sporadically over the past nearly four decades, takes place more than three million years in the future where human beings have gone extinct. All, that is, except one; the show’s central character, Dave Lister, is the last known living human being in the universe, outliving humanity by remaining in stasis during a radiation leak that killed the rest of the crew of the titular mining ship. Besides Lister, the narrative also focuses on the nonhuman beings that keep him company. Besides residing in the genre of science fiction, …

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 …

Conserved A-Rich Regions In The 3’ Utr Of Zika Virus Differentially Affect Viral Gene Expression, Kristen Kaytes

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

Following its discovery in 1947, Zika virus garnered little attention in the global stage until a rapidly spreading epidemic brough the virus to the global stage in 2015. Continuous advances in research have begun to further the understanding of the molecular biology of Zika virus, however much is still unknown. Much of our understanding of the virus comes from cross reference to other viruses within the same family, such as Dengue virus and West Nile virus. A commonality of these viruses is that they resemble cellular mRNAs and have a single-stranded positive-sense RNA genome that contains a 5’-cap but lacks …

The Job Satisfaction Of New York State’S Public School Business And Marketing Education Teachers, Michael Lamastra

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century (Perkins) Act defines career and technical education as organized educational activities in which students learn applied academics, professional skills, and career training in a specific technical field. Many United States students, and ,specifically, New York State students, do not have access to CTE coursework. New York has seven CTE content areas: agriculture, business and marketing, computer science, family and consumer science, health sciences, technology, and trade/technical education.

One barrier to accessing this coursework is the availability of teaching staff. According to data collected by the New York State Education Department …

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 …